Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Sunday 14 February 2021

Sunday Selections #520


Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files.
 
Huge thanks to Cie who gave me this wonderful Sunday Selections image.
 
The meme was then continued by River at Drifting through life.  Sadly she has now stepped aside (though she will join us some weeks), and I have accepted the mantle. 
 
The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to me. Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen. 
 

I usually run with a theme.  This week I am continuing to celebrate dampness.  We had more rain last week.  Some of our dams were overflowing - which is rare anytime and unheard of in Summer.  So of course we headed off for a look see (in a dry interlude).

Starting with the Cotter Dam.

On our way we stopped in at a nearby picnic area.  This very large roo obviously had plenty to munch on.






 I love that our Department of Parks and Wildlife continue to look after the tree (and those it houses) even after death. Branches which might fall on the car park have been removed, but the bulk of the tree remains

Then to the viewing point for the Cotter Dam spillway
 


The sound of the water thundering over the spillway was impressive too

My monkey mind delighted in this miniature garden of lichen, mosses and small plants growing from the rock face beside the path to the viewing area.



To make a round trip of it, we then headed off to Corin Dam
 



The authorities (spoilsports that they are) had put signs up
 


However I think they missed one out.  Looking at the twists and turns the spillway takes I think that people would pay good money to go a slide like this
 



I am going to finish with a sad photo.  Corin Dam is in Namadgi National Park.  Last year Namadgi was severely damaged by fire.  A fire which was caused by a Federal Defence Force Helicopter landing in grasslands.  They didn't report the fire for over forty five minutes and the damage done was and is huge.  And heartbreaking.  Some parts of the park are recovering.  Some are not.
 
And, as an aside, the Federal Government is so far flatly refusing to pay any compensation money which could be used toward the restitution that Namadgi National Park so desperately needs.  Hiss and spit
 
That said, I hope your week is hiss and spit free

 


 

 


 

 

142 comments:

  1. Ditto what Laurie said. It's lovely to see the dams, but it makes no sense that they would not fix a problem they caused. Hiss and spit, indeed.

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    1. DJan: Hiss and spit has been one of my mantras for a very long time. It is much politer than what I am thinking.

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  2. I can't believe another week has gone by since last Sunday Selections!

    I enjoyed seeing your photographs, and also say 'hiss and spit'.
    Perhaps (maybe) the Federal Government will change it's mind and make money available?

    Take care

    All the best Jan

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    1. Lowcarb team member ~Jan: Thank you. Money has been made available for bushfire recovery. Sadly it seems to have been given on a very partisan basis.

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  3. I love your photos and that you got much needed rain to make everything lush and green. Sometimes it too dry and sometimes it's too wet...I hope that you get some nice sunshine and blue skies.

    I sure hope that you'll never get those out of control fires like you had last year. That was horrific.

    Hugs, Julia

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    1. Julia: Thank you. Sadly the other side of Australia has had out of control fires very recently. I suspect that they are going to be a feature of our summers. I am very, very grateful to have had a cooler and damp summer this year.

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  4. On, beautiful landscapes, but, oh dear, Federal Government is blame, yes, they will find to somebody to pass on.
    I am sorry to let my feeling!!!!!!!!!!
    The Roo's so getting if fat, lovely.

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    1. Bob Bushell: I share your feelings - and delighted in that very big roo.

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  5. Laurie: Nature can indeed be brutal, but the brutality in my last photo was triggered by man.

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  6. The tree is impressive! Eucalyptus trees are brittle and limbs break so easily. Padres brought them over to California to provide fast growing timber. There are 75 varieties here.

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    1. Susan Kane: Some eucalypts are fast growing and have earned their name as 'widow makers'. Their scent on a warm summer day is a delight though.

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  7. My week has been largely hiss and spit free, thanks. :)

    Massive roo there. He looks so buff.

    Cotter Dam is mighty impressive!

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    1. Bea: Hooray for hiss and spit free weeks. I hope you have more of them. It is truly wonderful to see both dams full - others nearby are close to it as well.

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  8. Hi EC....It rained, lightly, off and on here throughout the night...with more promised for the next few days. I love the rain.

    Have yourself a good week...I hope all is well...take good care and cuddles to Jazz. :)

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    1. Lee: I love rain too. We were promised rain yesterday but it didn't fall. I am still in the throes of the medicos. I suspect this week will see more tests ordered. I hope you and the overlords have a wonderful week.

