A tangled web, the morning sun,
Gossamer on high,
Dewdrops beading, fragile whispers,
Magic in the sky.
Spiders are not everyone’s cup of tea and if I am to be totally honest, they aren’t mine either. What I do find fascinating about spiders though is their webs.
Web of pearls.
How do these tiny creepy bug things build such beauty? What instinct has taught them how? How do they build these homes of theirs so quickly? What is contained in those gossamer strands that will hold an unsuspecting fly in place for the spider to feast on later?
Sparkling diamonds.
You know something, I don’t really want to know the answers to these questions! I love the mystery surrounding spider’s webs! And I don’t really need to see the spider either, although I don’t mind occasionally bumping into one (figuratively speaking!) just so that I can admire his agility as he builds his home.
Incy-Wincy spider.
If there is one thing prettier than a spider’s web in the sunlight, it is a spider’s web in the sunlight with drops of rain, or dewdrops, hanging like delicate pearls from each silky strand, and this is just what I have seen outside of my window over the last couple of mornings.
Pink pearls.
What an incredibly beautiful way to start the day! It is a sight to make my heart sing!
Diamond edged spider’s trampoline.
These clever spiders have chosen the ideal area in my garden, between some evergreen trees and shrubs, where they won’t be disturbed at all, and best of all, I can see them from my window.
Strands of diamonds sparkling in the sun.
This family of spiders is welcome to live in my garden as long as their collective little hearts, and multiple hairy legs, desire!
The whole family has moved in, and they’re welcome. 🙂
It is around 8 am Sunday morning, as I linger over my beloved computer, amid the messy desk where I have dropped opened mail for over a week now. I’m stealing just a few moments, catching up with a few blogging friends, knowing that soon I must leave again.
Work beckons. I thought I had completed making most of the school uniforms (that is my business, I make school uniforms for a few local schools) for the children starting the new school year at the end of January. Apparently not. Sales of school uniforms this year have increased drastically from the last few years. Schools have under-estimated the quantities they would be needing. Which is a good thing really, as it suggests that the economy has improved in my area.
“Quack!” What was that I heard? Am I going quackers? Being so engrossed in reading about snow storms on the other side of the world, I almost missed the visitor I had in my own back garden!
“Is anyone awake yet? Where is everyone?”
Mr and Mrs Duck disappeared a few months ago. I’m positive that somewhere out there, they now have a cute little family of ducklings. I haven’t seen their family, but I have seen other Australian Wood Ducks around, who have cute little ducklings trailing behind. I see them often, toddling along the banks of the creek, which I pass on my way to work.
My own ducky friends returned at the end of last month. Both Mr and Mrs have been here a couple of times, but this morning it was just Mrs Duck, perched upon the side fence, quacking away to….who exactly was she quacking to? She didn’t say….
The day has begun so quietly, everyone in my house is having a Sunday morning sleep-in, and even the birds are quiet. It seems that in the bird-world, as well as in the people-world, one or the other is having a sleep in. Mr Magpie came for a visit, Mrs Magpie was nowhere to be seen.
“Where’s my breakfast?”
The sun is shining, the air is still, and I must leave for work again.
It will be a productive day. I know that. How could it be anything other, when I started the day so beautifully? 🙂
“When was the last time you spent a quiet moment just doing nothing, just sitting and looking at the sea, or watching the wind blowing the tree limbs, or waves rippling on a pond, a flickering candle or children playing in the park?” ~ Ralph Marston.
Monday, 28th January, 2013.
The interesting weather conditions have not let up today, if anything they have worsened. It appears that we are surrounded by a cyclone, high pressure systems, troughs and fronts, if that means anything at all to any of you. It means nothing to me, I just look out the window and see the trees blowing willy-nilly, branches flying off the trees, rain overfilling the bird bath and the birds huddling together in the shelter of our veranda.
“I dropped some!” This young kookaburra came onto the veranda today, out of the wind, and enjoyed a morsel of food.
We lost power last night at around 7.30 pm I think. After reading by torch-light for some time I decided to take advantage of the darkness and have an early night.
The power returned at some time overnight, I have no idea when, but it was back this morning. I planned a day of washing, ironing and vacuuming (all the fun stuff!) seeing as the great outdoors was fit for neither man nor beast.
Well, the Gods of the Power Plant had other ideas. By 10.30 am, the power had disappeared yet again.
