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

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..

 

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 😉

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A little Friday Therapy

There are times a girl just has to grab her camera and hit the road..and that is exactly what i did yesterday.

I needed to get out and get some therapy and nature is my therapy.

I read and article our friend Brian’s Dad Terry had shared about nature and the health benefits..of course i know this ,but it was a good reminder that maybe now ,when i least felt like it, was a good time to get out and absorb some of that natural therapy.

So i headed to the Canola fields again, the skies were dark and gloomy which was perfect..i really wanted some action in the sky.

Of course as i drove, in total 179 kilometres, the sun came out..but like life itself the skies changed..at times bright blue ..really vivid blue with puffy white clouds,then they would come over grey or almost black.sun peeking through.

It was a perfect reminder that nothing stays static.And that change can bring good things to us also.

So i found several fields,some down badly pot holed roads..well really pot holes with some gravel road attached!

I love the sense of freedom that i can just drive..no real destination often following the skies or distant vistas.

I would pull my car over get out open the boot and out comes the step ladder..and the tripod and of course my dear friend the camera.

There i am 54 years old with a tripod over 6 foot high precariously perched outside a farm fence..a step ladder and up i go..what a sight!

Farmers drive past very rarely but the customary nod or wave and off they go.

The sun was so lovely when it came out..the breeze was warm and scented and almost like a summer evening..and the sights were glorious.

And so i sit or stand atop my ladder taking pictures of the things that make my heart skip a little beat..the things that fill my eyes with joy and my body with energy..these are the gifts we get that cost nothing and give so much..a farmers back breaking work provides me the therapy i need.

Before i leave you to hopefully feel some therapy from these images i want to say thankyou for the wonderful feedback from my little venture i am starting.

Monday i shall be mailing the card sets to the winners..and soon i hope to have the finalised details of what i am planning..

As always please enjoy my day out with me..the bonus is your butt will not get numb from all the driving i did !

Loves Fozziemum

I love the different contrasts here

Crouching down to see what i could see

You know me and lone trees

Neatly lined up

Clouds coming in

Skies changing moods

Taking over the shot

Views to sooth the soul

Again contrasts make views interesting

Heading to where..i was winging it

Rust and gold

I hardly touched this is processing..amazing colour

I know this is technically weird but love this anyway

Expanse

Like a painting

Lovely

What the field is all about precious Canola

Then white..not Canola but just as glorious

Fields of beauty everywhere

Those skies ever changing

Close up of the white field flowers most likely fodder

Farm gates cannot keep the beauty from escaping

Tracks through the crops

The trees look very ominous against the vivid crops

Such a lovely sight

I made a Uturn so i could take this shot.i was so happy to see these sweet lambs

Winners on Wednesday

I am so happy and excited to give you the names of the people i have drawn from my lens bag this Wednesday morning..

In order of how my randomizer fingers grabbed them ..

Edgar 62

Jans Funny Farmers

Lavinia Ross

Easy and staff

Bella ,Roxy and Dui

Jo Stancer

Raising Daisy

Saving Sammie

The Tabbies o’ Trout Towne

Savannahs Paw tracks

Daily Musings

Ruby

I am so happy that i can share these cards with you all and i only wish i could give all entries a prize!

I am glad i stuck my hand int he bag as if i had to choose by any other means i would be in trouble!!

I hope you enjoy your prizes as much as i have enjoyed designing and photography these cards for you.

I will have more details soon about cards if anyone wishes to buy them..i have made a facbook page ..Opshots Photography where i will show images and discuss what i have and what i will be doing.Of course my bloggie buds are always in my first peek category!

If anyone wants to pop me an email with questions or on my blogs i am more than happy to answer.

So if the lucky winners want to send me an email to dinz1234@bigpond.com with their addresses i can wrap these beauties and send them on their way!

Even got a couple of Aussie winners which is super as some Aussies are a bit unexcited about our wildlife..go figure!

Thankyou again for all entering but more importantly for giving me some great feedback and being amazingly supportive followers..get’s this gal right in the ‘feels’

Much love best i start wrapping!

Bev

See you soon folks..watch the mailbox!

 

Well it was on the cards

Well it was bound to happen..with a lot of gentle and some not so gentle persuasion i have made a start..

I have been working hard and trying to get myself organised..mainly procrastinating…when will good enough be good enough..

And i guess there is no way to know until you go and throw yourself out there!

I have made a start with some blank greeting cards..and i must say that i am so happy with how they have turned out!

Each set of 12 cards comprises these images which i know you have all seen before..

See you soon folks..watch the mailbox!

 

They are made from 340gsm  sustainably sourced paper and have a light satin coating on the outside and uncoated on the inside for ease of writing.

I have kept them blank so you can use them as you like.They have envelopes included also.

I am really proud of these cards and even though i am just starting to get myself organised i guess i have to start somewhere!

I plan on having sets with just Joeys, Family groups,Lone Roos,reptiles (yes some peeps love reptiles! ) birds, flowers and landscapes.

