Hanging Out with the Birds

After we had done our dash with taking photos of the roses, we found ourselves a nice spot to sit down and we had a great time sitting and chatting to all the ducks, pigeons and sparrows that decided to hang out with us.

They were such a laugh, having their little squabbles and there was the occasional amorous male pigeon who didn't have any luck.  There were no females that were having a bar of it!!!

This little one came over to check me out and was quite happy to hang around with me for a while.
A little sweetie.

Salem was a little tired so had a bit of a lie-down and chatted to the ducks that were having a laze under the rose bushes.

I am sure that all the friendly in the gardens were the little ducklings that we saw causing mischief for their parents the last time we were here.
They have all grown up now.

This little duck is being a bit bashful at first.

Then it was time for a big stretch.
They can make themselves quite long too.

She's all relaxed now after that.
She stayed with us the whole time until we left.

This is another of our little friends.
This gorgeous fat pigeon also stayed with us even though there were whole flocks of pigeons that flew en mass barely missing us as we were on their flight path.
It was all very exciting and we really had to duck down so that we weren't hit by a feathered missile.

Only a few of the ducks had had enough of lazing in the sun and took to the pond in the middle of the rose gardens and had a leisurely paddle in the water.

It was a bit of a low tide in the fountain so they really needed to top up the water.
Luckily the ramp was still there for the ducks to wander out of the water.
They didn't have to strain themselves by flying out, it really was a lazy sunny day.

I think that the pigeons were a bit more energetic than the ducks today.
The pigeons were checking out the rose beds for insects to eat.
The ducks just stayed in one place, all comfortable in the rose beds and just ate the leaves of the rose bushes that were in reach.

These pigeons are definitely healthier looking than the ones in the inner city.
Lots of fresh plants and insects.
Not scraps and junk food like their inner city cousins.

I would definitely prefer to live here than at the railway station or on the sides of buildings etc.
And people are always bring bread to feed the duck down at the duck pond.
The ducks are so over fed that there is always more than enough food spare for the pigeons and sparrows.

You must excuse my rattling on......
It was so lovely sitting in the sun with such friendly company, the best way to spend a sunny spring day.
It really makes you relax and lets your mind wander..........

A Symphony of Colour at the Lady Norwood Rose Gardens

As promised, here are some pics of the most gorgeous display of roses I have ever seen.
The sheer amount of blooms was amazing.
I only managed to photograph a small amount, not even near a quarter of the roses that were there.

When approaching the gardens, we got hit with the most delicious and heady perfume.
We knew we were in for a treat.

It was such a contrast to when we were last here a few weeks before.
It really was a magnificent display.

There were bus loads of tourists arriving all the time, all with their cameras clicking away.
I tried to get as many photos of the roses as possible but I am afraid I got all "rosed out"!!!
I think I managed to actually look at nearly half the roses on display, it was really a lot to take in.

Salem was taking photos today with his vintage film camera but only managed to get three or four photos of the roses as he ran out of film.
We should have bought more with us.
He used two films that day as it was, but we now now to bring many more.

So after we had "Rose Overload" we found a nice place to sit down with the ducks, pigeons and sparrows.
They were all lazing in the sun in the rose beds.
They didn't mind us hanging out with them.

I took lots of photos of the birds and will share them with you tomorrow.
Enjoy the rest of the photos of these beautiful roses, you will just have to imagine the glorious perfume that we were lucky to be enveloped in........

......Bliss....

Before the Blooms at the Lady Norwood Rose Gardens

These photos were taken a few weeks before the annual Rose Festival at the Lady Norwood Gardens at the Wellington Botanic Gardens.

The rose bushes were mostly bare with a very few early blooms adding a small splash of colour here and there.

Most of the bushes were budding up quite nicely.
It was amazing to think that in a few weeks time they would be in full bloom ready for the Rose Festival.

The Rose Festival was held from the 23rd November until the 26th November 2012.

Unfortunately we were not able to get into Wellington for the organised walks and talks etc during that time due to dancing commitments.

But we did manage to get in and see the wonderful mass display of magnificent roses a few days after the festival and boy, we were not disappointed.

But you will have to wait until tomorrow before I share the gorgeous photos with you.
See you then.............

A Christmas Treat at Old St Paul's

Just behind the shop area at Old St Paul's is the Clergy Vestry, it's quite hidden away from sight.
But we ventured through the door from the shop and had a lovely surprise.
Christmas trees greeted us in this lovely little area which lead into the Vestry proper.

Through another open door was more Christmas trees and lots of lovely decorations all with a very vintage feel.
There were decorations and lots of old fashioned games and presents that were all for sale.
Absolutely lovely and it felt very magical in this lovely little room.

The Clergy Vestery was built in 1876 and was used by the Dean or Vicar to prepare for the church services.
It is all wood just like the rest of the church and has such a homely and warm feeling to it.

Salem just loved this little room and would love to have it as his own bedroom.
The windows were very cute and let in just the right amount of light.
He imagined himself tucked up in a bed in one corner and looking at all the decorations in this magical little room.