Spring Blooms & Hope Springs

Life has been toying with us lately. Not with a sense of fun and adventure, but more like a barn cat with the last mouse of the night. Tossing us away only to catch us up over and over again, all claws and teeth but no merciful kill. There is no malice in it, but it is indeed hard not to feel so.

And yet still - I hope! Despite thinking it foolish to do so! Hope must be one of those things that humans "cant not" do.

We are due a win, and look forward to it.
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Native rock orchid with Johnny Jump ups, in the neglected back garden yesterday.

Bush Birthday Picnic

She's more articulate than I am lately

Here our trusty Land Rover Discovery powers her way up a punishing 4WD trail somewhere in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. You can not only see some good wheel articulation, but you can also just glimpse the new front diff guard* underneath. (Its the bit thats still shiny.) Later in the day our new rear diff guard* paid for itself by taking a nice hit during a water crossing - but no pics of that this time.

Anyhow, here is a shot from the top for you to enjoy.


* diff guards
Metal housing designed to protect your differential**

** differential
(disclaimer: this is a nutshell explanation - do not write and complain)
A vehicle's wheels do not always rotate at the same speed (like when going around corners) Your differential compensates for that, preventing one wheel spinning while the other drags.

So obviously, 'cracking a diff' leaves you S.O.L.***

*** S.O.L.
S**t out of luck.

Just a picture today

Sulphur Crested Thugs

Another archive shot. Sulphur Crested Cockatoos prune my Acacia Cultriformis last August. As you can see, I wasnt able to sneak up on these guys to get better shots. To add insult, they mocked me from thier aerial retreat.

Unknown Australian Wildflower

I do not know what this little charmer is called - am still looking for a wildflower field guide to Australia.

Ive been having trouble with my vision for awhile now, and blurry photos have become common. I dont know they are blurry till I get them up on my screen in full size mode, very frustrating! Ive tried compensating by using the auto-focus feature, but so far, not much joy there either. Will keep trying to find a work-around that works for me.

Yes, I have been to the doctor for this. It is a complex problem that there is nothing they can do for. Fairly typical of me, if I do say myself. I seem to be prone to being difficult. I will have to bring you up to date on the situation with my hands soon too...perhaps next time?

Interesting, boring, and kinda gross

That is the interesting bit above. See, I want to experiment with infra-red photography - without doing surgery on my camera.

I could spend $60 for a filter which will give near-infra-red effects...$60 bucks!...they're dreamin'! And they want about that much for the fabled 'neutral density filter' that I would use alot more, and covet hotly.

All of which explains why the other day there was the shot with the red cellophane over the lens (just held on with a rubber band), and now today: this is a combo of red and dark blue cellophane, its getting there, dont 'cha think? Curiosity may also be a mother of invention.

All that could also constitute the 'boring' content too, depending on which way you are inclined.

Whatever.

Check out the colours of the bricks and sky - no post-processing here.

And for the gore lovers out there, heres my incision. It is nearly two inches long, keyhole surgery is for wimps! Beats me why they just steri-stripped it back together instead of tying a few stiches, (probably a cost cutting measure).

Look Ma, one hand!

The pain isnt too bad and Im feeling otherwise well. Most likely there will be more tommorrow - But I snagged this shot this morning! Awkward as, but how to resist trying? A Little wattle bird against my fave acacia (cultriformis). Ciao! Ciao for now!

Young Xanthorrhoeas in bloom

Lucky me! Usually when we see grass trees (Xanthorrhoea) we are speeding by, and cant stop for a shot, But on this day, I got to take my time with this nice specimen.




This last shot shows that the plant deploys its blossom in a sort of spiral, one row is open now, and indeed, there were a few bees working them despite it being a very cold and grey day. But you can also see a second spiral of flowers still in bud. Now thats one smart plant to spread its resources out over a period of time, as opposed to all at once. After all, what if you bloomed when there were no pollinators out and about? You'd be stuffed, Mate!

(I need my eyes examined again, I could swear this was a crisp shot when I took it. Harumph!)

These next shots I took in Perth, 2005. First, a mature specimen shows you why they are called 'grass tree'.



And here is a cross section of ones trunk, it had been blown off in a storm.



We had one of these once, in a pot. It lived very happily, untill we bought the house and sunk it into the garden. Was dead in a week! LOL

Misc. Mysteries

On the Singing Perch

Sporting his best and struting his stuff, this Fellow spends a good part of each day on this branch of our Knife Wattle (Acacia Cultriformis). With all the singing he does, I wonder if he is claiming possession of the area. 'Tis his for only so long as the Little Wattle Birds are not around.

