A galah occasion
Comments: 8
O, where are the antipodes of yesteryear? Returned to Western Australia on Christmas Day, land of the light and leaves and the strange vegetation — the trees lose their bark in the summer instead of their leaves in the winter.
Pink and grey galahs — a kind of cockatoo — visit the back yard to eat. Various parrots and other birds attend. On Boxing Day a young grey falcon put on an amazing display of flying overhead as it worried some birds it had pinned to the upper branches of a tall Norfolk pine in the neighbouring yard. From a small aluminium dinghy in the ocean yesterday some members of the party saw dolphins — a mother and calf — a matter of feet from the boat.
But it’s not all nature red in tooth and claw, it’s green in spine and spike, too. An insidious kind of prickle has appeared at the bottom of the front yard, not the large tetrahedral double-gees of death from childhood, but tiny filaments of discomfort concealed in the grass with what appear to be little bulbs of poison at the end. This is Australia, and margins are thin.
From the sea we have had crayfish, prawns, and a big red fish we barbecued. The Menzies 2000 Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon (Yalumba) has been the standout so far.
Here’s wishing everyone a strong finish to the year and all the best for the next. Let a boundless optimism reign and much realisation occur.
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Posted to MetaStuff • 2005.12.29 (Thu) • 10:23
Comments
Posted by Lil 2005.12.29, 11:29
Merry Christmas to you and your family, Jeremy! Wishing you all the best for 2006.
Posted by Richard 2005.12.30, 05:48
Happy Holidays Jeremy.
Posted by Harf 2005.12.30, 15:25
Jeremiah - I hope you enjoy New Year in Perth. If you speak to Basso or Cookie tell them to get in contact. Harf
Posted by Piers Morgan 2005.12.31, 03:35
I’m in Sunny Perth for Christmas/New Year as well. Shame about the weather this year, I was looking forward to a couple of 40-degree-plus stinkers.
Posted by Pavel 2006.01.05, 03:40
Happy new year! I live in Australia
Posted by Mark 2006.01.06, 14:50
Welcome back to Australia, Jeremy. Hope Perth’s weather is kind to you. I envy your grey falcon. From my Melbourne kitchen window, I’ve been watching green parrots and rainbow lorikeets eating the neighbour’s plums this past few days. Aah, the joyous squawks of an Aussie summer.
Posted by Cookie 2006.01.10, 13:59
Jeremy you old dog you - a Happy New Year and next time you’re in Perth let’s organise to catch up properly and not rely on the Bass ‘Old Boys’ Reunion Service to bridge the link between Mandurah and West Leederville.
Posted by Cookie 2006.01.12, 10:29
JH - did you receive my email yesterday / any technical tips you can throw my way re the blog page?
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