Barking up the right tree...

It's a gorgeous day here... and I just had to share.

Two sides of the same tree: an ironbark that is the final sentry to the driveway into our house.

First a shot showing the rolling green hills (thanks to the rain!) to the north...

And second looking west.

If you look closely, you can see the shape of the roof of our home (and chimney) in the background...

Ironbark.

It's just a great name for a tree.

Sounds like a movie. Or a Transformer.

Why yes, I have a seven-year-old son.. why do you ask?

Hope your weekend is gorgeous too...

Six White Boomers

I feel the need... the need for ... a spot of Festive explanation.

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I put up a new header for December with a bit of a bush Christmas twist. But I realise that for those who aren't .. well... Aussie, it may require a little more description for the line used to make sense.

"Racing Santa Claus through the blazing sun..." comes from a song written by the incomparable Rolf Harris (name me one other songwriter who can also paint like a demon and was a champion backstroker?). The song is called 'Six White Boomers', and describes an Australian Christmas including reference to our very non-snow-like climate and replaces the reindeer with some warm-blooded creatures a little more able to stand the heat.

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Boomers refers to male kangaroos - and yes I had to look that up myself. We don't go round pointing out the boomers in the paddock (I tend to think of Axel's offerings as stinking boomers in the houseyard, but that's a whole nother blog post!). I do remember singing this song as a child though - at a night-time event called a "Christmas Tree" all lined up on stage with my classmates. The event was for the neighbourhood kids in a tiny little unlined timber hall in our blink-and-you'll-miss-it 'town'. I recall absolutely loving this particular item on our playlist - an early taste of the irreverence that tickles me so.

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Here are the words (and below them is the Rolf Harris version for you to sing along to!).

I do apologise to anyone remotely serious about photography and Photoshop for my bodgied-up image of some local roos and a Santa silhouette.

Hey, I tried (it was late, OK?). Heh.

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SIX WHITE BOOMERS

By Rolf Harris & John D. Brown .
(Introduction)
Early on one Christmas Day, a Joey Kanga-roo,
Was far from home and lost in a great big zoo.
Mummy, where's my mummy, they've taken her a-way,
We'll help you find your mummy son, hop on the sleigh.

Chorus:
Six white boomers, snow white boomers,
Racing Santa Claus through the blazing sun.
Six white boomers, snow white boomers,
.. On his Aus-tra-lian run.

Verse:

Up beside the bag of toys, little Joey hopped ,
But they had'nt gone far when Santa stopped.
Un-harnessed all the reindeer and Joey wondered why,
Then he heard a far off booming in the sky.

Chorus: Six white boomers ...

Pretty soon old Santa began to feel the heat,
Took his fur-lined boots off to cool his feet.
Into one popped Joey, feeling quite OK,
While those old man kangaroos kept pulling on the sleigh.

Chorus: Six white boomers ...

Joey said to Santa, Santa, what about the toys,
Aren't you giving some to these girls and boys.
They've all got their presents son, we were here last night,
This trip is an extra trip, Joey's special flight.

Chorus: Six white boomers ...

Soon the sleigh was flashing past, right over Marble Bar,
Slow down there, cried Santa, it can't be far.
Come up on my lap son, and have a look around,
There she is, that's mummy, bounding up and down.

Chorus: Six white boomers ...

Well that's the bestest Christmas treat that Joey ever had,
Curled up in mother's pouch all snug and glad.
The last they saw was Santa headed northward from the sun,
The only year the boomers worked a double run.

Chorus: Six white boomers ...

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Ready to sing now?

The following clip is slightly disturbing (there's an animated bit which freaks me out slightly) but ignore that and belt it out with me...

What's your local spin on something Christmassy?

(And is 'Christmassy' even a word?)

Messin' with Mirages

I hate to harp on in my weekly (kinda, sorta) weather reports here at the Bush Babe blog... but have I mentioned its a bit hot? Uncomfortably, sweatily, ruddy-faced hot. Make-up sliding right off your face and onto the floor hot. Skin sizzling hot. Yearning for snow kinda hot. Have I mentioned it? Oh... I have? Right then.

Moving right along.

Would you like to see a snap from our recent weekend away to the gorgeous Darling Downs region? Here's one I snapped from the car window as we headed home - sorry you are not getting the elegant expanses of Toowoomba's amazing fig-tree lined Margaret Street. Or the lush gardens throughout this great town/city. Or the shakin' down nightlife we discovered there. No. THIS is what I give you... mirages.

Outback maths: Flat open expanses plus heat equals shimmering horizons.
Kinda groovy really.

I messed with it a little: this is with Pioneer Woman's Soft & Faded action.

