It’s easy to see when the predominant native grass in my `lawn’ is seeding, because the yard is taken over by a purposeful band of crimson rosellas.
They proceed en masse up the slope, through thin grass as tall as themselves.
Standing on one leg, each daintily grasps a seedhead stem with the claw of the other, bends it towards their beak and neatly strips it, rather as we’d munch sideways along a cob of corn.
The harvest appears organised and amicable: no crossing of territory, no debate about personal patches, not one squawk of protest.
It is a silent harvest, though highly visible, as the richness of their red and blue plumage turns my plain yard into a moving tapestry.
Hi Sandra. I finally met Kez when I spoke at East Maitkland library last week. LInks are great aren’t they?
I just came across your site from a link on Kez’s site. I m going to look for your book. What a beautiful part of the world you live in.
Thanks Caroline! Glad you’re enjoying and relating to my book. Yes, we need more eccentrics, or as webmaster Fred says, ‘authentic Australian ratbags’. As for fires, join your local Rural Fire Brigade, to learn, to help and to influence them!
Sharyn
Hi Sharyn, I stumbled across your book at the library today and because I plan to be a ‘Woman on the Mountain’ too, the title grabbed me. I am also an Aquarian and also wrote a piece for Bush Telegraph–it was broadcast the other day.
After an afternoon’s read I’m up to Chapter 16. What an inspiration! Thankyou. I am re-enthused. You’re almost as *strange* as I am!
Before I build maybe I should seek your advice re bushfire hazard reduction (not in the backburning way) I too have had rather terrifying first hand experience of bushfire, whence living atop the escarpment at Medlow Bath in 2001. What a drama. How on earth do people in warzones EVER sleep? Being the only sensible person in residence and a woman, but not the owner of the threatened house was frustrating to say the least. I think women are actually much more sensible when it comes to fires and putting them out. If my (female)friend had been taken seriously when she stopped in at the firestation at Blackheath because she could smell smoke in the Megalong, 7 or so hours prior to what turned out to be an unstoppable wildfire, countless lives and habitats would not have been lost.
Long comment, sorry and OT, as they say in the blogosphere, but just wanted to say . . .
“In this world of ordinary people . . .
I’m glad there is you!”