Signs and Wonders

The Gecko

The Gecko lying on his stone
Is always very much alone,
Nor is the reason hard to trace
By those who've seen its form and face
It's hard to realise a mite
Can be so venomous a sight,
Or in its little frame compress
Such concentrated ugliness.
No wonder other creatures fly
Each time a Gecko ambles by.
No wonder that its chosen mate
Recoils from the connubial state.
Yet underneath its skin, we're told,
There beats a heart of purest gold.
Its children do not know neglect;
It treats its mother with respect.
It never, ever beats its wife,
And lives a most unblemished life.
Its aspect is its sole defence
Against the world's malevolence.
So when you see a Gecko stay
Uncharitable thoughts and say:-
"The gruesome are not always gross-
even a reptile bears its cross!"

by Leon Gellert

The other night we had a visit from this cute little fellow, don't you love it when your nature study comes to you? The leaf tailed gecko named for it's distinctive broad leaf-shaped tail is quite common around here but is usually found in the bushland on our property. The children have enjoyed having him or her for a visit although Anna wasn't really happy when she found it on the wall next to her bed. While she was happy drawing him she wasn't about to share her bedroom and really who could blame her.

Anna's attempt to draw our little visitor

Thursday Fun Day

We  have worked hard for most of the holiday's so yesterday we decided to take some time out and meet up with friends at a local nature reserve.

While this was Mikes first visit to the nature reserve the children and I have been there a number of times before. A few of our children have walked to the waterfalls that lie within the reserves boundary but I have never done it myself. This however changed yesterday and with Damian in the sling and Mike there to help we all set off up the track to the falls.

A little monkeying around

Luke decides to just hang around for a bit

We haven't had much rain lately so the waterfall it's self was a little disappointing. Mike and the children climbed over the rocks right up to the base of the falls.

 

 but the children did have a great time exploring the rock pools

Paddy and daddy share a quite moment

 
 
 
 
 

Spring is in the Air

Spring is officially a few weeks away never the less there are many signs around that indicate spring is well and truly sprung.

 The peach trees are a profusion of pink blossoms.

 The bees are just loving the lavender plants

      And the azaleas are providing some much needed colour in the house yard garden.

 We've had five new kids of the goat variety born in the last week. Aren't they cute?

Making A Hanging Bird Feeder

First smear an empty toilet roll with peanut butter.

 

Then roll it in bird seed

 

Thread string through the middle.

 

And hang in a tree, make sure your feeder is out of the reach of the family dog because he likes them to.

 

I think he's wearing most of his peanut butter!

Spring is here at last!

After one of the coldest winters on record it's so nice to see signs of spring. 

 

 

Look at what the dogs brought home.

 

I returned home from town today to find Erin down the paddock with a male wallaby wrapped in a blanket. Normally our dogs wouldn't have been able to catch a wallaby but this unlucky fellow had something wrong with it leg and couldn't hop properly. We called WIRES and they sent a wildlife handler out to pick him up, he will be patched up and released back into the bush.

Baby Birds

The other day we discovered this nest in the callistemons outside our family room windows.

If you look closely at the bottom centre of the nest you can just make out the baby birds head. Originally there were two birds in the nest.

This morning Luke found this little fella on the ground beneath the nest. We have been feeding it according to the guidelines we found here and here

 

Luke feeding the baby bird with an eye dropper.