Heading outside late at night, I heard a telltale heavy rustle amongst the leaves of the Crepuscule rose that clmibs up one end of the verandah.
A guilty Brushtail Possum scrambled up under the rafters, hoping I couldn’t see it. Which I couldn’t, until I looked around the post — and used a torch. Unfair advantage, I know.
Many people consider these critters cute; I don’t. They eat roses. And citrus.
One seems to hang about for a while and them move elsewhere. A brief stopover.
My Nashi trees are dropping their yellowing leaves, which turn dark brown to black on the ground — if the wallabies don’t get to them first.
So it wasn’t surprising that a large black leaf had blown a little off course – at first distant sight. Too big as I drew closer…
It was another creature I rarely see out and about, when it should be in the little dam downhill. A longnecked tortoise.
I’d found one near my clothesline a few days before and had put it back in what is really a large waterlily pond, thinking of the long distance to my other dam.
Clearly this tortoise was determined to leave home. This time I respected its instincts and let it be. Just passing by.
I hope it found its destination safely.