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  9. Just in case anyone else didn't know this word.
    Rappelling and abseiling both mean to use a piece of rope or cord, combined with some kind of control device, to lower yourself down. ... Rappelling is the term most often heard in North America, whereas abseiling is commonplace in the UK and other European countries.

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    1. Mike: Thank you. While I know both terms, abseiling is much more common here. Many years ago I did it - and had a marvellous time.

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  10. I will hiss and spit on that note too. What a shame. The dam photos are excellent and I can totally imagine some idiot using the spillway as a water park ride.

    Oh what a big roo! Wow! Great photo! :)

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    1. Rain: It would be difficult to get to the top of the spillway (fences and walls) but I can so see someone thinking it would be an exciting ride - which no doubt it would.
      And yes, that roo was large.

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  11. I love seeing spillways in action and these both look particularly interesting. Rather poor form on the government's behalf.

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    1. Andrew: Such different spillways aren't they? I enjoyed them both. And am still hissing and spitting on behalf of Namadgi National Park.

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  12. Thank you for an interesting look at some of your surrounding countryside. My favourite photo is definitely the "miniature garden" with its mosses and green plants. And applause for your Parks and Wildlife people for making sure that the users of the old tree are looked after.
    I hope you are feeling better all the time, EC.

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    1. Alexia: I really liked that miniature garden too. Himself walked past it, but when I called him back he also took photos.
      More doctors visits and I expect more tests in the week(s) to come.

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  13. That's sad about the fire.
    The spillway is impressive.

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    1. Alex J. Cavanaugh: More than a billion birds/animals were lost in last years fires, and slightly over a year later the damage is still very evident.

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  14. That is one big roo! So sad to see the barren tree a reminder of the terrible fires last year.

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    1. Truedessa: I was happy to see that tree preserved. It was the hillside of trees burned and not yet coming back which makes my heart ache.

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  15. Dams and spillways fascinate me, too, at least from the bottom. From the top looking down makes me lightheaded. I remember being that way from childhood.
    Good that tree was retained to support other life.

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    1. Joanne Noragon: It was pure coincidence that we saw one spillway from the bottom and the other from the top. I am fortunate and heights do not bother me. Claustrophobia does - to the extent that I don't like being in basements.

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  16. They didn't report the fire for 45 minutes??? Shame on them! And the Defence Force should be paying up to help with repairs etc. I'm still stuck on the 45 minutes, didn't the idiots realise just how much damage a fire can do in that time?
    I'm very pleased to see that Murray Red Gum being cared for. I haven't heard the sound of a spillway in yonks.

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    1. River: They left the area because the fire that their downlights had caused was threatening them. And no, they didn't report it at all for forty-five minutes. They have been exonerated in an enquiry - but not by me.

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  17. That is the biggest kangaroo I've ever seen in a picture (or real life, and the only ones I've seen in real life were at a zoo). Wow!! That's awful about the fire not being reported and so much damage being done. :(

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    1. mail4rosey: Thank you. That is the fire that we watched from our front veranda which burnt out of control for weeks.

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  18. Gov'mint are gov'mint and they do what they do for themselves first. It's too sad.

    Let's hope enough of a cry of protest brings a change in that funding decision.

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    1. messymimi: They are. So far they have refused to change their decision, and I suspect think they are off scot-free. Sadly their decision (or lack of it) won't change their fortunes in the ballot boxes here. So they simply don't care.

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  19. Very impressive.
    So many animals were lost at the time... sad!

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    1. Catarina: So very many animals. Some species were at risk before the fires.

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  20. The dam is interesting as dams are and thanks for the link.
    Fire does do so much damage but then on the other hand it regenerates the bush. My goodness, that roo is huge.

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    1. Margaret D: Fire can indeed regenerate the bush. Sadly some of that fire seems to have killed it dead. That roo was a big fellow wasn't he? Very big.

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  21. Love these pictures! Happy Valentine's Day!

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    1. Natalia: Thank you. Happy Valentine's Day to you - and the brownies with nuts and raspberries your post featured today would be a very sweet treat.