Or perhaps he is looking for love. Spring is not too far off, and indeed, today the weather is very spring like. Enjoy it while it lasts!
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My head cold is clearing, hooray! There is a slight increase in the number of things I can manage to do each day. But only slight. Im afraid the new antidepressant really is making sitting and staring - and eating! - about the only priorities in my life. Not cool! But will stay on the 30 day trial, only 13 days remain.

Each day I feed cats/birds/husband, keep fire burning for warmth, do dishes and a minimum of one housework item (only to avoid guilt), and if its been a really good day - I blog.*

Thats not me, and although Iam trying to keep an open mind about the new med, I just dont see how being on it for two more weeks is going to make it magically right for me....heres hoping I get proved wrong...

...and that I will be able to accomplish all that I am meant to do tommorrow. Probably wont blog tommorrow - unless Im not somewhere Im supposed to be!

* I should add, that I also look at my to-do list, and have frequent. brief conversations with myself about how I should or could do such and such. But somehow, I can not manage to get up, or if I have gotten up, cant seem to stay focused on the task till its done. ITS SO WIERD!

Sticky Beak, by any name

The Eastern Spinebill, enjoying our ever popular Grevilliea Scarlet Sprite. Apparently this is THE nectar to get through the winter on. I have more shots which better illustrate this incredibly handsome fella, but I couldnt resist sharing these more candid shots with you.

More info: Eastern Spinebill at Birds in Backyards
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I frequently call the Spinebill a Nuthatch. This is a throwback to my days in my Country of Origin. Similarly, there are still times I find myself walking to the wrong side of the car. (Either to the drivers side when I am a passenger, or to the passengers side when I am driving).

Noisy Frozen Flight

(((Nom, nom, nom.)))

What the...pesky human! Hey, stop that!!!

Oh! I am so outta here!

Once again wishing you could see these full size and without compression. Ah well, the download would be prohibitive - Im sure your imaginations can fill in any missing details.

Im still sicky and icky, so thats all for today - Stay well!

for the 3rd

More views from our drive of the Wombeyan Caves Road.

Warning! Tommorrow there will be pictures of a lizard,
so if you dislike reptiles, please skip me for the day.

See you then, or thereafter!

Endemic rough road, Epidemic in blogland

Most of the blogs I routinely read sound to me lately like people are on rocky roads of thier own. To those of you that is true for, I hope you enjoy a change of scenery for a bit.

As for this road, well, heck! At least it had recently been graded!


Alot of big rocks falling down onto the road from higher up, enough to keep the nerves on edge, even after my side of the Rover was no longer overhanging certain death.


When a spot safe to pull over presented itself, we found this sunny strawflower.

How tiny are they?

Compared to a regular sized honey bee, pretty darn tiny! This fellow was collecting pollen, whilst his Mates were drinking nectar. He let me get very, very close, but I needed to get a little closer for better clarity.

However, each time I advanced he flew off the the next flower. Oh well, try again another time, eh?

Macro lens experiment, December 30th.

Dont argue with Bunya Nuts

So I dropped it, but onto the concrete first, just for a few photos!

After that I spread some of the nuts in a few spots of the garden that might foster germination. Others went into pots. With some considerable luck, perhaps we will have seedling Araucaria bidwillii to post about one day.

Voice of the (Bunya) Nut

It had been sitting in a shady spot on the concrete porch landing. Now at the end of January, it was completely dried out, and very much lighter.

As I pick it up, a number of cockroaches run out. A disgusted, but alarm tinged "UGH!" escapes me. No doubt the roaches made similar exclamations, as I turf them out of thier beautiful home with flicking fingers.

Now at my leisure to study it, this orb of a nut felt brittle.

Then as I turned it over in my hands it made a sound!

A papery, urgent whisper...

"Drop me on the earth!"

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We had thought we might try eating some of the seeds, but after my close encounter with its former residents, the roaches, No Thank you!
But we will attempt to germinate them as per the original plan.

Future Food: Bunya nut - Araucaria bidwillii

Collected from the road side in early December. About the size of a human head, and weighs 2 kilos, thats just shy of 4 and a half pounds!

For more information, and to see the tree these monsters come from check out Wiki's Araucaria bidwillii page.

Sorry theres no more time today - miss you all!

Long drink of water - Talbingo Reservoir

The Snowy Mountains Highway takes us past the Talbingo Reservoir. It is very, very long, but I cant find info on how long. Strange, as it is a manmade lake, Id have thought some one would have wanted to crow about it...


I love the colours as the reservior just keeps going on kilometre after kilometre...


....kilometre after kilometre after....


...Oh look! Theres campers down there, cool.


Oh alright already with the reservior - whats on the other side of the road? Whoa! Random Modern Art, groovy.


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Our map shows that the Talbingo Reservior is entirely within the boundaries of the Kosciuszko National Park...but the far side of the reservior looks to me suspiciously like a pine plantation - how does that work?