A New Year

Today is Australia Day, which means January is all but over.  While it arrived calmly in lovely weather, the last couple of weeks have shown us that the sun's rays are indeed warming.  We bask roast in temperatures in the 40's when any type of outside work is a no-no.  We have had one day when the temperature indoors reached 46°, several when it hovered around 45°, and many more when just above 40° was normal.  Needless to say sleep is fitful, what seems gallons of water are consumed just to see it ooze from the pores and settle as a dampness on all parts of the body.  Clothes are dripping wet, two showers a day essential ... and to say that I am looking forward to March would be an understatement!

 

But this Australia Day is a milestone day in the life of my daughter, who earlier in the day pledged allegiance to Australia ... she is now an Australian citizen.  To mark the occasion I made a wall-hanging, 'A home among the gum trees', which she should receive once normal postal deliveries resume after the long weekend break.

 

I did take some photos the evening of the day when the temperatures reached the mid-forties ... for a few short moments the sky was glowing; not from the bush fires that prevailed further south, but from the dust particles in the atmosphere. 

Today I am staying indoors partly because I have sewing to do, and partly because the endless heat soon depletes my reserves and I seriously have no desire to dehydrate myself with careless behaviour! 

Birds and Lizards

Living in the countryside of Western Australia [the bush to many] gives us a 'hands on' look at the wild life. 

Sadly the tawny frog mouth's that frequented our closer environs have disappeared.  They probably have more babies, but even though I have searched I can see no trace of where the nest was, nor do I hear them calling at dawn and dusk. 

 

I blame the willy wagtails!  These small black and white birds are cute, except when their young have hatched.  Then they become aggressive!  A pair had built a nest in the tree near to where the tawny frog mouth's spent their days sleeping.  The day the chicks hatched the owls disappeared.  Co-incidence?  I think not.  Not once, but several times these black and white aggressors with a fan-like tail have chosen to dive-bomb me as I walked past, so frequently in fact I stopped taking my regular route. 

 

Weeks after the babies hatched another wag tail nest appeared; this time within meters of the house.  All went well.  Until a week ago ... three babies hatched, and the aggression began.  Not only were the parent birds content with chasing away humans, but they tackled old man crow as well.  Swooping and circling Mr Crow's head was funny to watch; the first time.  The amusement wore off when it became obvious Mr Crow was doing nothing wrong ... Wagtail just didn't want him near his family.  [both photos were taken last year]

 

This morning the wagtail nest was no longer in the tree.  Parent birds circle anxiously, obviously annoyed at a close inspection of the site by Other Half and Me.  We became curious.  O.H. looked closer and found remnants of the nest on the ground near the shed, not far from the tree where it had nestled.  So what happened to the babies?  Yesterday they didn't look big enough to fledge, and how did the nest fall to the ground.  We will wonder, but the answer may not be forthcoming. 

 

On a lighter note ... a very juvenile Blue Tongue lizard appears in the kitchen daily.  We began feeding him a piece of a peach [canned] and a habit has formed. 

We have no need to visit the Zoo [though we will at Christmas] or a wild life reserve; we have them at our back/front door.

This and That

The weather is wrecking havoc across the world with a typhoon of never-before-seen strength buffeting the Philippines and now heading north.  It almost beggars belief at the destruction wrought.

 

Closer to home I am beginning to feel human again after a few days laid low with flu, which visited uninvited and is slow to take its final leave.  However one can be thankful that this isn't Christmas week when time is of the essence.

Over the last two or three weeks we have observed a mudlark building its nest high in the gum tree above the house.  I was a little concerned that once the chicks hatched we may be subjected to dive-bombing as the once-friendly willy-wagtails turned nasty after their chicks hatched.  I need not have worried.  The baby mudlarks are growing, the parents spend endless hours feeding their brood and last evening I am sure one of the babies tested its flying powers flitting, haltingly, from branch to branch. 

 

The photo was taken before the flight.  I must admit the best part of living in the country is the closeness of nature; one cannot possibly be bored when watching the life cycles of the creatures we share this space with.  [Must admit spiders do not fall into that category!]

 

When one reads of parents driving their offspring to school and giving them mobile phones to keep in touch I do wonder how the youth of today will cope when they finally are given their freedom.  Yesterday, the newspaper featured an article about a girl who at the age of nine, and after a 'run through' was allowed to go to school on the train carrying no phone.  She did take the wrong train, but it was her common sense that sorted that problem, and she learned from the mistake.

 

I recall allowing our children [from age 10] to travel to Dunedin [50 miles away] by bus with enough money in their pockets to go to the movies, buy a lunch, and a small amount left over for spending.  They always arrived home on the bus and were rather perplexed when their classmates admitted they would not be allowed to do the same.  Our children grew up knowing how to use public transport, and be in charge of their decisions.  To me it is sad that so many children are not presented with the same trust today. 

October? Lost!

I made no postings in October!!  I have been busy, which is really a reason, not an excuse.

 

November blew in with a rush of heat; the temperature rose to 40°C on Sunday, the day I celebrated one of those birthdays others think must be celebrated but which I could have forgot about.  There were many pluses for the day however.  My daughter came up for the weekend and took us out for lunch on 'the day'; distant family phoned, sent cards and presents, and I ate too much.  Have you ever tasted chocolate coated ginger?  Glorious, absolutely glorious!! 

