Wildlife Wednesday - aphids

In my garden I'm rather loathe to use insecticides, however, Mr E is quite fond of them, so bugs in my yard can be free-living or killed, depending who has time to be out there!

At the moment, it's my space, so things are free. I have Orchid Beetles on my orchids but I just can't kill them even though they kill all the flowers off. I have aphids on my new jasmine leaves. I have ladybirds and butterflies. Spiders galore. Wasps and bees. It's really quite lovely.

Gardening Australia have a fact sheet about aphids, saying they need controlling because not only do they suck the life out of your plants, but they can spread disease. Rather than spray, they have organic tips for removal - like cutting off the parts that are infested.

I'd like to be that diligent about bugs, but I'm a live and let live person. If the bugs aren't harming me or causing serious problems, I hope that natural control will work. Something like ladybird numbers increasing so they'll eat the aphids. Maybe birds picking them off and eating well.

Maybe I'm a bit too one way, but I think I balance out Mr E's insecticide use :) Sometimes I think my Environmental Biology training sneaks so far through the Agriculture, that I may have needed that balancing up!!

How do you go with bugs?

Sunday Story - binging on non-fiction

So I'm still on a non-fiction binge. I'm devouring the most incredible books. I guess they're all "new age" or something like that if you need a definition/category.

Many years ago, I started writing this story after an idea popped into my head. I called the story Past Lives, and I've blahhed about it on here before. I went to a workshop and the story got hammered by the presenter. I shoved it away. But those things I shove away never quite stay hidden. This story has bugged me for years. And I went down a 'research' worm hole learning more fascinating things than I imagined possible. Do you ever do that?

I know I've blogged about a few of these books in recent months, and I want to keep a bit of a track of what I've read. So here are a few more:


The Empath's Survival Guide by Dr Judith Orloff.
This book was perfect for me. It has questions to determine if you're an Empath or not. I was a bit skeptical about the book and the questions. I seemed to be answering yes to everything, which was insane because the results section gave quite low scores. For example, there might be 15 questions. It said, if you answered yes to 0-3, you have some empath traits, 4-8 you're a medium empath, 9 or more, you're a strong empath (or something like that). When I was getting 14 or 15 yes responses, 9 seemed rather low. So I asked Mr E a bunch of questions. Strangely, he didn't get 15 yes responses! And I realised it was possible that I may be a little different to everyone else. Let me tell you, it was a bit of a shock to read things that I thought were what everyone did/hear/felt, but to learn that isn't so. I'm not sure how I'll go now, knowing I'm in a defined box - it sort of makes me itchy!

Messages from the Masters by Brian Weiss
A friend loaned me this one next. It's about past lives, and how some people have deeply embedded memories of previous lives, or the state in between physical lives. It was completely and utterly fascinating. I went to look up how to study hypnosis while I was reading it! - I felt an urge to let everyone benefit from this practice. I won't be doing it though, unless I win lotto.

I've been hypnotised before. A few years back. It was a mind-blowing experience. I went in skeptical, and expecting not to go under. I went under so quickly it shocked me, and then I went deeper and deeper, and I knew I was, and I wasn't worried at all. I remembered things from my childhood with such clarity. It was a very healing process in more ways than I expected it to ever be.

As I've read this book, I have more and more thoughts about my Past Lives story. And I have weird prickling sensations about what I wrote in this story. Many of the dreams I wrote for my character are actual dreams and thoughts I had. Initially I thought I was just engrossed in the writing and my characters were taking over - but what if that's not it? What if I'm writing stories of my past lives? I'm a bit spun out by that thought...however, I want to explore that story more now!

And while I've been off in the New Age reading, I've hit the pagan section too. I've been playing with Runes and Tarot, crystals and meditation, and thought I should find out more. I read a blog post by Danielle Dulsky and I went an immediately ordered her book. It was a powerful post and the words sang to me.

Woman Most Wild by Danielle Dulsky is incredible. I'm not quite sure how to describe it. I guess it's her call to other women, asking them to know themselves. It's sort of a bit of a pagan/witch explanation book (sorry, I don't know how you explain that any better), but it's more than that. It's a personal memoir in a way, but so much more. It's written as if she's speaking to the reader. Calling you to action. Asking if you notice or know the things she does.

I followed her on Instagram, as you do, and she has a brand new book which arrived last week but I haven't yet opened - The Holy Wild.

Am I a witch? Well, in my Past Lives writing, I wrote stories of being killed for my beliefs (or the character's beliefs). I wrote stories of being a herbal healer. And I tend towards that type of medicine now for myself - and I'm fussy about who I see and how they treat me. I feel strongly about nature, believing in Mother Nature instead of the more patriarchal 'God'. I work best outdoors. I feel the change of seasons. I believe in karma/fate. I've never cast a spell, but I have had wishes come true. I've never been to a pagan gathering, but I've sat around many campfires and felt such peace. I don't practice the Wiccan religion, but does religion make you a witch? I hate boxes, so I don't know the answer to the question.

I'm not sure where this reading is taking me...but I have so much fodder for stories. I have my Past Lives story to rework, and I know some of the things I was criticised for including in that story are not 'wrong'. And that terrifies me (how did I know?) and excites me (how did I know that?) :)

What have you been reading? Do you ever go on reading binges?

Wildlife Wednesday - Satin Bowerbird

I know I shouldn't still be ridiculously excited about having Bower birds in my yard...but I am!

This morning, the male came and drank at one of the water bowls in my yard, while I was nearby. OMG. I was grinning so hugely. I didn't have my camera, but the colour of his feathers - that impossibly glossy blue-black - is forever embedded in my memory.

This arvo I tossed some seed out to see if I could lure him when I had my camera, and I did! I didn't get very close, so not great shots, but he's getting more used to me now...and that's so exciting!

And a week later, I looked out my window when I heard the now-familiar chattering calls, and to my shock, I found two females and while I was snapping, the male came too.

These shots aren't great because it's through the window and it's not clean!

I might embarrass myself by saying this, but I stood at that window snapping as the females skittered and fluttered around each other, calling as if they were chatting to each other. It was quite a dance and I just kept snapping, completely amused by the pair.

When the male came, I almost fell through the glass trying to get a shot of all three together. Luckily they aren't as skittish now, so the bang of the camera on the glass didn't scare them off!

I downloaded the photos (gawd, how can you take 100 photos of birds, within a few minutes, through a blooming window!?!?!) and as I scrolled through them, I saw something I hadn't seen while snapping - the females were courting dancing. The two females!? I dug out my Pizzey, and it said that it takes up to 7 years for the males to develop the satin-blue feathers of an adult male. For the first 4 years, the males look like the females.

Maybe I have a female and a juvenile male. Or two juvenile males - wouldn't that upset the adult male!?

I'm learning more...and I'm loving my backyard. (And yes, writing stops, and all other work too, while I hang out the window watching fake courtship displays!)

What's keeping you amused this spring (or autumn if you're in the northern hemisphere)?

Can you see all 3 birds in this one?

Phallic Friday - anthers

This isn't my typical Phallic Friday post, but allow me to explain. I've been having a bit of a time photographing anthers lately.

Anthers are the pollen producing section of the male reproductive system of a flower.

The stamen is the name given to the whole male part, which comprises a filament (stalk) and an anther (oval shaped part with pollen).

They seem to be attracting my attention this spring.