All day we waited. I filled the washing machine with dirty clothes, all set to press the start button when the power returned.
I waited some more.
All set for a new year at school.
My son returns to school tomorrow, so we covered his books and put his name on all of his belongings. I’m not sure why I bother putting his name on things, he loses them anyway.
We ate lunch. We made drinks of tea, boiling the water on the gas burners. We hand washed the dishes that had been stacked into the dishwasher. The house remained dark, due to the inclement weather.
My husband went to the supermarket to buy kerosene for the old kerosene lamp. We may be in for another long, dark night.
I read a few pages of a new book I have. Then took a nap.
I never, ever even so much as feel drowsy during the day, but today, I did.
Can you see the dolphin leadlight-look design in this lantern?
When I woke up, the night had arrived, still there was no electricity and the candles were alight.
And here is a seahorse.
Tuesday, 29th January, 2013.
“Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” ~ Buddha.
As you can see by the date, a new day has dawned and this post didn’t reach the point where I could hit the publish button. Thank you WordPress for auto-saving drafts! I had been saving as I wrote, but this morning I discovered that my writing had been saved mid-word, which I didn’t do manually.
This bumble bee looks far happier in my lantern than it would be outdoors right now.
Our evening meal was cooked last night by candlelight, using the gas burners of our stove top. As we began eating, the power returned.
My son had cheered, after declaring that he had never in his entire life spent such a boring day; with the return of the electricity to the house he could now watch the cricket on television and charge his mobile phone.
I had mixed emotions. Having paced around the house all day, wondering what to do next in our home which had been converted to pre-power days, it had given me the opportunity to contemplate how people back in those day filled their days, as yes, I too had spent the day feeling bored.
Mr. Frog, all aglow in the candlelight.
Life would have been so different, back in the days when life had to be planned around the natural light of day. I know I wouldn’t have been bored at all. I would take the lack of electricity for granted and plan my days accordingly.
As it turned out, when the lights came back on in our house and the candle light was no longer necessary, I felt quite sad. My eyes had become accustomed to the gentle light from the flickering flames. I had also enjoyed the silence in our home, hearing only the sounds of my families voices, the piano being played and the heavy breathing of my sleeping dog.
It had been magical, listening to the sounds of my son playing the most beautiful tune on the piano, one which he had taught himself during the school holidays. I had enjoyed the softness of the candlelight and the kerosene lamp.
I discovered that listening to the piano being played by candlelight is simply enchanting.
The gentle golden aura of the kerosene lamp was a welcome change to harsh, electric lighting.
The only real gladness I had felt was in knowing that I could return to the computer, to write again, and to see the photos I had taken throughout the day.
I’m quite sure those people who lived back in the days before power would have rather enjoyed the internet too. 🙂
“Flamingos Kookaburras walk, and sway in peace
Seeing this, it makes my troubles cease
The sun is hiding, leaving a pink scar
That stretches right across the sky….” ~ A Touch of Paradise sung by John Farnham.
Regular visitors will have become quite familiar with the next Australian icon I am featuring here, as part of my series of Australia Day posts ~ The Laughing Kookaburra.
Every time a kookaburra visits, it really is a Touch of Paradise in my back yard. Now would be the perfect time to click on the link of the song, written by the wonderful Australian musician Ross Wilson, and performed by John Farnham.
Now back to the kookaburras….
Kookaburras are part of the Kingfisher family, growing to a height on average of 42 cm. They are native to Australia, territorial and mate for life.
Their nests are made in the hollows of trees and both parents share the duties of caring for their young.
From watching the kookaburras each day as they come to feed in my garden, there are certain points I have noticed about their behaviour. Reading through the facts, so as I can tell you all a few actual factuals about these most recognisable of Australian birds, it is interesting to read about things that I have already noted!
Territorial groups of kookaburras flock together.
For example, they don’t arrive on my feeding table in pairs only, I can have any number of kookaburras here, sometimes up to eight at the same time, who intermingle amicably with one another. The facts confirm this to be so, that they do cohabit in a set area, even sharing the responsibilities of their young.
That explains another thing I have noticed about the young kookaburras, they will take food from any of the adults at the feeding table.
A timid baby, still finding its way in the big world.
So who belongs to who? Which adults do the baby kookaburras belong to?
It seems to me that in the Kingdom of Kookaburras, it simply doesn’t matter! The babies are taken care of by the multitudes. I guess you could say they watch out for each others backs!
