04-Aug-2019
Our distant view
Mt. Lofty and the towers a view we have from our front balcony...it doesn't really
change through the seasons... only the sky changes and the grasses appear and disappear.
You can see how many trees we are surrounded by, and why we worry about
bush (wild) fires in the summer and autumn.
04-Aug-2019
Fireground recovery
This is a section of the fireground from the April bushfire we had, and you can
see a couple of damaged trees, and the amazing recovery made since the rains came.
Scroll down to see a photo taken during the fire (or "next" 3 times.).
12-May-2019
After the rains
Including the foal "Marlin" who seemed to be on his own and a little nervous at
first mainly because I had a big black umbrella as well as a camera. A photo to
show the changing colours as the grasses appear after some lovely RAIN!
Our son is here for a week (from U.S.A.) helping us celebrate Mothers Day then Dick's 80th birthday
we will be fitting a lot of activities in and I may not get on Pbase as often as I normally do.
29-Apr-2019
Fire Trail
This is all we can see of the damage caused by the bush (wild) fire, see next.
I walked down to the horse paddock fence to get this photo. We were so lucky
that day that there was hardly any wind, otherwise the fire could have been catastrophic.
We watched from our balcony as the flames tore up the hillsides, following a fenceline
of neighbours both sides of us, completely missing our property, though there may be
a fence post or two that got burnt. Its a bit beyond Dick to walk up that hill
now he's about to turn 80. Merlin the foal and his sire in the foreground.
24-Apr-2019
Close Call - grass fire.
A change of arrangements for us today - a grass fire started 2 doors up from us
and quickly burnt up the hill to the back of our place.
12 fire appliances and 2 spotter planes quickly got into action. We had a good view of the flames flying
up the hill from our back balcony. A similar fire burnt our back fence back in the 1980's,
it was like a re-run, except this time Dick hadn't gone fishing for the week!
The trucks cut our fences and parts are burnt,
we'll all have some mending to do again!
07-Apr-2019
Eucalyptus leucoxylon rosea
We live in an area where the eucalyptus leucoxylon is indigenous but although I
have tried growing the rosea, it hasn't exactly thrived here. It grows well
over on Yorkes Peninsula with a different and more alkaline soil whereas our
area has clay loam and slightly acidic. This year one of the rosea that we
planted many years ago is really putting on a show, and this is a sample of
the lovely colourful flowers we can see from the bedroom at this time of year.
It has had to compete with a lemon-scented gum that has reached twice the
height or more of our house, whereas the little rosea is slightly taller than me.
I had to cut this sample as the day was too windy for photographing it in situ.
21-Mar-2019
Arboretum Trees
The last entry for late summer views for 2019, showing a group of trees that grow
in our mini arboretum that covers an area between yesterday's trees in the small
holding horse paddock and the road way. You can see a colonised acacia (wattle)
contrasting with the eucalyptus and shrubs we planted to encourage the local birdlife
and insects.
28-Mar-2019
In the small holding paddock
We have a handful of eucalyptus trees in this paddock to give shade, and something
for the horses to have a scratch on... you can see the fence between our place and
next door in this photo.
13-Mar-2019
Cloudy Sky
But no rain from these clouds unfortunately.
13-Mar-2019
Side paddock full of self-sown trees.
Casting a nice shade for the horses when they come into this small holding paddock
to keep the grasses eaten and safe from bushfires. Not much grass left now in
late summer early autumn. Plenty of gum leaves for the koalas.
13-Mar-2019
Sunburnt Hills
It's been months since we had a decent rain and the horses have eaten the grasses
and kept our yards safer from bushfires - so far. Here is a view taken from the
horse fenceline and the oasis of our house yard looking towards yonder hills and
the distant Mt. Lofty. Note the mare standing bottom-left corner.
10-Mar-2019
Young Mulberry Tree
I grew this one from a cutting of a mulberry tree growing in a cousins yard. Although
it has been growing for nearly 30 years, it has stayed quite small - so far. I had
dreams of making mulberry pie, but no luck yet, the grandchildren have beaten me every time!