underneath fine words
feeling attached to country
speechless is pastel
First country love
Monthly Archives: Mar 2024
A brown butterfly browses
searching for saw-sedge
takes nature break on bracken
quick syncs with human
This particular Sword-grass Brown butterfly (tisiphone abeona albifascia) is a subspecies endemic to the Alpine area of Victoria and can be found as far south as the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne. This one is from Badgers Weir on the Yarra Valley. The larvae feed on saw-sedge.
This is likely the last of my long service leave holiday snaps (with verse). Work resumes for me on Tuesday.
Red release
receive red beauty
nature’s offer before fall
redeploy again
Gumtrees shed leaves slowly and piece by piece over the year. The tree generally sucks stored nutrients from old leaves before dropping them (to become mulch). Sometimes this produces a beautiful red leaf amongst the green.
Toward Yea River
through the ferns softly
whipbirds flick out a welcome *
crows call out vrark vrark
* To hear an Eastern Whipbird
https://ebird.org/species/easwhi1?siteLanguage=en_GB
The Toolangi State Forest, which contains the Yea River, was once thought of as an exemplar of sympathetic logging of native forest in Victoria. Since controlled logging of native timbers ceased, it seems funds to care for State forests are harder to come by.
A pity.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toolangi_State_Forest
Upstream from Melbourne
Yarra river mud
flows clear huckleberry free
up in Warburton
It might be a bit muddy, but the Yarra is not toooo bad in Melbourne.
A tree falls in a forest
chainsaw (not lyrebird)
routs bush and tranquility
we’re left spitting chips
The video link of David Attenborough on Lyrebird calls, including the imitation of the sound of a chainsaw, is interesting:-
https://youtu.be/mSB71jNq-yQ?si=4El6d8Jx11TaTgy7
Illegal logging of native forests is problematic in Australia due to under resourcing of regulators, and perhaps turning a blind eye.
Revenge of the spike
seasonable chestnuts
handfuls of windfall beauties
bite like a beasty
Add a dash of crinkly brown
autumn blows in
whiplashing leaves run amok
fawn hues highlight life
As the equinox readied itself to dawn, the wind picked up pace today and dislodged countless leaves to swirl them around Melbourne.
Astronomical Autumn starts 20/3/24
A Fern Tree Gully Grin
stream’s happy chatter
clarifies the perks of life
turns bush walk to dance
For some better pics see https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attraction_Review-g255100-d300270-Reviews-Dandenong_Ranges_National_Park-Melbourne_Victoria.html
An afternoon ‘Ping!’
knee pings a message
(prerecorded this morning)
no big arvo climb
In Halls Gap
the sun climbs
two hours over the hill
after rising
A prelude to grandeur
earthly uprising
ancient sands’ soul struck stone
uplifting for ‘man
https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/parks/grampians-national-park
The Grampians (indigenous name: Gariwerd) is a large sandstone outcrop of hills laid down by rivers in the Devonian period, around 425 million years ago. The accumulated sediment was raised by earth movements and tilted to its present dramatic exposed form.
Mt Lofty Botanic Garden (see_link_below)
tranquil greenery
botanic scenes in layers
cerebral gateau
Adelaide fresh fruit and veg market day
cruisin’ for croissant
rich madeleines milk coffee
bourgeoisie bingo
The playground installation
call it trash, call it art
this playground installation
wins tidy towns’ gong
On labour day in Australia, a trite senryū about political balance
with no left, no right;with no change of direction,no progress; in ditch! Labour day was originally intended to celebrate the eight hour day: eight hours work, eight hours recreation and eight hours rest. (Today’s parade in Melbourne has been cancelled).
On labour day in Australia, a trite senryū about political balance
Senryū 888 © commemorating the eight hour day
work eight
play eight
rest eight
~
work hard
play hard
liver hard
https://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/culture/social/display/32235-eight-hour-day-monument
Perhaps ironically, Melbourne’s Labour Day / Moomba Parade has been cancelled due to the heatwave.
Sunday’s blessing
we of the heatwave
look out on a blue morning’s
candescent beauty
A season for little waterfalls
off two dusty tracks
a sweet trickle of water
for spritely delight
Cheers! Encounter Bay
near the Murray’s mouth
a gen’rous drink of beauty
sparkling in the bay
Murray and Me
no anxious currents
mind keeps pace with the river
cool dude, like a floe
The lure of the Murray
sawyered by river
my heart pours downstream apace
head coolly follows
Thylacoleo fossil – marsupial_lion
old cats
curiosity
preserved
Ex teen spirit
curt cobain sings
through another human voice
bossa nova blues
Through a window gently
fly screens, dust and grime
serve here only to summon
the new day’s beauty
Through the window of an Airbnb in Naracoorte South Australia
My friend Ellie had a CT scan recently. The flyscreen in this verse and picture symbolises that machine. The dust and grime are the alimentary ailments that Ellie has endured. Here these unlikely elements are gathered together to summon recovery – a new day full of beauty and promise.
davidwdon 
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