Monday, 22 December 2025

Merry Christmas 2025

Merry Christmas to all.  Hoping you have a wonderful one and much joy to you and your families.  

The photo below is of a Poinsettia tree growing naturally a long way from my home in the city of Mackay in Queensland.  I had never seen Poinsettias growing like this.  The tree has been removed as I noticed it was gone the last time we stayed there a few years back.



The above photo was taken at Swansea here in Tasmania, Australia on the East Coast.
The photo below is of the old restored flour mill at Oatlands here in Tasmania where I was born. The mill is now a Whiskey distillery. Callington Mill had an illegal whisky distillery in 1837.


The photo below is of the Tamar River in the city where I live, Launceston, there is a walkway beside the river for a little way. 

69 comments:

  1. Love that windmill picture! I do not think I have ever seen a poinsettia tree either, very interesting.

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    1. Thanks. The photo of the poinsettia was growing in a caravan park in the tropics.

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  2. The poinsettia is enormous and the windmill is so beautiful. Wonderful photos, how incredible the reflection of the sky in the water in the last photo.
    Dear friend, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year full of all good things.
    Christmas hugs from Maria

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    1. It was a rather tall tree, poinsettia's usually are a shrub but can grow to a tree, Maria. Thank you and Merry Christmas to you and your family.

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  3. Mai vista una stella di Natale così grande, che meraviglia.
    E anche il mulino è bellissimo, non ne ho mai mai visto uno così.
    Buon Natale, ti auguro delle giornate serene in famiglia

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    1. It certainly was a lovely looking tree, nice and healthy.
      It is a beautiful Mill in the midlands town of Oatlands, Stefania.
      Merry Christmas to you too.
      Thank you.

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  4. That flour mill looks really beautiful! Merry Christmas, Margaret.

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    1. Lovely old flour mill Angie.
      Thank you and Merry Christmas to you too.

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  5. Oh nooo...why would they remove it? It was beautiful!
    Merry Christmas!
    hugs
    Donna

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    1. The poinsettias probably didn't look anything much when it lost those leaves, I've never seen it in the summertime as it was late winter when we were there all those times. It is a shame because you only see shrubs of poinsettias in the tropics, Donna.
      Same to you too and your family.

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  6. That's a very big poinsettia you're showing in the picture. I've never seen such a big poinsettia before.
    I wish you a very Merry Christmas, Margaret!

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    1. Thank you Marit and Merry Christmas to you too and your family.
      It was a big tree, mostly they are only shrubs.

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  7. I've never seen them grow like that either. Though it does make sense, now that I see it.

    Wishing you a fun holiday and new year.

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  8. Beautiful photos, Margaret. Merry Christmas 🎄 to you, dear friend 🧡

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  9. Your reflections beautifully link place and memory, from the unexpected poinsettia in coastal Tasmania to the layered history of Callington Mill and the quiet continuity of the Tamar River where past and present meet

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    1. I've never seen and probably won't see again a similar reflection in the Tamar River.

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  10. Beautiful photos. Happy holidays and peace and happiness to all.
    Best regards.

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  11. That's a nice little collection of photos. The poinsettia looks to have bare stems, and I think it looks better in pots.

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    1. Flowers or the red leaves were towards the top, Andrew - they are usually a shrub but can grow into a tree as this one did. I don't know how many times P passed that tree and didn't realize it was a poinsettia.

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  12. And a Merry and Holy Christmas to you and the family.
    I will be watching as usual the Midnight Mass from the Vatican
    and see who is sitting where I shouldn't have been - BUT NOT STOPPED
    when I went to Mass there for the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul.
    You have no idea how holy I can look and how fast I got out after a precession
    with amazed Cardinals - I was expecting a grab by a member of the Swiss
    guards.
    I then somehow managed to find myself at the Trevi fountain - coin throwing
    a la the Movie - "Three Coins in the fountain" - Oh funny memories.

    Cheers
    Colin or is that St. Colin of Trevi-Terrigal?????

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    1. Good memories as well Colin. I guess you could be if you wanted to a very 'nice' boy/man if you had too - it's bred in you from childhood you know..lol
      Merry Christmas to you too..

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  13. A lovely collection of photographs.
    Merry Christmas Wishes.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Thank you Jan.
      Merry Christmas to you and your family. Thinking of you :)

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  14. My daughter's neighbour has a poinsettia tree growing close to the fence and some branches hang over so she gets to seethe flowers. It looks more like a proper tree, not the bare stems in your picture.

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    1. Well that's interesting re your daughter's neighbours tree, no sparse toward the bottom like the photo of mind, maybe some branches were removed of the one in the photo, it was situated near a door!

