Friday Photos

I love watching our chicks develop.  It's a fascinating process.  Plus they are just so cute.  I thought I'd share some of my favourite chook photos of the last couple of weeks with you and then have a quick look at a sample of my other favourite things - homegrown vegetables and native trees. I hope you have a wonderful week.

Come and visit again in a week for more Friday Photos
Lesley xx

2 week old  Barnevelder chicks exploring.  They are growing
much quicker than the 3rd chick (below) and have different
colouring, and longer tails.  I think these are males.

Cinders has very different markings to her siblings

Cinders is just starting to get her wing feathers. Compare hers
to the chick's wings in the top photo (taken the same day).
Here Cinders finds a tasty morsel in the mulch

2 weeks later and her wing feathers are developing
nicely.  But still no tail!

Whereas this one of the other Barnevelders
not only has tail feathers developing quickly,
but also has them pointed rather than
rounded, a strong indication of a male chick.

My capsicum bush is in its
2nd year and continues to produce
this small but very tasty fruit.

One of my favourite trees.
In our front garden I planted this
Eucalyptus grandis (Rose Gum)
about 15 years ago. Its bark is pale and smooth;
its trunk straight.  A rainforest tree,it is now
above the canopy of surrounding trees,
and still growing up rather than out.

 Backhousia citriodora (Lemon Myrtle).
I saw this Australian native today at
the Environment Centre.
The flowers are losing the gorgeous
fluffy stamens, revealing the calyx and
developing fruit .....

..... but it is not the fruit that is sought after,
but the leaves with their delicious lemony flavour.
Put 2-3 leaves in hot water and steep for a
few minutes and aah, what blissful tea!
Or process the leaves to almost powder and
use to flavour shortbread biscuits.
Oh so good!