Wildflowers

I was reminded recently whilst driving to get my car repaired that the thistles were in bloom soon  . I could see them on the distant hillside as I drove past and I was determined this year not to miss their flowering. Normally by the time I get round to walking around to see them the have metamorphosed from vibrant purple to a dried but still beautiful dried golden flower head.

So this morning I trotted off over the hill to see what i could see.

There have been some pretty decent rains lately so the hillside (or at least one side of it) was in full bloom with weedy growth. I say one side of the hill because there must have been some recent burnoffs to rid the hill face of feral fennel bushes which are taking over the landscape from the natural scrub. One side black and tarry, the other teaming with weedy floral beauty.

Happily I traipsed along picking  flower heads to make a wild bouquet 

Over this hill is where the thistles normally grow. i was suitably disappointed when confronted with yet another brown landscape, this time the area where the expressway had been developed and half the hillside used as a dumping ground. This area (commendably) has been cleaned up but in the process they have bulldozed all the thistle plants that were to be my photographic opportunity. Disappointment to miss yet another display of beauty. A little further along the path I found one hidden beauty, just for me and you, a little show of glory to take your breath away.

My favourite

And the bunch of flowers I picked I ended up giving to mum when I went and had a cup of coffee with her, directly after the walk.

O'Halloran Hill Reserve and Charity Quilt No. 1

This rambling old house is situated in the O'Halloran Hill Reserve only a short drive from home. Since the last time I photographed the rainbow monkey quilt i had been looking for  a suitable place to photograph the next quilt but not quite so far from home. So I was pleasantly surprised to find this spot only a stones throw from home..I must have past this place a million times  but never really registered it being there. In fact I regularly walk the other side of the reserve which is divided by the expressway, so it limits movement across the whole of the reserve without crossing bridges or traffic.

This rambling house is right next to the main road and is really only a few steps away from a major road at peak hour but really feels like you are in another world when you cross the boundary by straddling the barbed wire fence. (Fortunately this time  my jeans managed to remain unscathed)

The days are getting shorter and the sun was already laying low across the hills casting long shadows but I love the play of light and the golden tones that the suns rays throw at this time of the day.

Check out the weedy growth on the top of the wall protruding up to the sky

Lots and lots of photos around and in the house...but I love the brick work and the colourings!
This one is taken from the inside looking out towards the road across the field.

Some old farm machinery abandoned in the paddock

Thistles..new growth

And the old .. radiant in the sunshine

What a pleasant way to finish a day at work and then to"head to the hills" for a little peace and calm.
Oh and by the way that is charity quilt no. 1 finally finished. Lovely and bright ( there is plenty wrong with it but there is also plenty right about it!) The grammar is really bad I know but you get the picture