What I feared has happened.

The nest collapsed and fell. I found the Baby kookaburra dead on the ground.  

I heard the plaintive call of Dennis above and I am so very upset.

The creek was a mass of broken branches and bits of wood. Some amazingly huge ones stuck in railings along the way. Cement blocks uprooted and whole tarmac roads destroyed. 

The one ray of sunshine is finding this baby turtle along the path. 

Sad day for me personally. Bad day for QLD. Bound to get better all round - let's hope. 

The Rain Bomb

The best present ever - waking up to NO RAIN. Never thought I would feel this way about rain but it was described as a Rain Bomb and so it was, relentless and unstopping for days on end. The worst is not over and some areas are still expecting more flooding as the river reaches its peak today. The Brisbane River has flooded boardwalks, restaurants and pontoons. The river has reached 4 metres. My fellow reader for the Economist was busy moving her furniture upstairs to save what she could. Cars floated away. People had to evacuate their homes, businesses and schools are closed. Lives were lost.

Weather events are getting worse everywhere. We cannot ignore them as the clean up begins. 

A palm looking like an ostrich from our window as the rain pounded down. 

Meantime could not help capturing this beautiful pair - the weather was bad so how about a spa day. 

The veggie patch 

Other parts of the state have worst weather yet to come. In Lismore the river has reached 14 metres. Nearly as bad as the 2011 floods.A woman just stated she had 14 metres of water in her home. This is bad, but Aussies are resilient and this is a weather event. On the other side of the world a madman is releasing real bombs on innocent people. We stand with the people of Ukraine, even in our damp state of being. 

A Febfull of rain

This is the lovely Doreen looking her bedraggled best today. The photo says it all. 

46.8mm of rain so far- just today and relentless at the moment with no let up - for most of the Eastern Sea board. Let's hope there is a let up soon. Worried about baby in nest which might crumble. 

Bartering, Borrowing and Walking forgetfully

A friend - (bartering mate honey for eggs) offered me a concert ticket which she left in her post box, and as a small thanks I offered to take her doggies for a walk. It was wonderful to see them but I forgot to take poo bags. One of the dogs left a deposit on someone's front lawn, so heading back to her house, I met her tenants and luckily they had one. I dropped off the doggies and went to pick up the poo, meandered in beautiful streets looking at gardens and flowers under a blue, blue sky, was nearly home when I realised I had forgotten to pick up the ticket. 

Το γήρας ουκ έρχεται μόνον!! as our mother used to say - old age comes with problems and one of them is forgetfulness - two strikes today, but oh well the morning was blissful. 

Looking at this bloom I love how that one flower is daring to be different. 

Behind me along the way two girls with coffees - overhearing their conversation was inevitable.

"He wants an open relationship and I can understand where he is coming from, but like I could date all these men too couldn't I ? With him it's like his ego which is telling him to do this.

 Like what do you think I should do? 

OH Gosh they dawdled too long for me to hear the answer to that, which would have added just that little bit of excitement to an otherwise super day. 

Desdemona aka Desie

 I head out for walks but always come back via the nest.

Listen...

I think I saw it today, Desdemona is alive and well and has a fairy godmother in Lucy Bolton who came up with the beautiful name, aka as Desie as this is Oz. 

A baby at last ...Happy Valentines Day 2022.

Most of you who read this blog know that Doreen and Dennis have been regulars in our life for perhaps a couple of years now. We love seeing them and clearly they love seeing us - or getting something from us, but it is not until now that we are confident that a baby might be joining them. I love this photo of them where she is looking over to him as if to say it's Valentines Day! 

Dennis has been very insistent about being fed - he takes a morsel and then makes a funny sound, as if to excuse himself, and flies off with the little morsel in his mouth. To start with I wasn't sure what he was doing, but now I am confident that he is feeding a young one.

You can see how much thinner he is here - wet as well - as it was after a big downpour. Doreen is happy to sit by, be fed and just chill. She has done her bit it seems and it is all down to him now. Doreen, bless her comes and eats -and is sometimes even fed morsels by Dennis.  He is persistent in chasing the food to the point that he comes into the house - here are a couple of photos, one with both of them and one where he surprised me perching on my extractor hood.  

We think we know where the nest is - and cant wait to meet Junior. What shall we call him or her? May love reign forever, balanced and informed, clear eyed and nurturing. Watch this space !!

And on that note I leave you with my Valentine card to Hubby. There could not have been a more spot on one for this year. Happy Valentines Day! 

Barter in Bridge St

 Craving some sweetness? 

Show us your goods! 

Last night I traded honey for aubergines and fresh eggs. 

The previous night cherry tomatoes for a home grown melon. 

Come on Bridge St and the world, the ancient civilizations did this why cant we?  

Lets spread the message...

Under the Bridge some new art work with welcome messages. 

Toffee

This is a story about an eland in South Africa called Toffee. Toffee was to my friend what Dennis and Doreen are to me. A daily reminder of the joy of life and nature and our ability to connect with it. They live in a remote farm in Limpopo province, just near the Kruger National Park. They bought the farm a couple of years ago and they are surrounded by the most amazing view of bush and many wild animals. 

Toffee was one of them. A graceful Livingstone eland approaching their property curious to meet the new neighbours but also looking for some sustenance in the the dry season. 

Toffee had been a rescue as a calf when her mother was killed. She became a regular and loved to visit  the farm and my friend acknowledges, with tears in her eyes, that she always looked forward to seeing her. She brought a smile to her face so she was always concerned when she did not see her on a regular basis. 

Some weeks ago Toffee went missing. They went out to look for her. They found her half dead covered in terrible ticks and wounds infested with maggots. They called the vet and transported her to the farm. 

The diagnosis was extreme anaemia, bled out by ticks and and maggots. A week ago my friend called to say Toffee had turned a corner and was eating and seemed to be improving. 

Some days ago however she was unable to get up, the vet was called again and she was put on a drip. Yesterday when I spoke to her she said that Toffee had taken a turn for the worse and the vet was called who in a last ditch attempt to save her, decided to give her cow blood to counteract the anaemia but that had its own dangers. The following day she was shaking uncontrollably and in spite of all their efforts they lost her shortly after. My friend and her son, who had spared no cost or effort to save her, were devastated by her loss. 

The vet asked for permission to do an autopsy to find out why, in spite of all the help she was given, she had died. This is what they found - a mass of undigested plastic bags blocking her stomach. 

Oh the horror, the horror of these poor animals trying to eat and finding their stomachs blocked by these indigestible plastics which kill them. This is not a problem confined to Africa. It is sadly so widespread, in our streets and parks, our forests and seas and we are not doing enough, not nearly enough to stop this happening. Toffee died unnecessarily. The mass in her stomach prevented her from digesting enough food to sustain her. She was only ten, but litter and plastic bags had been in her stomach for years. Toffee like so many other wild animals on the planet didn't stand a chance. 

Reading Radio Live

My first day of Live programmes going out on 1296 from the new Premises of Reading Radio. 

It felt wonderful to be back there and doing a live three hour news programme with @Wendy Foster. 

My admiration however goes to all our blind producers who in these last few weeks are finding their way around the new building and getting accustomed to the new recording studio which is still strewn with boxes and bits and pieces. We just walk in there. They are always so jovial and good humoured and rise to the challenge. 

The view from my spot in the studio is the the big building which is the Commonwealth Bank with the meandering Brisbane River on its side. A lovely architectural feature that someone pointed out to me not so long ago. 

 

A view I will enjoy for many a day I hope.