Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Wednesday 5 October 2011

A bit of a mixture

This week has not been dull.  Not at all dull, but parts of it I could have done without.

On Monday afternoon I went to a family afternoon tea.  Three generations of family (including half and step variations).  I was not a happy chappy when I realised that I fell into the oldest generation.  I had thought I had escaped age issues, but obviously not.  I believe that family occasions have striking similarities to a trip through a minefield.  Still I survived, and also annexed a book from the brother in whose house we were gathered.  The book was 'Ruthless Rhymes for Heartless Homes' which he had snaffled while we were cleaning out my parents place.  I was strongly reminded of this book by a recent post by Paper Chipmunk
A victory.  I had survived the afternoon tea, AND reclaimed a book I love.

So we went home.  And here is where it gets a bit sad.  It was garbage night.  Pushing a wheelie bin to the curb I overbalanced and planted my face into the road.  Hard.  Fortunately I had my mouth shut because while my lip is severely lacerated both inside and out, if I had had my mouth open I would probably have lost teeth.  So I now have a large, ugly and painful scab covering most of my top lip and extending to just under my nose.  My nose is red, swollen and bruised and also has lacerations.  I have grazes on both my hands and my feet.  My left leg is the one that MS has left likely to collapse under me.  So it also suffered.  It is so bruised and swollen that it looks as if my knee extends to half way down my calf.  And yes, it collapses even more often at the moment.  Woe, woe and thrice woe.

However, now comes the amazing part.  I was dripping copious amounts of blood on the road.  Somehow, I didn't get a drop on my white trousers or shirt.  How likely is that?

Irritation the second.  My smaller portion has an antique clock he inherited from his parents.  It has a nasty habit of stopping working from time to time.  Himself does not have the patience to fix it, but is a grumpy so and so until it is working again.  Naturally it broke down on Monday.  On Monday night I was in too much discomfort to sleep so I spent literally hours coaxing that clock back into working order.  I retired to bed around 2 am, having fixed the damn thing, leaving it on the kitchen bench where I had been working.  On Tuesday morning the smaller portion moved it to its usual spot.  He did not take sufficient care and it stopped working again.  So guess what I spent yesterday doing?  Many more hours later it is back in its usual spot, ticking, chiming and bonging happily.

All is not doom and gloom however.  I have been thoroughly enjoying these visitors.  Firstly the wattle birds who love our camellias.  They also make me smile because they swoop Jazz.  And, less often, Jewel.  (I apologise for the blurriness of some of these shots.  They move very, very fast. - clicking on any of the photos will make them larger)






We have also had these visitors.








A never ending source of joy and delight.

And today we went to Tuliptop Gardens (another spring flower extravaganza).  It was heaven on a stick.  I took 397,463 photos (approximately) and when I have had a chance to go through them I will share them.

30 comments:

  1. Hello! We do seem to pop up on like sites don't we?
    Can you tell me which wattle birds are in the camellias? I can't make them out from the photo, but I'm pretty sure they are southern critters. (We have blue-faced honey eaters and friarbirds and a lot of small LBJs)
    Hope your face is feeling better.

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  2. Dinahmow: Yes, we do. Similar tastes? Our wattlebirds are the red ones, though the only red on them is the actual wattle on the male. Otherwise they are grey with yellow under pinnings and highlights. And yes, largely southern critters. Face still sore and looking like the wrath of the god I don't believe in. Sigh. But improving.

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  3. Perhaps a glass of something - with a straw?

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  4. dinahmow: The pursed lip thing required for a straw causes bleeding. So I have resorted to dark tops and drinking red wine from one side of my mouth. Snicker quietly (as opposed to LOL).

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  5. Hope you are healing up.

    The birds are amazing. You have a great selection visiting. When living in Canberra I only rarely saw the King Parrots. Aren't they marvellous...

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  6. Ouch! on the face planting. Do you have a turkey baster? You could use that to dribble drinks into your mouth...also if you use a straw you can put it in the corner of your mouth, that way you won't have to purse the lips, just suck sideways.
    I LOVE the birds you get in your garden. I have magpies and sparrows. I have seen a couple of white cockatoos, but too far away to photograph.

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  7. ouch. all the way around... i do believe in the healing powers of red wine.

    the bird photos are lovely! it is still mind boggling that the very creatures we spend money on as exotic pets are wild and free in other parts of the world! glorious!

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  8. Yikes! I've taken a spill or two like that myself, and I know how hard that darn pavement is! I'm glad that the soft tissue will heal and you won't need to see a dentist for your teeth.

    I just love your bird pictures. Such elegant creatures you have, compared to my goldfinch and sparrows. Can we trade? :-)

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  9. Oh nasty! Hope you heal quickly.

    You know, you could drink white wine and wear any colour top ;)

    Love the bird photos. You have such a terrific variety come to your yard.

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  10. Oh, your poor face -- and leg. I do hope you heal soon.

    But you are rich in birds!

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  11. Cat Drawings: One of my brothers who lives on the other side of town rarely gets them. We love them.

    River: Now thats a use for a turkey baster I hadn't considered. We feed the birds which is at least part of the reason they come.

    daisyfae: Ouch indeed. Getting a little better I think.

    DJan: We do have some lovely birds - but so do you. Mockingbirds, woodpeckers, hummingbirds ...

    Karen: Thanks. I'll have to think about the white wine.

