Category: Uncategorized

Hello Hello


It is lovely to finally have internet access again. It has been a interesting period thankfully it is all done now and I am back online.

Over the last weeks a lot has been happening as those of you in the Northern Hemisphere head into winter, we here in Australia are heading into summer. Here in Tasmania’s south the weather has been fluctuating.

The garden is incredibly lush. I had the paddock mowed two weeks ago. I usually mow just before Christmas so the birds and critters can eat the seeds.

My chooks are doing wonderfully and Rupert the Rooster is such a great protector and carer of his girls.

Some stress has finally been taken off my mind with notification that I have qualified with my CPTSD for the disability pension. I am so very thankful for that.


blessings to You, Tazzie

9

Managing my little acre.

Sometimes in my garden things just grow. I have an area of land that is a small paddock and when my wattle trees (acacias) flower they drop their seeds and a sapling will grow. I had one come up last year and I left it as it blocks wind on two plum trees without shading them.

This year another sapling grew. I watched it and realised that it would end up shading my vegetable garden and hazelnuts bushes. I had also noted that in my native area, where many acacias had self seeded some were very scrawny and others had become too big shading some of the other natives and bird attracting flowering shrubs I had planted.

I made the really hard decision to take several trees out. There was no point in just pruning them as wattles grow rapidly and tall. I made sure that no birds had began nesting in any of the sapplings (they were not big trees) as I could not have removed them if they had. Then with my hand pruning saw I removed them.

As hard as it was I know it was the best thing for the plants that are already in the garden. That they will have their needs met. With more space I can put in some smaller shrubs that will feed the native birds, bees, animals and bugs.

I want my garden to be a place where every creature can live in harmony and have access to water and food.
I made errors where I put fruit trees years ago, and now the two blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) have grown huge, even though my partner pruned the tops off them years ago. I love them as do the birds. The bees when these two are in blossom (and they have been lately) have been loving them too. This growth has also added to altering where the sun falls on areas of my garden. I have had no hakea flowers this year and my hakea is a pin cushion one which I love. I realise now that it has probably been planted in the incorrect position all those years ago. It is to large to move now and I will hope that it will have its amazing flowers next year.

I guess no matter how well you plan your garden, and how tall or wide the label or nursery person says the small tree /shrub you are buying will be. It will all depend on the situation you put it and what you plant near it or where you plant it near. How young other areas of your garden are, and like me the seeds that germinate and you let grow. That will make you face the choice of removing it.

I have some more pruning of some trees to undertake. With the forecast for the next five days to be back to winter temperatures and snow to 800m it may be the perfect time to undertake this. There are several trees growing on the old dam wall Chrysanthemoides monilifera ssp. monilifera

a very pretty looking shrub/tree when it is in flower. As it is now. I
https://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/invasive-species/weeds/weeds-index/declared-weeds-index/boneseed

have noticed it has spread up our little road and around a dam further up. They are small and I will attempt to get them tomorrow. My own and I think there are two. I would like to remove them before they set seed.
As a land holder it is my responsibility to remove those on my land. The spread of these shrubs trees is really noticeable this year, along the river. This means that next year if they are allowed to seed it will be worse. They impact our native forests under story destroying the natural diversity. They also can become a huge fire hazard.
I can not pull the trees out I have to prune them, bag them and then treat the stump with a herbicide. As pulling a mature tree/shrub out will disturb the seeds and create more. Thought the seedlings pull out really easily.

I do believe many people who buy many acres of land with bush to homestead on may be unaware that they have responsibility for weed management, and land care. On top of attending fencing, stock, vegetables, fruit trees, gardens, normal family life, and work, this will add substantial time to being on your homestead and caring for it. Something to think about.

If like me you are on a small income, and have a little patch of paradise. Or you dream of it, begin where you are. Grow things in pots, if you rent. If you are buying a flat or unit and it has a balcony grow a garden out on it. You will learn so much.

If you have a garden no matter how small get out there and begin. As if you expect to move to land, you need to know some things, and just reading and watching Youtubers is not enough.

I look at a neighbour down the road, two properties away. He has an amazing garden, he is 91 he walks every day, he grows his own vegetables and fruit. He created his own amazing water collecting set up. Yet his garden has very different microclimates to mine. Next door has too.

