Monday 15 August 2011

Melaleucas and microwaves

A few days ago a friend and I visited one of the local beaches, properly called Illawong Beach, but know by the locals as Far Beach, because when the tide goes out the beach stretches out for nearly a kilometre!  These beautiful melaleucas or paperbarki trees have been growing there for a generation or more. 

We used to take our children down there to play when they were small, there was a lovely playground as well as the beach.

I have tried to show you how the bark strips off like paper, it is used for all sorts of things, bark pictures used to be very popular in the fifties and sixties, and lining baskets for pot plants is another favoured use.  I just love looking at them.

I had a quick go with my macro lens taking the centre of the congea flowers below - not very successful, but the centre is fascinating.

I persuaded Bill to leave the pruning shears in the cupboard and the vine is still holding its flowers, looking magnificent.  They are going quite dark now, so it won't be long before they start dropping, then I will be very glad to have it pruned as they make a huge mess.

Look what my clever husband has done for me.  When we had our kitchen installed about 18 years ago, I lost the argument with the kitchen designer as to where to place the microwave.  I have complained ever since that it was very hard - and getting harder - for me to lift things out of the microwave at the angle I had to with it placed over the kitchen bench in the corner.

Now look what I have got.  Bill has spent the last few days constructing a lazy susan on slides so the whole caboodle pulls out and swivels as far as I want it to go!  It will pull out even further than I have it, but when I pulled it out to take the photo I kept getting me reflected in the door - not what I wanted at all!  I can even clean the inside with ease now - no more excuses are there!

6 comments:

  1. Those trees are magnificent and I love all kinds of tree bark - there are so many different textures. Beautiful blossoms too. Why don't kitchen designers listen to the woman who has to work in there? Bill's solution to your problem is great and will make life much easier for you. Clever chap.

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  2. Love paper barks, but Bills engineering job looks like a winner!

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  3. What amazing trees Robyn. Love the complexity of the centre of the congea flowers. Great idea of Bill's but what a pity that he had to do it in the first place.

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  4. The bark is interesting and some of those trees look very old.

    What a great solution to the microwave problem: pity it has taken 18 years to solve.

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  5. Hello Robin, and thanks for the lovely shot of the trees. They do look like they are there for the long haul, don't they. I love all sorts of bark too. I remember some very amazing bark art in years gone by.

    My goodness, what an engineer is your husband. I am sure the new system will help enormously, and you most definitely will benefit [as will he, no more 'talking' about difficulties.....LOL].

    Have a great week. I've been AWOL again, family gathering.

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