OUR WORLD Tuesday - Autumn on the Farm and Elsewhere

Before our first autumn rain, the calves were dropping like 

the rain should have.

A recent baby making tentative friends with our last remaining

steer that, for the second time running, jumped out of the stockyards

not to be sent to market.

Ya gotta give it to him for spunk!

Togetherness, two mommas and their babies. 

No need to cover up, these girls believe in letting it all hang out.

On my way to town, I pass this beautiful farm

with two Golden Ash, Fraxinus excelsior 'Aurea' , flanked by

two beautiful Claret Ash, Fraxinus raywoodii.

The Claret Ash comes from a property not far from our Mt.Lofty house.

A gardener noticed a red sport on a Golden Ash and propagated from

it. It was a rather grand house with lots of visitors who, in a few

years time, marvelled at the depth of colour and the rest is history.

Claret Ash against one of my favourite shade trees, the Golden Elm

in our village.

We all are mirror images of each other,

some enjoying autumn and others, spring.

Whichever you are in, take pleasure in what it offers.

OUR WORLD - A New Arrival

It has been a full and harrowing time since I last posted. Like 

shades of Lemony Snickert, there have been a few unfortunate 

events.

I am still jelly limbed as I thank God for our granddaughter's 

miraculous survival of a horror car crash. Somehow, that relegated 

blogging to the depths of a dark cupboard.

Next, my 95 year old friend of 40 years standing, suffered a fall 

and broke two vertebra. Suddenly, independent living is no longer

an option for her and we had to honour our promise to take her

little dog.

Allow me to introduce you to Koockie, obviously taken with our

eldest granddaughter. Over the years, the grandchildren have amassed

quite a menagerie of foundlings and ill treated four legged friends.

The first attempt of Bumble, a loveable bottle raised sheep, to 

make friends, seemed questionable. A couple of days later though, 

Koockie's confidence had grown  and an entente cordiale was 

reached.

Grandson's valiant attempt to hush Rex's very loud bark proved 

futile but first meetings can be deceptive. The black and white dog 

looking on is one of my eldest granddaughter's 'acquisitions' and 

the friendliest dog that ever was.

Meeting horned beasts proved rather daunting.

A happy respite in my garden.

Meeting a beast so much bigger than yourself, can be intimidating

but meeting a whole herd is frightening indeed and yet, he tried 

his level best to protect me from them.

So now the cat is out of the bag. I have a dog. A blessing, a

responsibility and a definite liability when photographing birds 

and wildlife. The blessing is that I have to take him on twice daily 

walks and walking in nature is one of the great joys of my life.

All considered, I feel incredibly blessed.

World Bird Wednesday - In Memoriam . . .

Last Saturday our beloved gander jumped the fence into the cow

paddock. The cows are very territorial and although they tolerate

the humans who feed them and even muzzle up to them to be

scratched, a few sheep who crawl through the fence and small

mobs of kangaroos, they have even looked askance at me crossing

their turf. The appearance of a large white, waddling bird seemed

cause for investigation, they all went to look and the result was one

dead gander literally cornered in the corner of the fence. Whether

he died of shock or of being muzzled we will never know . . .

My heart is heavy with loss, I found him as I climbed through a

kangaroo hole in the fence to feed him. He was my friend and

bridge to the wild birds accepting me as well and is sorely missed

and with him my hopes of goslings in the Spring.

Not much else to report except the European house sparrows

digging up those died up grass areas we laughingly call lawn.

They descend in numbers but are skittish to get a shot of.

Ha, gocha in the faraway tree.

At the lonely pond an unidentified cormorant circled and left.

My bird finder does not feature one with a totally white head and

dark belly and white around the vent. My hopes rest yet again

on Stuart M being able to identify it.

Thanks once again to Springman for hosting this wonderful bird meme.

OUR WORLD - Friends at Home

Just a few critters I have floating around my place. These fellows

have felt free to destroy miles and miles of fencing, in consequence,

the sheep can wander down the road at will. Even this near

to blind sheep who almost blundered into me and had to be

alerted by her lamb to my presence.

How Sparky got out I have no idea but he was doing a great job

mowing the last of the green grass in the yard

until he noticed me and decided to stop for a chat.

The Moon Hill paddock is the only one with even kangaroo

proof fences, so this beautiful lady can safely mind a number

of youngsters.

Looks like the Magpie is looking after these four frisky

little ones.

I hope all of you are having a great beginning of the week, now

come on over to Our World and get your post up!

MY WORLD ~ Farm Friends

Poor old Goosie, she lost her mate last year and hasn't laid an

egg since . . . at least she can still goose-step and she has struck

up a firm friendship with our last remaining chook (read chicken

if you are in N.America). Both of them have a topknot.

Kelpie enjoying the sunshine

and an orphan rescued by one of my softy granddaughters.

She brings anything lost or hurt home . . . the last thing we

needed was a Billy goat kid, cute though.

Although these are one of our national emblems and very pretty

to look at, they are now in ever increasing numbers and very

destructive to fences.

A couple of happy cows came to say hallo as I passed the paddock

and at the end of the Wild Wood, our black sheep had yet again

had black and white twins.

She was very protective of them and led then away as soon as she

heard me.

The world is full of contrasts, click on the Logo and see many wonders, or better

still, join in yourself!

Shadow Shot Sunday ~ Me and my Shadow

All photos may be enlarged by a simple click.
*
Willy-wagtail at sunrise
*

*

Here come the elephants over the hill, meals on wheels have

arrived.

*

*

Finally, our resident unicorn in daytime disguise having

covered up her horn and cropped her long flowing tail.
*

*
Thanks to Tracy at Hey Harrier! we can all join in this fun meme.

Just click on the Logo.

MY WORLD ~ 38 A Country Idyll

Although it is still winter and not spring, flowers
bloom and lambs are arriving



sheep gaze out from behind the boles of the trees



and gracefully graze on the grass that is green



deigning to glance at me as I pass.



Across the road a change of scene, what goes up

soon comes down as well

the race for the meals on wheels gathers pace

a perfect time to check on the herd and newborn calf

while the dogs are marching homeward bound after

checking the boundaries all around.

All pictures like being enlarged, so do the animals!

For a broader view of the world, click on the Logo.

Thanks to the MY WORLD team for keeping up this

wonderful meme

Dog whisperer

Fed the cows on the paddock while

Kip, the aging sheep magician bravely

stayed in the ute. On our return

caught the dogwhisperer at work

feeding the calf and exchanging

genial whispers with her offsider.

P.S. I was good to-day and even

though it hailed potted the peacock

eye daffodils!