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  22. Hi EC – wonderful you’ve got full dams … must be a relief for everyone. Love your miniature garden … beautiful – this past week the Desert Island Disc guest was an entomologist: George McGavin … he was fascinating – especially as he had a major stutter as a child, and had to overcome a father who couldn’t understand. This is beautiful – and like you, I’d have relished being with you seeing your miniature gardens …
    Oh yes – he describes a school week away – everyone looking for large animals or birds … he just laid down and looked at the grass, or earth, or stones … and that sparked his interest …
    Lovely to see the dams – but the simple gift of giving some monetary reparation and help would so benefit community relationships …
    Lovely post – thank you … I’m amazed at nature – it’ll survive us and have the last word … stay safe - Hilary

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    1. Hilary Melton-Butcher: My family often talked about small things amusing small minds it is true - but they also gave me the lifelong habit of observing and appreciating the natural world. I hope that nature does survive us but on dark days I wonder. We won't survive without it that is for sure.
      Stay safe and well. Our full dams are cause for rejoicing - and there is more rain predicted towards the end of the week.

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  23. Dear EC
    Hiss and spit indeed. if you cause damage, it is the right thing to do to compensate (even though money cannot compensate for the destruction of nature). However, your photos are lovely.
    Best wishes
    Ellie

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    1. Ellie Foster: Money cannot compensate for the damage done - but could go some way towards funding remedial work. And thank you. You stay safe (and warm) please.

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  24. Gracias, amiga, por tan excelente reportajes donde nos muestras una vez más, la belleza de tu entorno, con esos eucalyptus, refugio de muchas aves, y esa bella presa que alimenta y da vida a través de su cauce, a la flora y fauna del lugar.
    Y como sucede en otros muchos lugares del mundo, una pena que las autoridades, que son los que tienen que dar ejemplo, cuando hacen algo mal miren para otro lado.
    Un abrazo, y gracias por tu buen hacer.

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    1. Manuel: Thank you so much for your generous comment. Sadly governments seem much the same the world over.

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  25. That is one big, powerful kangaroo, Sue. The fact that the tree has been left to continue with all the function of its life cycle warms my heart. What a far-sighted approach to letting nature fulfill its role. Now as to money not being allocated for the restoration of Namadgi N.P. it makes me fume. When you give even a moment's thought to the boondoggles and wasteful schemes promoted by governments, to say nothing of expensive receptions and cocktail parties, the fact that money cannot be directed to making the park whole after those dreadful fires, makes my blood boil. I am sure you are more familiar than I with the image if Scott Morrison waving a piece of coal. I know where I'd like to put it!

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    1. David M. Gascoigne: I am in complete agreement with you. I really hope that Scotty from Marketing (he hates that name) is starting to regret his posturing with that piece of coal. I doubt it though.

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    2. If you decide to properly house that coal, I'd like to watch

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    3. kylie: I think a lot of us would.

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  26. I love the water photos. So great to see rather than fires. However that damage from last year’s fire is disturbing. The lack of response is even worse though.

    And of course the roo is a treasure. It’s a big one alright.

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    1. Marie Smith: That damage (which is echoed in other parts of Namadgi and indeed the country is heart rending. Sadly I fear it will be repeated again and again.

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  27. Beautiful shots EC, how devastating that fire was tho - and unbelievable the disregard for compensation. Hiss and spit alright. Much like USians must feel today.

    XO
    WWW

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    1. Wisewebwoman: Thank you and a big yes on the hissing and spitting.

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  28. You got a lot of rain and now we have a LOT of rain however your photographs are superb. The difference between our rain adn your is it is really cold here, you probably have a much higher temperature. Just a great pity about devastation in the the National Park and the unhelpful Government decision not to help. Have a great week ahead. NO hissing and spitting please!!!

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    1. Margaret Birding For Pleasure: Our temperatures are very different. It is still summer here (albeit cooler than usual) and the rain is very welcome. I do hope to have a hiss and spit free week.

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  29. Thanks for the tour. Love the sight of that huge kangaroo. Well fed. Sad that the government won't pay for the restoration, but eventually, nature will take its course, and there will be new growth. That is what happens here in Hawaii after the volcanic lava cools, and the greenery eventually returns.

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    1. gigi-hawaii: I hope you are right. More than a year later there is no sign of regrowth in much of Namadgi. Time will tell.

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  30. Boa tarde. As fotos ficaram maravilhosas, parabéns.

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    1. Luiz Gomes: Thank you. It is a beautiful area and I am glad to have been able to capture some of the beauty.

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  31. That old, dead tree made me happy, the fire scar not so much, and combined with stupid politics ... hiss and spit is an apt expression. I love your big, big roo!

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    1. Charlotte (MotherOwl): That old tree and the sign on it made me very happy too. I thought of you when I saw that giant roo.

