There is something so special about childhood friends, especially if you grew up in the country. Our nearest neighours in 1950s Tasmania were the Richards family. Cheryl and Michael were almost the same age as me and my sister Robbie. We lived on adjoining dairy farms at
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Hello. Did you know that Australia’s dear little koala had a very bad time during the bush fires earlier this year? Well they can’t run very fast, so that was a problem. I was in Sydney the other day and people were protesting about it all. I
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In the spirit of increasing biodiversity, my partner and I bought a little insect hotel for our Blue Mountains garden. Perfectionist owner-builder Rob decided to seal the back panel with Bondcrete and add a waterproof membrane to the pitched roof. Well, we do get a lot of
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Times change and today, September 21 2020, the final 7.45am news bulletin will be heard on the ABC. A SAD DAY……… Growing up in rural Tasmania during the 1950s, the 7.45am ABC news bulletin was the signal for me and my siblings to set off down our
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It’s such a privilege to be involved in the life of baby birds. A pair of native Wonga pigeons have been providing my husband Rob and I with this delightful opportunity over a number of years. They live in our Blue Mountains garden, and are as much
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Daydreaming in our pandemic iso-world is a national pastime. Here is an imagined dinner, hosted by myself and my partner Rob in our new house at Blackheath, in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. There are four courses (well sort of), and four dinner guests from
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Deciding to produce chicks in mid winter was never going to be a good idea. However, our resident Wonga pair would not be dissuaded. We invariably get snow here in the upper Blue Mountains and sure enough, down it came in mid August. The eggs had only
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I recently posted a photo of a silver wattle on our Blue Mountains Community Facebook page. At the time I suggested that Wattle Day, now held on September 1, might be the answer to the vexed question of celebrating Australia Day on January 26. An increasing number
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The native Wonga pigeons here at The Gums in Blackheath have already produced two chicks over winter. The third nesting failed due to that three day rain event in July, but they are discussing whether to try again. Unbelievable! Amid all the Covid-19 angst we humans are
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The fellow below turned up after the curtain came down the other day and said he wanted to try out for the show. ‘I can balance on the railing‘, he said, and hopped up. Well even I could do that if I had feet like yours, I
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