Wednesday; joie de vivre;

Photo/ baby water dragon; Physignathus lesueurii

This baby came around  when it was like a tiny stick, it grows at a fair rate and seems happy to stay around my pot plants.  Mornings at breakfast time it is warming itself, enjoying the sun, watching us with its shiny black eyes. It is such a thrill to have these creatures around. The same spot is sanctuary to a fat, small gecko, which was also arriving as a baby and sticks around, very fast and always hiding behind the pots. It might come out quickly when I am watering the plants. A baby lizard with golden stripes, I have not seen before,  hides itself between the plants and comes out to sun itself.

Many hiding nooks around the breakfast area for the little creatures. 

This tiny tree snake, not poisonous, wanted to get inside. It was not happy to be handled and put back into a  secure spot in the garden.  I am so glad my garden can be a little refuge for some wildlife.


©Photo/text Ts 


Links
  Poetic Takeaway's; a trivial world of words;

Lavender & Vanilla;

Tuesday; versatile;

The versatile pumpkin, received from my neighbour Virginia;

Pumpkins  look beautiful, they lend themselves for decoration until the time comes to use them for cooking.

They grow in many colours, sizes and  forms.

What do you fancy tonight? 

A deliciously roasted pumpkin, skin and all?

A fine tasting pumpkin soup in the french style  or perhaps with a hint of cumin and ginger?

Not to forget a creamy pumpkin risotto with a handful  of  true parmigiano reggiano?

For dessert a luscious pumpkin pie, sweet  with a hint of spices and lashings of cream?

any of these and 101 more to use a pumpkin.

The time is here to scatter different  pumpkin seeds. I let them grow and spread downwards where nothing comes into their way as they  need a lot of space  to grow. 

Applause for the humble pumpkin.

©Photos/Text Ts

Monday; cheers...

Banca Ridge Merlot;

served in a big,  fancy green glass; I like to break rules; at least some!

This is a very nice Merlot,  from the granit belt. 

The wine-cup is the little silver well,

Where truth, if truth there be, doth dwell.

William Shakespeare, English poet and writer, (1564-1616)

Link Poetic Takeaway's; a trivial world of words;

Sunday; so simple, so daisy;

Leave a door open for happiness; Titania



©Photo/Text Ts

Sepia Saturday 142; Three...

1953  with my little, much loved "adoptive" brother and his sister. When he was a young man he had a brush with death as he was badly electrocuted and was lucky to survive.  Later he died, still at an early age.

A few years later

1959, holidays in Austria; my mother holding baby Susie, daughter of my cousin. Susie was looking at my red painted fingernails and said "Zuckerl" meaning lollies.

and again a  few years later...

My mother with my first born daughter and  Amanda  sister to Susie;

Please hop over to Sepia Saturday 142

Link

Friday; Thoughts;

Photo on the way to Glen Innes;

To doubt is wise, to ask questions is wise, it is the only way to find the truth. Titania.

© Photo/text Ts

♥

Thursday; Apple pie;

Apple pie,  the universal  sweet pastry nobody ever says, no thank you.  Apple pie  comes in any version. You can let your fantasy run or you can rely on the good old  varieties. 
This one I baked quickly for an afternoon tea.
I still had some butter puff pastry in the freezer which I used for the base.
A good hand full ground almonds, apples peeled and cut in thin slices arranged over the base.
Tuck  some blobs   of raspberry jam between the apples. 
Mix half a cup of cream with a little sugar,  vanilla and  1 teaspoon cornflour, pour over the apples. Into the oven at 180 C until nicely crisp and the apples are soft, around 30 min. 

Easy as pie and done in no time! It is really tasty, but my favourite of them all is Tarte Tatin, which is also very easy to produce and fresh from the oven, slightly cooled with a decadent blob of whipped cream...no more to be said. 

© Photo/Text Ts