Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Henry Lawson 1867-1922; Poetry



Reedy River;

Ten miles down Reedy River a pool of water lies,
And all the year it mirrors the changes in the skies,
And in that pool's broad bosom is room for all the stars;
Its bed of sand has drifted o'ver countless rocky bars.

Around the lower edges there waves a bed of reeds,
Where water rats are hidden and where the wild duck breeds;
And grassy slopes rise gently to ridges long and low,
Where groves of wattle flourish and native bluebells grow.

Beneath the granite ridges the eye may just discern
Where Rocky Creek emerges from deep green banks of fern;
And standing tall between them, the grassy she-oaks cool
The hard, blue-tinted waters before they reach the pool.

Ten miles down Reedy River one Sunday afternoon,
I rode with Mary Campbell to that broad, bright lagoon;
We left our horses grazing till shadows climbed the peak,
And strolled beneath the she-oaks on the banks of Rocky Creek.

Then home along the river that night we rode a race,
And the moonlight lent a glory to Mary Campbell's face;
And I pleaded for our future all through that moonlight ride,
Until our weary horses drew closer side by side

Ten miles from Ryan's Crossing and five miles below the peak,
I built a little homestead o the banks of Rocky Creek;
I cleared the land and fenced it and ploughed the rich, red loam,
And my first crop was golden when I brought my Mary home.

Now still down Reedy River the grassy she-oaks sigh,
And the water-holes still mirror the pictures in the sky;
And over all for ever Go sun and moon and stars,
While the golden sand is drifting Across the rocky bars.


But of the hut I builded there are no traces now.
And many rains have levelled the furrows of the plough;
And my bright days are olden, for the twisted branches wave
And the wattle blossoms golden on the hill by Mary's grave.

Henry Lawson

Monday, May 25, 2009

My world; A guest for lunch;












On Sunday a yellow crested Cockatoo flew in, said hello and wanted lunch. This bird was tame. It followed the vegetable gardener around. He could give it a pat, but it did not like me.
It was hanging around for a few hours and then suddenly took off and flew away.
Photos TS.
To see the world click here


Thursday, May 21, 2009

Deep fried Pastries; "Schenkeli"


The autumn sky;
Generally this deep fried traditional pastry is strictly for Carnival times which occurs in Switzerland in February. Here are no Carnival celebrations and in any case February in the subtropics is not an ideal month to make deep fried pastries, as it is still very humid and hot. I can not help myself but once a year I have to make Schenkeli. The ideal time is late autumn or winter. As I usually can not wait until winter, I make them in autumn. They are easy and quick. the only time it takes, is to let the dough rest over night, possibly in the fridge.


The finished Schenkeli which means loosely translated, "small thighs". Somebody had already sticky fingers.
The recipe if you want to try your hand on these. They are yummy and moreish!
Schenkeli (small thighs)
makes around 30
Butter 50 g
Sugar 125 g mix well together
Eggs 2 add
pinch of salt beat well by hand or with a electric beater until light and frothy.
Kirsch or Brandy 1 Tblspoon
The grated peel of 1 lemon
250 g plain flour
add to mixture and quickly knead the dough. For best results leave it in the fridge over night.
Make longish rolls about a finger thick, cut those in 8 cm long sticks. Deep fry in Peanut oil. I let them rest on absorbent paper to soak up the oil. The oil should not be to hot until the Schenkeli have risen and split. Sieve plenty of icing sugar over them. Ready to eat with a cup of tea or coffee.
Enjoy!


Tuesday, May 19, 2009

My World; Pelicans; Pelecanus conspicillatus;



The Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus) is a large water bird, widespread on the inland and coastal waters of Australia and New Guinea, also in Fiji, parts of Indonesia and as a vagrant to New Zealand.
 
The Australian Pelican was first described by Dutch naturalist
Coenraad Jacob Temminck in 1824. Its specific epithet is derived from the Latin verb conspicere 'to perceive', hence 'conspicuous'.
 