I have found over time that I have to look at my own place, how the sun moves, and how the garden changes year to year. How when I first moved here the garden was fine in the front area, but now it would get too much heat and wind if it were still in that location. I moved it when I had to have my French Drain replaced.

I am waiting for some people to come and remove some of the blackberries of my land and then I will remove some more very sad and sick wattles. My neighbour and I are thinking of potential a lovely native bird and butterfly area on the bit in between our two properties.

The garden is never the same year to year. Some years the rain is perfect and the tomatoes are fantastic, others are a bad year. Similar for the fruit trees. You do the preparation and you tend as best you can.

I love it, it is addictive this growing your own food. I try not to eat (fresh) tomatoes form now until my own are ripe..I am laughing at this as the seeds are not even up yet. It makes my mouth water at the thought of that first red tomato (or green or black depending on the variety) that I pick smelling of sunshine warm to the touch and cut or bit into it, juices running down my fingers and that flavour. HMMmm.

I have picked stunning sweet juicy broadbeans the last two days. The pods were straining with the swollen seeds. I just ate them raw. Delicious!
Similarly I was eating rocket and coriander leaves as I was walking about the veggie garden and one asparagus spear. The joy of my garden. Rocket is flowering, as is the coriander and my sprouting broccoli. All I will let produce seeds. I aim to harvest the majority of them as I am not sure I want them all just popping up everywhere as I have so much to plant out soon. Fingers crossed

Where ever you are, I do hope you are able to grow some herbs or greens, at least have access to fresh local vegetables at a reasonable price. I know how much better I feel when I eat lots of fresh veggies and fruit.

I am so thankful for all I have and for you.

blessings to You, Tazzie




6

Sexual betrayal, differences in a relationship and trauma. (may be triggering)

The following post may be triggering to some. If you wish to share this or any part of the following post you must acknowledge that the writing below is the opinion and comment of Tazzie Gee at https://echidna.home.blog/ .
The following is my response to another bloggers Post. All information on Martys blog is at the end of my post.

“What incredible research and statistics. My partner and I tried to be as honest and open in all areas of our relationship. Yet I feel as being his third long term partner, and one after a relationship with a woman who treated him terribly, our honesty and respect unconditional love and not fearing how our words would be taken wrongly allowed us to have a very deep level of love.

My partner had had prostate cancer and this impacted his ability at times, he was deeply ashamed of this. Worried how I would react. We were totally open about it. things improved greatly and he shared that with me he never felt in adequate or a need to perform.

I feel so little real information is shared honestly and openly about sex. The crap that is written in magazines and on TV in movies many books. Expectations and that it will be wonderful. The shame of body image. Aging, odours, natural odours that have the pheromones being sanatised and destroyed by chemicals.

The pornogrpahy industry showing ridiculous situations fantasies, and all that goes with it. Fictional and not reality but often the only way many see the sexual act displayed. Sigh.

Sex and sexuality, expectation and reality. Not being honest, not communicating about what you like, and how before you marry or commit to a relationship with someone who may not really be on the same page or need as you are in the sex department.

I know that my partner and I were very very lucky but we did work very hard at communicating and not judging. When he became ill with his cancer, he told me it would be OK if I had sex with someone else I told him how touched and appreciated I was by his very kind words. I told him it meant a lot to me but he meant more and I knew at this point in his life if I did that even with his blessing it would hurt him. I also told him that I was quite happy if I needed to to masturbate, something he quite enjoyed being present for. lol he found it fascinating.

I feel sex is one thing but a sexual relationship and a commitment to being a couple goes deeper than sex. Many women find masturbation satisfies them better than sex with their partner. Have they shared it with their partner maybe not.

