By the light of the silvery cityscape..

On the water by night, enjoying the colours.

Driving in Brisbane

On the way out of the city.

Plum Blossom

And a smile from the garden.

Good morning!

Common Gecko on a cassava leaf

Rain has fallen. The residents are up and about early.

Estuarine Life

My day off is over and I head into port.

Brisbane River

Special Mention: Flood

The State of Queensland has now been declared a natural disaster zone with over two thirds of the State now under water. Rain is predicted for the south east which is where Brisbane sits. (And yet the pundits refuse to acknowledge the drought has broken!) I just may have to start one of these!

Ark built by Dutchman Johan Huibers
Schagen, Holland
photo Daily Mail UK

More from the garden

I don't mind spiders. This one, a garden orb, sits straddled between two ropes that make the clothesline and makes more than her keep in fly catches. You can see her chewing on her latest, one fresh in the fridge and the pantry to the left.

Garden Orb

And there's this tiny little man, half the size of our smallest coin, flying around on his web thread. He is really quite the character. This was taken at distance because the eyes on this little guy are amazing - they're a veritable scanner and he can see me, in size and colour so every time I approached he would jump away. I am delighted to have identified him, the shape of his thorax and crown markings making him very distinctive.

Jumping Spider - Stilicid (Opisthoncus Mordax)

He's watching me.

Loving nature and respecting its presence in your life has its challenges. Everyone has their 'thing' and for me it's wasps. These guys have settled near the orb and are very good at keeping the fly population down. They only build colonies of about 15 and, left alone, they keep to themselves. Provoked, they will attack and bear a nasty sting.

Paper Wasps

Their stringlike home is called a "pagoda" and is constructed from their saliva. When every core of my being cries out "get rid of them!" I resist. For they have their place too.

Meet our Martha

This is Martha, formerly Arthur until her sex was determined.
Resident python, she feeds on chook eggs and her yearly offspring are protected from those eager to steal them for their own gain.

Yes, unfortunately, pythons fetch a lucrative price both here and overseas.

In a pensive mood

She's like my year 4 teacher. Looks fierce and bites when you annoy her but underneath that scaly exterior (which she is shedding in this photo) lies a soft heart.

Checking out the camera