memorablemeanders.blogspot.com

Sunday, August 8, 2021

Nothing has changed!

 



Last night as I returned from the bathroom, I stopped and surveyed the scene of my nocturnal resting place. The three cats seem to know/sense/feel when it's bedtime. And one by one, all three of them make themselves comfortable on my [single] bed.

And stretched out along the floor against my bed (not pictured), is my 60kg companion and all time fan, Skabby. 

And I wouldn't have it any other way...


A different walk with Skabby

 Dear Blogger friends. Last week as I picked up my camera from my desk, I spotted a movement under my office chair. Turning on my camera and zooming in, I saw it was a spider. The image isn't very clear as I didn't want to disturb it by going down to eye-level with it; the carpet is also brown and didn't help to show up the spider. I took several photos and then walked to the kitchen cabinet to fetch a glass. I always scoop insects and especially spiders into a tall glass and take them outside - and release them. 

However, when I bent down under my chair, the spider was missing. I searched the surrounding area but no spider. 

The one that got away! 

Out in my garden, I snapped a Fork-tailed drongo on the T-piece of my washing line

The heavy summer rains played havoc with the bridge on the farm as well. The Little Tugela, which runs through the farm burst its banks several times during January and February. The debris, trees, branches and other flotsam caused damage to the bridge. Ron described how John and his workers where rebuilding the bridge and strengthening for future weather in the summer. She urged me to walk down there when I take Skabby on his daily walk.

Which I did...

The distance was much further than our daily meander to the dam but as always Skabby LOVED the extra romp.

On the bridge with stone chips and heaps of sand as the farm workers and John continue to repair the bridge


Not long and Skabby was in the shallow water!
And dashing back up the road where we had come from 

And as always, I panned the river and banks for birds
I spent many minutes aiming for a decent shot of a Reed Cormorant on a rock in the middle distance 

While I was photographing the cormorant, several birds flew low over the water near me skimming the surface. Try as I might, I could not capture on on camera! 
When I downloaded the next photo of the cormorant, I saw a ghostly image of the same birds which I was unable to photograph. 
Reed Cormorant on its perch with a fuzzy image of a swift in the corner of the photo! 
Tthis 
This is the cormorant's regular perch, as can be seen by the white marks 
on the rocks 

I'm linking to Saturday Critters with Eileen, here

HAPPY WEEKEND TO YOU ALL 













Monday, August 2, 2021

Field art and agricultural art

 Following my post of the railwayline image and my intention to blog more regularly. Of course, to blog more and more regularly, I need to take photos. I wandered along behind Skabby on his walks this week photographing art in the field as learnt from fellow blogger, Gaelyn (Geogypsy's) incredible images of old relics in gardens and in fields. 

On a farm, there is NO shortage of rusty old wheel rims, unused gates; fences and old lorries and vans. 

At the beginning of summer in October last year, we experienced violent storms which were preceded by very strong winds. The tree just outside my bedroom window (in the neighbor's garden) and which afforded me privacy, was ripped out of the ground by its roots. I have since planted Sizygium Cordatum, commonly known as a Waterberry there in December It's an ongoing challenge for me to remind Joyce (the neighbor's houselady) to water it daily, especially now during the winter months. Joyce is not in my employ so she doesn't have to follow any instructions I give her. I have resorted to carrying a bucket of water over from my garden at least four times a week. 

A few days after "my" old tree was destroyed, a 100-year-old tree in the paddock above the calf nursery, was toppled by strong winds. John, the farmer who was born on this farm said he has never known the landscape without that tree. 


The
The 100-year old giant tree, now fallen with rusty railings embedded in its trunk 

Yesterday I stopped at the old fallen giant and took photos. There is an old blue pick-up truck nestled in the top branches of the tree where it has fallen.

To the left of the picture, you can see the roof of a blue pick-up van now crushed by the falling tree

Further along the walk,  I stopped to photograph some agricultural art. 

Hay bales in front of the pivot with the burnt fields in the foreground

A
A set of rusty wheel rims which I have posted here before 

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead