Across the road from me lies a little park with a small playground. There lies a small "Prunus" tree* that the local council cropped heavily at the start of winter 2022. The park has a series of about 10 different trees of this type, varying in age and size. This particular one is just the one that's closest to me. 🌳
I will try to take a weekly/regular photo to show its seasonal progress this summer.
I love its deep maroon-coloured leaves. It hasn't fruited at all, perhaps as it is still too young?
I water it most summer days (twice or more at a time), hobbling across with my walking stick and trusty 9-litre/2.3 gal blue plastic watering can... "I'm the crazy old man who talks to the tree!" 🤣
I know... it's not much but... [grins]
The page title reference is to the book, "The Giving Tree" 🌳
This is a sound recording I made of a Magpie sitting on my roof... I've tried to record it before, but it always flew off as soon as I got near the door. The recording ended as it started to rain, and the sound of therain on my tin roof obliterated any other sounds.
It only seems to 'sing' like this as it rains. Interesting!
I've heard it three or four times now recently, and it's sounded much louder and more diverse than this... it has even done a complete Kookaburra call!
➽ Magpies typically mimic other living creatures, Professor Kaplan says. "They seem to develop a soundscape of their own territory," she says. If there is a horse in their territory, they might mimic its neighing and do it very well. "They can do a dog bark — of any kind of breed."
Amidst a bounteous glut of summer rain that fell this day, my 'Magpie Mimic' reappeared with all its wonderous vocal dexterity.
17 January 2024
It came back during our recent glorious heavy rainfall!
27 November 2023
During the rainfall this week, I heard it quite plainly, perched atop my roof again.
► Article: Magpie swoops in and claims the title of Australia's favourite animal sound.
► Article: What sound does a Magpie make? You'd be surprised.
Updated: 29 Sept 2022
Magpie Map
Bathurst now has its own "Magpie Map", to keep an eye on the 'swoopers'!
Whether you’re a cyclist, walker, runner or just a concerned member of the public - help protect other community members by sharing the locations of birds of concern.
This map was created to help the community avoid magpies - leave them alone, and they’ll likely leave you alone.
Mal says: I've never had the pleasure of being swooped by a Magpie, thankfully. As crazy as it sounds, I always talk and say hello to the local magpies here, all year round, so they recognize me. It seems to work for me.
Oh yes... I'm the crazy old man who talks to the birds... [laffs].
How the heck do you measure the length of an active goldfish? [laffs] Katia is now about 15 cm/5.9 inches in length, and Thoon is c. 13 cm/5.1 inches.
11 October 2023
I bought Thoon and Katia a new tank-cleaning vacuum, and it works like a charm! I just run the emptying hose out the front door, which empties onto the front lawn - no problem! Now cleaning/changing the water in their tank is much easier and simpler for lil' ol' me [yay!]. It even came with its own video, tho my machine is red [which, of course we all know, just goes faster! lol].
Now their tank looks clear and pristine every day... sure they don't appreciate the intrusion while the cleaning is taking place, but they do after it's all finished. They've never thanked me tho, either, ungrateful buggers [laffs].
I have to laugh... cleaning the tank mid-summer is better than mid-winter, as their water is BLOODY FREEZING! 🥶
"Me happy... fishies happy..."
15 August 2023
I caught myself making an unconscious Spoonerism today - instead of 'Thoon and Katia', it came out as 'Thatia and Koon'... I made myself laugh.
24 April 2023
I gave their fish tank a jolly good cleaning out today, including rinsing out the gravel etc. Poor Katia was NOT happy when she got momentarily stuck in the vacuum hose nozzle (she's fine)... plus neither of them was happy being placed in a small bowl during the cleaning process... it took them a while after it was all done to look me straight in the eye again [laffs]. Sturdy buggers they are.
28 March 2023
I think I saved the life of one of my goldfish today. Katia got a small pebble stuck in her mouth; she (I should not assume the gender of my goldfish, huh? lol. As it is, I have no idea what either of them are!) would have starved to death, as she had been unable to remove it!
I grabbed my small net, and of course, being the feisty Alpha fish she is, she put up a fight while I tried to catch her and try to do something to help. Thankfully, in her moment, the small pebble popped out all OK! Phew! No harm done.
10 July 2023
I know it doesn't sound like much, but I enjoy my two goldfishies. I've been enjoying this pair's company now for 1 year 10 months [grins]. Their "Birthday" is 20 Sept 2021.
Thoon & Katia
28 March 2023
10 March 2023
Katia 10 March 2023
💥 If anyone has any practical tips on how to get a good fishie photo, pls let me know! 💥
Answer: get a bloody better camera [laffs]
My freshwater tank measures
600mm wide x 300mm deep x 400mm high
23.6 in x 11.8 in x 15.7 in
Tank Volume: 70 litres / 18.5 US Gallons
(Originally Posted: 23 Sept 2022)
I attempted to take a picture of one of my two goldfish, "Thoon", because he's a bit of an oddity: he is a normal Comet, but he has three tail fins!
"Thoon's 3rd fin is a superpower, and he doesn't know" - SB
It doesn't negatively affect him at all, thankfully.
(NB. It's not easy taking a photo of a goldfish with a little 'point'n'shoot' camera!)
I kinda like the irony that I have a unique common goldfish! Thanks, Thoon! 🐠
Here's the tank and Katia putting on a show, whilst Thoon is shyly poking his head out from behind a plant (lower centre)
Long answer: In a band many years ago, we used to invent words for sounds (for silly fun)... 'Thoon' was "the sound of a cricket ball bowled just past off-stump..." 🏏
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