"Bah, Humbug" to jollity - let's have Peace on Earth

'Tis the Season to be jolly, it seems. I have been to 2 Christmas functions already today, and have one yet to come tonight. For an old "Bah, Humbug" spirit like myself, it is a little discomforting. With apologies to Charles Dickens, and his character Ebeneezer Scrooge, who has been done a grave disservice by American culture (or what passes for it).

Let us abandon artificial jollity, especially the commercially driven nonsense, and work for Peace.
If we are at peace - with ourselves firstly - then we can spread it to our immediate family and neighbours, and let it spread thoughout the land.

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I am prepared to be happy that the wet weather has cleared. But I am not so sure about the temperature, though. I find sudden bursts of warm weather a bit disorienting. It is almost "sitting by the pool" weather, but I am not that kind of person. I would far rather be bush walking, in a cool rainforest gully, with Jim. Or just out looking at the little wildflowers.

The local Ground Orchids are having a little rest, after the main flush of flowering, but some of the summer ones are coming along - I see them budding up. The easiest of these little plants to find are the "Tongue-orchids". They have a prominent leaf, which sticks straight up out of the ground, about 15 cms (6 inches approx). The leaf is an elongated oval shape, and is distinctively purple-coloured on the reverse of the leaf. These leaves appear out of the leaf litter in the Eucalypt forests where these plants grow. Of course, you need the leaf as a guide, as the flowers are well camouflaged, being green, red, purple and black.

This particular species the Large Tongue-orchid (Cryptostylus subulata) is affectionately known as the "Cow Orchid", because, viewed from the side, it appears to have a long "cow's head", with 2 horns sticking up and back. Ok, one has to use some imagination...

As with all photos on this Blog, and on the Native Orchids page (see the links section): Click on the photo to enlarge it, then use the "back" button on your browser to return to this page.