Flora and Fauna in Melbourne

As the number of days I have left before I fly home drops to single figures so the temperature rises. Tomorrow it is expected to be 38c in Melbourne. We're planning a day in an air-conditioned cinema followed by an air-conditioned museum. I thought I might do another trail in Melbourne's arcades this afternoon, but the promise of Martinis at two has persuaded me to put that off. In the meantime I'm enjoying herbal tea at the kitchen table.

Hobarts's gardens were full of colour. I'd have thought that was normal, but we were told last year there was a drought and nothing was growing. People are making the most of the current lushness.

In Seddon, the flowers are also blooming. I am very fond of amaryllis, and this one is in a garden just round the corner.

This flower has escaped from its domesticated family on the other side of the fence, and is growing among the weeds beside the kerb.

Yesterday morning we had breakfast in a café where Billie is a firm favourite with the staff. Not only does she get to sit up at the table, they also vie with each other to spoil her with slivers of ham.

The café has a garden at the back and this lovely plant.

 

In the late afternoon I set off across Melbourne to meet up with Octavia's cousin Judy who is celebrating her birthday shortly. She gave me directions from the station and told me the number of her house. She could have just told me it was the one with the blue unicorn on the porch.

Judy and her family have to cats, gingers, and unusually one of them is female. Artemis has just had kittens, they are small and helpless, their eyes still closed, and naturally I had to see them.

That's Artemis on the left looking at her brood of two gingers and four tortoiseshell kittens.

And here she is suckling them. Their Uncle Apollo seems less than enthusiastic about them, an enthusiasm which may plummet new depths when they decide his bottle brush tail is perfect for hunting practice.

Apollo, who loves Simon (Mr Judy), wasn't over enthusiastic about me either, so it was a surprise when he jumped on my lap and stayed there for a few short minutes. We ate in the garden where we had already watched a fly past of fruit bats heading to their feeding grounds. Good food, great company. It was lovely.

I had quite forgotten it was Saturday, so travelling home on the train was surprised at how busy it was, and how many young women dressed in either finery or short short shorts were in the carriage. There were young men too, loud in a way that suggested they had had a few drinks to set them up for the night, or talking earnestly about sport. I'd guess both groups were likely to be heading home alone again at the end of the evening.