At the moment I am doing 60 hours a week plus at work... Needless to say I am busy and stressed. But in life you have to "make hay whilst the sun shines" and this is what I am doing.
My garden provides me with a refuge and this weekend I put in a few new "bits". I have a new water tank and fire fighting pump and hoses as well as new bird bath and rosemary herb garden. The birds love it and I love it too!
The addition of camellias,hedges and new deck add to the overall "feel". I find it relaxing and so does the wild life. Today I was excited to find that Monty had come out of hibernation, shed her skin, and was on patrol for bush rats.
For those of you who are new to the blog, Monty is our resident Diamond Python. Large, fat, and healthy. She lives in our roof in winter and comes out onto our deck for a sun, a drink and to shed her skin. Sometimes I have to move her out of the way when I am trimming hedges etc. Frankly I love it! She makes me feel as if my garden is a living thing as too does the possums, rats, and birds...
The garden is ok despite the drought. My grandfather would say " If its green let it grow!" This is what I do. Some of the plants are pests, but they are life, and as such are welcome. The lack of water makes it so.
I get wonderful visitors during the day, birds, possums, snakes etc you name it. One night I even found a kangaroo grazing on my lawn.......
That is the nature of where I live. every animal, and reptile is a welcome guest. Sadly our Tenterfield Terrier does not always share my love, and he will kill any poisonous snake that ventures onto our place. I do not like it, but what to do??
Still, when I am stessed, I come here, and the butcher bird feeds on my arm, and see the garden, the birds, the bees, and reptiles and think... "Well, if they think it is ok... it must be..."
It gives me the strength to get going for the next 60+ hours......
Yes, gardens are a wonderful refuge. I don't have a garden, but I regard the Duddon Estuary as my garden and that's where I can retreat when I get stressed out from all my travelling and worrying about where I can go next.
ReplyDeleteI agree mate... the estuary is wonderful (as I have seen!) looking forward to the traditional Christmas day FISH off the pier!!!!
ReplyDeleteWonderful post Simon! I can see how you get strength from your garden! Monty is beautiful, what a nice surprise to see her emerge each year! Thanks for that ... I still haven't had time for dinner but have the strength now :)))
ReplyDeleteHow do you know Monty is a girl? With a name like that she should be a he.
ReplyDeleteLove your garden, but hey, do you have to do 60 hours a week? Calm down and tell them to sod off. You have a life too.
Love Lorenzo.
ps. How come your blog does not allow anonymous comments but you have one with the very pretty picture of a fairy?
ReplyDeleteL.
Anon:- Thanks! and you are right! I am glad the post gave you strength too. Your bird blog is GREAT too!
ReplyDeleteMaalie, You should get over there and have a look.
Lorenzo:- Yes I should but, it helps me get airfares (smile)
Monty? Oh, I have been told that a male python is smaller than a female (different shape)
Why Monty? I dunno... Monty Python I guess ahahahaha
As for "Anon" you are right, there are no anon comments except from my friend who called her blog "Anon"
Clever! (smile)
Your garden is a veritable paradise! The photo of Monty in your garden exudes peacefulness.
ReplyDelete"...the butcher bird feeds on my arm..."
ReplyDeleteWe used to use leeches over here but I think it's a dying practice now.
W
hahahahahahahahah!!!!! TCA very good!
ReplyDeleteMerisi:- Thanks! :o)
What a beautiful sanctuary you have created, and how heart-warming to have a wild bird feed from your hand - he instinctively knows you can be trusted!
ReplyDeleteI'm back on the humane mouse-traps again; last night I found a mouse popping out from the cornflake box - yeuk.
Why are you working such long hours? Is it only a temporary arrangement, or are you expected to keep on this treadmill indefinitely? There does need to be a balance, doesn't there?
Hey SWS! thank you! Humane traps are the only way to go really! :o)
ReplyDeleteAnd its a good way to teach the kids about wildlife..
the hours? Yes this is the busiest time of year lasts from about august until the 2nd week in December..so not long to go
If I ever manage to make it to Oz, Simon - you let me meet Monty and I'll teach you to tie a double windsor.
ReplyDeletexx
cool!
ReplyDeleteAh, so here is an end in sight. Good.
ReplyDeleteI have such a fight on my hands when our traps catch any little critters, there's always tears when we release them again!
Monty Python!
ReplyDeleteThat's brilliant! I'm going to tell my Dad about that one :-)
Yes... we let a rat go once poor thing it was released into a cool pool of a mountian creek and it swam about and had a wash...
ReplyDeleteJu's yes Monty! and she belongs to the ministary of silly "walks" ahahahahahahahaa!!!!!!
Who is the Sheila in the top picture?
ReplyDeleteLove the name of Monty. How much different can the shape of one snake be from the shape of another? Unless it has just eaten.
L.
Hmmm, is her walk really silly enough for a grant though? I mean the ministry fights for funding - and they are up against healthcare, welfare, social services etc etc. And her walk isn't exactly 'out there,' is it?
ReplyDeletePerhaps she would make best use of her time by apprenticing to the Black Knight. She could help him head-butt people to death...
I adore your resident python - just beautiful! And I so envy your sanctuary and visitors, I keep thinking 'someday'.
ReplyDeleteLorenzo,
ReplyDeletethe Sheila you are talking about looks to me like the French Marianne, carrying home the bacon, er, the baguettes. ;-)
Ju's hahahahhahahahahahahah!
ReplyDeleteLin! well I think you will and sooner than you think.
Merisi:- you are right 100% x
Hmmmm, I recognise this place with its runchible bird! BWARK!!
ReplyDeleteJack ....
Hello - I'm following King Jack's adventure ... he's led me to your garden *!*
ReplyDelete