Nature Notes ~ Upside Down Seasons

Weather-wise the seasons are standing on their head. Although

we are in our second week of summer, there still are spring

blossoms on the orange trees.

Here it is either feast or famine, after sustaining eight years

of drought, we now have floods. Luckily our houses are not

in the valley so at least inside we are dry but the rain has been

pelting down (see previous post) and cutting channels at all

overflows from tanks and deep grooves in our driveways.

The one good thing about all this rain is that we will have

enough water stored for a couple of years at least. Old

established trees are at last getting a good drink and the water

table has also been somewhat replenished.

The smaller creatures are confused and think it is autumn.

The spiders are busily web-making and last night I was

entertained by the dance of the rats in the ceiling. They

seemed to think that the winter rains had come and it was

time to move house. Thinks . . . another job to do . . . put

Ratsak behind the ceiling vents . . .

The rose garden is denuded of blooms, all petals stripped of

by the massive downpour. At least the unseasonably plentiful

supply of water and nitrogen from the thunderstorms will make

them bloom better than ever.

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Nature Notes ~ Autumn Fades Away

It seems while I was sleeping, the glory of autumn has passed
me by. On my returm home, we at last had some rain decorating
the few remaining red leaves on my Crepe Myrtle.



All that is left now is the Leprechaun gold of Quince and Poplar.



Yet even now, with winter but a few days away, a herald of the
bounty of next summer is at hand, the Loquat tree unstintingly
puts forth its fragrant blossoms for December's delicious crop
of golden fruit.



The heavy fruit of Ruby Grapefruit swell for spring ripening



and the goslings, having grown in size yet not in wisdom,

still run an flap to the safety of the ducks with whom they grew
up in the foxproof pen.

In days of yore, I had a pair of geese who would drive strangers
from our yard and woe betide the unwary postman!

How times have changed! With the rain our surroundings have

greened up and the denizens of the fowlyard now forage in the

garden and farmyard with the dogs (fingers crossed) keeping

the foxes at bay.

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