Echidna

Did I mention the weekend before last we had an echidna walking down our driveway?

A cathartic experience for me, whose eyes glistened with tears at the majesty of such a creature in my yard!

Excitedly I went to work on Monday an announced my discovery to my colleagues who looked at me like I had just announced I had seen an indian minor or a sparrow. I looked back at them in amazement, at their lack of amazement, only to hear a reply that "yeah they're everywhere here, a bit early in the season to to spot one yet". WTF???

Oh well exciting to me and hopefully to you and if I can coerce Dylan to upload some pics here of it I will do shortly I promise. Very , very cute!

Landcare

Well I am finally a country woman. I have attended my first local landcare meeting where local residents formally meet and discuss weeds basically.

Connor and I went and diligently sat through a lengthy meeting and the President mentioned that he and his wife had eliminated a few different species (something in latin) throughout the area. He mentions the first species and indicates it was found up the top of the hill on the corner (shit thats mine!) , then mentions another species (again in latin or hebrew) and yep mine again! As he talks I slip further into my chair and try and suppress my girly giggles with Connor (yes girly as am the youngest there apart from Connor and another Mum) . (I must also note these are some of the nicest people I have ever met)

A guest speaker then talks for over an hour on how to prepare your home for a bush fire. OMG now I've got to worry about snakes and bloody bush fires!!! Far out before the only wildlife I had to worry about were the local vagrants and natural disasters consisted of a crash on the M4! Oh well as he talks I hold onto the thought that we can flee and bugger the prpoerty. He talks about what to salvage eg wills, insurance docs and photos. I am thinknig that I could not give a shit about this who friggin cares! How the f*#K am I getting out with 8 people, an hysterical galah, a cranky bunny, python, 2 blue tongues, axilotyl and 2 flippin aplacas let alone my container load of photos ! I am bought back to earth by his reminder that fleeing may not be an option. Got to look at the roads out and frankly we don't have many.



Off home from work now to talk to Greg about building an underground home instead / bunker.....lol

Where am I?

After meeting few people there seems to be 2 main types. Hunters and Gatherers.

The hunters are farmers who view the earth and its creatures as something they can use. The hunters obviously have guns and can be known to display their catches as wall mounts. They do not like the gatherers efforts to replant trees and block their view.

The gatherers are those that only gather what they need, do not waste and believe in rejuventaing the earth . These people may / may not be vegetarian but certainly would not hunt food, and if they eat meat they respect it.

Some people are a mix of both. They farm for money but do not hunt. They replenish also and care for wildlife. I think the owner of the property before us, was a bit of both but did swing towards gatherer.

I am a gatherer.

There is so much wildlife here and there are so many wombats and each day I see at least one that has come off the wrong end of a vehicle. We have been stopping to check if its a female with a baby, but so far all male. The hunters tell me if I see one with the mange I need to call for someone to shoot it. As I have no degree in vetenary health I am scared to diagnose and bring an early end to a creatures life but I am going to have to harden the ---- up ! LOL