Welcome to Life Images by Jill

Welcome to Life Images by Jill.........Stepping into the light and bringing together the images and stories of our world. I am a photographer, writer and multi-media artist.
Focussing mainly on Western Australia and Australia, I am seeking to preserve images and memories of the beautiful world in which we live and the people in it.

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Welcome!
PLEASE CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO GO TO MY RED BUBBLE STORE.

Monday, 24 February 2025

Days of Summer

 Hi everyone. I hope you and yours are doing well. Life has been so busy - so something a little different today. It has been a hot summer - so here is a poem I wrote from a writing prompt at my writing group. 

DAYS OF SUMMER

A gaggle tumbles from the bus

We unstitck our legs from vinyl seats
Clamp sunhats on heads
Tramp up the sand hill hauling bags, esky, sunshade
Sand drags at our thongs


Dry grass scratches legs
A lizard turns to stone
Cicadas sing
We emerge from the peppermints
The ocean shimmers, beckoning.


Impossibly blue cloudless sky
We claim our spot on scorching sand
Struggle to tie down the sunshade
Slap on slippery sunscreen

Children shriek, diving into the biting chill
and surface laughing
Dogs sniff unfamiliar smells
Dads organise beach cricket
Frisbees fly, balls tossed
Bare skin sizzles.


Squawking seagulls snatch chips
Sand crunches in our sandwiches
Sticky icecream drips
Watermelon smiles.


Children burrow creating worlds draped with seaweed
Water drains from moats
Couples snuggle
Waves slop lazily on the shore
Parents doze, sunglasses askew
An open book falls
Flies crawl into crevices, hover, cluster, annoy
Babies grizzle.


The wind tries to claim our sunshade
We collect abandoned buckets, shovels, thongs
as the ocean engulfs sandcastles,
retrieving its pretty treasures
The sun slides silently into the ocean and over the edge of the world.  


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ps - the people swimming over the top of the fish is actually two images combined which I did for Photography Group. 

Thank you so much for stopping by. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week. 
I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!

If you are looking for a translator - there is one on the right hand side where you can select your language. 
   

Hello there! I love reading your comments. If you scroll down to the bottom you can comment too! I would love to hear from you.
Until then, enjoy your day...Life only comes around once, so do what makes you happy and be with people who make you smile. 



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Monday, 10 February 2025

Flowering cream & rosea Marri trees and red flowering gums

 Hi everyone. I hope all is well with you. A few years ago I brought to you the beautiful Rosea Marri - Pink Rosea marri tree - Corymbia calophylla variation "rosea" - and as it is flowering here at the moment I thought it deserved another showing - along with two other flowering gums - also in the Corymbia family - that are currently flowering in our hot Western Australian summer. 



Rosea in it's various shades of pink is a less common variation of the very common creamy form of Marri - Corymbia calophylla - which I brought to you a couple of years ago here - The Marri Trees are flowering



The tree is spectacular in flower. The bees love the flowers and the cockatoos and parrots love the nuts. 

Marri is the indigenous aboriginal Noongar name. Growing to 40-60 metres tall they are not suitable for suburban gardens, but they are common in bush blocks and road sides everywhere in our area, as it occurs naturally through the south west of Western Australia in a range of habitats. The trees in summer are covered in flowers. 

Corymbia calophylla - commonly known as Marri - is one of around 80 eucalypts which were transferred in 1995 from the genus Eucalyptus to the newly created genus Corymbia. The species was formerly known as Eucalyptus calophylla and that name is still preferred by some. Australian Native Plants Society

The common name Marri is a Noongar word for blood, which has been used to describe the sap that weeps from wounds in the bark.  The large urn shaped nuts on this tree are commonly referred to as honky nuts. They hold large seeds that provide a food source to native birds such as parrots and cockatoos. WA Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority

You can see the nuts in this photo here. Prior to this I love the way the tops pop off the buds and the flowers burst out. 


Another tree flowering right now - though more common further south is - the red flowering gum - Corymbia ficifolia - which is another eucalypt which was transferred from the eucalypt family to the corymbia family. It grows to about 10 metres. Corymbia ficifolia is superficially similar to Marri, Corymbia calophylla. It differs in that it has barrel shaped fruits rather than urn shaped (Australian Native Plants Society). 

You can see the difference in the nuts comparing the photo above, with the photo below here. 


Here you can see images of the buds, nuts, and tree

More information at:

Australian Native Plants Society - Australian Plants OnLine

Australian Native Plants Society - Corymbia ficifolia

You might also like:

The Marri Trees are flowering

Pink Rosea Marri

The trees are blooming for Christmas

Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed the native summer trees that are flowering in my area. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week. 
I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!


Hello there! I love reading your comments. If you scroll down to the bottom you can comment too! I would love to hear from you.
Until then, enjoy your day...and make it as good as you can....


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