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  32. I was SO impressed with the spillway and the nearby dam. It reminds me of an area where I used to live. More important is how your parks department take care of dead trees. They are so useful and definitely contribute to the circle of life and death. As for the fire scar, that is shameful that politics have to get involved. I'm hoping Mother Nature finds a way to adjust and renew that scarred area. These are, as always, incredibly gorgeous photos. I felt like I was there with you, dear.

    Don't tell anyone. I'm not supposed to be on the internet yet. However, I'm going stir crazy and had to visit.

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    1. Bleubeard and Elizabeth. Lovely as it is to see you here (and it is) I do hope that you are mostly following doctor's orders.
      The scar is a shameful illustration of partisan politics. Federal money was allocated to bushfire recovery - but almost exclusively to seats the government owns or hopes to win. My city doesn't fit either category.

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  33. Oh, how these photos and all the ones you post on Sundays make me want to visit your beautiful country! Some day I will, hopefully, when it is safe to travel again. That kangaroo in the first photo - I never knew they got that big!

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    1. Susan - of every moment: I hope you can visit my country, some day. Eastern Grey Kangaroos can get to nearly nine feet tall - which is impressive.

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  34. The spillway does look like a thrill seeker's ride. That's terribly dishonest behavior and bad example to cause a fire, not immediately report it and fail to pay for the damages causes. Wow.

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    1. Strayer: I am glad that you can also see the spillway as a thrill seekers ride. Sadly our government (and governments the world over) are often dishonest. And selective.

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  35. So sorry about that fire. I love your trips to photograph such interesting and lovely places. Love the huge kangaroo too.
    Have a wonderful week.

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    1. Myrna R.: I am endlessly grateful to have such beauties on my doorstep - and equally grateful that others enjoy them too. Thank you.

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  36. Definitely ending with a his and spit moment. Grrrr. (I have some hiss and spit thoughts about my own government at the moment!)

    I have to end my comment on a higher note! It is so wonderful to see all that green, especially during summer. Hope the drought respite continues. I'm also a big fan of mosses, worts, and lichen -- thank you for including these oft-overlooked beauties. And, of course, thanks for the buff roo! He's a handsome chap!

    Happy Valleytines! <3
    Marty K

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    1. musicalsciencedoggies: I am quite sure that you are hissing and spitting at the moment - as I am with and for you.
      And of course I included that miniature garden - it was a highlight of the trip for me.

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  37. Hello, I enjoyed touring Cotter Dam and all your lovely captures, you have such a wide collection of critters, and the roos as you said surely can find delicious treats about the place. I agree and know a few folks (especially my grandkidds) that would love using that as a slide too. An amazing time you shared with us, and mostly those of us in the frozen tundra of a home staying inside with so many layers and winter boots just to add for more warmth. I'm not kidding!

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    1. 21 Wits: The spillway would be an amazingly dangerous slide - there were some substantial tree branches balanced ready to take the plunge but I can see the temptation. Stay warm and safe - and feel free to send some cool our way.

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  38. I love the pictures. Fires are awful and for them to not take responsibility for that is awful. And a Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours.

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    1. Mary Kirkland: We watched this particular fire from our front veranda and our hearts ached.

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  39. The waterfall photos are beautiful. I love the sound of running water. It's sad people who are responsible for things won't even try to help repair their damage. Take care, be safe, have a great week and a Happy Valentine's Day my friend.

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    1. Mason Canyon: If ever I become rich (unlikely) I would love to live beside water. I agree with you about the fire damage. I hope your Valentine's Day is sweet and your week healthy and safe.

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  40. Why would I come to write "Hissing and spitting does not change anything"? Probably diving to deep into human primate's atrocities these days.
    On a light note: (No) 'Abseiling" let the corners of mouth start an expedition to my ear-lobes for its Denglishness.
    And finally: I am glad that I stumbled upon "you", in the blogosphere.

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    1. Sean Jeating: I write and I email the people who cause me to hiss and spit (which also probably doesn't change anything.
      I am however very glad to have exercised the corners of your mouth.
      And yes, I am endlessly grateful for the many friends my grumpy introvert self has found in the blogosphere - you or course included.

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  41. That would make quite a waterslide at an amusement park, or a dangerous do-it-yourselfer.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. Janie Junebug: A very dangerous (but exciting) do it yourself slide. I never would have thought of abseiling there - but that could also be exciting (and less than safe).

