A roller-coaster fortnight. Two severe storms + associated deluges, hail, thunderstorms - even snow falling at Mount Lofty, Stirling and Crafers (but it melted as it hit the ground), and the coldest evening temperature on arrival from work: 4C. Yes, we've had colder mornings, but with wind chill - this was -2C. AAAAAAAAH!
Start with the bird news: Depleted numbers (probably due to the storms) until today, and a new equation:
Sunshine + low winds = birds
With the golden wattles out, the gentlemen birds were handing out the chocolates and the flowers to their lady birds and there werecandle-lit dinners everywhere. Today's haul (the best for about 3-4 weeks): fantails, golden whistlers (incl one juvenile male not quite fully coloured), wrens, y/f h/es, thornbills (brown, little, y/r), rosellas, currawongs, spineys (courting or fighting, not sure which), pardelotes and babblers (heard), shrike thrush, a couple of birds I'm not sure about, bronzewing, ravens, and two pairs of kookaburras out-laughing the other from south to north over the mountain.
A difficult week otherwise, and news of an unsuccessful job application. Bugger. Writing...better left unsaid - restarts this afternoon.
And sadder news for the science community, and especially NASA, with the passing of Neil Armstrong. My one true hero - thank you Neil, and farewell (see above post).
And I'm rereading Alan Garner's "Elidor" - for fun and to let my brain escape.
Happy writing
Bo
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