11 November, Remembrance Day

Following the signing of the Armistice to end WW1, the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month became Remembrance Day when we remember our fallen - those who fought for our freedom. But with conflicts still raging around the world, will we ever learn from the past?

From its association with poppies flowering on the First World War battlefields of Belgium, France and Gallipoli, the red poppy has become associated with remembering the loss of life and the destruction.

"In soldiers’ folklore, the vivid red of the poppy came from the blood of their fallen comrades which had soaked the ground. The poppy flower grew rapidly and in large numbers across the graves of thousands of soldiers, leading it to become a symbol of sacrifice and loss."

Also on my blog -

The 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month - 2019

Remembrance Day - 2023

Remembrance Day and the Red Poppy - 2018

Remembrance Day - 11th November

The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month attained a special significance in the post-war years after World War 1 . The moment when hostilities ceased on the Western Front in 1918 became universally associated with the remembrance of those who had died in the war.  On the first anniversary of the Armistice in 1919 two minutes' silence was instituted as part of the main commemorative ceremony at the new Cenotaph in London.

After the end of the Second World War, the Australian and British governments changed the name to Remembrance Day. Australians observe one minute's silence at 11 am on 11 November each year to remember those who died or suffered for Australia's cause in all wars and armed conflicts. 

Australian War Memorial - Remembrance Day 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

   by John McCrae, May 1915

In the photo below you can see one of two remembrance walls at the Australian War Memorial in our capital city Canberra, where are recorded on bronze panels the names of over 102,000 Australians who have died in conflicts. On these two walls you can find the name of your family member and place a poppy beside their name, as we did when we visited. This is the closest we can come to the burial place of my great uncle who died in WW1 at Gallipoli and my husband's uncle in WW2 in Burma, so I was very grateful to be able to do this. 

You can learn more about Remembrance Day and the significance of the poppy here -

Remembrance Day & the Red Poppy - Life Images by Jill blog 

Australian War Memorial 

AWM - Red poppies - customs and ceremonies 

To search the Australian War Memorial collections 

Remembrance Day is commemorated in Australia, United Kingdom, New Zealand, United States, Canada, Belgium, France, and the Cayman Islands. However, We have all be affected in one way or another by war, either directly, or through family members or friends. 

A video/musical tribute. 

Do you observe Remembrance Day or similar in your country? Who will you be remembering this Remembrance Day?  

As wars continue to be raged across the globe, I despair that we have learnt nothing from the past. I despair for those who are caught up in these conflicts, for the loss of familes, loved ones, home, community, life as they knew it. And those that return home afflicted physically and mentally. Why can't the powers sit down and find a way through without killing, bombing and destruction. There must be a better way. 

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!

   

Mosaic Monday @ Soul & Mind & So On

Saturdays Critters - Viewing Nature With Eileen

Travel Tuesday

Pictorial Tuesday 

ThroughMy Lens 
Image-in-ing
My corner of the world through my camera 
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global hosted by Randomosity. 
       and Little bird - Pienilintu
Thankful Thursday 
Welcome to Nature Thursday

Skywatch Friday

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.

The Candlestick Banksia - it must be November

Hi everyone. I hope you and yours are doing well. 

It must be November because here in Western Australia the Candlestick Banksias are coming into flower. They remind me of giant Christmas candles. Can you see why? 

Banksia attenuata, commonly known as the candlestick banksia, slender banksia or biara to the Noongar people, is a species of plant in the family Proteaceae. Commonly a tree, it reaches 10 m high, but it is often a shrub in drier areas 0.4 to 2 m high.  The candlestick banksia is found across much of the southwest of Western Australia, from north of Kalbarri National Park in the mid west down to Cape Leeuwin on the south west corner and across to Fitzgerald River National Park on the south coast.  wikipedia

These ones you see below here are growing in a small bush block near my house. They always tell me that summer and Christmas is on its way. 

Here is a closer look at some of the stages of the flower.  The brilliant yellow inflorescences (flower spikes) occur from spring into summer and are up 5 cm (2.0 in) wide and up to 25–30 cm (9.8–11.8 in) tall.

The last image is the nut stage. The 'eyes' burst open to release the seeds. 

The first 2 images here are new leaves unfurling. The rest show the stages of the flower. 

The candlestick banksia is pollinated by and provides food for a wide array of animals in summer months. Several species of honeyeater visit the flower spikes, as does the honey possum, which has an important role as a pollinator. 

That's it from me today. I hope you have enjoyed this little look at the Candlestick Banksia. I have blogged about Banksias before - please click here to explore other varieties I have photographed -   Celebration of the Western Australian Banksia

There are over 75 species of Banksia, all but one occurring naturally within Australia. The greatest concentration of species is found in Western Australia.

You can find some notes here at the Western Australian Department of Parks and Wildlife - Dpaw.wa- Banksia notes

Thank you so much for stopping by. Do you have a favourite flower this time of year? Perhaps you would like to tell us about it in your comments. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Stay safe and 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!
   
MosaicMonday at Letting Go of the Bay Leaf
Sharon's Sovenirs 
Our World Tuesday
Pictorial Tuesday 
ThroughMy Lens 
Image-in-ing
My corner of the world through my camera 
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global hosted by Randomosity. 
       and Little bird - Pienilintu
Thankful Thursday 
Welcome to Nature Thursday
The Lovin' Life Team over at: Deep Fried Fruit

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.