I am a very open and willing person in relationships within reason and my being in charge of my situation(not sure that makes sense) So if any person I was in a relationship with say went off and had sex with say a paid sex worker or an affair. I would much prefer that it was a safe hygiene where the sex worker was not taken advantage off, but a ‘professional’ than if the person had an affair. Firstly I would want to know why my partner had done this, and what I was not willing to do to satisfy the need. If I was nt willing but the person told me and still needed that to help then it would be to me no different to other therapies that help people cope. It is a business transaction, not emotional. If it was an affair, why? would I want the person still to be in my life if they did not want to be with me, I dont think so. As I age Sex is important but it is such a transient thing dependent on so many things. Both parties feeling like it at the same moment, weariness, children, stress, work, finances, body image, making noise and disturbing neighbours, having different desires (consenting adults ones) comfort levels, education regarding sex. some people seeing it as a necessity but not enjoyable, other loving it. Not feeling satisfied by it. feeling inadequate.

It is really a tragedy that so much is put upon sex in a relationship. If you are really having such incredible issues in regard to your partners sexual needs (as long as they are in regard to consensual adults) than perhaps love is not what you have but a dream of what you thought it would be.

I believe you have to be honest before committing to live with someone. Be honest with yourself too. If you can not communicate about sex, openly with the person that might be a red flag.

I have never been married as I see it as a institution by the religious organisations to keep woman powerless and certainly in our history as chattels and owned by their spouses. Even now many religious services continue to have obey for the woman to say to the man but not the other way.

When in fact what you enter into is a a business of sorts. You are supposed to be today a partnership equal(cough cough choke choke)

Relationships like any business takes a lot of work, communication and give and take. Understanding of differences, and respect from both parties. No one owns the other person and or control anyone else. No one is better or worse. But sadly that is not what seems to be reality.

Marriages /relationships evolve over time, change heaps from the early days. My parent who did divorce, told us their children when we were all still a family, that imagine the person you think you are in love with is throwing up or has diarrhea and you have to help them. That they have an injury and can no longer have sex. Or their looks are disfigured would you stop loving them.

My way is not going to be anyone else’s way. We had trust, openness, respect, honesty,

We fought, we would work through the reasons we fought after wards, and we both learnt we were not mind readers. Accepting our minds thinking process, expectations understanding, cultural, age, gender and family upbringing along with our ideology of what our relationship would be was one of unconditional love. along with lots of laughter and communication and not the sort of we need to have a chat. Neither of us were uptight about sex.

Now my partner is dead (10 Years ) his legacy is I doubt I will have another relationship of live in, I know what I need and sex is not the most important thing in any real relationship as time goes bye. The thing I miss most is touch, the little touches that a couple have just in the day to day life, and laughter.

My partner and I were together 11 years, our actual time together was different to most couples in that I worked two nights a week, and stayed in Hobart to sleep on the day in between. Apart from that we were together five days a week. So we spent a lot more time together in our 11 years than most couples do who work five or more days/nights a week.

With exceptions of our personal activities. We never were concerned if one of us went to something with out the other. In fact we encouraged each other as enjoying our own time and hobbies social support friends and community involvement in my mind made us more appreciative of all we had as a couple. As we had very different interests and did not necessarily enjoy the social aspects that the other did.

I was not HIS and he was not MINE. We were two adults and our commitment was strong, yet we both knew having had relationships in the past they evolve, things happen and feelings can change. We committed that we were free to leave our relationship as long as we were honest and not angry. We both knew from past experiences there are feelings and changes we had known that indicate it might not be the best relationship to be in. My partner had been physically abused in one marriage, and his wife in his second had an affair with his best friend. In other relationships for both of us there was far more of us giving to the other party, and receiving very little from the other them.

You can not CHANGE ANYONE except yourself. If you are in a relationship and feel you can or are with someone and feel I can make her/him different. You can not. This would be an alarm to me.

I know there are people who manipulate others out there, by being someone very different in the beginning of a relationship and then once the other party has committed to she/he they change completely. DING DING DING, would be in my head. Yet I know for some people out there hope, love, and desire for the person they fell in love with abound to keep them in the relationship.
He /she is only like this when they drink, or take drugs. This will all impact on how you the other party feel and act, how sexual and sensual relationships are between you. How you work through the issues. If you can even bring up the issues. You can not change them, though they will change you by all sorts of ways. GET OUT TALK to someone and leave this person.

