Sharing Early Literacy Learning Journeys

Colours

If  colours are the smiles of nature, as Leigh Hunt said,
then the tropics are all smiles.

Cool colours.
Greens and blues of plants and skies.

Warm colours.
Reds, pinks, yellows and oranges.

???????????????????????????????Bright reds of ‘flame’ trees

PicMonkey CollageHot pinks of hibiscus combine with delicate ivory underneath

???????????????????????????????Smiling, sunny yellows of yellow bells

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Earth colours.
Light browns, dark browns
and every hue in between.

Then there are whites…
Stark whites (I daren’t say snow white!)
of buildings,
??????????????????????????????? a cool, calm frangipanni
??????????????????????????????? and gentle, ivory whites of variegated leaves
behind a bold, bright hibiscus.

Lots of smiles in the tropics…

Getting there…

I try to sleep. But can’t sleep.
Even in cool, clean, cream-coloured sheets.
Left USA thirty hours ago.
Mid afternoon now. I should be sleeping.

Nap briefly on the plane across the Pacific and doze lightly on the plane across the South China Sea.
Land in Cairns early morning. Revisit the tropics.
Feel warm air and high humidity.
Strange, after cool, crisp mornings and dry, sunny days of  a northern hemisphere ‘fall’.
Mid afternoon. I should be sleeping.

Intend to sleep. Pull dark blue curtains across light white sheers for darkness.
Relax. Rest. But no sleep.
Mind whirring. Jot thoughts in notebook beside the bed.
Ideas. Possibilities. Plans.
Mid afternoon. I should be sleeping.

Suddenly. Get up. Throw on capris and t-shirt. Grab camera. Race out the door.
To the beach. To the beach.
Like a hatchling in Lynley Dodd’s, The Smallest Turtle.

Gentle waves roll in. Leave white, lacy foam on the sand.
Horizon of blue-green sea and blue, blue sky.
Take it all in.
Enjoy now.
Sleep later…

???????????????????????????????To the beach, to the beach…

???????????????????????????????with recent images and feelings still fresh and clear.

Travel: explore, embrace, learn and live

These curves appeared in a sunny spot in the garden on consecutive mornings…

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An Eastern Garter Snake

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‘Eastern Garter Snake:  Probably the most commonly encountered snake.

Named after the fancy striped garters historically worn by men, they are

usually dark in colour with three yellowish stripes from head to tail, though

the pattern may be faint.’ With thanks to:
http://www.scisnake.com/download/snakesreferenceguide.pdf

The weekly photo challenge, ‘fleeting’, immediately brought to mind one of my favourite quotes: “Cherish the children; their time is fleeting.”

But instead of children, chicks…

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Starling chicks, holed up high in a tree, squawking for food…

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and for a fleeting moment mama starling brings food to her babies…

and for a fleeting moment I click the camera …

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Saturday, June 1st: A Canada Goose sits on her eggs
on a thin, log ‘island’ in the river.
How long has she been there?
… through wind and rain and ‘a terrible storm’.

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Friday, June 7th: Mr. Gander stands on guard whilst Mrs. Goose sits …

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and sits and sits and sits…
just like Horton, in Dr Suess’ Horton the Elephant.

Monday, June 10th: Good grief! Mrs. Goose has gone…
Where are the geese and their goslings?
I hope they are safe…

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One egg is left.
Is it The Ugly Duckling?
Will she be shunned by her brothers and sisters?
Will she become a beautiful swan?


Children’s books:

Horton Hatches the Egg, Dr Suess, 1962, London: Collins Clear-Type Press
The Ugly Duckling, Fairy Tale, Hans Christian Andersen, Denmark. First published, Nov 11th, 1843

In different locations, the sign says it all…

Tower 1
Three girls suggested this sign and
wrote their names beneath the precise instruction

Picture and text sign
Are the pictures enough or are the words necessary?

After the rain…

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the eloquent Iris is dripping and  flagging…

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whilst the crystal, clear raindrops magnify the ‘lines’ on her long, lissome leaf.

Did you know…

the name Iris means rainbow?
Iris is the flower of the Greek goddess Iris who is the messenger of Love?
in the language of flowers Iris symbolizes eloquence?

With thanks to ‘the flower expert’

Water is the common background in these contrasting photos…

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Water lilies in pond water for the dragonfly and…

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the Coral Sea for this table setting.