Now with PW's Fresh & Colorful

(not sure you can make a mirage 'fresh' but I tried!)


And with a textured action I discovered somewhere called Vintage.

A bit 'worked' maybe?

I actually don't mind this... looks like something my grandmother might have seen about 80 years ago. If her eyesight had been dodgy when she was about 20.

But you know what I mean...

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What is your favourite version?
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And while you are in the comments section (you know you want to) can anyone out there beat our forecast maximum of 38 degrees Celsius (minimum of 19 degrees?).

And while we are all competitive, who can go the lowest?

I NEED to read about something other than extreme sunburn here people... because according to our weather bureau the thermometre will plummet with showers (of less than one mm) to a chilly 34 degrees on Monday.

Can't. hardly. wait.

Talk-free Tuesday... change of season

Happy Autumn everyone!

November Fairy Dust

At the very end of October, every year, something magical happens around Queensland...

Actual Fairies visit one night...

And sprinkle a little magic through streets and backyards from the city to the bush...

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It's purple fairy dust!
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SEE ...

It's Jacaranda season in our local town...

And the soft blue-purple blossoms on these amazing trees transform everyday streets into something a little bit special...

I can almost see Tinkerbell flitting off from this tree, can't you?

She even sprinkled a little purple dust over the playground at TLW's Kindy...
It only lasts a couple of weeks, so it's important to stop and savour the sweep of colour along footpaths and on lawns.

A magic purple carpet of bell blossoms...

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BB Question: What are the fairies bringing to your gardens at the moment?

P.S. Back to Jeanie's wedding updates shortly!

Smokin' - I inhaled!

There is a whiff of the new season in the air round here... not the scent wattle blooms (currently causing havoc with my sinuses!) or the sweet aroma of newborn animals suckling at their Mamas, but the smell of... fire!

Don't panic, don't panic!!

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This is a 'good fire'... let me explain. We have been very lucky in the past year, with some lovely (small) falls of rain. Bushies call it "grass rain" - as opposed to "heavy, soaking, days-on-end enough-to-replenish-underground-water-supplies" type rain. There's a difference. And while we would love the latter, we are very welcoming of the former too. And we have had pretty good grass rain over the past few months. So the grasses have grown, finally, after years of drought had stunted pretty much everything. And after years of property owners not being game to burn off the old dead grass (in case the spring and summer rains didn't come to help the sweet new grass come through), they are now feeling (quietly) confident enough to light up the dead grass in the some of their paddocks.

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Call me crazy, but I kinda like the smell of burning grass... to me, it smells like the happy anticipation of a good season, the promise of a sweet carpet of grass for our cattle, like a cleansing, fresh beginning.

As my Dad would say:

Let's have a bit of red steer!*

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And so, little drifts of smoke have been trailing into the skies... like this:

...signalling a paddock alight, somewhere down the road, with a good, planned "cool burn".

(As opposed to the horrific, unplanned, out-of-control bushfires of TV news flashes.)

A cool burn takes place soon after some rain, where the earth is still moist and prevents scorching and (generally) burns reasonably slowly.

Animals have time to move away from the flames and only very dry old grass, timber and dead leaves burn up.

TLW and Dash haven't really seen this phenomenon before and are fascinated. It's a great chance to show how dangerous and good fire can be at the same time. As their Pagi says:

Fire is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master.*

(*He's got a million of these lines... handed down from generations of old cattlemen. I could say something about him now being an old cattleman... but's it's still Father's Day in some parts of the world, so I'll restrain myself!!)

The paddock looks blackened and surreal and devoid of nourishing forage at the moment - but in a couple of days, especially if forecasts come good with a shower of rain, it will burst into vivid green life. It's an amazing part of the cycle out here, where our livelihoods depend so much on us working hand-in-hand with Mother Nature.
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The fire in this series of pics are of a neighbour's burn. Next post I'll show you how we take measures to prepare for our own planned burn.

It involves two little bright sparks, some hot orange machinery and a hot, hot man behind the wheel... don't say I didn't warn you!

Spring stars

Have you recovered from my last post yet. Sorry 'bout that. Keeping it a bit more, stomach-friendly today... seeing as how the seasons are a'changing here at Granite Glen.

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Spring is ... well, springing.

The very first buds are coming out on the peach tree...

The blessed snakes are out sunning themselves already (didn't they just go into hibernation last week?) and the frosts have begun to recede. Dash has packed away his heavy duty school coat and trackie daks, the creepy crawly is frantically trying to bring the pool back from deep green to clear blue, and the t-shirts have been retrieved from the back of the cupboard.

