Monday the 10th of October
It’s still raining with a regular monotony subtly spiced with little enough sun that much growth is slowed,
except for the grass of course, except for the grass. The streams and rivers run in shades of milk tea
in their rise and fall rush to the sea, sorta like foamed tea really you see......... sigh
Heather frets I suspect at the enforced delays between the short and tidy and later lawns of longer
format, ankle sopping stuff revelling in it’s brief moments of rampant growth before the next haircut.
Even I, champion of the the longer format sometimes grumps a touch, especially on those nights when
possums have failed to surface and shine in the spotlight of lead sped destruction. But as I trudge in
despondence towards the indoors it often happens....... that crack splat to squidgy crunch underfoot!
A snail has passed on.
Well trimmed lawns display with prominence the humped horrors slowly slithering, making easy targets
for the carefully applied foot appliance and thus the subsequent hunt, sort of runner up option for
missing out on any possums. So with reference to initial comments about excessive moisture abounding
the ground is tending soft enough that, if foot application to snail is too studied and slow one ends up
with an entombed snail, an easy target for Mr Blackbird but of course I get the guilts and have to re-
stamp....... my authority, oh how low can one go. Of course not so easy the targets of fated snails to
feet when the grass is long and lank like last night..........
........and you will note that maybe the rain beating on the roof yet again is probably getting at me a touch
or two or so I surmise after re-reading what I just wrote.
Other tit bits of news:
•
On the sculptural front another work has been started and it is interesting, more detail later
although mainly in my personal blog. The last sculpture is displaying some interesting views
depending on the light, really quite satisfying and eye catching from the house.
•
The big top pond is in process of getting a new mini island of native grasses as a frog haven, a safe
zone for tadpoles and eventually will be an attractive reflection feature on the pond.
•
The hail and torrential downpour the other day took of all the flowers/fruit from the young plums
and peaches although the trees themselves seem in good condition.
•
Tui have been seen ripping lichen lumps of the trees for nesting purposes. There are so many this
year the Kereru have decided to move on for a while, it seems drunk, noisy, bossy, Tui are no fit
company for the brainless blobs looking for a quick feed of Kowhia trees.
•
Spring plantings continue, the eel in the middle pond is about 9cm in diameter, (it’s got to go as
that is tadpole territory) and a small clay creek bed near the house that has been basically dry for
a couple of years now has these quite large fresh water crayfish in it seemingly overnight.
It’s still raining a random ritual on the roof. over and out for now.
Next Day
Maybe we should call it frog day here............. The mini island is finished, well it’s filled and planted, much
growth to happen yet for the grasses, but the first frog has sat and pondered the new environment.
There has been frogs in abundance in the pond today, true some were evicted from other ponds but all
seem to be vying for mating rights..... and making a lot of noise about it.
They have obviously been at it somewhat earlier as I have spotted a few tadpoles which at around 5mm
long could be mistaken for water boatmen or a substandard Damsel fly larvae. Now you might wonder at
the froginess but these little beasties are much the same as canaries in a coal mine and currently they
are doing really well after a bit of a hiatus. if these imports, Green and Gold Bell Frogs, are doing well
enough then by direct implication there is hope for the very rare species that are known on the
Coromandel Peninsular.
Some current photos for you, the first is the island which, within a few months will be a wonderous
spilling of grass arching out over the waters, the others are some of the clientele, click for larger
versions
Rain and Tea Water
Monday the 10th of October
It’s still raining with a regular monotony subtly spiced
with little enough sun that much growth is slowed,
except for the grass of course, except for the grass.
The streams and rivers run in shades of milk tea in their
rise and fall rush to the sea, sorta like foamed tea really
you see......... sigh
Heather frets I suspect at the enforced delays between
the short and tidy and later lawns of longer format,
ankle sopping stuff revelling in it’s brief moments of
rampant growth before the next haircut. Even I,
champion of the the longer format sometimes grumps a
touch, especially on those nights when possums have
failed to surface and shine in the spotlight of lead sped
destruction. But as I trudge in despondence towards the
indoors it often happens....... that crack splat to squidgy
crunch underfoot!
A snail has passed on.
Well trimmed lawns display with prominence the humped
horrors slowly slithering, making easy targets for the
carefully applied foot appliance and thus the subsequent
hunt, sort of runner up option for missing out on any
possums. So with reference to initial comments about
excessive moisture abounding the ground is tending soft
enough that, if foot application to snail is too studied
and slow one ends up with an entombed snail, an easy
target for Mr Blackbird but of course I get the guilts
and have to re-stamp....... my authority, oh how low can
one go. Of course not so easy the targets of fated
snails to feet when the grass is long and lank like last
night..........
........and you will note that maybe the rain beating on the
roof yet again is probably getting at me a touch or two
or so I surmise after re-reading what I just wrote.
Other tit bits of news:
•
On the sculptural front another work has been
started and it is interesting, more detail later
although mainly in my personal blog. The last
sculpture is displaying some interesting views
depending on the light, really quite satisfying and
eye catching from the house.
•
The big top pond is in process of getting a new mini
island of native grasses as a frog haven, a safe zone
for tadpoles and eventually will be an attractive
reflection feature on the pond.
•
The hail and torrential downpour the other day took
of all the flowers/fruit from the young plums and
peaches although the trees themselves seem in
good condition.
•
Tui have been seen ripping lichen lumps of the trees
for nesting purposes. There are so many this year
the Kereru have decided to move on for a while, it
seems drunk, noisy, bossy, Tui are no fit company
for the brainless blobs looking for a quick feed of
Kowhia trees.
•
Spring plantings continue, the eel in the middle pond
is about 9cm in diameter, (it’s got to go as that is
tadpole territory) and a small clay creek bed near
the house that has been basically dry for a couple
of years now has these quite large fresh water
crayfish in it seemingly overnight.
It’s still raining a random ritual on the roof. over and out
for now.
Next Day
Maybe we should call it frog day here............. The mini
island is finished, well it’s filled and planted, much
growth to happen yet for the grasses, but the first frog
has sat and pondered the new environment. There has
been frogs in abundance in the pond today, true some
were evicted from other ponds but all seem to be vying
for mating rights..... and making a lot of noise about it.
They have obviously been at it somewhat earlier as I
have spotted a few tadpoles which at around 5mm long
could be mistaken for water boatmen or a substandard
Damsel fly larvae. Now you might wonder at the
froginess but these little beasties are much the same as
canaries in a coal mine and currently they are doing
really well after a bit of a hiatus. if these imports, Green
and Gold Bell Frogs, are doing well enough then by direct
implication there is hope for the very rare species that
are known on the Coromandel Peninsular.
Some current photos for you, the first is the island
which, within a few months will be a wonderous spilling of
grass arching out over the waters, the others are some
of the clientele, click for larger versions
Rain and Tea Water