Saturday 29 December 2012

Water

Water in the creek in 2003

On Christmas morning I awoke with a glad heart, hearing the words:
She's here!

I sat up in bed and came fully awake, alone, listening... to the morning songs of birds and insects. I puzzled over this traveller of dreams, she who moves between worlds, she who made me awake so glad to know: “She's here!”

Jerry was already up and had finished preparing a pot of coffee by the time I wandered into the kitchen. We spent the day basking in one another's good company, enjoying a morning walk before the heat of the day. In the afternoon we received welcome rain, 30 mm (over one inch), breaking the very long dry spell we've been enduring. That made our hearts sing. The Wet Season brings new life and the first rain gives us hope that our creek (which provides our household water) will start running again before too long. And we pray that proposed mining activities near the headwaters do not contaminate it.

Life depends on water. Drought reminds us of that essential relationship. Jerry and I have chosen to live within a limited water supply and we pay close attention to our water usage. We also pay close attention to the condition of local waterways. What could be more important than uncontaminated water? Around the world, this awareness is awakening.

Late on Christmas Day, while online via satellite internet access, I read about:


who began a hunger strike on 11 December on behalf of all Aboriginal people in Canada, indeed, all first nations people and those who care about basic human rights like clean water and housing as well as protection of land and waterways. 

I read about the recent Canadian legislation that removes thousands of streams and lakes from environmental protection. 

I recall that the recently elected Queensland government withdrew a $97000 grant from the Queensland Environmental Defenders' Office. As the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland wrote: 
"The state government is undermining the community's capacity and capability to protect its environment and well being."
What kind of skewed values determine that the most important priority is to make it easy to access and extract natural resources as quickly as possible, using methods that all too often leave behind contaminated water and land since it can be more profitable to pay a fine than to take measures to prevent contamination?

My values tell me there is nothing more important than protecting the land and the water, for ourselves, for our children and future generations, for the plants, the animals and small creatures, for the planet itself, Mother Earth.

Chief Theresa Spence, thank you for your courageous work.

Our water supply, 2003
Post by M in JaM
Photos by J in JaM

Thursday 20 December 2012

Tuesday 11 December 2012

Catching up

Out the Kitchen Door

I love the current view out my kitchen door.

I caught the bus early Friday so that Jerry would have the car while I spent the weekend helping care for the twins. Can you say: busier than a barrel of monkeys”? Yet, even with all the twins' exuberant energy, things are so much easier now than during their first two years when the adults struggled to find time to eat and sleep. I can tell you truthfully that their mother now qualifies as Master Toddler Whisperer. And their Dad looks like the Pied Piper when the twins follow in his trail.

Besides catching the bus down and back, I also caught a cold... yes, that's a risk associated with riding public transit... and caring for toddlers. Home again. And I'm happy to report that the dog caught the mouse! Now I'm off to catch up on my rest while enjoying the quiet sounds and colours of the Bush. Hooroo....

Moss on bark


Monday 3 December 2012

Dry Season Blues

Poinciana in bloom in Dry Season

A poinciana tree decorates our place with reds and greens for Christmas holidays.

The hot, dry weather continues. Lots of creatures must be having a hard time finding food and water. Plants that were in bloom or completely covered with leaves by this time last year remain bare. We're getting a break from smokey days, thankfully. Fire danger remains high though no fires are burning near us at the moment. These days call for simple endurance.

Last night a mouse ran down a steel brace from the ceiling and darted behind the lounge. Later it ran across the floor and disappeared under a recliner. I guess rodents are the source of the recent rustling sounds emanating from the ceiling. The cheeky mouse we've seen is probably a young one exploring the neighbourhood. We haven't had rodent problems in ages. But, it's always something, isn't it! I gave the kitchen a careful clean before we went to bed.

This morning I felt unhappy when I saw gnaw marks on the bar of soap by the kitchen sink and when I cleaned up mouse traces from the stove top. I felt even more unhappy when I noticed holes gnawed in the ends of two hotpacks – which are filled with wheat, of course. A pile of wheat husks now lay nearby. Doh!

J has gone to town to buy four mouse traps....

Post & photo by M in JaM