I do not have children, but my parents divorced and it took tooo long for them to do it. They waited until the youngest was in their mind old enough 15. I nannied children of divorce who were 4 & 5 and another family 7, 9, 3 It impacts us kids no matter what age it occurs. For me at 15 it seemed just as hard even though I understood the reasons they were divorcing, I had also witnessed the fights, the not coming home, heard the tears, and had the words of anger and betrayal about one party from the other. Yet these were both my parents whom I loved. It would have been better as a child not to have had to endure the years of all the pain and suffering both parties put on the other and us.
(added) Fear is often what is stopping us leaving a relationship. How will I manage, how will the kids be, what might my partner do. As hard as it is to leave surely it is so much harder to remain in a place that has little or no happiness, joy, respect, unconditional love. Pain violence, threats intimidation, abuse, being controlled in any manner are not a loving partnership relationship.

If you can not tell your boy/girl friend, partner/spouse that you are not happy with how they touch you during sex, or what you enjoy, that you love them and having sex with them is wonderful but if they can not bring you to orgasm and masturbation can especially self. This should not be a bad thing where any partner feels embarrassed or shamed. For some of us out there it is the way it is sexually and it is OKay.

It does not mean the other party is a failure or incompetent. It can be a time for sharing how to help each other receive the pleasure.

Some people do not enjoy sex, but enjoy the intimacy holding hugs and kissing. Having sex should not be seen in my view as a given in any situation.
If you are forced by your girl/boy friend to do something that makes you uncomfortable that is wrong. Very wrong against the law in fact. If you believe you are in love no one who loved you in return would treat you in this manner.

If you can never see yourself as being OK with any activity between consenting adults in your relationship than the person you believe yourself to be in love with will assuredly go in search of this from some other source.
Sex is part of life, and we must all be able to say what we enjoy, want and need without fear or any other form of emotional, physical, financial abuse.
As long as it is with consenting adults. (any other form is NOT NEVER OK) !

I would like to add to this, that it is perfectly OK to not want to be in a sexual relationship or any. No one has to live with anyone or marry anyone today. Happy ever afters take huge amounts of effort giving and taking by both parties, and understanding honest, open, discussions about your sexual likes dislikes.

This was my response to the post on Marty’s https://ptsdawayout.com/ See below Martys blog C PSTD A mindful way to heal.
https://ptsdawayout.com/2020/09/18/how-betrayal-trauma-manifests-itself/ How Betrayal Trauma Manifests Itself.
Marty’s ” blog is designed for daily support of complex PTSD. Our attitudes and daily effort will determine our misery or happiness going forward.” as this is also my mantra for my own healing from CPSTD (complex post traumatic Stress Disorder) I find his blog so encouraging and informative with other people who are on the way to managing positively and healing from CPTSD.

Blesssings to You, Tazzie

1

Freedom


‘There you are! Its about time. We are star…ving…STARVING!! Hope you have some food for us.”
“What are you all doing out of your run? ” I say to them and chuckle to myself at their chatter.
“You left us all day. We have only had lovely green grass, bugs, and insects to eat. We have been looking for you for hours. We were abandoned, and starved!
“But girls you are meant to be in your run not out here. I am coming to feed you.”
A Loud SQUAWK “Girls? Girls? I suddenly have a hen attacking my toes and ankles..take that we are not all GIRLS”

OUCH that hurts stop nipping me? Oh heck your a rooster!
“You noticed…at last..now give me that food for my harem!”.
Le Coq Arrogant is jumping up attempting to get at the grain container. “My harem must eat, we are neglected and Starving” he is demanding as he strikes me it hurts a little he really means business.

How anyone could mistake ME for a hen! I rule the roost and Echidna HOME! Le Coq Arrogant is almost crowing.

I am the boss of you all! YOU Rooster, and six hens are my flock and if you keep jumping at me and pecking me, I will not feed YOU and YOU will become soup!

I will not be intimated or bullied by any cockeral I say to him. I push him away and tell him You will be eating out of my hand or not at all!

