Springing Spring

The weather is changing! Last week was cool and grey with highs in the 60's. Also, we had some rain that we desperately needed. Today is Sunday and it lived up to its name: warm, sunny and a high of 72°! This coming week, Thursday's temperatures are expected to get up to 81°! Spring is springing.

All of the "floral" photos (1-12) come from the neighborhood. We have a lot of blooming trees! Photos 5-6 are some azaleas People have told me that some of these others are called ornamental plum trees. Then again, some of these look a lot like cherry blossoms to me. Whatever they are, they sure are pretty and remind me of my days studying in Washington DC.

Strange happenings around here: a decapitated sulphuric crested cockatoo appeared by our carport. We’ve had some of our chickens decapitated, too. We suspect an area fox. I've run into one before coming home late at night. (A bit spooky, that!) But I’ve never seen anything as sad as the decapitated cockatoo.

This isn’t a small bird. It has talons and a sharp beak. Cockatoos are “muscular” parrots. And I can’t imagine that the head of such a bird is much of a feast! Why would a fox eat such a thing? How would it even catch such a creature? They fly after all! Perhaps this is what the Aussie branch of the Mafia do to get one’s attention! I’ll keep you posted if we have any more gory messages left on our doorstep!

On a brighter note, these next couple of shots come from our schools (13-14). These are taken after the morning tea around here which happens between 10:30 to 11 AM. The kids have a morning break, what we would call recess, that includes a snack that last them until about one o’clock, when they have their lunch. Right after they go in, the rainbow lorikeets come out. Look how many there are around the rubbish bin (13). And these two are cleaning up the wrapper to a muffin (14). They didn't even stop as I neared with my camera phone!