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  42. What a majestic too!
    The damns are looking fabulous, what a shame about the np. And why doesn't it surprise me that defence didn't notify anyone about the fire

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    1. kylie: Isn't that roo amazing. A true survivor - and beautiful with it. Defence was 'flying back to safety' and has no means of contacting anyone from the air. Liars, liars, pants on fires.

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  43. Oh, wow .. I can't imagine if there was someone who dared to slide on the spillway winding waterway ...., exciting but also dangerous.

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    1. Himowan Sant: It would be both of those things. Exciting and very, very dangerous.

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  44. Sliding would be a great temptation!

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    1. Granny Annie: I do find myself wondering if anyone has - and survived to tell the tale.

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  45. Que belleza de recorrido nos has traído en esta entrada Hijo de elefante, un parque precioso y unas fotografías bellísimas!
    Muy emocionante el tobogan...Wowwwww!!!
    y con la ultima foto
    definitivamente triste
    que las autoridades no solucionen esto
    en la forma que hay que hacerlo.
    Me parece bien insistir en la protesta
    aunque no respondan correos
    es una cuestión de respeto
    y las personas
    tenemos que asumir responsabilidades.
    Un abrazo grande
    y bonito lunes!!!

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    1. eli mendez: Many thanks. Sadly I think the ballot box is the only way to call the government to account. I will vote with my heart and my conscience. Take care of yourself and have a beautiful week.

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  46. I would hiss and spit about that last part, too. Bastards.

    How wonderful that they let the dead tree standing. Here, too often dead trees are felled and brought away. They are so important for nature - for recovering and giving animals cover, especially birds and insects. The nature preserve that I support and that burnt twice in the last three years had a fantastic lecture about recovering after wildfires and of course dead trees were one subject.
    I didn't know that "Abseiling" is actually a term used in the English language. It is such a German word (abseilen).

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    1. Carola Bartz: Bastards indeed.
      I also loved that they left the tree and put a sign on it to say why.
      English is a language which is adept at borrowing/stealing from other languages and cultures. I didn't realise that we had filched abseiling from Germany though - thank you.

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  47. Such gorgeous pictures EC! Wow, such beautiful nature photos! That would be a great slide! LOL!
    I agree with you about the hissing and spitting! So sad!
    Big Hugs and Keep well!

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    1. Magic Love Crow: Thank you. I am glad that others can see the potential of the spillway to make an amazing slide.

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  48. I forgot to say, when we had to cut down 3 large trees, we kept large stumps for the animals!

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  49. I can almost smell the freshness of the dam air through the photos. Thanks for sharing your hike with me! It reminds me that I desperately need to plan one for myself.

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    1. John Wiswell: Rain washed air is one of my favourite smells. I hope you can get out - and soon.

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  50. Nice photos. The first photo of kenguru is amazing.
    Take care.
    Hugs

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    1. orvokki: He was a big and beautiful kangaroo wasn't he? You take care too - and I hope you are completely healed now.

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  51. That's very sad about the fire. If only human beings would be more responsible.

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    1. mshatch: Conditions were already dire - and the helicopter had been sent to monitor a nearby fire. The conflagration it started joined that one and raged for literally weeks.

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  52. May I join you in the hissing and spitting? Absolutely abominable to cause a conflagration and then nor own it and pay compensation.

    Plenty of water in the dams, that’s good isn’t it?

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    1. Friko: Water in the dams is excellent and it is very very rare to have that much in them over summer.
      I am very glad to have company while I hiss and spit.

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  53. How lovely to go off on an adventure with a picnic, and to such a scenic area too. I'm almost desperate to go on a picnic, we are still locked down.... although I did go on a naughty visit to YoungerSon and family last week. Nasty news about the fire, and that there's no money to pay for compensation. We should all take responsibility when something like that happens.

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    1. Shammickite: No picnic, but the visit to picnic areas and the dams was treat enough. I do hope that you can have other family visits. Soon. And how I wish our Federal Government understood the related concepts of responsibility and accountability.

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  54. Great photos but how sad about the Namadgi National Park. Such a tragedy. I would be hissing and spitting too. How dreadful they are not getting help.

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    1. DeniseinVA: My own local government is spending vast amounts of money rehabilitating Namadgi. It needs more which the Federal Government is not providing.

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  55. Thanks for the peaceful interlude!! After those horrendous fires, I'm glad some areas are flourishing - hope the 2nd area gets help soon!

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    1. Jemi Fraser: Thank you. I hope so too. Fervently.