I will not eat out of Your hand, what will my harem think of me..do not make me do this. I will not succomb..I have to be the …oh sunflower seeds….yum yum

“Girls look yummy seeds, we are loved and being fed sunflower seeds wheat and all sorts of deliciousness. Just bow down and eat, from our leaders hand. I assure you its safe, you are not at risk.”
“Oooh Le Coq Arrogant thank you for ensuring we are safe. So so hungry.. yumm yum”

Le Coq Arrogant you have done well to accept my leadership I will ensure food water a lovely home to live in. Look how happy and content your harem is with full crops.
Le Coq Arrogant ‘they do indeed but I must be off, things to do’

I have had them for about two months now and I grow to love them more and more every day.

I have a lovely hen house, and they have a huge run. The little black hen has finally decided being in the the hen house with the others is far better then in the tree in gale force winds and icy cold rain.

Le Coq Arrogant has been learning to crow. At five months approx it is about the normal time. I heard a strange noise in the night a bit like a pup crying.
A few nights louder it sounded more like someone with a cough was in my garden.
He has it almost down pat now and is doing a good job. Rather too good las night. I had not closed the hen house door. I think he was disturbed by nocturnal noises and crowed numerous times in the dark.

So tonight they are all in their house on their roosts and one up in the eves in an old birds nest. Full crops and tummys. Fresh water. Tired out from sunning themselves in the 21dC/69.8dF sunny day here. I hope my sleep is not disturbed in the very wee small hours of the night.

My Rooster Le CoqArrogant, is getting his mature feathers, and if you look at the activity happening in one of the above photo back ground, you will see he is doing his job as a rooster. He is also becoming a very attentive observer overseeing his girls. He keeps attention on any potential aerial attacks from Sea Eagle, Wedge Tail Eagles, Goshawks other hawks or falcons. He is no longer pecking at me, or kicking his feet and spur area at me. I love that he trusts me enough to eat out of my hand and he is encouraging the girls too.

Not all of the girls are delighted with Le Coq s attention. One of my brown girls seems to want to sit on all the eggs.

The little black hen who slept in the tree is very nervous, and she is on the bottom of the pecking order. I ensure she receives the same choice in her seed feed as I do for everyone. She is growing and looks beautiful. I have a feeling she is the layer of the smallest eggs I get.

Some of the hens are not laying as yet but should begin in the next few weeks. I love that I have my own eggs, and my dogs love eating them. Very good for their coats.

I had my first day with four eggs today, the photo was taken two days ago. The large plastic egg was stolen bye some critter who believed it was a real egg which is why it has marks all over it. It is about the size of a normal egg so you can see my girls that are laying are small hens. Or maybe some of them will lay larger eggs later on.

I love watching the chooks antics and listening to their chatter. When someone finds a tasty morsel and is squawking as they are being chased by someone else. How they love digging holes and dust bathing. Laying in the warm sunshine spread out almost flat.

Enchanting members of Echidna Home (stead).
Contentment fills my heart having seen the seven birds settling into their roosts making their quite noises as they do so.

blessings to You, Tazzie

3

You can’t hold it back

I may be sitting in side, with my wood fire going. I may be wearing a pure wool hand knitted jumper as I drink and compose this post. It is almlost 3pm here and the clouds have rolled in along with a wind. Not a gale at this point, it has been nice ot have a fairly wind free day today. Gales and rain were the past few.

I wandered about the garden and was mesmerised by how Spring is rollicking in with abandon. Every fruit tree is in bud or bloom. This brings me a lot of joy as I care for the fruit trees as in water them for only the first year they are put in the garden. After this they need to fend for them selves. I do add pot ash or sulpher potash and for some a little blood and bone.

above, Daphanne, small maple, caterpillar damage on nettles, plum tree in flower, peach tree, marigolds and rocket flowering, red currants, asparagus, violet, and bay tree.

This years new apricot tree, Huon Valley crab apple, fig,, lilac, this shrub is about to bloom in lovely blueish flowers, so happy my new plumis blooming as is the older one, my three types of apple tree that the cockatoos destroyed last year, has some leaves forming, yellow gage and green gage plums, red currant, hazel nuts, then cherry and two other trees not sure of in the chook run /orchard. Blue berries, with Jostaberries and second red currant bush behind.

Gooseberries are all doing well even with the chickens digging under them. My old cherry is flowering, and the new morello cherry in the pot on the deck is budding.

