Feeding The Yabbies

Standing by the top dam at Chateau de Liswar, after the tragic fires of last month, in January 2014, I had a strong sense of déjà vu.

It was early Monday evening, close to the road and the driveway gate and there were no signs of the tragic Parkerville or Stoneville bushfires of the previous day. Not even the smell of smoke, as a strong sea breeze blew up from the coast to keep the temperature down.

Lloyd, the Persian cat, had done a bunk – he had skipped out the back door after I put him inside, but I knew he would be back for dinner. Rather than trying to catch him, I decided to let his curiosity do it instead.

He followed me to the dam the first time I went down the bank, staying cautiously back behind the bushes, out of reach. I pretended to ignore him and went back into the house.

I chopped two carrots up very finely, returned and spread them around the edge of the dam. I was hoping the yabbies (small freshwater crustaceans) would come up to feed, before it got too dark to see them. Some of the goldfish I rescued last year were swimming about, their black and gold scales showing clearly under the surface of the water.

We had a terrible heat wave in January last year, (2013). Warren and Lisa were away and I was recovering from breast cancer surgery of the previous month, but hadn’t started my chemotherapy at the  time. [Read more…] about Yabbies and Deja vu

Please note – this post was Updated and republished on August 8, 2018

Mack the Knife

Oh, the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear
And it shows them pearly white
Just a jackknife has old Macheath, babe?
And he keeps it out of sight

It has been impossible to escape news about sharks, their teeth, and other matters marine in the past few weeks. It is highly unlikely when John Gay (1685 – 1732) created the character of Macheath for “The Beggar’s Opera” that great white sharks were on his mind. When it first appeared, in 1728, it was in a performance designed to lampoon and make cartoon characters of notorious criminals of the day, as well as a notable Whig political leader, and politicians in general.

He was bitterly disappointed at his failure to find a place of patronage at the Court of either George I or George II in London. After fourteen years in the Court and finally awarded a lowly position, he wrote “The Beggar’s Opera”. [Read more…] about “Mack the Knife” Beggars Belief.