A Winter Walk

Our river is slowly dropping after the floods and is almost at the regular level, although it has altered the landscape down there so much it is hard to tell.

The boat ramp is still there but the road leading up to it is washed away and all the surrounding land so it is just out there in the river now. Many trees have gone and many more a re damaged, it is a bit of a moonscape, and the river itself has altered its course a little bit, there are new meanders and eddies that are appearing as the water level drops.


The whole area is covered in a slick layer of sticky clay with sand covering a lot of it but is still slippery underneath and the boys have both had a few muddy outcomes.

These boys love to get down there and run and jump and leap around the place.


Mr10 is having a ball, Mr6 is not that well so he is much calmer than his big brother on this occasion.



What a team!

The Mighty Mighty Clarence River

Is Flooding the Clarence Valley-

These are the cows that live in the paddocks around us and everyone is pitching in to move them to higher ground
- by motor boat and row boat, walking and swimming through flooded paddocks, and the wonderfull horses and the horsemen who are riding them through flood waters, without saddles and in shorts. They are having to cut fences as the flood is rising so fast and flowing so strongly, the boats and animals were just swirling around in circles, so they need to follow the highest ground, not the roads and gates.




This is the view from the hill just near our house- and this is almost how high it got,
thankfully it peaked last night and is dropping .


It was down much more this morning -
much to the delight of my 2 little boys who have a bad case of cabin fever and are so glad to be able to get outside and run and jump in the breaks in the weather.


There are all sorts of things to explore and discover-


And this river red gum that grows beside the road is our unofficial flood level marker-
It is lovely to see it and to see more and more of it -

The poor chooks are not very happy with the weather, but the ducks are loving it-
The dogs are enjoying all the walks as we constantly go to look at 'where it is now'- they are wet and muddy and having a wonderful time.

Mr10 has been keeping the birdfeeder topped up for all the local wild birds and Emerald was out on the verandah in her cage having a bath when 4 wild lorikeets landed on top of her cage and had a visit with her for about 10 minutes- it was very special and the boys and I were having a lovely cuddle as we all watched- they flew away when the dogs came onto the verandah.
The photos through the screen door did not work out though.

The wild weather is not over yet but I am feeling much better.
We are amongst the lucky ones, we had a leaking roof and our vegie garden is badly eroded, but we are here at home and with power- we are warm and well fed and have everything we need.
I feel that we are blessed.
Many people are still evacuated, peoples homes, cars, caravans and sheds have been inundated, people have been hurt and rescued and some have died, animals as well, there have been mud slides, bridges washed away and even roads have collapsed, but we are safe. DH is safe as well and he is away in another flood affected area.
The wind is still gale force and more rain is still coming but I think the worst of it is over for us.
I hope all those people down river from us and people in other area's affected by this awesome weather are safe and OK.

More Photo's on the local ABC- images from all over the North Coast

Alphabet Walk

On our walk today Mr5 wanted to find something that started with every letter of the alphabet-

and he wants to share them here-

A- Adaptation- this tree is growing such an Angle
because of the floods that regularly cover this area.


B- Boys- in the river on a Beautiful day.


C- Cliff- the towering cliffs that hide in the fog in the mornings.


D- Dogs- swimming in the river


E- Eucalyptus Tree


F- Flower- Thistle flowering, I love the colour


G- Grid- the cattle grid to stop the horses and cows from going onto the road


H-Horses


I- Island in the middle of the river,
where little boys love to explore and search for burried treasure.


J- Joy- the joy of boys in dirt!


Kaos- the Kaos of nature


L- Love and Loyalty 2 boys and 2 dogs totally devoted to each other


M- Mr5 found a Mussel (now known as Russel the Mussel)

N- Naturally naked- but you just have to imagine a little boy frolicking in the river here


O- Outside in the open air


P- Perserverance- there used to be a whole group of these callistemons, but each flood there are less and less- this one is all on its own now.


Q- Quiet, peaceful and calm


R- Ramp, for the boats to get into the River


S- Sugarcane


T- Tractor


U- Underwater rocks


V- Vines- creating perfect hide outs


W- Water


X- noXious fish sign

We were a bit stumped for the last 2,
untill our lovely Rockpool friend Sarah helped out with some suggestions- thankyou Sarah-

Y- Yahooing whilst Z- Zooming up the hill