The air is full of birds singing to attract mates. I observe wattle birds flying in a courtship ritual. I have a wee forlorn pardelotte whose beautiful call in search of a mate seems to not being answered.

Their are lambs and calves everywhere about my place. It may be cold today but you cant hold Mother Earth back!

blessings to You. Tazzie

3

Spring Garden week 1:

The weather is fluctuating as is normal here in the southern most council region of Australia. Huon Valley Tasmania, on the Island state of Australia, situated in the Roaring Forties. Tasmania’s location between the 40th and 50th southern parallels place it directly in the pathway of the “Roaring Forties”, which are strong westerly winds in the Southern Hemisphere.

It tends to be especially windy around the solstice, and equinoxes here in Tasmania. Which can be really hard on gardens. I had tied my broad beans the wind has been harsh, though it I am really delighted to see beans are forming.

Above, Rocket and coriander going to seed, broad beans knocked about by the wind show beans, looking towards the hen house, vegetable garden broad beans, garlic marigolds, peach tree and fig i(n barrel), with daffodils.

Above, Jostaberries, recently transplanted gooseberry bush, veggie garden, red current and veggie garden, fig, violets, pansy, mixed barrel of greens, daffodils, brassicas and broad beans on deck.

above: I love my red wattle flowering tree. The nettles will soon be flowering. Hellebore flower and the last of my snow drop. My bay tree is being attacked by something. It is on my to do list.

Hens two white, three black and two brown hens.

My hens are settling in really well. They come running to me I believe its more about the seeds I bring for them. They are running a bit amok, as the fencing in the chickens area is too low. I am working on that. The black bantam is still sleeping in the tree. I have no idea how she managed to hold on during the gale wind and storms we had the last few nights.

I love having them. The dynamics of the hen house are really fascinating to observe. I love listening to their chatter. I continue to get about six eggs a week currently. As the hens (which were an incredibly generous gift) are different ages, and very mixed breeding. So I feel that I have two hens laying and five who are maturing to be layers.

My seedlings are mostly doing well though I have had some failures. It may be I over watered them, or they grew to rapidly. I have time to resow the seeds, and get them underway.

I feel so thankful to have my hens, eggs, my potential veggies grown in my garden. There are wonderful blossoms forming on my peach and two plums (I have a couple more that are just budding up).

More rain and wind is forecast, the days are lengthing and temperatures increasing.

blessings to You, Tazzie


23

Haiku

Haiku, unrhymed poetic form consisting of 17 syllables arranged in three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables respectively. The haiku first emerged in Japanese literature during the 17th century, as a terse reaction to elaborate poetic traditions, though it did not become known by the name haiku until the 19th century. Britanica https://www.britannica.com/art/haiku

Bringing Haiku to the people. What an interesting idea. Community members of my local village Cygnet, Huon Valley Tasmania got together and learnt about Haiku. They were then able to try their hand at writing their own. If the individual would like it to be included in a display on windows of businesses in Cygnet. Done in chalk paint, the majority of Cygnets businesses are involved. You can take a walk along the main street of Cygnet and read each of them.

What a great creative experience bringing our community together, and bringing others to town to visit and read the Haiku browse our wonderful shops, have something to eat/drink in one of the many cafes. Visit galleries and local artisans.

We may be an island in isolation, but we can travel and support our communities.

I am thankful for this freedom to move around my island state home. I am thankful for the creative people about me. I am thankful for such a great community. Thankful for those who participated and the businesses who are sharing the Haiku on their windows.

blessings to You, Tazzie

4

So fortunate

The wet weather has gone for the time being. This morning after a very stormy wet night it was lovely to wake up to blue sky even if it is still somewhat winy.

When I went out this morning I discovered how lucky I had been!

A large branch had fallen off one of my eucalyptus trees in my driveway. during the storm. It missed my car. How wonderful was that! Interestingly I had been parking my car about where the branch landed over the previous few days.

I had things in the boot so I parked closer to my house when I returned home yesterday. I am very thankful my car is OK.

A pruning saw and 15 minutes of sawing had the branch removed. Just one of the things you have to be able to attend to. I may now think about a chain saw..just in case.

