Hitting a Purple Patch

This year has been one out of the box..we lost our darling old pup..we are losing the other..we have spent months going from vet office to busting  a gut outside in preparation for our Daughters wedding..throw in a nose operation the septic throwing a fit  things breaking down breaking up or just breaking bad! as we rounded the finish line to the wedding hubby on his way to work at 4.30 hit and killed a joey that came out in front of my new car..poor Joey died instantly Hubby was fine..car ..well it’s been written off..the day after that our daughter called to say her sweet inside kitty Sherriff had gotten out and not come home..thankfully he did after a couple of restless nights.

The few markets i could attend have been pretty dismal..the weather so bad we cancelled several..it has certainly put a dent in my enthusiasm to say the least..investment versus reward..in the negative. I will be seeing how the markets go over the next few months but i think if it is a case of me basically not even covering my costs at the minimum then i am done, i will just keep going long enough to cover the contract of my eft machine as really financially it is costing me.

The time i have spent out taking pictures this year is minimal..i feel like with all that has happened i have lost a year..no canola trips ,mountain trips, nothing i enjoy.

Apart from a brief trip overseas and our daughters wedding the whole year has been pretty horrid.

I will not even go to the sadness that has befallen so many of my dear friends..sadness that weighs heavily in my heart.

So that is a brief explanation for my lack of blogging..even as i type this i have done no Christmas cards..have all manner of paperwork for market that i really am over ,need to get prints replaced and have let Doc out three times for a peemail.

I have the vet AGAIN this afternoon…so i leave you all with these pictures.

But like purple in these images has now all but gone from the landscape..so shall my Purple Patch..

Fields of color

 

Grounds view

The bend

Purple

Alone

Like a dancer

Tanked

 

Tracts of Purple

On the crest

Silvery Gum

What a view

Shed

Hugged by Purple

Fiesty Friday

Sometimes i just sit and watch the show..some days it is just what the Dr ordered..between vet visit after vet visit and a load of work on the property i just need some me time.
I hope you enjoy the show as much as i did..take note of how the bigger roo put paid to the youngen’s silliness..well for a little while anyway 🙂
Off to dinner tonight so will catch up soon..

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Extended Summer

Well as you may be aware our weather worldwide seems a tad funky!

Snow in Spring for some folks and here the never ending Summer.

This sounds ideal i suppose but to a parched land it is a bummer.

We have a running argument with the weather girl over her ‘rain forecast’ on a nightly basis it seems..in fact i am ready to get my rain dance gear on..frightening!

I spent Saturday at the BACWS taking photos of the kitties up for adoption this is such a hard thing to do..i could easily take them home..but alas that is how the whole hoarding problem starts.

So i have some work to do on those images and it has been a challenge as so many do not want to say hello..they are scared or hesitant and you cannot blame them ..they have been let down by society and it takes time and patience..so last weekend i did not get a lot of shots as i will not push their limits…i won’t ever force an animal into a situation..i can get shots another day..que sera sera 🙂

So as i head to bed i will leave you with some bright pictures of florals..hoping they cheer your Monday blues 🙂

Hugs Fozziemum

 

Grape Hyacinth

 

Rosebuds

 

 

 

Hydrangea

 

Apricot Dahlia

 

Fronds hidden in fern

 

 

Purple Dahlia

 

 

Russet Dahlia

Pink Dahlia

 

 

Wildlife has blooper moments

The other day as i ventured up from the dam after spending a fun time watching Wanda and her wee Buttons i came across some roos that had been camping in our lower paddock.

Now it can be hard to see them when they camp as they like to do so amongst the rushes.

More than once i have come across one and had the beejeebers scared out of me.

When you crest a hill and a big lad over 6 foot tall and all chest puffed and arms flexed is there it is quite a sight to see.

I defer to their right to be there and hope for the best 🙂

Well back to my trek up to the house..so i spot the roos…and the poor things must have been in a real daydream as i scared them a bit..i do not like to scare them so as i looked up i see roos going in all directions..i turned the camera on and shot some pictures..

