Listening to the Voices in My Head

Yesterday and the day before, we were hit by a severe storm front. Our gorgeous Gum Tree was badly damaged. This tree is (or should I say was) the stage for many of my large bird photographs (Cockatoos, Kookaburras, Galahs)

This makes me want to cry:



I am hoping that we will be able to have the outer sections removed, leaving the center spire to 're-bush' (gum trees are notorious for how difficult they are to 'kill off').

Squabbles: the tree above was a major, and I mean major, food source and nesting area for local honey eaters and other birds. Our bottlebrush trees, which were trimmed way back last year because of solar panel installation, were another. I 'fixed' the bottlebrush tree problem by getting 5 hummingbird feeders and finding a proper nectar recipe, supplementing it with 'molting vitamins' every once in a while, and spreading them out in the bottlebrushes. Now that the gum tree was badly damaged by the storm, the competition for that food source has resulted in squabbles, with the oldest, biggest Red Wattlebird being the bully of the block.

There is a good chance that I will have to spread them out a bit further, in different trees, and will be refilling them more often.

It was two cats who were spooked by the weather and demanded a snuggle, meeping and meowing, head snogging, pawing, trying to hide under the blankets.

Normally, I just sleep through stormy weather. I guess the winds were more intense than usual, and it made them skittish.

OH well, I can always get a nap in later... (pauses for incredulous laughter here) Yeah, right.

Should hit in about 20 to 30 minutes. Hard winds, gusts up to 104kph.

hatches still battened down, all light objects secured.

Here's hoping we don't lose power, or if we do, after dinner is cooked.

But with the thunder and lightning coupled with the deluge ... no doubt about this not being snow.

Front of the house before the soakwell



Down the driveway


Side Gate


Past the hanging garden


One of the smaller hail stones (courtesy of my either idiotic or brave son, Alan)


Loki is clinging very close, Lucy is yowling, Ziggy is hiding in a closet, and Simba is bounding all over the furniure. Keito, he is in his usual place sleeping. I swear, sometimes you have to shake Keito to make sure he's all there.

A tree decided to try mitosis... sort of, and split in half.

One end



The other end.



And the storm isn't over yet.