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So in essence, the weather is warming up again but the real test of spring has only just arrived... in the cutest possible way...

baby calves!!

Wanna meet one??

Here's one I chanced upon whilst driving through the paddocks this week...

I'd like you to meet... um...

Well, he doesn't have a name yet. Or a number. I'm sure his Mum has one for him (Yoooooouuuuu! or something to that effect.)

His Mum is keeping a close watch on these human who keep lurking around her early arrival.

Brangus mums are very good at their job - and they have to be.

Wild dogs (Australian dingoes that have bred with ex-domesticated dogs) lurk around the timbered country here at Granite Glen, and mama cows need to be watchful and (when necessary) fierce if their offspring are to make it to weaning.

As we pulled up closer to this shiny black bundle of knees and ears, our little bull decided to take matters into his own hands (hooves?) and clamber to his feet. He is only about 24 hours old, so this is all still new to him. You can tell he is just a day or so old as his umbilical cord is still intact. It will dry completely and fall off in a couple more days time. This little guy is in a hurry to get stuck into his brand new life!

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Hey Ma - what's happening?

Everything is moving and wobbling and...

Whhhooaaa....

He's got himself into second gear, and is not sure how to stop...

it's downhill... ohhh.... oh. It's OK.

He's managed to find the brakes...

Hmmmm...

Grass. Lots of dry grass.
Mum! Where'd you go?

Hey, what do I do now??
Where do I find reverse in this thing?

Oh... I turn around...

right...

Hey! I'm back.

It's OK. I'm alright.

But there was lots and lots of grass over there!

I got lost for a sec, but it's OK now.

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Hey! What's that?

That strange creature with a black box stuck to her face?

Mum... I'm just going over here... now where's first gear again?

I think this creature likes me Ma!

She keeps clicking and saying "Look this way darlin'!"

I think I'm gonna be a movie star.

Do you like this angle lady?

I'm ready for my close-up now!

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So clearly this little black duch has gone crazy, hearing wee black bovines actually speak! She's blaming it on the weather!! And not on her over-active imagination...

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What does the change of seasons mean to you at the moment?

Mystery winner... and some philosophy!

Thanks to everyone for playing my Mystery Photo this week!!

And we have a winner... the answer...drum roll please!

... is WATER CRYSTALS!!!

Well done Julie from Australia!!

While I do admit it looked quite like ice, like where some yobbo emptied the esky after a big barbie (have we lost any Americans yet?) the "things" featured in this image are actually a water-saving tool for Aussie gardeners.

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Julie is apparently as garden-savvy as me (she told me so!) and she too relies on water crystals, to make up for the lack of constant water on her garden (well, this is all just assumption, this is actually what I do in my poor neglected flower patch).

Water crystals, for the uninitiated, resemble sugar crystals when dry and are dug into normal garden or potting soil to assist in water retention.

Shocking things happen when children and water crystals come into contact however...

Like unnoticed handfuls get left adjacent to actual garden beds. Then it rains. And weird jelly-like "ice" appears in unexpected locations. Like this...

But it gets worse.

If said children grab handfuls of crystals and stuff them in their pockets the result after a bout in the washing machine is not pretty! Jelly ice through clothes and the machine... yeeeeaaaahhhhh!!!
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And in something not completely unrelated...

How is that children are that little bit more loveable when fast asleep, and the view so much more delightful when the heaven's have opened??

Some more of life's little mysteries...

BB

Autumn hues and Mother's Day

The season is a-changin' around Granite Glen...

We've had our first fogs and frosts...

And the leaves of our Liquid Amber tree is providing

an Autumnal display

of vivid proportions...

From magenta

to yellow

and cracklin' brown...

(I feel a little like the last leaf at the moment!)

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Actually, I feel very lucky.

TWL climbed into bed at 6.20am with us and told me:

'Mummy, I DO berry, berry wuv you.'

(with hugs)

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And Dash climbed in soon after and snuggled and nuzzled and gazed at me and said nothing.

He didn't need to.

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Then my wonderful kids brought me a red-wrapped gift:

'Keith Urban's Greatest Hits!'

Perhaps SSB was reading yesterday's post?

(Although I doubt it!)

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And I got a Mother's Day card signed by my loved ones

- this is a note-worthy event indeed. (I have threatened to frame the cards from my husband, they are so rare!).

It was funny and heart-bendingly sweet.

It reminded me it has all been worthwhile.

The good and the not-so-much-fun.

The rollercoaster of parenthood.

We have much ahead of us I know, but I am cherishing my moment right now...

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I wish all you other mums out there a

Happy Mother's Day!

Cherish and enjoy ...

the season can change so quickly.