"The Mistletoe and I" ...

...(Really called Loranthaceae)..

.. Down at the riverbank once again - but this time this is me - Raestelle, amongst a giant Mistletoe cascading from one of the river gums... there isn't much Mistletoe about right there, but in other areas we've seen this hanging from the trees and it apparently has pretty flowers as well..

...For those who saw my Quangdong shots in September, this is much the same - a pest, yes - the Mistletoe is a parasite which lives off other trees, but isn't it pretty cascading down there right to the ground..and this one would have been spread by the birds eating the berries, maybe long ago..and most have deep-red or yellow flowers..I mustn't forget to photograph this when it comes into flower - perhaps with John under there instead of me..!

...There are quite a few varieties of the Mistletoe family - 23 that we have found in "the book" (our book, not Google) - we've got lots of books and only 1 old one has any reference to Mistletoe -and I wouldn't have a clue which one this is but I know there were some big black ants in amongst that lot, possibly from the tree itself and ofcourse I was encroaching on their territory so it was my fault - at least a bird didn't poop on me as well I said to John, there were a few of those about there too..big ones. ..

...And so this is the Australian Mistletoe, or one of them, and in the far distance you can see part of the scene which I took yesterday, and incidently took me once again into "the Spotlight" - and thanks to all of you who commented so kindly on my scene - and XXXXXXXX's for Christmas -from under the Mistletoe from me to you..
(John said that's OK)

(Do forgive me if I cannot comment on many of your beautiful captures this next week as we are preparing to go to our daughter's in Queensland for a week to see the family and to celebrate my 70th birthday - I'm not sure if 70 sounds better than 3 score years and 10 - but 70 it is, my Mum told me so..the years are slipping by aren't they..)
.....................................................................................................................................................

...(Oh dear - and the Aussies are really thrashing the English cricketers today aren't they at the new Adelaide Oval - which is a lovely place to go to at any time -- oh well, there's time yet isn't there..)