The wind continues today and I watch the big trees bending in the winds, My plans to work in the garden on the fence for the chickens were not followed up.

The gals are all settling in well. Only two I believe are laying at this point in time. One egg is tiny and the hen lays one every three days at present. The other hen or two give me an egg every day/36 hours or so. The other girls will start laying in the next month or two.

I am surprised that one hen continues to sleep in her tree over night (gale winds last night). I did try putting her in the hen house one night; she is very much her own hen! Choosing the tree. Happy hens and happy me with lovely fresh eggs.

six lovely hens settled safe and dry out of the wind.
if you look closely you will see a chicken shape shadow : my crazy hen who sleeps in the trees even in gale wind and heavy rain.

The days are lengthing as the ‘Georgian calendar welcomes Spring. Here in Australia Spring begins September 1st. It is quite interesting though as it does not really represent the beginning of the blossoms flowering beginning. My garden here in Tasmania has had daffodils, jonquils, flowering for over a month now. I imagine further north they have been blooming for longer.

The end of a beautiful sunny day even with the wind.
I am so fortunate and thankful for all I have.

Blessings to you, Tazzie

.

7

Magnolia Magnoliaceae,

Magnolias symbolized dignity and nobility. In ancient China, magnolias were thought to be the perfect symbols of womanly beauty and gentleness. In the American South, white magnolias are commonly seen in bridal bouquets because the flowers are thought to reflect and emphasize the bride’s purity and nobility (off Wikipedia directly).

Photograph property of Echidna Home.

Fossil records suggest that the genus has existed from the Cretaceous period (145-66 million years ago), making the Magnolia the first flowering plant.
https://arboriculture.wordpress.com/2016/01/06/a-history-of-the-magnolia/

Beetles generally pollinate magnolias in return the magnolia feeds the beetle a beautiful example of symbiosis. (two living organsims providing mutual benefit).
Why do beetles and not bees pollinate them? Bees were not about in the Cretaceous period. They have only been since 130million years ago. So beetles pollinated plants of the Cretaceous period. The structure of the Magnolia flower and the beetles visiting prior to the flower opening means that it has been pollinated for reproduction prior to other insects coming and taking pollen away.

If you are interested in knowing more about pollination of Magnolias this blog is an enjoyable and light read.
http://pollinators.blogspot.com/2011/06/magnolias-and-beetle-pollination.html

That is amazing to me. I look at the photo I took of this stunning flower on this sculptural tree welcoming the coming spring (here in Tasmania) and am floored to have learnt how these trees have been here on Mother Earth sharing their beautiful blooms. That they have such a fascination but seemingly overlooked (at least by me) and unknown importance to our plant world. There are believed to be over 200 flowering species and you can have deciduous or evergreen Magnolias.

The bark of the magnolia trees M. officinalis, has a long history of being used in herbal medicine.

Today components of the bark are being researched for treatment in mental health illnesses depression, anxiety and bipolar. It may be useful for sleep

It might be useful for sleep, stress, soothe and calm. It is used for these purposes in Traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean medicine.

There has also been research looking at the potential of constituents of the bark in treatment of epilepsy.

I am not endorsing the use of the bark. I am sharing information. Like any medication, from a GP or an alternate therapist/practitioner dosage there may be side effects and or it may interfere with other medications you are taking.

I have often wanted to plant a magnolia yet our springs are usually very rainy and windy here and the blossoms would not last at my place. Instead I admire the uniqueness and splendour of these amazing gifts from Mother Earth. Now shared across many countries. Instead I look at their beauty in gardens that are more protected than mine.

blessings to You, Tazzie

Some of the information shared here is attributed to the following sites and documents.

Magnolia: the Genus of Magnolia. edited by Satyajit D. Sarker, Yuji Maruyama

https://arboriculture.wordpress.com/2016/01/06/a-history-of-the-magnolia/

Biological activity and toxicity of the Chinese herb Magnolia officinalis Rehder & E. Wilson (Houpo) and its constituents

More information https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/magnolia-bark.

ttps://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Magnolia

Magnolol, a major bioactive constituent of the bark of Magnolia officinalis, exerts antiepileptic effects via the GABA/benzodiazepine receptor complex in mice Mélanie Poivre and Pierre Duez
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Duez%20P%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=28271656

all photographs are mostly taken by me on my blog. If I have not taken the photo I will always give credit to the photographer. Please do not share any photos off my blog without getting my permission.

