awesome aves

Posted on March 12, 2016 by kathy

Being surrounded by forest means we are visited by a multitude of creatures, some of the most fascinating are the birds. The yellow-tailed black cockatoos usually stop by for a drink at the stock trough.

I don’t know how she was hanging on but this one found the bark of a tea tree very tasty.

I love their mournful call, unlike the hair raising screech of their sulphur-crested cousins.

One of my favourites is the kookaburra, they have so many different sounds.

Returning from the forest with Poppy one afternoon, she found this young fella in a predicament.

10.kookie in fence

He must have dived for a tasty morsel and ended up with his head stuck in the fence. It was a rare occasion when Michael wasn’t around. I ran home and grabbed the wire cutters (and my camera) and cut him free. He was unable to fly so I made him comfortable in the possum trap

11.kookie in cage

and called a friend experienced in wildlife rescue. She took him home for a couple of days while he recovered from exhaustion and dehydration, then, because kookaburras are territorial, he came home to be released.

The superb blue wrens continually bob around the garden

and are handsome even in their eclipse phase.

The New Holland honeyeaters,

18.new holland honeyeater

eastern spinebills

and black-headed honeyeaters

22.black headed honeyeater

enjoy feasting on the flowers. These three were deep in conversation.

23.black headed honeyeaters1

Bath time is always a delight to watch.

The scarlet robins are gorgeous. It’s always nice to see them and to know winter is on the way.

34.robin1

This pair moved in last year, I hope they return.

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The green rosella is a regular guest

36.parrots

but herons are rarely seen. This pair may have been staking out the fish pond.

37.herons

Masked lapwings are a common sight. Often mistakenly referred to as plovers, they are much prettier. Notorious for nesting in the open and being very protective parents, I was privileged to approach this nest in our paddock without being attacked.

38.masked lapwing eggs1

Here is my reward.

39.masked lapwing2

This cheeky chap joined me in the sunroom the other day.

40.

The starlings are a bit of a nuisance but they look good in silhouette.

41.birds on a wire

It’s not easy photographing birds, but I shall keep trying.

discovering Darwin

Posted on March 5, 2016 by kathy

Our last day in Darwin before heading south, we arrived early for a lunch date with a friend and took the opportunity to explore the Botanic Gardens. Named after George Brown, under whose guiding hand they were restored after Cyclone Tracy, the gardens exude a lovely serenity.

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Some of the trees are works of art,

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others serving as nature’s plant pots.

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The tropical flowers are so delicate, I would love to have these in my garden.

There is colour everywhere.

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The orange-footed scrub fowls are lucky to call the gardens home.

19.orange footed scrub fowl

Lunch was calling and we were introduced to the Darwin Waterfront. Stokes Hill Wharf was there when we were last in Darwin in 2005,

25.Stokes Hill Wharf

but now the precinct is an impressive collection of eateries, accommodation and activity.

23.waterfront3 22.waterfront2 24.waterfront4

We dined at Il Lido with views over the lagoon

21.waterfront1

and Convention Centre.

20.convention centre

There were some interesting beverages on tap

and the quarter pounder & fries were delicious.

29.quarter pounders

We managed to ward off the heat with a few cold beers.

30.cheers

Cheers! Thanks for a great afternoon, Nigel, it was lovely to see you again.

sizzling Summer

Posted on January 19, 2016 by kathy

After the warmest, driest Spring on record, we are having a Summer to match. The dry, crisp grass is the colour of freshly baked shortbread and the trees are shedding their leaves, bark & limbs in order to survive. A few stalwarts are putting on a brave show. The grevilleas and callistemons don’t let the seasons affect them.

1.grevillea1 3.grevillea3 2.grevillea2 4.callistemon2

The miniature gladioli are elegant

and the canna lilies are a brilliant shade of orange.

The strelitzia was a surprise guest last year and has appeared again in some unusual places.

11.strelitzia3

The fuchsias seem to enjoy a hard pruning in Winter, rewarding with their diverse blooms.

The hydrangeas are a gorgeous deep blue this season.

18.hydrangea3

The burgundy willow myrtle is stunning with its cascading white flowers contrasting against the dark foliage.

7.myrtle1

The succulents are thriving in our desert conditions

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and the redcurrants love the sunshine.

23.redcurrant

We only have one rose in the garden and it has to be protected in the veggie patch so the possums & wallabies don’t make a meal of it. “Mothers Love” is a pale shell pink rose with the most wonderful perfume, a perfect tribute to mum.

21.rose4

splendid shed

Posted on January 6, 2016 by kathy

Having a veggie garden meant I had to have a potting shed. A few quick sketches and we had a plan. Once the posts were in place for the veggie enclosure, we built the framework for the shed to make the most of the concrete delivery.

1.shed frame

We then finished the veggie patch before embarking into the unknown. With the outdoor workshop in place

2.workshop

we set about building the rest of the frame using reclaimed hardwood.

The roof frame came next

8.roof

and the verandah.

We wanted to retain the rustic look and the scavenged corrugated iron was perfect for the roof.

It was starting to feel cosy inside.

18.cosy

We bought the windows from the local salvage yard and they were next to be fitted.

The mezzanine floor isn’t quite big enough to sleep on but it’s great for storage.

26.mezzanine

The floor joists

27.floor supports

were followed closely by the cladding. Again, the local salvage yard just happened to have the cedar cladding we needed, painted white on one side but that didn’t matter – it’s on the inside.

We allowed ourselves a break

36.inside

then finished the cladding.

Michael’s bespoke stable door is a work of art.

The flooring is Tasmanian oak seconds

and the ceiling is reclaimed pine flooring.

43.ceiling

We found a huge Macrocarpa slab for a bargain price at the salvage yard and it became the workbench.

The potting shed was complete. The chair is a gorgeous circa 1910 commode I couldn’t resist.

46.inside

We had just enough bricks to pave the verandah,

52.paving

the perfect place for freshly picked pumpkin.

53.pumpkin

Everything I need for playing in the veggie patch is in “my” potting shed and it is the ideal environment for drying onions & garlic.

We are very proud of our shed and, as you probably noticed, our home-brew stout was a crucial element to our success.

56.cheers

veggie patch paradise

Posted on December 19, 2015 by kathy

Many years ago, I saw this picture in a magazine and have coveted this veggie patch ever since. It is Pete’s Patch, a working vegetable garden in the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, Hobart, made famous by local legend Peter Cundall.

1.Pete's patch

There was a veggie plot of sorts when we moved in, with two long, narrow, concrete edged beds and a big space in the middle for spuds.

2.before

Our new design incorporated the existing beds as paths and we set about building.

3.during1

We procured reclaimed hardwood roof trusses from the local salvage yard to make the boxes.

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The centrepiece was designated for our fruit salad tree – one tree bearing lemons, limes, mandarins & oranges.

9.during7

The posts were sunk and braced in readiness for the concrete.

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I was eager to get some vegetables going. We ordered a truckload of loam and, after laying six sheets of newspaper, filled the boxes with a lovely soil/ mushroom compost mix. The planting began.

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Another truck, another load – road base this time – was wheelbarrowed and spread along the paths.

14.during13

I don’t mind admitting the whacker packing is man’s work!

15.during14

Seven months into the project, the first bricks were laid.

16.during15

We collected old bricks from wherever we could find them. Fortunately for us, a house nearby burned to the ground (it was empty at the time) and we scavenged most from there.

17.during16

Michael laid, I laboured, just over 3,000 bricks!

18.during19

Now to keep the critters out! A double layer of shade cloth around the bottom also helps with protection from the wind. Wire around the top to deter any climbers.

22.during20