March, and its still hot

Summer is still with us!  I was speaking to a neighbour at the weekend and she mentioned that we had not had rain since mid October.  The four or five drops we have had recently were not counted; indeed I am not sure if there were four or five drops, as they evaporated the moment they hit the ground, which is tinder dry with a covering of what resembles straw.

 

The gum trees are bending under the lack of moisture with many branches dragging on the ground.  For one the ground was too far down.  A stressed branch bent and cracked; two days later it succumbed to the heat and collapsed on the ground, not far from where our vehicle is often parked.  The branch was towed to the woodpile in readiness for cooler weather and the saw.

 

 

While taking the photos I could not help but hear the galah population as they call to each other in the trees.  At this time of year a favourite occupation of galahs is to strip leaves from the white-barked gum trees.  This is not an act of vandalism as in spring new growth springs from the almost naked branch.  Indeed, I would go as far to say that the galah population acts to protect the trees and ensures they spring into new growth when rain and temperature combine to provide suitable conditions.

Close to my clothes line the tawny frog mouth's take refuge from the heat, perching in the lower branches of an old tree until the heat drives them to seek a cooler spot.  Can you see the tawny frog mouth keeping cool near the base of the tree?  His camouflage is excellent.

 

In the meantime life continues ... politicians make political statements; bad parenting is exhorted on talk-back, cricket takes on a life of its own, and ordinary folks like us aim to keep as cool as possible.

 

Those residing on other parts of this planet pray for less rain, less snow, less wind ... summer is on their minds.