Tineke rose and long necked turtle

We have had a peculiar Spring into Summer this year. The weather has stayed cool and very often there has been misty rain, not really doing any good to the soil but keeping the plants damp.It must have and still is, driving the vignerons up the wall because they have had to keep on spraying to prevent downy mildew. We hear them going up and down the rows of vines with their spraying machines whining away for hours on end.

The "Tineke" rose bush has been flowering with very impressive blooms because of the cooler weather. I discovered my namesake rose twenty years ago when we first started our garden here.
There was a woman at the Aldinga market selling these bare rooted roses which she had received as payment for her work!! So naturally I had to buy one....
It has lovely single roses which cut and keep well for sometimes two weeks. If I cut the rose bud it will slowly unfurl into a a beautiful huge flower.
The Bonica rose as a standard has looked fabulous too.

Last week when we were enjoying our evening drink on the front verandah, we suddenly spotted this long necked turtle wandering in the front garden amongst the ox tongue thistles. I got my camera to photograph it but it heard me coming of course and so hid its head around under its shell. It is peculiar to this turtle that it folds its neck and head under its carapace rather then withdrawing it like the other of its tribe do. I did not pick it up as they squirt you with some vile smelling liquid if you do.Remember to click on the photo to get a better look at it, the press esc to go back to normal.

Three mornings ago when I got up early to make my ritual pot of tea, there were some ibis doing an emu parade. I assume they are finding crickets to eat or some other insects. They are very aware of the clicking of the camera and moved off quite smartly when they heard me despite the fact I had sneaked up on them behind the fig tree.
They must do an awful lot of good in the paddocks and in amongst the vineyards by keeping the insect population down. The white faced Heron has been around again too but they are not reducing the goldfish population in our pond.....