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  56. What a lovely area! Hope the Park recovers from the fire.

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    1. Lady Fi: I hope it does too. It will be different, but I do hope it survives.

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  57. Oh I hope that park recovers, government be damned. Have a good week and weekend.

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    1. e: Thank you. Government be damned is nicer than anything I have been thinking (or saying).

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  58. As usual I like your photos and feel sad to see the damage done by the fire. I felt that way when I went to Yellowstone Nat'l Park here in the U.S. But they say it has come back and the fire was good for the forest. Hope that happens with your park.

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    1. Glenda Beall: I hope Namadgi does recover, but more than a year after the fires my hopes are diminishing.

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  59. Wow! That kangaroo sure is HUGE! So sad to hear about the park, too. Hugs, RO

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    1. RO: He was humungous wasn't he? I am sure that there were others around but he was the only one we saw. Hugs gratefully received and reciprocated.

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  60. Damn government gits! So loose with their destruction, I'm sorry to see that dearie, but enjoyed your huge roo. Over here we say hiss and spit as piss and shit of course, but I do prefer your elegant version. Take care over there X

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    1. Ruby End: Partisan self interested gits. You take care too please.

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  61. Wow, that's a lot of water! If only it could be managed so that it's available when you need it in the dry season. And how sad that the government is refusing to take responsibility for the fire. The longer I live, the more disillusioned I become.

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    1. Diane Henders: I hear you on the disillusionment. I am becoming increasingly cynical and spend too much time in my grumpy old woman persona. Fortunately there is beauty to distract me.

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  62. Re your question on how to I keep up with the challenges, I am on around 11 design teams and work ahead and schedule my work to fit in with blogger and the team. Like today I have another one going up around 8pm for another team I am on. Lucky I can work ahead and some of my work is already done for the 2021 year. I do also landscaping and a whole lot of walking, spending heaps of time in my garden so most of my work is done first then I craft, till around this time now, 6pm, the I close off for the night, have dinner and watch Amazon or netflix with hubby. Joys of being retired. In a couple of months we will have a pup to train and then later have her bred for the breeder...full on life at the age of 69. ♥

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    1. aussie aNNie: I am impressed. I am also retired and also spend a lot of time in the garden but my non-creative self is blown away by your cards.

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  63. That's beautiful about the stag and totally the opposite re the fire. Not reporting it for so long, and not paying compensation... it beggars belief

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    1. Kim: I was thrilled to see that our Parks and Ranger staff continue to look after trees even after their death. The fire and its aftermath fills me with grief and rage.

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  64. My favorite photo among these is the one with the mosses. Several of these shots look as if they could have been taken where I live. Maybe you know that eucalyptus trees were transplanted to California at some point and that they continue to do very well there. I enjoy TV Westerns from the '50s and '60s, and it's not unusual to see eucalyptus trees in the background even when the area where the show was supposed to have been set was far from where eucalyptus trees live. There are even a few eucalyptus trees that grow within blocks of where I live, but this is not a climate in which they flourish.

    Why on earth wouldn't government officials want to help to restore Namadgi!? I assume that those officials are the Australian equivalent of America's Republicans who regard nature as something to exploit but a luxury aside from exploitation.

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    1. Snowbrush: I did know that eucalpts have been transplanted. We saw quite a lot in India too.
      I really liked that miniature moss garden. I am glad that you did too.
      Sadly the government refusal is based on party politics. Bushfire grants almost exclusively went to areas where the Coalition (who share some characteristics with your Republican party) either held the seat or had hopes of gaining it rather than on the basis of need. My city falls into neither category and missed out.

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  65. I love that lichen, moss and small plants photo. It's like a miniature forest. Think of all the tiny-tiny-tiny people living there. :-)

    Ohmegosh. That fire was caused by...and they are not paying!! It is shocking!

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    1. neenay maiya (guyana gyal): I loved that tiny garden too - but I hadn't even considered the tiny weeny people who tend it.
      The helicopter was there to offer assistance in fighting a nearby fire. They landed in grassland and set off another - which joined the first. Over a year later I still fume - not at the accident but at their and the government response. Or lack of response.

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  66. So sad to see the damage the fire has done. :(

    I'm always jealous of the beautiful birds you get in your garden, now I'm jealous of the beautiful weather too!

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    1. LL Cool Joe: I am OFTEN jealous of your weather. You get an abundance of rain which is usually in short supply here. We have had a damp and much cooler summer than usual - and I am grateful for both.

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