It's Spring and it's Wattle Day!

It's the first of September and heralds the start of spring in Australia. It's also Wattle Day in Australia and we all know, of course, that the golden wattle is Australia's national flower. Although the golden wattle has had enjoyed a popular acceptance as Australia's national flower for much of last century but it was not proclaimed as the national floral emblem until 1988, the year which Australia celebrated it's bicentenary. Golden wattle occurs naturally in the southern Eyre Peninsula of South Australia, western Victoria and southern inland areas of New South Wales. It can be argued that the main criterion for choosing golden wattle as the floral emblem is based on its natural occurrence in the Australian Capital Territory. Notwithstanding that its other desirable features included horticultural merit and design potential, both in naturalistic and stylised representations are well taken into consideration for the award. If you are in Sydney you can usually see the wattles in bloom at the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney from as early as end of July.

Although spring is in the air, Sydneysiders have been warned to prepare themselves for a hotter than average spring according to a Weatherzone meteorologist, Brett Dutschke, who was reported saying in a newspaper two weeks ago. "Most of spring will be warmer than normal this year, with more than the usual number of very hot days and [We] can get 35 degree days in spring no worries,'' he said.
Today is also very special for my wife and me. It's our wedding anniversary. Another year just swept by and it has added another year to our anniversary again.

To me, fair friend, you never can be old,
For as you were when first your eye I eyed,
Such seems your beauty still.
William Shakespeare