Colour in the Paddock

The flower is from our Queensland Waratah Tree. It is a rainforest species even though we have it in our garden on a wind-swept hill, which the nursery owner did not recommend at the time of purchase. I had to have it and you can see why. It has survived many a storm, it just has a slanting trunk.

The clover is just a lovely green isn't it?

Do you get the impression I am a tree-hugging, nature loving country girl? To my offspring's' ever-loving embarrassment I do hug trees.

My Long Suffering Family

I love reptiles, this is a little skink on our front fence post. I appreciate big lizards too and even snakes. A lot of people hate and fear snakes but we have to live with them in our country and I think the fear of them is a waste of energy. We have had a couple of close calls with venomous snakes but were not bitten.

When I was a child I was absolutely fearless when it came to all manner of reptiles and bugs. I would capture the bearded dragon (native lizard common in gardens) and hang them on the front of my t-shirt. I thought they loved me as their claws dug desperately into my shirt but in reality they were hanging on for dear life. I would keep them for a day or two and then release them. We also had blue tongued lizards in our garden which were easier to catch as they were more sluggish. As the name suggests their tongue is actually blue. Except the one I shared my red icy pole with. It's tongue turned a strange purple/red colour.

I was slightly obsessive when it came to "creepy crawlies". I had the whole Steve Irwin thing happening, just not the enthusiastic dialogue. I shared a room with my sister who was seven years older than me and was not impressed with any creature I happen to treasure. Many times she screamed, running hysterically from our room accusing me of targeting her with my Christmas beetles (dung beetle) or chrysalis or frogs. I thought that her bed was the perfect environment for my new friends. OK, so I was not terribly well informed. My mother's sewing draws were often populated with a collection of beetles or cocoons.

Boys at school who loved to frighten girls with frogs from the boys' toilet were sorely disappointed with my reaction.

I don't fear the reptiles and bugs as an adult but I don't go around catching them either. They are best left alone and appreciated in their natural environment, not hanging from my clothing.

Cous Cous

Our elderly cat. She is beautiful and gentle. Her mousing/ratting skills over the years have been excellent. Unfortunately, as cats do, she has also caught her fair share of birds, frogs and small native animals. In her old age she has cut back and usually deals with any rodents that foolishly enter the house at night. She is the quiet and unassuming member of the family.

Cous Cous has the habit of sleeping on the end of our bed during the night. Look at this face and see why I sleep around her. I don't move her and take charge of the bed, no she sleeps where she likes and I make room.

Wolverine

I call this bit of arty farty photography "Wolverine". I imagine the scars are actually left by a koala. Perhaps one with a sketchy past, maybe even with anger issues and over developed muscles. Mayhap this particular koala has really overdone sideburns instead of cute fluffy fur on its ears. Could be that this koala has these amazing claws that extend from its cute little paws when it is enraged. He or she has some really quirky friends and a mentor who happens to be a bald koala who is physically disabled and has amazing brain powers. This 'wolverine' koala probably has a dynamic and dangerous name like Koala or it could be more obscure like Kevin.

WOW, how exciting. I had no idea we had such amazing wildlife here. (Or could it be an amazing imagination bordering on demented?).

Muscles

Check out my "guns".....nahh just kidding ya'. No really, I am not actually this pumped.....or deformed for that matter. Great tree though eh? The only thing pumped about me is my bull-artist skills.

The Wedding

The wedding was great. The bride and groom looked fantastic and happy. We got a little lost going to the church, we got a little tense while getting lost, we got over it when we realised we were heading in the right direction. The church was old and gorgeous. The wedding ceremony was lovely, only one of the bridesmaids fainted and the flower girl used the church aisle as a running track. You know, a normal wedding.

I was a real woman. I had on a dress, high heel shoes (not too high), jewellery and I even splurged out and put on a little subtle lippy. My sister, mother of the bride, looked fantastic in her beautiful new purple outfit. She also had on heels and makeup but she also had her hair done. She kept saying how "hot" we looked. It was fun.

The Young Negotiator and the Dynamic Daughter were a little surprised to see their parents up and dancing at the reception. When Mondo Rock's Eagle Rock came on we squealed with excitement and raced to the dance floor. We danced with enthusiasm, we sang and we embarrassed the teens, all of which is appropriate. The Young Negotiator even danced with us for a while (surprise surprise) but then sat down and filmed the spectacle that was his parents and rellies getting down and getting jiggy with it. "You dance like you are from another era." was his comment. Well yeah, the 80's was our era man! Great fun and great music.

Our family did not stay late, I can only handle so much and the Lovely Husband was tired from a big week at work but we left happy that we had had such a good time.

Goose v Dog

Our FIVE goslings are growing madly. I said four in a previous post but obviously I cannot count. The parents are very protective of them but seem more or less harmless. Unfortunately Roger the Cyclone-on-Legs decided he wanted the same food I had put down for the geese and a fight ensued. Mother goose Fanny was badly bitten on her leg by our "never back down, never surrender" staffy. She would have been defending her babies. Her leg was very badly bitten down to the bone/ligaments and there was blood on her, me and the grass. Now don't think me heartless but she is a farm animal and I did not take her to the vet. I washed it with warm salt water and bandaged it. I Googled for advice and rewrapped it with the addition of honey (apparently excellent for wound healing). Unfortunately the leg became swollen and hot in the next 24 hours - damn it, infection city! Roger has cost us more in vet bills for his victims than he has on himself.

I told the vet nurse she would laugh when I rang and she asked if the goose had a name. No she said she would not, yes you will. Her name is Fanny. The nurse laughed. In fact the entire surgery laughed when the news spread that Fanny goose was coming in. Fanny was such a good patient. Absolutely terrified she spent her time on the examination table with her head tucked into my armpit, which would have to be a fairly desperate thing to do. It did not look good the vet said. It was on the joint. She would have to do some research on dosage and which antibiotic to prescribe.

Long story short (I know, not my forte), Fanny is home and on pain relief and antibiotic injections. Getting some pretty good attention for a farm animal eh? We developed a routine of catching Bruce Gander first by the neck so he cannot attack us and handing him off to the Young Negotiator. Fanny who was at first not using her damaged leg at all was easy to catch. Her leg has improved out of sight and she is now quite difficult to catch for her injection.

Yesterday the Young Negotiator and I decided to go straight for Fanny and not catch the gander first as Bruce had been reasonably well behaved. If your imagination works than you will laugh at this. I cornered the goose and was reaching for her when I felt a pain in my right hip/bum. I did not realise it was Bruce who had latched on and was not letting go. The Young Negotiator removed him with a swift kick and proceeded to double over laughing. Fanny escaped once again and I knew from the look on my son's face what had happened. My son was incapable of talking but was imitating the gander's beak with his hand. I have a small bruise to remember it by.

It takes three of us to catch Fanny now, one for the gander and two to corner her. When will this course finish? 10 days is a good long course but she is looking a lot better. Bloody Roger!