    Anne: Thank you. Getting there slowly I think. It still looks gross though.

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  12. oh EC how that must have hurt you poor duck.
    Hope face is recovering.

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  13. I'm so honored to think that a work of mine reminded you of Ruthless Rhymes! What a high honor indeed. Thank you.

    Monday sounded like a whole other kind of sick joke... @#$%!!!! Assaulted by a wheelie bin! I think the clock deserves retribution as well. What a perfectly crappy start to the week. I hope you have many more things like beautiful birds swiping at Jazz than nasty clocks and wheelie bins while you convalesce.

    All this talk about turkey basters... sounds a bit kinky.

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  14. What was it with Monday? If it could drop, break, stumble, or crash it did. I finally gave up and sat on the couch for the rest of the evening which is admitting defeat with the universe. Sorry it was so brutal for you. Let me find you a big stick to whop it with.

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  15. So sorry for the fall, I hope you feel better soon. That clock must take it's time to fix:) No more 2 am hopefully.
    Wow is all I can say about the beauty in your yard. Gorgeous!

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  16. love these birds- and I hope you feel better soon. anyone can fall . . .


    Warm Aloha from Honolulu;

    Comfort Spiral



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  17. librarygirl: It did and it does hurt. Thanks. And it is slowly recovering I think (still looks gross).

    Paper Chipmunk: I am glad that you are not offended. Ruthless Rhymes was written by another sick puppy (he he). And yes, it was a cow of a day.

    barbfroman: Is it wrong of me to be thankful that Monday crapped on other people too?

    Kim @ Stuff: If the wires connecting the clocks pendulum get ever so slightly bent it ceases to work. And finding the sweet point is trial and error. And sometimes it will run for ten minutes to make you think you have got it. And then stop. I don't like that clock.

    Cloudia: Thanks, the birds and then Tuliptops made the week almost worthwhile.

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  18. Blimey. As my mum would say "You've been in the wars chicken" Which a bizzare way of saying 'you poor thing'. No blood on the white clothes...astounding! I envy you the antique clock but not so much the hours of time spent making time work again. I really hope you're feeling a bit less battered and bruised, I'd say keep your chin up, but leave your chin well alone and don't pick any scabs unless it gives you as much pleasure as it does me. They say it's a bad idea. Absolutely cracking photos of both birds and flowers.

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  19. I hope you're on the mend by now. I've had falls like that before, literally took it on the chin once a few years ago on a gravel road that felt the need to get closer to me, and had a stiff jaw for weeks along with assorted scrapes in places that defied any human landing position. Of course, even though chewing was painful, I too managed to deliver red wine into my system successfully! About the only thing that makes such a rotten event tolerable is having that most blessed of mental mechanisms called "it could have been worse." At the time I was happy I didn't require stitches and that nothing was broken and I hadn't put an eye out with a sharp stick. Sounds like you too fortunately escaped without major injury and good attitude intact!

    But it still sucks.

    Those birds!!

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  20. If only you were on the set of a Three Stooges movie, then you would have face-planted into a pie. Silly, but less impact! I am always surprised and disappointed that life isn't a movie. I hope you are smearing healing avocado mush and moisturising almond oils on your face and recovering well. You could turn the recalcitrant clock into a bird-feeder for your priceless winged visitors!

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  21. Lovely photos as always.

    Oh, my god, I am SO sorry you fell. I feel like I should have been there. I wish I HAD been there.

    "I believe that family occasions have striking similarities to a trip through a minefield."

    My family must have stepped on those mines because they're nearly all dead. It sure makes holidays easier.

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  22. All Consuming: My mother used to say that too!

    Two Tigers: Love the 'it could have been worse' mental mechanism. And indeed it could.

    Mitzi: It was the smaller portion I was tempted to turn into a bird feeder. And yes, much moisturising of my scab moustache.

    Snowbrush: Thank you. I am so touched that you care. And the evil part of me wishes a few more members of my family would tread on mines. And then guilt rears its ugly head. If I knew where my guilt button lived I would disconnect it. Permanently.

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  23. So sorry to hear about your fall. Those kinds of things can really knock you around in quite unexpected ways. I hope the effects of it aren't lingering.

    The birds! They are glorious.

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  24. Tracy: Thanks. I am not out of the woods yet. X-ray on Tuesday to see if I have chipped my tibia and a sprained ankle I didn't notice, but I am much, much better (though reluctant to go near the wheelie bin).

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  25. oh no, such a terrible event, during the most mundane of things, so sorry, i do hope you're feeling better by the hour, the day and that x-ray next week will be a good one (if you can call it that).

    have a lovely weekend, as best you can and oh my, such a treat with those feathered visitors!

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  26. Drat!!! A thousand times. Drat!!! for you. I am sorry to read of your fall!! I read this post after your Tulip-tops one. Sometimes you just have to get out and about despite appearances. Take care.

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  27. Christine: Thanks - and yes, I am a firm believer in keeping on keeping on.

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  28. Oh no, I am so sorry you had such a nasty tumble. Do hope all your cuts and bruises heal fast. Which makes these photos even more special that you are sharing them when you obviously feel in such a lot of pain. Those Aussie birds are gorgeous and so is the foliage around them. Thanks so much and hope the rest of your week is a painless one.

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  29. Denise: Thanks. Off to have an x-ray shortly. The birds and the garden (not forgetting the cats) are a big, big part of my life.

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