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  15. Poinsettias grow best in warm weather, so if we want to grow it in our Melbourne gardens, it is best to prevent the winter wind and rain. Winter might ruin the otherwise beautiful plant.
    Smart Melbourne gardeners plant the poinsettias in pots to move to where they are exposed to the sunshine.

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    1. They do grow better in the tropics, Hels though at my cousins place in Coffs a shrub is growing rather well.
      They would never grow here in Tasmania, not humid enough though they are for sale as a Christmas decoration.

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  16. What beautiful photos!
    I love the last one.
    I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a very healthy 2026.
    Best regards Irma

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    1. Thank you Irma.
      The last one, our Tamar River about 5 minutes from the city.
      Merry Christmas to you too and your family.

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  17. Schönes Bild vom Fluss. Wünsche Frohe Weihnachten und ein Gutes 2026.
    Gruß
    Noke

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    1. Thank you Noke. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you too.

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  18. Many years ago, I was a "jock" at one of the top San Francisco radio stations. In that operation, the announcers didn't actually push buttons--- union engineers did that. BUt in the little announce booth there was a poinsettia of indeterminate age that got nothing but beer and coffee to drink, and cigarette smoke to breathe. (it WAS 50 years ago). Surprisingly, it survived quite well. Happy little poinsettia. Merry Christmas and many hugs, dear lady!

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    1. Well I never, that poinsettia was meant to live and sure did love it's environment - amazing. Good memory for you.
      Merry Christmas to you and your family. Have fun and don't over do it!

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  19. Stunning photos, Margaret! 🎄✨
    The Poinsettia tree is incredible, and I love the history behind the Callington Mill.
    Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a joyful, healthy 2026!

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    1. Thank you Veronica.
      Merry Christmas to you and your family. A good 2026 too.

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  20. Great pictures, especially the windmill. All the best for Christmas and the New Year. David

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  21. Hello Margaret,
    Fantastic pictures.
    Amazing the two last shots. The shot with the mill is so great.

    Greetings, Marco

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    1. Thank you, The mill is one of my favourite photos I've taken.

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  22. Margaret, I wanted to tell you that a few years ago I planted it in my garden thinking it would thrive as a tree. It seems that the soil characteristics were not favorable for it to prosper.
    A hug and Merry Christmas to you

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    1. Oh well, Norma at least you tried to grow it.
      Merry Christmas to you too and your family.

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  23. Te deseo una feliz navidad para ti y tu familia. Te mando un beso.

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  24. Recibe, amiga, un abrazo y mis mejores deseos para la Navidad

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  25. Wonderful photos, when I see poinsettia I think of my nan who loved them

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  26. Beautiful photoes💖I wish you a Merry Christmas💖

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  27. Wow, what a huge poinsettia! We only se small ones in flowerpots.
    Thank you for your lovely photos. I'm waiting for snow; it's so nice when it's white at Christmas, and since it's supposed to be below freezing, it might snow.
    Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones!
    Best wishes from Viola

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    1. Thank you and the same to you.
      I do hope it snows in your area so you can have a nice white Christmas. We only can get small pots of poinsettias down here too.

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  28. Hello Margaret, thank you for your lovely wishes!
    Poinsettia flowers are practically a symbol of Christmas for me; they're everywhere in bouquets, wreaths, decorations, etc. Of course, 90% of them are artificial, as finding them naturally would be difficult. As always, thank you for the beautiful views and panoramas of your charming places.
    My Christmas will be gray without snow and completely overcast, and in fact, the weather has been like this for almost a week now. And they are the shortest days of the year. Today, the day lasted only 7 hours and 44 minutes, which, given the lack of sunshine, gives a rather gloomy impression...
    All the best!

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    1. Oh my, that is rather gloomy then with not a long time of light, winter can be dreary if no sun, but that's the weather!
      Can understand the poinsettias being artificial, I believe I had some years ago, goodness knows where they are now, I used to put them on the dining room table for Christmas.
      You are welcome, re photos.

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  29. Querida Margaret, maravillosa entrada. Te deseo una Feliz Navidad, con mucha salud, amor y paz, para ti y tu familia. Abrazos.

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  30. Lovely scenics Margaret and I love the old mill. But my goodness, that poinsettia, it is stunning! And thank you, seeing this I just realized I didn't buy any this year and they have now gone on the shopping list. I usually buy them a lot earlier than this, so that we can enjoy them a week before. Now we'll just enjoy them a little bit longer :)

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    1. Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays and a Very Happy New Year!

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    2. Thank you Denise. Same to you too.
      Enjoy your poinsettia.
      It is a beautiful old mill there in Oatlands where I was born.

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  31. Kauniit kuvat. Toivon hyvää joulua sinulle ja perheellesi sekä onnellista uutta vuotta.

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