I love a sunburnt country

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,

Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.

I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,

Her beauty and her terror
The wide brown land for me!

Dorothea MacKellar, born in 1885, was one of Australia's best loved poets.

She wrote the above poem 'My Country' at the age of 19, while homesick in England.

Happy Australia Day!

Trudy

About Gumnuts

Gumnuts.  Because there has been some questions.

 

The gumtree, or Eucalyptus, has very distinctive flowers and fruit (gumnuts), the type you can't resist picking up if you pass them on the footpath.  The flowers have stamens rather than petals in beautiful colours of white, cream, yellow, pink or red.  The woody fruits, or gumnuts, release the seeds.

In 1918 May Gibbs, Australian author and illustrator, published Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, a book which has given Australian children their own fairy tales, with characters from local flora and fauna.  The book chronicles the adventures of the gumnut babies who are modelled on the appearance of young Eucalyptus nuts. The female gumnut babies' hair, hats and skirts are modelled on the flowers of the Eucalyptus tree.  It has become a classic Australian children's book.





Have you read Snugglepot and Cuddlepie?

Do you have a favourite Fairytale?

 

Trudy

Out Walking

The Rehabilitating One and I are out walking twice a day these days, building up his post-op strength.  Nice to spend so much time together away from work, walking around with all the time in the world.  And we've had some sunny days to enjoy these walks.

And just have a look here at what we saw on the corner of Jones and Nelson, just a hop, skip and a jump around the corner from where we live.  Literally, around-the-corner!!

 

Aren't they gorgeous?!!  Did you see the joeys in the pouches?  The little heads peeking out?  And in one instance the joey went in head first and all you can see are the legs poking out of the pouch!!!  Look at the strength in those hind legs and tail - this wasn't an action shot, he was just standing there for ages wondering which way to go.  And deciding church was a safe haven, off they all went.

I will always squeal with excitement when I see native animals out and about.  This will never change.

What animals do you see in your neighbourhood?
Trudy