I had an email today from
Patricia at
Abyssal Plain that just seriously made my day. The Environmental Protection Agency in the USA has announced its third annual
Sense of Wonder Competition and this time its gone GLOBAL. Patricia has put up a really detailed
post about this competition so I'll let her tell you all about this fantastic opportunity to get a team (minimum of 2 people) of different ages together eg Grandparents and grandchildren Mums,Dads and kids. Friends of different age groups.
Get Creative with photography,poetry, essays and dance (and it doesn't have to have people in it). This is about your sense of wonder with the natural world - so go for it. The kids and I have already chosen our image. Inaya took the photo with Michelle in the image - so Mum has to do the writing part. We're doing this for fun and because we all love nature. The girls are so exciting about it. Deadline for entries is the 10th of June 2009.
SPREAD THE WORD TO YOUR FRIENDS,FAMILY AND CONTACTS.
I was having a sense of wonder in several ways. The first was yesterday when my poor Mum came down to tell me she had discovered an unwanted marsupial visitor living in her old outhouse. The possum was vanquished with a couple of good whacks with my trusty cattle stick. The image of the tree above is what possums do to our forest night after night. Yet again I have to set several traps. The next was today when we were visited by a hoard of turkeys who decided that hanging around my house and garden was a really great idea. That's them in the top photo..
The third sense of wonder was Maggie jumping up onto an old log and crowing like a rooster. She does that every time the turkeys show up. They were crossing our driveway after being in the garden when Maggie decided to play the part of farm boss and tell those turkeys to get on their way. It's not May ....yet otherwise I'd be looking for a gun and helping myself to some nice plump turkeys for the dinner table..yum. Then there was this sense of wonder...
My darling Jersey River. There she is happily enjoying a big feed of new grass and whatever those weeds are she's eating. I raised her right from birth my first baby calf that I nearly lost in the first ten days of her life. Now she is all grown up despite all her problems and she is keeping me waiting! She was supposed to be due around now but not much is going on. Of course nature has its timing
Things are slowly happening as in very slowly. Poor River looks like a big barrel with all that calf inside and probably too much good grass on top. I don't think she really cares - not from this picture. Anyway go over to Patricia's blog and seriously think about entering that great competition. We are and all just for fun that's what matters - that and the environment we share with the creatures that live on our farm and then some.
I was having a sense of wonder in several ways. The first was yesterday when my poor Mum came down to tell me she had discovered an unwanted marsupial visitor living in her old outhouse. The possum was vanquished with a couple of good whacks with my trusty cattle stick. The image of the tree above is what possums do to our forest night after night. Yet again I have to set several traps. The next was today when we were visited by a hoard of turkeys who decided that hanging around my house and garden was a really great idea. That's them in the top photo..
The third sense of wonder was Maggie jumping up onto an old log and crowing like a rooster. She does that every time the turkeys show up. They were crossing our driveway after being in the garden when Maggie decided to play the part of farm boss and tell those turkeys to get on their way. It's not May ....yet otherwise I'd be looking for a gun and helping myself to some nice plump turkeys for the dinner table..yum. Then there was this sense of wonder...
My darling Jersey River. There she is happily enjoying a big feed of new grass and whatever those weeds are she's eating. I raised her right from birth my first baby calf that I nearly lost in the first ten days of her life. Now she is all grown up despite all her problems and she is keeping me waiting! She was supposed to be due around now but not much is going on. Of course nature has its timing
Things are slowly happening as in very slowly. Poor River looks like a big barrel with all that calf inside and probably too much good grass on top. I don't think she really cares - not from this picture. Anyway go over to Patricia's blog and seriously think about entering that great competition. We are and all just for fun that's what matters - that and the environment we share with the creatures that live on our farm and then some.
I wonder when River will finally have her calf? Makes you feel thankful we aren't pregnant for that long eh? As for Maggie, I'm surprised the kittens haven't roared her into shape LOL
ReplyDeleteAmy on River who knows..she'll just suddenly be all ready to go and most likely choose a horrible wet day to do it. Lucky we have calf covers here. Anytime from now to whenever...I have three cats that are all terrified of Maggie and one of them is bigger than she is. No Maggie rules the roost - literally.LOL! A cows pregnancy is actually shorter than humans by a month..The bull ran with her twice. July then again in late October on so our due dates are probably way out. Winter calving..oh no
ReplyDeleteHi Liz
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments
much appreciated
Here's to a safe birth
for River
love the snow leopards
i liken my cats to other big cats
Sid is a snow leopard
Suki is a Tiger (crossed with a Rabbit!)
they are both sitting beside me now
Suki on my right
and Sid on my left
think they are glad they don@t have to go to the cattery
Hope River drops soon and not during a big storm for everyone's sakes!
ReplyDeleteDamn possums, they're a PITA.
A farmer proved (on his own property) it isn't drought that's killing off the precious redgums up near the Murray River, it's the damn possums.
Hi Guys
ReplyDeleteTwisted Sister.LOL! I love it how your kitties are either side. I think cats can end up owning us. Thanks for coming over and saying Hi
Jayne - Yeah I'm hoping she will drop soon as well but she's still far from ready to go. Lucky I have all the stuff I need for taking care of sick calves if need be (Hope I don't have too another 3 plus months of being slave to a bovine) On the marsupial sods. I HATE them! I think I brained that last one in Mum's thunderbox it didn't look too flash when it exited and vanished..sod. Yeah they do kill trees in a major way.
Liz,
ReplyDeleteI am back from my adventures and trying to catch a glimpse of what I have missed in blog land. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for giving a push to the Rachel Carson, Sense of Wonder contest with the EPA. The photo is glorious!
Patricia
Patricia the least I could do was give that wonderful competition a very very shameless plg. Actually I'll have to put it on each post and remind everyone to spread the word. Adventures sound like lots of fun! I'll be catching up with everyone's blogs later today after I've had a very very big sleep. Paper got done and printed thank goodness. Another month gone and then there'll be the next one to do.
ReplyDeleteHugs
Liz