I have other things i am working on also..so i am busy busy..so busy i must get my camera out and leave the house!

But first these baby steps ..and to say thankyou..as i promised i have a very modest give away.

I have my first sets delivered  and these sets are ALL going..free to good homes!

Now there is no hard quiz or competition..all i want is for you to leave a comment between now and Wednesday  the 16th.

That’s all…simple i would love to know simply how and if my photographs have changed your perception of Australia..

I have 12 sets to give away..like i said i have started small..super small…and i will put all names in a Lens Bag and draw the names!

The draw is open to all countries and no postage will be charged..so give it a go!

I would love to see these cards go to good homes..and all i need is the honest opinions of my friends!

So that is my news..huge for me..a new venture and hopefully a chance to share my photographs all over.

Those leaps into the unknown..come jump with me

Hi guys..well i have worked hard ..really hard and have finally taken the plunge..

Soon some exciting things will be happening..and I am so proud of myself ..albeit a scary ride!

I have nitty gritties to work out and some more wrangling of mundane aspects of my new venture but i am getting there!

All of you have been so supportive of my photography..my bumbling attempts and my various trials and tribulations.

Nothing but lovely compliments that have made me feel humbled and loved..

All i ever wanted was to have people feel as if they too were beside me as i captured the images that made me happy..

So to say thankyou i will be having a little surprise give away..i will reveal details later and i hope you all enter for your chance to win..

So that is a bit of a teaser..for now i have a procedure in the morning and due to the lack of food…the intake of vile liquids..i will be awol.

I am off to drink some more chicken broth and eat some more Jelly (Jello)..urghhh

Hugs Fozziemum

 

Aim for the sky

 

Life returning to the landscape

Yesterday was beautiful..too nice to be home on the computer..so off i went dragging hubby along…well not really we love going off on jaunts!

I had been to these places a few weeks ago in my 260 kilometre search for inspiration..well to say a few weeks makes a difference is an understatement!

We have had some rain..not a lot but some and it seems that the fields all over our state are saying thankyou..what a sight to drive and drive and see nothing but gold and green..far and wide..sun shining down..sky blue..puffy white clouds..a gorgeous day for the eyes and the spirit.

 

Add to this a lunch break at a country bakery with great food and coffee and i am one happy girl.

And now the pictures hubby took yesterday may make some sense.

Enjoy the Canola..as it turns it’s blooms to the sky and show’s the beauty of our farming landscape.

 

 

 

Hidden by Canola

 

Perspective fun

 

I cannot go past those lone trees

 

Drained of almost all water yet lush beyond

 

Green and Gold the colour of our great country

 

Skies and fields

 

Whispy Clouds hang gracefully over Canola fields

 

Odd shapes of twisted trees frame the fertile fields

 

Fun with panoramas

 

Going for Gold

 

 

 

Spring and the feeling is sunny..

Well we have been so lucky to have some beautiful days this last week..just as i thought Spring had given us the slip..the nights are cold..and in the shade it is still cool with the wind ripping at you now and again to remind you that Winter still has some scores to settle.

But when the sun comes out it is glorious..and it seems all manner of creatures are enjoying those moments.

Yesterday i looked up from the kitchen window to see a small mob of roos having a snooze out the front..i grabbed the camera ,snuck the pups in the laundry so as not to start barking..and then in what can only be described as a military operation i snuck out the side door..

Ok so i have my glasses on a chain..on and off all the time..but for photography i do not use them..so i swung the chain backwards..so they would not clack on my camera.and slunk down the steps..went around to the side steps and then..yep…belly crawled along the verandah..bare in mind i look like an idiot..a common occurrence for me…and inched my way along the verandah until i could get to a good vantage point.

Now the reason for this is not what you may think…yes i want to take a picture..i can’t help it..but the real reason is they were so enjoying the sunshine.

They were grazing ,some were sleeping..and so i did not want to disturb their enjoyment.

As it turns out they were less than concerned and when i was spotted they were as always wary but not distressed.

We have it seems three young Mum’s at the moment…all with Joey’s in pouch and one with a young Joey at foot..a couple of young but strapping boys too..and they all look healthy so i am very pleased..

Mum has a snack while Joey just hangs out  in the pouch

Goodness Mum has her pouch full with this Joey!

Mum Joey at foot and one on board

A face to make your heart melt

Such lovely family groups

Mum wants to go one way..Joey the other

So as you can see Spring is here now and all creatures are glad..and as for how ridiculous i look trying to get these shots..well here are some shots Hubby took today as i took him on a road trip far and wide..yes..i must look like an idiot ..but hey i have fun 🙂

Have a super weekend guys..tomorrow is Father’s Day here and so a big shout out to all those Dad’s out there..human and non human 🙂

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Friday ..you got me unawares

Guys i am super sorry for not replying to comments and visiting..been busy this week and also had a tummy bug.

So i will catch up this weekend ..i will make a peace offering in the form of some Friday night entertainment…

Chat soon ..Fozziemum x