The Australian Pelican is medium-sized by
pelican standards: 1.6 to 1.8 m (5.3-6 ft) long with a wingspan of 2.3 to 2.5 m (7.6–8.3 ft) and weighing 4 to 13 kg (9–29 lb).[1][2] It is predominantly white with black along the primaries of the wings. The pale, pinkish bill is enormous, even by pelican standards, and is the largest bill in the avian world. The record-sized bill was 49 cm (19.5 in) long.
 
Australian Pelicans prefer large expanses of open water without too much aquatic vegetation. The surrounding environment is unimportant: it can be
forest, grassland, desert, estuarine mudflats, an ornamental city park, or industrial wasteland, provided only that there is open water able to support a sufficient supply of fish.
Australian Pelicans follow no particular schedule of regular movement, simply following the availability of food supplies. When the normally barren
Lake Eyre filled during 1974 to 1976, for example, only a handful of pelicans remained around the coastal cities: when the great inland lakes dried again, the population dispersed once more, flocks of thousands being seen on the northern coasts and some individuals reaching Christmas Island, Palau and New Zealand.
 
The Australian Pelican begins breeding at two or three years of age. Breeding season varies, occurring in winter in tropical areas (north of 26oS) and late spring in parts of southern Australia. Any time after rainfall is usual in inland areas. The nest is a shallow depression in earth or sand, sometimes with some grass lining. Grassy platforms are constructed at
Lake Alexandrina in South Australia. Nesting is communal, with colonies located on islands or sheltered areas in the vicinity of lakes or the sea. Breeding Australian pelicans will lay one or three chalky-white eggs measuring 93 x 57 mm, which are often scratched and dirty.[3] After they hatch, the larger one will be fed more, and the smaller one will eventually die of starvation. For the first two weeks the chicks will be fed regurgitated liquid, but for the remaining two months they will be fed fish such as goldfish or the introduced European carp, and some invertebrates. Widespread throughout its large range, the Australian Pelican is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Source W
ikipedia
Photo TS.
Showyourworld click here

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Mother's Day;

The vegetable gardener, Poeta and Scientist, closed his eyes and handed over the finances.
Considering ( the little money I spend) I had quite a good shopping spree.

No, I did not buy this rose. Elina grows in my garden from a cutting, which was free from my daughter's garden.


I bought a new teapot. Botanic blue from Portmeirion.


I really "needed" a new shopping bag. Who could say no to this snazzy piece. (It is not leather, fine for me.)


Who would guess that this cute purse is woven from bamboo. It is from Ciannis.


My favourite, a new journal, spring green embossed with flowers, made in Italy.


I can not wait to use all these blank pages.



A little egghead...a tape measure (they always disappear) this one has a magnet and hopefully stays on the fridge door.
I had a few nice Mother's Days staying with my second daughter in the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast. The cottage has no electricity, outdoor toilet had a wonderful view in to the bush. Shower had piping hot water and in the evening the solar lights came on. In the morning a chorus of bird song was welcoming the new day.




Tuesday, May 12, 2009

My World; The Bush;



In Australia, woodlands are called "the bush". The vegetation exudes a certain scent, warm and exotic, very alluring, sometimes similar to "la garrigue in the Provence".



I chased a lonely butterfly...that is all I came up with! I think it is a Monarch who has lost its realm!



The bush is also a busy building site.





Some build mansions...this ants nest is as hard as concrete.

Showyourworld click here

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Changing Time;




CHANGING TIME




THE cloud looked in at the window,

And said to the day, "Be dark!"

And the roguish rain tapped hard on the pane,

To stifle the song of the lark.



The wind sprang up in the tree tops

And shrieked with a voice of death,

But the rough-voiced breeze, that shook the trees,

Was touched with a violet's breath.



Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906)

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

My World; Country Roads;


Up and down....


...and straight ahead...

...through a town... or two



... around the bend....
Click here to travel on roads around the world.
Photos TS.