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The Chicks Are Down

Or at least one of them is. There are four. The magpie parents are very busy.

This week Anne has chosen the theme of Wildlife Close to Home for the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge. Here is my contribution.

Let’s start with a couple of images of said magpie chick and his dad.

I am never one to let a snappy title get in the way of more wildlife photos. Here are another couple of bird shots from our local wetland.

And returning home, it’s the birthday girl – the wiley Ama. She threw up this morning, probably because of all that grassy hail she ate yesterday or perhaps to make room for birthday ice cream.

I hope you are all well, ladies and gentlemen. We’ve been getting a drenching in sunny Canberra (Australia), although not as much as a little further northwest where it is an absolute catastrophe.

Take care of yourselves and our world.

Kind Regards.
Tracy Rail.

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Canaries, Currawongs and Cockatoos

No canaries were harmed in this story.

Shall we have a story about what really happens at Tracy’s house? It is a difficult story to tell because I’m not sure we are doing the right thing by our pet canary. He used to be one of a small flock of house canaries. The little flock had a lovely life together, with free flight across the lounge room, luxurious baths, fresh greens picked for them from the garden, and seed treats, before being tucked into their cages for the night. Life was rosy but, like us, the little birds got old, until, only one, Pan of the wild song, remained.

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When Am I Too Much For This Place?

This week’s theme for the Lens Artists Photo Challenge is Sanctuary.  I’m not sure what more can be said about this topic that I haven’t said already, so I’ve decided to re-post my earlier discussion/photos on this subject.  At that time, I said that I didn’t feel safe anywhere.  That is not quite true.  I do feel safe with my family.  Thank goodness for that because in these days of Covid and being confined to home (provided you are lucky enough to have one of those), there are many people fearful of the ones they should be able to trust the most.

WordPress (and now the Lens-Artists Challenge) has asked us to explore what it means to find your place in the world.  Where’s your safe space?  Where do you go when you need to feel inspired or cheered up?  Do you prefer the city over a small town?  I have to admit I find this an incredibly difficult challenge because I feel very ambivalent about my place in the world.  I don’t feel safe, or comforted, or any of the things that WordPress has asked us to explore.  I feel that I am possibly too much, that we are too much.  However, I am here.  I live in a wonderful place and I’m grateful for that.  The issue of whether I, and we, can live sustainably is a complex one.

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Land Of Milk And Honey

It seems an age ago that the aphids were attacking my newly sprouted garlic chives.  Now as autumn makes its long anticipated appearance in the temperate areas of Australia, the black aphids are back.  This time they are attacking a beautiful succulent that my friend gave me last year.  The ants are milking the aphids for honeydew.  It is a good system. Read more

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Corvid-2020 Weekly Challenge #1

Hello Readers, I know we are all busy just trying to stay alive (welcome to the world of many trapped in refugee camps and in poverty), but if you have enough time (and photos, stories, poems in your archive), you may wish to participate in a new weekly challenge.  I am calling it the Corvid-2020 Weekly Challenge.  No, the virus hasn’t evolved.  A corvid is a type of bird.  The challenge will come out each Tuesday, all being well (if you know what I mean). Read more

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My Eyes Adore You

WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge  —  All-Time Favorites

Here is my contribution to the last ever WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge.  I never thought I would come to love this Challenge so much.  Thank you to WordPress for hosting this challenge which has given me such creative inspiration since last October.

It goes without saying that I adore my family the most.  But beyond my family, there are a couple of true loves that I would like to share with you to end this journey. Read more

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Crafty People Do The Twist

WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge  —  Twisted

Since the Weekly Photo Challenge is to be discontinued, I thought I should put in an entry this week.  I had no idea when starting my blog that I would enjoy the WordPress Weekly Challenge so much.  I will miss it, but I will just have to be brave and jump into some of the other photo challenges every now and then.  In the meantime, here is my response to the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge theme of ‘Twisted’.  For this challenge, I found inspiration in craft. Read more

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Going With The Flow

WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge  —  Liquid

The theme for the WordPress Weekly Challenge theme is “liquid”.  In responding to the Challenge, my main criterion was that the focus of the photo should be on the water/liquid rather than on the other elements within the photo.  I have chosen four very different photos taken by various members of my family, that I think meet this criterion.  I also wanted to post the photos largely unedited.  What do you think is the main focus of each of the photos? Read more