I thought i saw what looked like a roo tumble over the reeds..damn..i hate that..i mean i know these guys are tough and all but i still hate to see them fall..

When i got back home i had got dinner sorted and mucked around a bit..when i finally got my sd card in the computer i went looking through all the shots of the wallabies..

Ok i come to the Blooper moment..what i saw next in my images were these shots..

Oh my..mid air collision of roos..both were fine after as i saw all roos hop off and then stand as a mob and watch me!

I guess sometimes even the wildlife is a tad uncoordinated and does not pay attention 🙂

Have a super weekend all 🙂

Cheers Fozziemum

Notice that there is a roo behind the rushes on the left..

 

Now the roo on the left takes off

 

Now rabbit up top left is taking off,roos are both in flight and not looking at each other

And the moment both roos collide!

Dust kicked up and over they go!

Calm restored..

 

Wallaby Wednesday

Yep..it’s me…again..one day i will get my act together with posting..seems i am distracted..can you blame me 🙂

I introduced you to Wally last time i was here..well i am so delighted to report he has a significant other!

Please meet Wanda..

I had grabbed my bits and pieces and headed to the dam this morning..even at a good 12 feet down on water it is still the go to place for all species.

If ever you want to find any kind of wildlife watering holes are always a great place to start..we all need it and as it  is scarce it is pretty popular when found!

I had only been sitting for not even 10 minutes when up the embankment to my right i spotted the Wallaby..when i looked and saw an obvious pouch i was beside myself.

The shots i took are not fantastic..i had hidden amongst wattles and so i had branches and grasses in my way..but  i was not budging..no matter if my chair broke (it did) or i got bitten by ants (i did) or attacked by mozzies (i did) i was staying quiet to enjoy what was a magical moment..

And my friend  Easy has already claimed rights to be Godfather to the little tyke..(whom i will give a unisex name as i have no clue what sex this little ‘pinkie’ is yet)

So say hello to Wanda and ‘Buttons’

Wanda pops in for a drink..notice she is not as muscular as Wally

Wanda has a heavy load in that pouch!

Thirsty work being a Mum

And there is Buttons..just as cute as a button don’t you agree ?

New Visitors welcome

Well belated Happy Easter to all..i hope everyone had a lovely time and got some relaxing in!

I hinted at a new visitor that had been spotted here on our property and i am now going to introduce you!

We have been here 5 years in August and this is the first time ever i have seen a Wallaby here..i cannot even begin to tell you how thrilled i was and especially as the visit came on the heels of a really sad day.

We had the Wildlife rescue out to sadly PTS a Kangaroo..he had a broken leg and had been eluding the folks in the street for two days..despite his serious injury the poor thing managed to get away each time.

I had no idea..i had been shooting a sweet family and then heard the news that this was about to happen.

The kindest thing to do is to end an animals suffering but i will never get used to the sound of a gunshot.

I was of course a mess..in tears and feeling miserable so i went for a wander with my camera.

A bit of nature therapy..i had not gotten far from the house when i spotted him..the Wallaby..my heart skipped a beat ,and as much as i wanted to clap my hands in the way that has hubby always laughing at me , i had to concentrate as i was scared my little visitor would leave!

I grabbed some shots and he took off but the next day he was back and hubby and i both got to spend some lovely time with him as he chowed down on those Hedge Wattles i despise!

Not only a beauty but also my new BFF for helping get rid of these rotten thorny beasts!

First some facts 🙂

.. The Swamp Wallaby (Wallabia bicolor) a small macropod marsupial of eastern Australia.

This sweet wallaby is also known (mainly here in Victoria) as the Black faced Wallaby, the black tailed wallaby, stinker (QLD), black stinker (NSW) due to it’s characteristic swampy odour,fern wallaby,black wallaby, and black pademelon.

The Swamp Wallaby is the only living member of the genus Wallabia.

The bicolor comes from the varied color that they have.

