November 2010 Challenge Theme - From my Windows

[Analog6]

I'm going to make it Things I Take from the Windows - sunrises, sunsets, birds, the trees etc.

And here is my first effort - a stunning (very brief) colour sky this morning

[Analog6]

And my next effort - taken yesterday on Melbourne Cup day - really inside the windows but the verandah is an add on and this is outside (actually under) the kitchen window, so it scrapes in.

Is there anything more relaxed than a cat?  And it particulrly joyous for me to see THIS cat, my dear companion of the bed Miss Honey Bunny, relaxing out on the sun verandah.

When we got her she was very shy and timid, but gradually came out and played and so on.  Then for some reason Raymond took to chasing her and she would hide all day in my room under the doona.  She has lived in my room for over a year - no life for a cat.

So I started to bring her out every morning to the sun verandah, carrying her out there and shutting the doors and ignoring the anguished wails.  Now, after about 2 weeks, she is darting out my door to get out there and even coming out after dinner in the evening to 'visit' with us.

This was taken yesterday while she was contemplating her Melbourne Cup tips.

Lumix FZ35



Relaxation! by Photography by Odille, on Flickr

[Analog6]

And a genuine out the window one

A young Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicens) doing some lovely carolling in the poinciana tree yesterday afternoon.  He was just getting into his stride!

Lumix FZ35



Beautiful Warbler by Photography by Odille, on Flickr

[Ross and Cher]

Nicely done! And don't they have a beautiful warble!

[christophm]

Beautiful! 

[Analog6]

Nicely done! And don't they have a beautiful warble!

They do, there are some singing out in the side garden at the moment, I love the dawn chorus of these guys, kookas and the occasional currawong

[tommykelso]

Nice series so far!  You can see a lot by just sitting looking out a window 

[Analog6]

A beautiful Granny's Cloak Moth came to visit me.



This lovely dark grey/brown moth was in my room last night and I tried to get him out the window today but he is not cooperating.  About 65mms across the wings

I looked it up under Australian moths on the net - from the site http://www.ozanimals.com

Identification
Granny's Cloak Moth is a large brownish grey moth with eye spots and scalloped pattern. These are the large fluttering moths you often see in dark places around the house. From a distance it looks like a boring dark brown moth, but up close it has a delicate pattern.

Size
wingspan 75mm

Habitat
Often seen in dark places around homes - sheds, garage, under the house. In the bush it rests in hollow trees or caves.

Classification
Class:   Insecta
Order:   Lepidoptera
Family:   Noctuidae
Genus:   Speiredonia
Species:   spectans
Common Name:   Granny's Cloak Moth

[Ross and Cher]

Very nicely done - beautiful blue!

[bigbob]

I can see how they got their name good shot love it

[Analog6]

And last night we had a storm pass by . .

SEE LATER POST - DELETED (replaced by re-edit)

A 2 shot pano from the Lumix (FZ35) taken last night (Fri 5 Nov 20120).  I was watching this storm on the radar as it was quite a severe small cell, but it went from north west of us to south east, slipping down the coast and not even depositing so much as a drop on us.

Normally we see planes taking off over the sea - not last night, right over the house for an hour or so - and I don't blame them.  I sure wouldn't want to fly through that!

(Lumix FZ35 2 shot storm pano 03/Nov/2010)

[bigbob]

Sorry Odille but this seems too dark on my screen so i can't find a point of intrest, I don't have the super monitors some of you guys have

[Analog6]

It is quite dark, maybe I need to lighten it a bit then, it was about 7pm

Ok, had a bit of a go at it, but doesn't look too much different.  Opinions please everyone



The Passing Storm by Photography by Odille, on Flickr

OK, I have ditched the first one and replaced it with the second edit.

[Ross and Cher]

No 2 is a bit brighter, but still just a bit too dark (my opinion only) - inconvenient when the storm rolled in so late!

[Carmyllie]

Shame because the cloud formations are really interesting. Nice attempt though, it definitely made 7pm seem 8pm worth of brightness

[Tim N]

Try just a touch of mid-tone lightening ... it may just bring the foreground out a little bit.

[Analog6]

Sunrise this morning - hard to capture as due to the palm I have to now lean right out the window with the camera in one hand _  which is why I'm shooting with the Lumix so much!

It was real 'fire in the sky' stuff but I haven't done it justice.

[christophm]

The colour in the sky must have been impressive.  Hard to catch though.  Well done, Odille.

[Analog6]

The soft dreamy looking clouds caught my eye this morning.  This is actually photographed through my (none too clean - it's 2 1/2 floors up!) window but I rather like the slightly grainy effect.



Dreaming of Clouds by Photography by Odille, on Flickr

Lumix FZ35 - P1050952

[Ross and Cher]

Very dreamy Odille

[tommykelso]

Nice clouds shot... would a pano crop suit this do ya think??

[Analog6]

Then you'd lose the top wispy stuff and I think it makes the shot.

[bigbob]

like it as it is well done

[Analog6]

Well, it's actually inside the windows, but here is Marmie helping Mummy make the bed.  Can't be done with a feline supervisor, you know!

You'd never know he is a sober old 11 year old puss - he had a real fit of spring fizz!

I was making the bed and just had the top sheet to go when he decided that pesky sheet needed to be subdued.

And a darned good job of it he did too, giving it the dribble, the back leg rake and the claw.

Lumix FZ35



Bedmaking with Marmie by Photography by Odille, on Flickr

[Carmyllie]

I'm laughing too much to type. My ginger male used to get into the doona cover when I was attempting to change it. Great moment Odille. Funny as.

[Analog6]

It's the wild look that gets me - and the drool on the sheet!  Because he has lost all his teeth to gum disease, when he gets excited he dribbles a bit, poor love!  Zafira, our apple-head Siamese who I've pictured on here, favours getting into pillowcases , of all things!

[Analog6]

Not a wonderful shot photographically, but a section of our Reed avocado tree - it has been a slow bloomer.  Planted in 2004, 3 avos in 2008, about a dozen last year and this year there must be 200 on it.  I think the 420mm of rain last month, following the spring feed Warwick gave it, has helped a lot.

Our other tree, a Shepherd variety, and usually the stalwart (over 150 last year), had a lot of its blossoms knocked off by the heavy rain, and only has 2-3 dozen this year.  The largest of these are egg size, and the reed is a round avo.  Yum yum!

[Carmyllie]

One cape seed sandwich with chicken breast, lots of freshly ground black pepper and one of your delicious avocados please Odille. Email is fine

[tommykelso]

Mmmmm sounds nice 

[Analog6]

One cape seed sandwich with chicken breast, lots of freshly ground black pepper and one of your delicious avocados please Odille. Email is fine

Coming right up!

[christophm]

Is this how avocados grow?  This is a first for me.  Thanks.

[Analog6]

Just for you a shot of the avo tree (from late July 2009 - the 4th shot ever with the H2) showing our Shepherd avo with a few young ones on there.

[Analog6]

A couple more from this morning.  Yes, I know they are dark but the first is at 0409 and the second at 0523. 

Up at my usually ridiculous hour I had a check of the weather out the window and with the waning moon, off behind the palm on the left, lighting up the clouds  it looked really nice.  Venus in the middle distance centre.


Pre-dawn 29112010 by Photography by Odille, on Flickr

And another look out the window at 0423, Venus is still visible middle centre.  Wonderful clouds and stars this morning.


Dawn 29112010 by Photography by Odille, on Flickr

Both with the little Lumix

[bigbob]

They do seem a little to dark for me or it could be my old screen

[Cher and Ross]

Bit dark here too...