Creamy coloured babies, like chocolate and milk.
The beautifully pristine and gloriously coloured baby birds are still quite shy when I take their food out to them, preferring to stay on the clothesline and watch me from afar….
….and then there’s Larry.
This is Larry on the left, taking care of his, or perhaps another kookaburras baby. Who knows in the Kookaburras World. They all look out for one another.
Have I mentioned my old mate Larry before? He’s my Ultimate Tame Bird, out of all the birds who visit. I can hand feed Larry, he flies straight up to me and looks straight into my eyes, often with his head tilted to one side, as if questioning me.
If only he could tell me what he is thinking! A penny for your thoughts Larry?
When I asked my daughter Emma to feed Larry for me, so as I could take a photo of him being hand fed, Larry was a tad reluctant. “Who’s this?”, he seemed to be asking!
When I am in the garden there is usually a kookaburra nearby. As much as I would like to think they are enjoying my company, the reality is that they are hoping I will rearrange some earth, disturb a worm or witchety grub, and faster than the bug can say “kookaburra”, it’s been swooped upon, flicked against a hard surface and eaten!
“There’s gotta be a worm in here somewhere!”
Kookaburras will perch patiently on the branch of a tree for hours, watching, and waiting. Their eagle kookaburra eyes don’t miss a thing and once spotted, their prey doesn’t stand a chance!
Watching, waiting….
As the old wives tale would lead us to believe the kookaburras burst out into great choruses of laughter when there is rain about, and in years gone by housewives would swear by the accuracy of this tale, rushing into the garden to bring the washing in when the kookaburras started their song of so-called warning.
The truth of the matter is that their laughter is a warning….for other kookaburras to clear off! They are telling any stray kookies who may be lurking amid the nearby foliage that this area is taken!
Yes, this area is taken, by the Kings of the Bush, who have transformed my garden into A Touch of Paradise. 🙂
The Australian icon I will be focusing on today is something just a bit different and no, it is not a kookaburra, although they occasionally play a part in this story, being the gregarious birds that they are!
Today’s icon is the humble clothesline, or to be more precise, The Hills Hoist.
I’ll bet you didn’t see that one coming! 😉
The Hills Hoist, an Australian invention was first manufactured in Adelaide, South Australia in 1945 by Lance Hill and has become a standard item in the back yards of suburban Australia for several decades.
I would have been lost without my Hills Hoist during the years that my four children were growing up and even these days with only two children and two adults living at home, it surely does make washing day so much easier.
And as you can see, our Hills Hoist rotary clothes lines are not only useful for hanging out the washing to dry. Where would our kookaburras perch so near to the house without a clothesline being there? Mind you, they pay no regard to the fact that the clothes are clean before they hop upon their magical merry-go-rounds.
How do the folks in cold climates manage their washing days? I’ve heard that laundry rooms are built to be far bigger in countries where the weather is….um….not the best for hanging the washing outdoors to dry, shall I say.
Seriously, how do you dry your clothes when there is snow on the ground reaching up as high as the rooftops?! Are electric clothes dryers the norm in the Northern Hemisphere? When I contemplate such thoughts, I have to admit that perhaps I do take our predominantly fine weather for granted!
Speaking of the weather, the song I have chosen for you to listen to today is “Weather With You” from Crowded House. The members of Crowded House are technically New Zealanders but they did make their name here in Australia, so we have claimed them as our own.
The video was filmed in Victoria and shows a cute little old caravan travelling around with the band, which leads me to another question. Here in Australia, taking a holiday road trip and towing a caravan behind the car is quite common place, but I wonder if this is the way families take their holidays in other countries?
As much as I love my home and wouldn’t want to part with my creature comforts for any extended amount of time, I must admit to rather enjoying travelling with a caravan. In fact I have lived in a caravan twice during my younger years. Just last year I wrote about my experience of travelling and living in a caravan for four months at one stage in my early life in a post I called “A Sea Change – (AKA An Adventure with my Reckless Parents!)”
My clothesline features in a number of the photos I add here, so the next time you see my Hills Hoist, you will know that it is yet another Australian Icon.
“There’s a small boat made of china,
Going nowhere on the mantlepiece.
Do I lie like a loungeroom lizard,
Or do I sing like a bird released?
Everywhere you go you always take the weather with you,
Everywhere you go you always take the weather….” ~ Weather With You.
In My World 