 

Normally my chocolate treat of choice is Turkish Delight.  Were I to be confronted with the choice between the two, and only allowed one, I do not know which would win.  I can think of more difficult dilemmas. 

 

This year the Melbourne Cup, a horse race that slows down the work ethic of many Australians as the hotels, TAB [betting agency], and work parties took over the day.  I did choose a horse; did not put money on it as invariably I choose a horse that runs towards the end of the field, as this one did.  There were sweepstakes in workplaces and generally a mood of geniality prevailed.

 

It was also Guy Fawkes day; a day not celebrated in Australia any more.  The very dry climate at this time of year is part reason and I suspect political correctness plays a larger part.

 

Having spent most of my life in New Zealand where Guy Fawkes was celebrated I find the absence of sky rockets and bonfires, toffee and part roasted potatoes, hedges on fire and crackers in mail boxes strange, but somehow comforting. 

 

Christmas is fast approaching and the sewing machine has been busy ... sorry to say the sewing machine will not be getting a break for a few weeks yet.

A Day Out

Last week we motored down the road to visit the Mingenew Expo; this is the fourth Expo I have attended and the first one where the weather was iffy.  However during our visit the sun shone and the moment dark clouds appeared over the horizon we headed home as I had washing to rescue!

A cattle hide ... new handbag?

 

Inside the entrance a transportable caught my eye [I forgot to take a photo this early in the visit] and upon being invited to enter and look around I became more impressed.  One large room with a kitchen in one corner, and a huge bathroom through the only door.  I quickly imagined how eminently suitable such a building would be for a sewing room.  Alas ... we only looked.

Elderly tractor

 

The huge tent held the usual treasures.  The CWA [Country Women's Association] stand was my first stop ... who can resist home baked cakes, especially when I don't have an oven.  An iced banana cake [yet to be cut into] and a scrummy date loaf that has already been eaten were hurriedly paid for and transferred into the bag I always carry ... just in case of a purchase.

Hat anyone?

 

Schools from near and far advertised their curriculum in the hope to entice country students for next year; several wine stands, at least two massage tables touting for business [too early in the morning I suspect for clients], industries showing what they are about, and the nut stand.  Significant Other splashed out on a bag of mixed nuts all coated in caramel ... they are eaten!

Children's farmyard

 

Outside displays of new cars and trucks, new tractors, and vintage tractors, old bicycles and new bicycles, clothing, hats, animals, and food stalls were laid out in an enticing manner.  The trick is to go with a certain sum of money and when it is spent looking is the only option. 

Nesting time

The days are warming; the birds are tweeting and if one looks carefully tiny bird's nests are visible hidden under the gum leaves. 

 

I know that the resident tawny frog-mouths have a nest some where, but so far I have been unable to locate it.  Father bird spends his day sleeping on a branch where he often is, but there is no sign of his mate.  This is nesting time for the tawny frog-mouth ... in years gone by I have managed to find the nest; there are at least three weeks for me to locate this one!

 

While scanning the branches, I noticed the extra activity of the little willy wagtails as they flit from branch to branch.  I was suspicious.  It looked as though they were trying to lead me a merry dance, away from a nest.  Then I became aware of a tiny nest.  Did it belong to the wagtails?  The nest was just above my head height.  I needed a taller spy.  Other Half is tall.  I requested assistance.  Sure enough, there were three eggs in the nest and all the time the wagtails kept vigilance, darting hither and thither in an effort to distract our attention.

 

 

We have not looked closely since.

 

The willy wagtail is a small bird, about the size of a sparrow, and is determined to keep sightseers at bay.  Once the eggs hatch it will not be safe to be nowhere near the nest as they dive bomb intruders.  The sharp beak is more than enough to deter any 'quick looks'.   Even now the birds work hard at chasing away kookaburras which like to steal eggs and baby birds.  I have watched with amusement the persistent harassing of the kookaburra and old lazy Mr Crow with the wagtail on the winning side.

 

I did manage to take a photo of the nest and one of the parent wagtails.

Leaves ... be gone!

While folks in the northern hemisphere collect leaves and other rubbish accumulated over the summer, bonfires are banned here in western Australia except for the winter months. 

 

This year the surrounding countryside is showing the strain of an extremely dry June with the prospect of July following in June's footsteps I decided to take the window of opportunity and have a bonfire.  This is not the first of the winter, but this is the product of all my own hard work.  We are surrounded by gum trees that drop leaves all the year round.  Dry crinkly wizened gum leaves are not attractive in winter, and in summer can be a danger if a bushfire should creep close [heaven forbid!]  Over the last few days I have raked, wheelbarrowed and tossed onto an ever increasing sized bonfire all those leaves, along with twigs and pieces of bark that had fallen.

 

I didn't keep count of the number of wheelbarrow loads, but it must have surpassed 18, which in anyone's language [apart from a forester] shows on the arm muscles that are slowly returning.  Whew!  I am not as fit as I used to be!

 

Earlier when the wind was a mere zephyr I pushed sheets of newspaper into the heap of leaves, twigs and bark, and using the gas fire-lighter set the whole alight.  The flames danced with wispy smoke drifting into the sky.  I hasten to add I did use the watering can to spray the perimeter.  Even though the grass, such as it is, was green I could not risk the fire escaping from it's ashy setting. 

 

Oh, dash ... I forgot to put some potatoes in ... the embers would make a wonderful cooking facility!