
For the first night in goodness-knows-how-long, we had a beautiful red and orange sunset tonight.
Just before sunset, the drama in the sky began, with dramatic clouds preparing for the main event. 🙂


For the first night in goodness-knows-how-long, we had a beautiful red and orange sunset tonight.
Just before sunset, the drama in the sky began, with dramatic clouds preparing for the main event. 🙂


The weather may have broken a record for this month – we have had two sunny days in a row!
Walking up the driveway to the letterbox yesterday was just a tad slippery after The Great Wet, but today it had dried out somewhat. I took the photo of Mount Warning late this afternoon from the top of the driveway, and just look at the sky – not a cloud in sight. 🙂

The leaves and pods on the golden rain tree that I photographed from afar during the rain on Tuesday looked much more flighty, blowing in the breeze now the tree is drier, so I picked a single pod off the tree to photograph in more detail.

Singular pods are three-sided, with each double-layered side encasing seeds. Close up, you can see detailed veins on the pod case. The pods are quite sturdy, and it didn’t break open easily.

When I did break the pod open, this is what I found inside. These raw green seeds will dry out over the next week or two, fall to the ground, and if the seeds find the right spot in the soil to start growing, a new tree will shoot up.
Considering I don’t want my front garden to be overrun by golden rain trees, I will be busy pulling tiny trees out over the next month or two as they appear.

The title of today’s post is referring to a large tree at the top of our garden, close to the street. It’s deciduous tree, and just before it loses its leaves it forms pretty yellow flowers, then these pink seed pods, as shown in the photo.
Husband curses this tree every year, as each seed has the potential to grow another tree, and they are rather large trees! We have two in the garden already – both of which we planted several years ago – so every year I go around pulling out the tiny trees as I see them taking root. Some people regard golden rain trees as a weed, but I quite like them, they are sturdy trees, and one of the few trees in our yard that change with each season.
There’s been plenty of the clear variety of rain falling from the sky today as well, which prevented me from taking my camera for a walk to the top of the garden to take a close-up photo of the tree. This photo was taken on full zoom from my front veranda. I spotted two kookaburras under the tree also, foraging for bugs in the wet earth.

For the next two day, fine weather is predicted! I’m sure you will forgive me for not holding my breath in anticipation of a dry day, but wouldn’t that be wonderful? Imagine, maybe I could do a few loads of washing, perhaps have a window or two open around the house, the dogs could spend some time out in the yard instead of indoors.
I might even see Mount Warning! We’ll have to wait and see what tomorrow brings.

Tonight I heard on the news that it rained in every town throughout the state of New South Wales today. The whole of the eastern coast of the state, and towns further north into southern Queensland, are on alert for excessive rainfall and flooding.

While media alarmists cry out “climate change,” the realists among the press – and yes, fortunately, there are some realists remaining in Australian media circles – reminded viewers tonight of a famous poem, once taught to most school aged children. The poem, “My Country” by Dorothea Mackellar, written between 1904 and 1908, is a timely reminder of the predictable harshness of the climate in this country I call home.
“My Country” is a beautiful poem. It romantisises Australia, while at the same time emphasising the ruggedness and challenges of living in this land. The second verse of the six verse poem is the most famous and is the verse I am sharing today. The other five verses can be found on the Official Dorothea Mackellar website.

My Country
I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror
The wide brown land for me!
~~ Dorothea Mackellar.