Forest

Today, a morning performance at school assembly.  The middle Bowerbird was very clear, resolute in fact, that he wanted me to come and see his clapping stick action. Very sweet, he loves performing, so proud of his rhythm stick moves. The little Bowerbird got to have a go of them later on.

Whilst at the assembly one of the mum's mentioned that a nearby waterfall was looking very impressive after all the rain.  She's been recording the rainfall since she shifted here and confirmed it is the wettest winter she has seen.

Off on an impromptu adventure we went. Always the best sort of fun, even if it was misty, cold and grey. When we got out of the car you could hear the roar of water falling and Turritable Creek was filled with a torrent of water. 

  If those old rocks could tell me what they have seen. I think I can hear them whispering beneath the waterfalls roar.

The Creek is well cared for by a small but dedicated local friends group. These green covers, filled with new life, are always popping up.

After a grumpy morning with the Big Bowerbird, terse words and a rush out the door, it is good to be in the forest, it always makes me feel better.

I asked the little Bowerbird if she could look like a tree, she's always ready to rise to a challenge. Very still with her branches held wide, it takes a lot of concentration to be a tree.
  
We gazed up and admired the trees doing their straight and tall business, the little one chirped, can we go to a cafe mum? A nice warm cafe? Around 6 degrees outside when we left, it's great cafe weather.

On the journey back through the forest we stopped and looked. Leaves and branches have been knocked down by the rain. The buds of gum trees and wattles could be observed close up.

 Native raspberry , promising free summer fruits.

 Bidgee Widgee (isn't that the best name?) the early settlers made tea from this but it is more well known for leaving you with seedy socks.

 

 Maidenhair Ferns

 Mossy Rocks, being peeled of their green coats by heavy down pours.

 Vegetarian visitors.  Perhaps a wombat, they like to poo in prominent places.

 Cherry Ballart, dangling their graceful leaves, the berries will be red and sweet come summer and we will race the birds to eat them.

Wattle sap and looking at the glands at the base of the leaves to determine which wattle it is. You can read a good yarn about black wattle here.

 

The first new seeds of Kangaroo Grass arrive, these will ripen through the summer months and are a welcome sign of Spring.

We head to the mountain, which is shrouded in cloud, to find a nice warm cafe. Revived and bellies filled, I wonder if their is any snow at the top. We decide to go and have a look.

  

Double jumper action today.

 No snow, only a pea soup fog. Still beautiful and wonderfully eerie. I gave the little one the option of heading back home at this point, but she wanted to explore.

An uninviting place to stop and rest.

The little one spies flowers and is enchanted, it is too cold to stop and explain the Vietnam War and why the flowers are resting there. I'm not sure I could explain it well to her, even in finer weather. 

We only make it to the first lookout, it may not be snowing, but it feels like ice, and despite many layers we are not dressed for Arctic conditions.

A little home, that has been lurking in my hand bag for way too long, finally finds its home. Forest, a place of green, of life, a place I feel at home in. Somewhere to breathe, to explore, to get lost in.  A place of mysteries and discovery.
To see more about these beautiful origami homes of happiness visit Kellie here.

I wanted to place the home somewhere safe, but it didn't seem right to put it indoors, so it is braving the elements in a prominent place.  I hope someone finds it on their hunt for snow.

With red noses and glassy eyes, finally it is time for us to head home.
Do you have a favourite forest?

Autumn, Leaves, Ribbons, Petals, Pizza and Junior Landcare

A nasty bug is attacking our maple tree, marring the beautiful Autumn leaves.  It is the first time this has happened, I think I might give the tree some mulch and food, and see if a bit of love will help it build its defences. Anyone know what it might/mite be?

The little Bowerbird and I have been playing with ribbon and leaves, threading an Autumn garland to hang inside. 

Suddenly there was an urgent gathering of rose petals, she was very proud of her ingenious idea to thread them onto a stick to make a rose petal tree.  Such studious concentration.

  

We made caterpillars out of Iris berries.

   

 Then spun sycamore seeds, watching them flutter like helicopters without pilots in the sky.

Today we had a wonderful Junior Landcare session making wood fired pizzas with produce we had grown in our school garden. After some bitterly cold days the sun came out and the children picnicked on hot pizzas amongst the Autumn leaves.  The Grade sixes teamed up with their prep buddies and we cooked up 70 small pizzas (note for future reference - 3kg of cheese, 2kg of shredded ham and 3 bottles of tomato passata is about the right amount for this many pizzas).  We added from our school garden - tomatoes, zuchinni, spring onions, chives, basil, thyme, and oregano.  We also fried up some thin slices of potato and Jerusalem Artichoke to snack on whilst the pizzas were cooking.


There was some left over cheese and meat and chopped vegetables which was going to go to the school chickens but instead came home and fed our family a delicious dinner - I made 4 pizzas - there's even some for lunch tomorrow. I'm always the one taking home the leftovers - I hate seeing things wasted.  

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