Mr Cool

Today we had a very unexpected visitor. I was working in my sewing room when I heard a noise downstairs. It sounded like something clawing on the screen door, mostly my cat when she wants to go outside. But when I looked, the cat was sitting on the mat ( as cats do), very alert & with her ears pricked, so I knew I just had to look. To my surprise I found a blue tongued lizard sitting by the door. Shocked, surprised, how did he get inside? By the time I grabbed the cat & put her out of harms way, then raced for the camera, Mr Cool had decided to hide. I found him under the stairs, hiding behind all the junk.


OK, so how to get him outside? I did think of sweeping him out with a broom, but instantly dismissed that idea as harmful, and I did not want to hurt or scare him any more than he already was . So I rang WIRES instead, the Australian Wildlife Rescue Organization, who suggested that I make a trail of sliced banana, grapes, dog food or cat food, from under the stairs to the door.

Banana was good, I had plenty, and it worked, except that I disturbed him (wanting more pics) & he ran for cover under the stairs again. So that meant another trail of banana & to leave him alone for a while longer.Eventually I came out to check on him again, just in time to see him slip over the doorstep to the path outside, where he tried to hide under the trailer.

Eventually he found shelter between some pot plants, and I've been to check on him again but he is long gone.

After The Rain

Well, it's been a while, so I thought I would show you my garden after the rain. We have had rain on 11 days out of a possible 15 so far this month, with a total of 190mm, that's nearly 8 inches in the old school. Some of it has been from electrical storms, some just rain. I don't really care how it comes just as long as it fills the dams & gives everything a drink, including my garden which is currently singing, as you can see by the sea of pink below.

Then there is the frangipanni, the pink one that was given to me a few years back. It's been in a pot for a few years, and only flowered once in all that time. Then last year we planted it out into the garden and look what it is doing now. I just love the colour.
Then on the weekend I noticed a few of these fungi comming up in amongst my Rock Orchid. Not sure where they have emerged from, all I can think is the new orchid mix that I used for re-potting this orchid last year.
Rain, the giver of life. I will take it any way it comes, as long as there is some sunny days as well.