News & Updates from Vicki Avcin ~ AusCrafts · Page 37
Well I am definitely not a green thumb but I do love plants and since being here I am really loving seeing things flower and discovering plants that were in the garden in our new place.
We had two lots of sticks in the front garden when we moved here and they have since sprung to life in the form of Crepe Myrtles, a purple and hot pink flowers.
On the side fence there was a vine that Ive not had before and it is a Garlic Vine with pretty purple flowers.
Looks fantastic with hundreds of flowers which also have crept up around trees in the neighbours yard giving a touch of colour among the green foliage.
There is also a tree that is covered in white flowers which Ive not been able to identify yet. Using an app it first told me it was a macadamia nut but the leaves arent the same as a macadamia nut, so then it told me it was a plant that doesnt grow here in Australia!
So still working on identifying it.
Then down the back fence we have a huge passionfruit vine that is laden with fruit. Challenge is getting the ripe fruit before the possums, cockatoos or crows! We have managed to get a few so far though and they are delicious on ice cream. So its great seeing what will flower next.
Well its not exactly a toy but after including our old mower in the sale of the house, I looked forward to the arrival of our new mower.
Our old JD was 16 years old so although still fully functional it doesnt compare to a new one.
We had 10 acres to mow previously so the old girl had done lots of work whereas here we only have 1 acre to mow.
The new one is same model as the old one only an updated version. At the rate the grass seems to grown here (we actually get a fair bit of rain here) it will get a good work out.
It certainly makes mowing a breeze.
I have to get used to it though as the old one had gears where this one is like driving an automatic car, turn it on, push the throttle and off you go.
Speed up and slow down is how hard you press the accelerator. Its like magic! Hubby took this photo just after it came off the trailer on delivery.
Last weekend we celebrated our granddaughters transition into Adulthood. Our gorgeous Chloe turned 18. Celebration was at Southbank in The Beer Garden (yes thats the name of the place not a section of the pub) with family and her boyfriend and a few friends.
Because of Covid it meant the gathering was small but none the less it was a great night with delicious food and a few drinks and good company.
We gave her a pretty bracelet with silver hearts and garnet hearts, garnets being her birthstone which she loved. It doesnt seem 18 years since we saw her mums belly bump! But shes grown into such a beautiful young woman now.
She graduated from high school last December so the hunt for a job is now on.
Wednesday last week Hubby was out on the front patio when he called me to come quick and bring the camera.
I asked why and he said there was an exotic bird on the roof gutter.
I went out and there was a gorgeous little parrot hanging over the edge looking at us. I spoke to it and it came straight down and landed on my head! It then climbed down onto my shoulder and just sat there. I said to hubby that it had to be someones pet as it was so tame so brought it inside.
We had some nectarines in the fridge so got one out and it sat happily on my hand munching away while hubby got our big cat carrier (size of a small aviary) and it went into that easily.
At first I thought it was a Ringneck so I put posts up on all the community pages that wed found the parrot.
I was told it wasnt a Ring neck but it was an Alexandrine Parrot (parakeet).
One post someone had lost an Alexandrine so I contacted them and they came to look but it wasnt their parrot that had been lost 2 weeks earlier.
He was saying it was definitely someones pet as it was so tame and filled us in on what they eat etc.
He was saying they bond very strongly to a person and can live for 30 years. We contacted someone else whod also lost one but wasnt theirs either.
During the time we had him (definitely a male) he started speaking and besides a hello his favourite word was Peekaboo.
He was also good at doing blips like a phone getting a message. Took us a couple of hours of picking our phones up to realise it was the bird!!
He was very tame and seemed to take to me more than hubby as when I was cleaning the cage it would come out and sit on my arm.
We couldnt keep him which was sad as wed probably got a little more attached that we wanted to but a friends neighbour has and breeds exotic birds and took him off our hands.
Should the owner come forward we know where he is but hes better in a huge big aviary than a small one.
So glad he wasnt left to fend in the wild as he wouldnt survive. They are not native to Australia so wouldve been no mate for him and left him open to predatory birds and animals.
Last week Maryborough had one of the biggest floods in recent years after a massive 600mm of rain fell in the area in a day.
Some places didnt get quite that much but it fell in the catchments of the Mary River.
It was the remnants of TC Seth that hovered around the east coast for over a week and then went inland just south of Maryborough.
Maryborough has a park dedicated to the veterans in which there is a section dedicated to Duncan Chapman who was the first soldier to set foot on the beach at Gallipoli.
This Veteran Trail was opened after the last flood had occurred so when this flood came down a very daunting scene was created.
It shows Duncan with several boats behind him filled with red flowers and him setting foot on the beach as the flood water rose like it was recreating the scene on 25 April all those years ago.
The water inundated the area but as the rain came down this photo was taken. The water rose to about his waist height. These are real life size statues. The cleanup in Maryborough is happening now and I feel down as this is the first time I havent been there to do my bit.
But Im sure the crews there will have Maryborough sparkling again by the end of next week.