Oh What A Beautiful Morning!

Another gorgeous,cool, clear, sunny winter morning, here on the Gold Coast, we headed to the beach for a walk before adjourning to the surf club for breakfast. The ocean looked magnificent sparkling in the sunshine, the surface was fairly calm. We were delighted to spot two pods of whales journeying north, my first sighting this year! I was pretty excited, I can tell you! I get such a thrill seeing these enormous creatures frolicking in the water, I'm looking forward to my annual trip out on the water in the next couple of weeks.
Two large motor cruisers were roaring along with an attendant helicopter skilfully maneuvering ahead and beside them, it looked like a movie was in the making.
We headed to the surf club anticipating a delicious cooked breakfast and we weren't disappointed.
I considered again blessed we are to live in this vicinity that we can enjoy a meal looking out at the ocean at such an amazing view. I never guessed when I dreamed as a child, living in London, that I might on day live at the seaside, that I would end up here, so close to the Pacific Ocean. Be careful what you wish for. So much better than the seaside towns of Sussex, though I loved them at the time!
We watched the few people on the beach for a while, some overseas visitors and a couple of bikini clad models being photographed posing on the sand, near the waterline, then we headed home.
The sky had been cloudless earlier in the day, but fluffy clouds like sheep had appeared. Within fifteen minutes the sky changed. The wind had increased and when I looked up the clouds had changed, so unusual - like enormous feathers reaching out across the blue expanse. I couldn't wait to get home to find my camera and take some shots to add to my collection of God's art gallery.
My heart was full with all I had seen and enjoyed and once again I praised God for His creation and provision. Beauty everywhere.
I don't recall seeing anyone else marveling at the sky this morning, but here's a snap for you to get the picture.
Simply Susan

God's Art Gallery

'The heavens declare the glory of God' so the Psalmist says, and I immediately think of the night sky; the beauty of multitudes of twinkling stars and maybe the moon. However, the day sky also displays God's glory for us, if we will only look up!
A free display for each of us to enjoy and wonder at every day,that points us to Him. Maybe a clear, cloudless, cerulean blue or sky heavy with thunder clouds, each one is different. How blessed we are to have such an magnificent variety of art treasures to enjoy each day and to be able to thank the Artist for being so generous with us.
Here are one or two for your consideration...Keep your own collection fresh by looking purposefully up each day.
Simply Susan

Excelerators and Airblades (Hand Dryers)

Ladies, have you experienced the fantastic jet engined hand dryers that are starting to appear in ladies rest rooms?
My first experience with one of these fantastic machines was at Williamstown airport in Newcastle. I was flabbergasted and delighted at the same time that my hands could go from sopping wet to dry in only 10 seconds!
How tired I am of leaving restrooms with wet hands as a result of there being multiple toilets and hand basins, but only one or two hand dryers to service a room full of ladies with wet hands, dryers that frankly are so ineffective to be absolutely useless!
I wonder who designs these facilities? After encouraging hand washing as the most simple effective means of infection control, the wimpy dryers that oh so gently blow warm air, taking a minute to dry properly, nullify the benefit of the wash and frustrate the patrons, who are ofter observed wiping their wet hands on a tissue, or the back of their jeans!
Speak up ladies, in support of these fabulous machines that, whilst repositioning the flesh on your hands, dry them so effectively!
Hooray for such fantastic machines.

Simply Susan

What a Promise

Thinking about Autumn, I am reminded of God's promise to Noah after the flood:-
"As long as the earth endures,
seed time and harvest,
cold and heat,
summer and winter,
day and night will never cease."
What a promise, we have a God that we can depend on, He is faithful to His promises, we can depend on the seasons, and that the sun will rise and set each day.

I spent some time at the beach this morning and was delighted by the cloud formations, so much (free) beauty for us to soak up.
Thank you Lord



Simply Susan

Lengthening Shadows

Finally the afternoon shadows are lengthening, a sure sign to me that Autumn is here. A beautiful time of year, the bite of the sun loses its grip and coolness is becomes evident in the mornings and afternoons. Its time to add an extra cover on the bed and snuggling becomes possible, after months of tossing off the sheets and turning pillows at night to get cool.
I LOVE IT! I'm a temperate climate gal of old, and even though it doesn't get very cold here on the Gold Coast in winter, it does get significantly cooler than summer temperatures, and I feel that I come alive, feeling so much more energetic. It's possible to don a jacket or jersey, even a scarf and not feel overdressed; one can walk without "glowing". It's time to get the knitting needles out and into service; time to make casseroles and soups and enjoy the odd pudding - comfort food - wonderful! It's a time when I become nostalgic, recalling earlier times and experiences as a child, of gorgeous autumn tints on deciduous trees and shuffling through autumn leaves in nearby woods.
Though, as I said, it doesn't get very cold here, nevertheless cooler days give me an opportunity to stay indoors and curl up with a book, free of the compulsion to be outside.
Having recently withdrawn from the paid workforce, I shall be interested to see how my first autumn progresses, with opportunities to indulge in an afternoon nap, should the need arise. So many things I want to do,knit, read, write, visit friends...and get back to writing my Blog that I have ignored for so long.
I'll be back!
Simply Susan

What A Surprise!

One of the wonders to me of God's creation is the incredibly intricate and beautiful flowers that appear on cacti and succulents. Often ugly plants come into their own at a certain stage of maturity and gnarliness, when they have been present in the garden for a long period of time, if acquired perhaps from a cutting or from uncertain lineage.

This was the case with this little beauty. I had been keeping an eye on on my strap cacti which were very close to blooming, when I noticed a two prickly protrusions on a funny looking succulent that a friend had given me about four years ago. It has been hanging precariously over the side of its pot causing unbalance whilst happily growing longer and longer, looking like an over inflated fish bone The picture is a little blurry, but I think you'll get the idea.

I thought at first they were spiders, since we have some pretty large hairy varieties here in Queensland, but closer inspection showed me that they were buds. What excitement! What would they reveal? I continued to mark their progress whilst the other blooms opened and were lauded for their beauty, and I waited...(im)patiently!

About two weeks later, I was rewarded. early one morning, its light here currently at about 4.30 am, I trotted outside in my PJs to look over the railing of our deck to see what was happening and then I raced back inside to grab my camera to record this beautiful sight!

Once again, the flower only remained open for one day, but what a day, two days later the second bud opened and I rejoiced again at such perfection.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Simply Susan

Gold In The Garden

Back in September, the tenth to be precise, I wrote about what a flower represents and in that post I mentioned that I had split up a clump of Correopsis into several dozen plants, that I was eagerly waiting to mature and come into flower, at the time I only had a photo of one flower. Well, here is the gold in the garden this morning!

Once again we are experiencing very dry conditions, so the plants surviving in the garden are hardy ones, for which I am very grateful, else it would be a very sad sight outside.

Here is another gem that has self seeded all around the garden and I am delighted to welcome it in such profusion, both white and pink varieties, in places where nothing has survived before. Its name is Gaura or butterfly flower, named so because the delicate,orchid style flowers bloom on long stems and they appear like fluttering butterflies in the breeze, sadly they don't survive in water, so I am unable to add them to the bunches that I love to pick and share.

So much to be thankful for!
Simply Susan