Typical grey coat of macropods varied with dark brown to black region on the back and light yellow to rufous orange on the chest.A light colored cheek stripe is usually present and extremities of the body generally show darker coloring except the tail tip which is often white.

Their gait is also different to other wallabies as they carry their head low and tail out straight.

The average length (height) is about 30″ or 76cm for males and 27.5″ or 70cm for females.

The tail in both sexes is approx equal in length to the rest of the body.

Average weight for males 37lb (17kg) and females 29lb (13kg)

They become of breeding age around 15-18  months and breed throughout the year.

Gestation is 33-38 days and leads to a single young which is carried in the pouch for 8-9 months but will continue to suckle until about 15 months.

The Black faced Wallaby is usually a solitary animal but will aggregate in groups when feeding.

They will eat a wide range of food plants shrubs pasture and native and exotic vegetation and seem to be able to tolerate plants poisonous to others such as brackens and lantana.

Rather than grazing like Kangaroos they prefer to browse shrubs which is unusual in wallabies and macropods who prefer to graze.

Their tooth structure means their molars differ from other wallabies in that they are designed for browsing and their 4th premolar they keep for life and it is shaped for cutting coarse plant matter (ie.that hedge wattle!)

Several characteristics both physical and behavioral make the Black faced wallaby different enough from other wallabies to place it in it’s own genus Wallabia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swamp_wallaby

And  now please welcome Wally who i hope feels safe and at home here on  our 11 acres, for awhile at least..get ready to squee as he is adorable 🙂 and yes a boy..i checked 😉

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summers End

Well what can i say..Summer left a few weeks ago..it left us with Autumn..slightly less relenting on heat but my energy has been zapped!

So many things have happened here and in the blog world and i know i will never catch up..and yes it seems to be my byline!

I have seen that many bloggers have experienced losses..this is so very sad and of course like life is always something we are not quite prepared for.

I have missed celebrations and commiserations but know i have felt them all.

I got to a point where i felt i had nothing to blog about and the longer i have left it the harder it has been.

Just starting seemed a daunting task!

And so as a tentative dabble back to a forum i love and have missed i want to share with you the last remnants of the Summer that nearly killed my spirit.

I planted almost as a joke some old sunflower seeds i had sat on the porch and carefully pulled from flowers i had grown two years ago.

They had sat in a box waiting for me to find some time for some frivolous gardening.

Nothing here is ever frivolous! hubby had made me some garden beds out back to try and bring more color to our grey/brown/parched world and as the new plants were popped in i threw these seeds in the ground behind them.

The idea being maybe they would offer the new plants some protection.

Well i did this so late in the season i expected not much to happen,in fact i had forgotten about them when they all started to shoot.

Thanks to our Summer refusing to let it’s heat go peacefully the Sunflowers thrived.

Hence the reason i have magnificent Sunflowers when i should have none at all.

I guess Summer decided to give me something to smile about.

Thankyou all for your patience with my 3 month abscence, it’s a long time and i hope these images from my garden can go some way to saying how much you all mean to me .

Christmas in Australia

Well hello guys and yes i have been awol..the heat over Christmas has been atrocious and the weather such that more often than not the computer is packed and ready to go .

This has left me struggling with a small phone and fat fingers so blogging is a real chore.

I will of course be doing a slide show of thanks for the gifts and cards we have received..i feel awful as i am behind but needs must.

Christmas in our beautiful country can be quite brutal and this year has been no exception, i understand in the USA the weather has been warmer than usual and tornados have been taking a toll on homes and tragically lives..places usually covered in snow are warm and dry .

In England the weather i see has caused flooding also .it seems Mother Nature has thrown us all a curveball.

On Christmas day the  Victorian seaside towns of Wye River and Separation Creek were hit by bushfires

Respectively 98 and 18 homes were lost..people were spared thankfully but the toll on the communities is high.

People flock to this are in summer and the tourism is vital for the community. The fire is still going and some areas are only accessible to emergency services and the residents.

