Today I invite you to take a walk with me through our suburb, now in the full glory of summer and still mostly green thanks to the rainiest July to December on record in Australia. I am remembering back to the many gloomy days we had this past spring when I so appreciated photos of the beautiful autumn enjoyed by my friends in the northern hemisphere. I therefore dedicate this post to those who are living in the depths of winter, not with any intent to cause jealousy, of course, but to return the favor so to speak.
Evening has always been my favorite time to be outside, and I absolutely love the rays from the setting sun in summertime. We haven't seen much of the sun lately, however. No doubt many of you have heard about the flooding in northern Australia. It is much on our minds, although it is far from us distance wise (similar distance as Pittsburgh to Orlando). Northern Queensland, where all cities have been completely cut off from the remainder of the continent, is even further.
I rang our pastor's wife today and asked about her family whom I thought lived in Brisbane, the area most recently flooded. I found out that her mother in fact lives in Toowoomba, where the devastating flash flood occurred yesterday (footage can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYUpkPTcqPY). Thankfully all family members are safe, but their continued well-being remains a matter of concern and many prayers. Food supplies have been affected throughout the region, and produce prices have begun to rise in our supermarkets. Some have called it the flood of a lifetime, and in some cases, the worst ever depending on the exact region of Australia being discussed at the time.
Christie - your neighborhood is indeed beautiful. And to think, your Mom , Dad. and Grandma are soon going to be able to enjoy it with you. I'm SO jealous !
Posted by: janetjames | 01/13/2011 at 05:38 AM
I'll come stroll with you!! The pictures are gorgeous! But I want to see the beautiful blooms in person :). Mind if I drop by sometime? - maybe next week if you're not busy...
Posted by: Suzanne | 01/13/2011 at 02:42 PM
Gorgeous gardens! All the pictures were lovely, my favorite was the 4th on down of those mauve blossoms. I'm glad you mentioned the flood. The children and I saw a news clip about it and I immedietly wondered about you.
We had a huge snowstorm yesterday. Rich worked from home thanks to those wonderful inventions, laptops and blackberries. ;P
Posted by: Shanda | 01/13/2011 at 11:20 PM
Carol wrote "Alstroemeria, Alium, Iris and so much more that I don't know. Would like to know what the tree is with the purple blossoms. Thank you so much for sharing. Do people really get into plants or is it just really easy to grow everything?"
People seem to be very keen on gardening here. The drought (which we have a hard time believing actually existed) put a damper on things, but this year is green and lovely.
Posted by: Christie | 01/15/2011 at 01:16 PM