November 2020 - Covid photo a day project

 Hi everyone. I am backtracking a bit today to share my November photos from my Covid photo-a-day project. I hope you and yours are doing well in the lead up to Christmas. Life certainly seems to be speeding up here, and the weather is getting warmer by the day as we enter summer here in Western Australia. I am sure many of us are looking forward to waving 2020 behind. None of us will forget this year! I am thinking of you as I share my November with you. 

Anyway, here are my November photos. 

1 November 2020 - Sunday - a visit to the Bunbury Art Gallery to see the current exhibitions, including the Iluka high schools exhibition.

2 November 2020 - Monday - it's raining!

3 November 2020 - Tuesday - the agapanthus in my garden are starting to pop open. Seen here with a background of red coral bush. My summer garden is always a riot of colour. 

4 November 2020 - Wednesday - lunch date with friends at the Koombana Bay kiosk and a wander along the walkway.

5 November 2020 - Thursday - making baubles filled with dried flowers in prep for a market stall.

6 November 2020 - Friday - our Friday morning volunteer work at Eaton Primary School library - for "get out of the house" Friday morning.

7 November 2020 - Saturday - oh so yummy quick chocolate mousse - thanks to a recipe from Nigella on TV last night. Yum! (apologies for the food photography)

8 November 2020 - Sunday - a visit to Wellington Dam to see the work in progress on the giant mural on the dam wall being painted by Queensland artist Guido Van Helton Guido who is renowned throughout the world for his photorealistic large scale murals. The mural is reputed to become the largest mural in the world painted by a single artist. https://www.guidovanhelten.com/projects

9 November 2020 - Monday - Coreopsis in my garden on a rainy Monday

10 November 2020 - Tuesday - little corner of a garden along the Miller's Creek walking path

11 November 2020 - Wednesday - poppies for Remembrance Day

12 November 2020 - Thursday - the bees are buzzing in the candlestick banksias

13 November 2020 - Friday - road trip lunch break as dark clouds of rain approach across Lake Yealering in the Western Australian wheatbelt

14 November 2020 - Saturday - harvest has halted due to rain in the Western Australian wheatbelt - this crop is in Bruce Rock. The farmers now have to wait for their crops to dry out before they can recommence harvest and hope it hasn't been degraded by the rain. They would have loved this rain in September!

15 November 2020 - Sunday - beautiful native hibiscus - Alyogyne hakeifolia - for my birthday - photographed on Sunday at Bilbarin between Bruce Rock and Corrigin in the Western Australian wheatbelt

16 November 2020 - Monday - a few dried white everlasting daisies

17 November 2020 - Tuesday - she-oaks along the Collie River/Leschenault Estuary walk

18 November 2020 - Wednesday - I have cold, who knows where I caught it, but I am trying to cough up my lungs...so I might just snuggle up on the lounge and read this fabulous book "Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens. If you haven't read it, I recommend you do.

19 November 2020 - Thursday - just a dry eucalypt twig

Bonus shot - 20 November 2020 - Friday - experimenting with a technique new to me inspired by Greg Elms Photography

20 November 2020 - Friday - roses in my garden

21 November 2020 - Saturday - yellow Coreopsis in my garden say summer!

22 November 2020 - Sunday - celebrating Sol y Sombra Spanish Dance Company's 30th Anniversary in the courtyard of the Bunbury Regional Art Gallery. A fabulous afternoon of music, dance, culture, friends and food.

23 November 2020 - Monday - new Banksia flowers at Manea Park

24 November 2020 - Tuesday - making a few new eco-print greeting cards for the market next weekend

25 November 2020 - Wednesday - making French Marmalade - carrots, lemons, sugar - yum

26 November 2020 - Thursday - Photography Group of Bunbury awards night - and my awards!

27 November 2020 - Friday - beautiful perfumed wedding bush hanging over a fence along the Miller's Creek walk

28 November 2020 - Saturday - I received a Bunnings voucher with one of my PGoB awards, so I bought some new indoor plants

29 November - Sunday - Coffee and muffin at Caf Fez in Bunbury

29 November - Sunday - bonus shot - Sunday morning regatta - remote controlled yachts on the Leschenault Inlet

30 November 2020 - Monday - I am back driving again! yay! No I didn't take this photo while driving.

Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you and yours are ok. We have been so fortunate here in Australia that infection numbers have been relatively low due to tough Government policies and border closures. We really cannot appreciate what everyone else in the world has been going through. I pray for you and hope now that it looks like a vacine will be available very soon that this pandemic can be brought under control. However I think it will take time. 

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!

All Seasons 
MosaicMonday at Letting Go of the Bay Leaf
Sharon's Sovenirs 

Our World Tuesday

Pictorial Tuesday 

ThroughMy Lens 

Image-in-ing
My corner of the world through my camera 
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global hosted by Randomosity.
Thankful Thursday 
Der-Natur-Thursday 

The Lovin' Life Team over at: Deep Fried Fruit
 Month end link up @ Live love craft me

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.