Sunday, March 04, 2007

Sweet Buds of March


The above picture is of the blooms of the protea trees that flourish on this property. I spent yesterday morning picking the blossoms for sale on a stall. This time of the year the trees are in full bloom and the flowers are very popular with the passing traffic, both local and tourists. My landlords sell them and while they are away in New Zealand for the next ten days, they gave me permission to do the same. The coffers are looking healthy.

I hope you all visit the new blog that you see in my links...just beneath "Wino's Blog". Don and I have set it up and expect to have lots of fun with it, mingled with some very astute observations.

I made what I thought was going to be a brief visit to friends' home this morning to pick up some bananas from their banana "tree"...you are aware, of course, that banana plants are a herb. So, in reality, it is incorrect to call the plant a "tree". Arriving at around 10am, I've only now just arrived home, at 2.15pm. We ended up having an early lunch accompanied by a couple of bottles of wine. Total decadence on a Monday morning, but I'm not complaining...the unplanned interlude was a lot of fun. The friends being my usual partners in crime, Paul and Fia. We have another wicked day planned this coming Thursday, when we, 'three musketeers' head off down to the coast for lunch at the Casino. On the way down and back our intentions are to raid a couple of stores, including "Dan Murphy's", a discount liquor barn. Whooohoo!

I do have far more interesting tales to relate other than my day to day activities, which I am sure are pretty boring to others. However, at this particular moment, this will have to do as I think a nap is in order. It's as hot and humid as Hades here today. We've had a couple of showers of rain, which have only enhanced the mugginess. The cyclone that was forming off the coast, unfortunately, is moving away east and the catchment areas in south-east Queensland that desperately need rain, once again, will miss out on a much-needed deluge. The 'low' out there in the Coral Sea is sucking all the air from us still, and that is the reason why we are now experiencing these humid conditions.

I just love the 'news'. This time last week we were being told that all the flooding rains received in North Queensland a couple of weeks ago were going to affect the Great Barrier Reef. Just this moment, a snippet of news has flashed on the television informing us that the flooding rains received in North Queensland a couple of weeks ago will be a great help to the Great Barrier Reef! I wish "they", that magical, invisible "they" would make up their minds.

It is a known fact, and I'm sure I've mentioned it previously in my posts, when there is a drought on the land, there is a drought in the ocean. Heavy run-off, such as they experienced up north over the past few weeks is needed. The ocean thrives on it. When the coastal waters are without fresh run-offs for an extended period of time, fish move further out to the deeper waters, because the waters closer in become very salty. After all the rain they had up in the north, the fishing and prawning industries will be jumping up and down for joy.

This is just another lesson in 'not believing everything you hear on the media". Truth seems to be scarce. I'm sure the media make up their stories as they go along, just to fill in the gaps.

This is a bit out of line, which is obvious to the eye...the reason being I wrote it through "Picasa' programme and I don't know how to bring everything into line. I'm sure you will forgive me my ignorance!
Posted by Picasa

14 comments:

  1. Hi Lee, The proteas are lovely! How generous of your landlords to let you have the proceeds from selling them while they're away. You sound as if you're as lucky as I am with landlords.

    Actually I have only had one horrible landlord in all the years I've been renting and it actually wasn't him...it was his wife...a most unpleasant woman. I think he may have been a bit henpecked.

    Sounds like you had a very interesting Monday. I just did some work, Jane and I went for our walk, but for some reason or other I feel a bit out of sorts with the world today. However, this too, shall pass..

    Have a good evening, Lee.

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  2. Howdy Robyn...yep, I am lucky. My landlords are very nice folk and it is generous of them regarding the flowers.
    It sounds like you're suffering from "Monday-itis". Pour yourself a glass of wine...that should fix it!;)

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  3. Tomorrow is my last day in Saudi. I plan to celebrate at the airport. Then at the next airport. Then on the airplane. Then when I get home.

    I can't wait to leave Saudi behind. I love my job, but I hate some of the places I have to go to do it.

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  4. Hi lee

    I had the same problem with Picasso.

    Sounds as if you are enjoying yourself at the moment with your landlords in NZ, which is a wonderful pace to visit. The Protea tree has beautiful blossoms; do you have lots of sugar birds feasting on the nectar?

    It’s interesting to note the dependence of the sea and our river systems.
    The mighty Murray River suffers so badly from lack of flow and the Coorong biology will ultimately be destroyed if it does not receive the rewash from both fresh and salt water mixture occurring at the mouth of the river system to the sea.

    Best wishes

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  5. Don, I can imagine your eagerness to board that flight homewards. The long haul won't appear as long as the haul you've had to spend in Saudi, I'm sure. Just be careful of dual airplane toilets. They're a most popular place to meet these days, at least by high-profile British actors and air stewardesses! I hope you can grab hold of a couple of Crown Lagers along the way! Have a safe trip home. :)

    Lindsay: Yes the birds are a big problem with the protea blooms...their greatest pastime is sticking their beaks into the blossoms to extract the sweet nectar. Once they've done their supping the flowers are ruined, so there is always a race between human and bird.

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  6. Hi, Lee. Another beautiful photo. You are never boring!

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  7. Ps: Lee, I can't find your links.

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  8. Hi Welsh...I bore myself sometimes! ;)

    My links should be to the right of my main text in my posts. Perhaps, if you're are using Internet Explorer they appear at the bottom of the 'page', as a friend of mine tells me my links appear that way on his screen.

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  9. lee,
    Two bottles of wine for linch and I wouldn't make it home for a nap.
    rel

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  10. Lovely flowers! And picking your own bananas! My idea of heaven.

    And lunch with friends. What a greta dya. (My finegrs are so dyslexic!) I can spell; it's just my fingers that can't type.

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  11. I've got a very strong constitution, Rel! Us Aussies are a pretty tough lot! ;)

    With your 'linch'...it looks like you've already partaken! ;)

    You, too, Liz...what's wrong with those fingers of yours today? ;)

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  12. I've given up believing anything the scientists say - one day it's this way - the next day it's different - leave mealone, I say!

    winos blog sounds good, will go and have a look for sure..

    lovely proteas, and to just pick from the garden - magic...

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  13. re the picture,

    Looks like you've been out slaying triffids.

    /I would'nt make lame jokes if I had something new to read!! :)

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