For me i can only imagine losing everything..living in the bush it is a fear we live with not only in summer but year round it seems ..our landscape is parched.

When the 2009 fires hit the paddocks for weeks had been  red as if burnt by the heat and sun we knew we were in trouble so burnt already they looked ..this year they have looked like that for weeks and we are only in December.

My heart is broken at the huge toll on wildlife.The losses of Koalas,Kangaroos,Possums,Birds,Reptiles Wombats,Echidnas..awful just awful..and the injured wildlife is flooding in..it will for a long time as they find their way from burnt bush and into areas unfamiliar to them..

I love the bush but i am losing my stomach for the devastation and fear.

This is something hubby and i have been discussing for awhile..how many more years spent waiting to watch the bush burn.packing and unpacking ..in heat .

What people do not mention is the alert fatigue..a very real and very dangerous phenomenon,you see we get alerts to fires in our area..we get radio alerts ,mobile phone alerts,we see the warnings about bad days..the day we had our family Christmas we were warned was to be one level down from catastrophic..we had to go..we did what we could but our day was cut short by our minds being elsewhere.

And when you get these alerts day after day..then maybe nothing happens and then a fire starts and you are active and then it is ok..or you leave with all your animals and drive around and it is ok..well you get tired..physically and mentally.This is the danger..you think oh it will be fine..and maybe it isn’t.

When you do this mind you you are hot..usually insanely hot,in denim jeans,shirts boots etc..and it is a killer.But so is ignoring it.

The day after our family get together we were exhausted..i wen to bed and got up at midnight..headed back to bed..adrenaline gone…heat still foul..45C or 113F day after day..in denim..in boots.well you get the idea.

Now our pups are 12 and 13..and we have made the decision that when they leave us we are gone..we can’t do this year in and out..this poses our second dilema..the sheep..now the move here nearly killed them..sheep do not travel 3 hours well and they are old..9 this year..what do we do..we can’t move them interstate it would kill them for sure, but  they are family..so this is also a situation we need to consider..

It is a lovely life..it’s quiet and the town is beautiful..we have no neighbours and the wildlife is amazing..but i  dread Summer..i dread being caught watching the bush burn ..

For now i am here and as such we are doing our best to keep us all safe..i am going to be a bit awol for awhile as i am getting the sewing machine out to make mittens for Koalas with burns..as Pepi Smart dogs Mum Michele has shared the pattern and shared that the call has gone out for them and pouches for Kangaroos..

So please will you send some POTP big time to the people who have lost their homes and also to the poor creatures that have been caught in this hideous fire which has burnt through thousands of hectares..this is a very early start to our fire season and New Years eve is also starting to be of concern..i send my thoughts to all people and animals caught in Mother Natures path at the moment..

Thanks for your patience with me guys..Loves Fozziemum xxx

 

My roos are safe here for now

Busy Bees a buzzing

Well i am finally get back into the swing of things..and i must say i will NEVER catch up so i am visiting as best i can..

I have been spending my time getting myself ready for my first market..now this was a feat and a half..you must have certain criteria and forms needed to be filled and i was so happy when i was allocated a stall at the Maldon Market.

This town is so sweet and i visit there often, it is just a short trip from here and has beautiful old buildings and gardens and a Christmas shop that is open all year to thrill you with pretty images.

Now to ready myself i had to get busy..i needed so many things done and not just on my actual products but the stall set up and presentation..not a hard ask for a Virgo i must say..one thing we do well is Fru Fru 🙂

But also the logisitics of moving everything and getting a marquee.We were going to borrow one and then got a great deal on one so decided this was a better option..

So hubby and i set up a practice run in the backyard..now you can imagine..cats..dogs..sheesh..i had fur in everything..it seemed everytime i framed a print a fur would arrive..redo again and again..i was starting to see fur everywhere..

Items i ordered did not arrive in time so mad dashes around town ensued..and packaging and cataloging and well you get the idea!

