Everyday my Australian partner and I spend two volunteer hours trying to fight back against invasive plants in Wilson Reserve (A nature preserve in Melbourne, AU) and the bush along the Yarra River next to the Reserve. Melbourne water has invested a lot in planting native vegetation along the river, but has no funds to … Continue reading Maintaining a Nature Reserve
Australia
Paintings Visions from Two Continents Chapter 24 to the End.
When the neighbor who lived next door saw this painting he said, "Why, that's just beautiful. I guess I've never looked at willows before." The he laughed, "Well if a farmer spent all his time looking at trees, he'd never get his work done."
Paintings from Visions from Two Continent Chapters 22-23
My first attempt never got finished.I tried to paint myself and the children. It was a large painting a worked and reworked it. It never seemed right.
Down to Earth Farm Retreat, Sarsfield NSW
We discovered the most beautiful place to stop just over the border from Victoria in NSW. It’s not an ocean view, it’s not in the forest, but it is sustainable and pastoral. On our way to a family Christmas gathering we stopped for one night in the Down to Earth Farm Retreat. We stayed in … Continue reading Down to Earth Farm Retreat, Sarsfield NSW
Paintings from Visions from Two Continents
Chapters 4 and 5 Chapter 4 tells about school and the scary bamboo path Sheila had to walk through on her way to school. Bamboo are not native to Queensland. When planted they grow prolifically and can be a problem. People tried to remove the Bamboo from this property years later, but they are still … Continue reading Paintings from Visions from Two Continents
Yarra River Floods and Plastic
I have been up close and personal with plastic pollution the last few weeks. The Yarra River which flows through downtown Melbourne, Australia, has been flooding into Wilson Reserve, a nature preserve in East Ivanhoe. Flooded track in Wilson Reserve No houses are allowed to be constructed within the 100-year flood line on the flood … Continue reading Yarra River Floods and Plastic
Urban Canopy
Urban canopy is being destroyed more than replace.
Angled Onion – Weeding and Eating
I was happy to be back weeding in Wilson Reserve today. The birds sang and the soft spring sun filtered through the trees, warming my back and drying the damp spring soil. The spot we were working had been weeded many times before, so the trad (wandering jew-see post Trad February 2021) was under control. … Continue reading Angled Onion – Weeding and Eating
Carpe Diem
Pluck the day. Not seize it, but simply pluck it. I must force myself to open my eyes to the beauty around me. I arrived Down Under last week. They didn't require any tests, or even proof of vaccination, The trip was grueling but uneventful. No delays, no bad weather no missed planes. I flew … Continue reading Carpe Diem
Legs 3 & 4 to Australia, March 2-3-4 2022
I woke up in the Sonesta Airport Hotel, where Delta had put me up when I missed my flight to Syndey. I’d had a nightmare about missing my flight in Syndey, never thinking the problem would be LAX. Refreshed and hungry, I went down to breakfast, but they weren’t open yet. I was stuck where … Continue reading Legs 3 & 4 to Australia, March 2-3-4 2022