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Life my new normal..

I am not sure how others who might read my (rather irregular of late) posts are doing with Covid 19. We here in Tasmania only have one case and that is someone in quarantine returned from overseas. Melbourne has been in full lock down again as the second wave hit them. (seemingly from poor education given on hygiene to security guards employed to keep an eye on and support those in hotel isolation).

I can not imagine what returning to full quarantine after a period of relative freedom must be like for so many people.

Tasmania has the advantage of being an island. Our Premier recently announced our boarders will be closed (essential workers exempted) until the 1st December. You can imagine what some people will feel especially those with businesses reliant on tourism. My heart aches for all being hit by loss of family, friends, health. Also for those whose loss of income, their business and perhaps their home. I can not imagine how hard this time is for you.

My Government has been giving those of us on unemployment an extra payment each fortnight which for me basically doubles my income. $250 a week to a bit over $500 a week now.

I am still being as frugal as I can. I have paid all my yearly bills in full rather than monthly and have savings for the first time in almost five years.

Of course life throws up things that will cost me quite a bit as in trees requiring removal, plumbing, some windows need to be fixed and I am really working on where the leak (that I paid to have fixed but it was made worse even after three visits the guy gave up)!

Here in Tasmania we are being encouraged to visit locations and support businesses, hospitality accommodation, wineries, tourist venues I guess things often you do not necessarily do because they are always here.

My attitude is to support my local shops, cafes and I rarely go further a field for shopping unless I can not get what I need in my region. I also do not see the extra money as spending money on things that are not essential to me. I have purchased some things for the garden but most of what I have is old, second hand or I have acquired for free.

I am still being frugal with my shopping and what I do purchase.

Which is why I headed to Hobart recently for a tip shop run. I had an appointment so I decided to see if I could purchase a second hand CD player. The new ones that I was looking at were so cheaply made I did not have a lot of faith in them.

Off I went with my dogs and we had a pleasant time out.
The tip shops here sadly are becoming businesses, with paid employees, and all that this entails. So the ‘free’ rubbish that is dropped off at these facilities is sometimes more expensive than new items. Especially building items and some cooking items that are trendy.

The following photos are a display on the walls, apparently this tip shop offers tours for school groups and other interested groups. They also have really interesting sculptures made by someone who works there and others who I assume do it as a paid work. I always ask them what is the best price and happily explain I am on a very low income. I always get a better price especially if items have been there for a long time.

A pause for lunch at The Pollen Tea Room Battery Point, dog friendly , great food, it is vegetarian/vegan I am not but so delicious I love it for its ambiance lovely staff , and wonderful teas and coffee. Tiny friendly resonable prices.

My dogs had been so patient and it is really lovely to go for a walk around Battery Point which is a very pretty suburb right next to Salamanca Wharf and Hobart City it has quite early built houses

I came across this

The first photo is mine and I pondered how much this little house would have sold for. Ummm not so little but…

6 Sloane Street, Battery Point, Tas 7004

3 bedrooms
2 bathrooms
 142 m²
House
$1,300,000Sold on 11 Aug 2020

My research shows it is not such a little house and it sold for a lot!

Prices in Tasmania have gone through the roof in the last six or so years. As have rental prices. Mind you this is a very desirable location and with water views from upstairs. (main bedroom only).
You might see the water from the little front garden but I doubt it would be seen from the front windows.

My dogs had a joyous time at a dog park at Battery point with water access.

The dogs went into the boat yard under the fence where work had been happening. I apologised to the owner who had come out he laughed and said it was OK. It was a new place for us and Miss Treacle and Busby loved it. We all slept really well that nights. Oh and I did get a second hand CD player with tape deck and radio, speakers for $40 (it works) solid and a nice system with speakers. Much better than the crappy one I saw brand new at Big W for over $50 that was so light and all plastic. I guess time will tell on my second hand one.



blessings to you all Tazzie

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