AUTUMN RAINS

 

It has been raining for days, including thunder storms.

This is unusual for Autumn, where I always enjoy the crisp clear blue skies and sharp cool air...

Happily, there was a break in the drizzle late today and I was able to go walking along my favourite path.  There was little sunshine, and it was dark as I returned home just before 5pm.

I am always happy to see this chain of mountains, the ones I knew growing up in a town about 130 km in the distance..

My brothers used to climb that big peak in the middle.

I saw this mixed group of local birds, unusually meeting together to eat the seed somebody has left in a feeder along their fence.

Left to Right:  Pidgeon 1, Cockatoo, Lorikeet, Pidgeon 2, and two Apostle birds.

I have been trying to get a good picture of Apostle birds as they frequent our garden.

This one is sitting on our back fence.

We have never lived near them before, and they are entertaining.

They live communally, in groups of up to 12, hence the name Apostle.

They roost together, fly together, and sometimes arrive on our lawn to eat together.  I have also seen them in a group on the road, picking at whatever is there, which is a dangerous practice.  

Recently, on my walk I met a group on the roadside, and just managed this shot before they flew up into a tree to safety:

They are dull brownish colour and have a large tail which fans out although you can't see that in this picture.  Their cutest habit is roosting in a row, side by side pressed together.  One day a group of babies did this on our pool fence while the adults foraged. Unfortunately as soon as I tried to take a picture they flew off...

The Cottage Garden is playing Autumn with some orange tones..

This Crucifix Orchid survived the house move, and is growing well in its new corner.

Pansies are always welcome..

As I continue to tweak our new home to make it feel our own, I have found some corners just too dull for a living plant.

Last week I bought this 6 ft. tall fake Rubber Tree plant at K Mart.

It fills a spot nicely, and there might be a few more arriving in the future...

I have installed a modern Chandelier in the entry, bought with the proceeds of the sale of our pair of large traditional chandeliers from our previous heritage style home.  I do enjoy a bit of sparkle and it is lovely at night.

All the other light fittings in our new, more modern house, are downlights set into the ceiling.  It has taken me a while to adjust, as our previous homes have always featured beautiful pendant lights of various styles over the years.

When we moved in I felt the house was lacking its 'jewellery'....

Mr C gave me a new African violet for Mothers Day.

I had one just like this, but it did not survive the move.  

The psychological effect of the house move surprised me.  It is our fourth marital home in over 50 years, but this time I was more powerfully impacted by it all.

Our Canadian decoy duck came with us, and happily floats in the new pool.

There are no problems when you are made of wood....

In the near future we are again visiting our daughter in Canada.  It is possible I may seek to bring another duck home with me to share the attention...

This duck really does startle and amuse visitors.

Thank you for visiting my new blog.

I would love you to become a Follower.

Best Wishes from

Camellia Cottage

XXXX

 

CAMELLIA COTTAGE

 Welcome to my new blog.

I am Patricia, long-time blogger, lover of nature, birds and flowers, art and painting, sewing, classical music and singing, living in Brisbane, Queensland.

Exactly one year ago, we ageing Baby Boomers decided it was time to Downsize.

We could/should have done it years ago, but we are stubborn..

And we liked our Olde Worlde style house, high on the hills at Brookfield on Brisbane's West side...

We had space, over 1200 square metres;  we had trees, too many trees....

There was a large pool, down the slope and a flight of rocky steps.

And we had snakes lurking around it...

The deck had a wonderful view to the mountains, and caught the cooling breeze..

The birds came every day..

We loved the Australian Native Tree Ferns which grew in abundance...

Our house styled by the experts!

For four months we searched websites daily, and visited potential new homes on Saturdays.  We became acquainted with several suitable areas, and befriended those agents who offered good terms, help and advice.

Meanwhile, we sold or gave away many of our accumulated possessions, and half our furniture went into storage.

Stylists came and gave our house a more contemporary look...

There were 20 large vases of fake greenery - rather amusing when we had so much fresh greenery outside in the garden...

By late August, 2025, we were ready to launch onto the market.

Simultaneously, we had finally found the one.  The perfect house for us.

Camellia Cottage was on a smaller, level block, about 8km away but within the area we know well.  We have many friends in the vicinity.

It had enough rooms for us: the four bedrooms became two bedrooms and two study/studios, one for each of us.

It also has a pool, but it is an easy one, close to the back of the house.

(That is the neighboring house in the photo).

There is a large deck by the pool, perfect for gathering family and grandchildren..

The first rose planted in our new garden

We signed up to buy, and launched our previous house on the market two days later.

Two weeks, and three open houses later, it had been viewed by over 40 families and we had a couple of keen buyers.  Some quick negotiations went on and we had a sale!

We had 60 days to pack up, move out, and get to our new house (after a brief holiday while EVERYTHING was in storage).

Finally in November, we were here in our new place.

It has a perfectly tidy, easy care garden, but we want to make our own mark here.  We began with roses and have five blooming really well over the first six months.

We have been uncertain about five little bushes within our walled front garden.  Recently they have sported dozens of buds and now have turned out to be Camellias.

And so a name was born:  Welcome to Camellia Cottage.

I do hope readers of my previous blog will come along with me as we embark on a new adventure as Retired Australians.

Best Wishes

Patricia