During all the production line work ,which hubby was an amazing help ,with i had several trips for MRI’s and Xrays..i had a mole frozen off my back and have had a cortisone shot in my bursa for an unrelenting hip pain..so i have been all over the shop ..

I stopped the car down the driveway one morning when i noticed that i was not the only one busy..a hive of bees had formed on a small shrub,directly in line with a gum tree that had a hollow which the bees had been living in..they were going from this to the shrub..it was a great chance to stop myself buzzing and watch them.

Industrious and non complaining what amazing creatures and i felt so lucky that we have them here..a great sign when their populations are threatened by chemical spraying.

Well i got through all the work..some last minute dramas and we were ready! the cars were packed with all my things and hubby and i set off ..he with the farm gates that i was using for display and the tables and marquee..me with my work..

So i was behind him and a roo just missed jumping right in front of him..early morning a bad time as is dusk..i saw just the tail and butt and a dust cloud from where he took off back into the scrub.

The  hubby pulls into the service station..his panel van was overheating..really today..

We arrived set up in our area and i had my first sale before the market even opened! I was amazed..the lady loved the framed print of the dewdrops on the dry leaf and that was it..sold.

People were so lovely ,interested in my work and how i did it and not only that they wanted to know if i would be back again..i could not believe how well it all went.

People were surprised i was the person who took the photos..maybe people buy work and sell it ..who knows..

At the end of the day i was pooped..i had been so busy in the lead up and the late night early wake up had caught up..but i did well really well..i am still gobsmacked really.

And it was great to see what people really love..and to hear what appeals to them..i look forward to the next market and hope i have as much fun..and as much as it was lovely to sell things and make money from what i have done it was more rewarding that people actually loved my work..please enjoy my busy bee life with me and have a great day..

*Thoughts go out today to Stu and his family at this tough time..we are rooting for you little guy…*

 

The new hive which left two days later

 

A hive of activity

 

 

The source of the bees

 

 

 

Setting up at the market

 

My displays

 

More displays

 

This is Roy..his peeps stopped by for a look at my stall

 

He is two and quite the poser

 

 

 

Look at that face..think he was after the water i had out for doggies

 

 

 

This is Ron..his peep helps organise at the market

 

 

 

Ron is 12 and quite the man about town

 

He had plans on being elsewhere i think

Remembering what was fought for

I apologise for my lack of blogging folks..it has been bugging me that other things have taken up my time..i will be back and in the thick of it again soon..

Lot’s of exciting things and weird things and scary things happening at one time have been keeping me from being here.

I took a down day today and got into the garden..it has never been so neglected and some weeds were almost as tall as me..i felt ashamed of the state it was in..and the house could do with a good clean as well..anyone who has known me knows this is really not me at all.

So i was so happy to just walk away from the computer, from spending time chasing orders and sorting files and cataloging and framing and printing and driving around like a madwoman.

Time away from Drs appointments of which todays was almost the last straw..another story for another time in another galaxy hopefully far far away..

And of course nature is the place i prefer to hang out in..i can do this because i have the freedom of choice..a freedom that today we remembered was hard fought for by many brave men ,women and animals.

I am sure that when they had our country in their hearts they were thinking of not only the people but the place we live..the ground we call home..the land we rely on and our need to be free to enjoy all that we have.

Every thing we have and hold dear is a gift and should always be appreciated..the large the small the seemingly insignificant ..because many brave souls lost their chance to return to this land..and many who did would never be the same..

Lest we forget ..

Please enjoy some reflective time with me in the garden..i am off to bed…

Just happy to hop

 

Determination

 

 

A forage on the Borage

 

Making love not war

 

A solitary soul

 

Even a vegetable has a beauty and place in the garden

 

 

Beauty and it’s supporting cast battered edges testimony to days coming to an end

 

Wanting to take off

 

In the Peace roses she must be the prettiest tiniest spider i have seen

 

Coral in the garden..or lichen could be either

 

A vertical stroll down the planter pot

 

The bird may have left this behind but it still takes flight