A water non-feature...
When is a water feature not a water 'feature'? When the water isn't flowing through it, and the surrounding gardens are uber-messy. Ha! My wriggling little stream in the Wattle Woods is getting a major autumn clean up.
Footbridge over the Wriggling Stream
And not only it, but the gardens which surround it. So far I've only cleaned one small section, down a far as the first little footbridge. I've pulled vegetation from the stream bed (gum leaves, plus a thick mat of Lamium roots). I've dug out one basic green Phormium, trimmed it into pieces, and replanted them.
More Renga Renga
A hole!
I've found a hole in the plastic stream bed, caused by a little tree root - so I need a new piece of polythene. I've raked up and carted out three barrowfuls of rubbish and burnt them. Now the water is flowing again, which is rather a relief.
Much Later...
The middle section of the stream is tidied. I replaced the miniature Agapanthus along the path edge with Renga Renga. I trimmed the Phormiums around the little pond. I groomed the older Anemanthele grass clumps (I pull their seed heads off), and gathered up pieces of gum bark (dropped from the big overhead Eucalyptus trees). Then it started drizzling, so I cranked up the bonfire.
Hello Escher!
Suddenly then there was a cacophony of dog squealing and barking. Big brown Escher had come to visit!
Escher :- Escher lived with us in the country for a whole year. I miss his bigness and brownness!
Yeay for the big brown dog. He and Winnie charged around the lawns, shoulder to shoulder. She loves him! He loves her! They are best friends. Well, that's what I reckon. And I know that Escher loves me. He tries to tell me so, every time he visits, by squeaking and howling.
More dog news...
Earlier this morning Winnie went to the vet, where I was instructed on how to brush her teeth. Eek! She weighed in at 23kg, far too heavy for a female border collie.
Winnie is too fat!
So, as well as the 'top of the range' dental dog chews, I also bought a large bag of (expensive) restricted calorie food. Winnie is now on a serious diet. Why, oh why do we 'kill' (I mean 'make life difficult health-wise') our beloved pets by over-feeding them? Like big Fluff-Fluff, who (probably) left us prematurely because he was obese.
Winnie is too fat!
Wednesday 12th April
It's raining again, and I'm soooooooo glad that I planted some new things yesterday. I didn't water them, you see. And I didn't need to! And now - yeay! We are going to the dog park (gumboots and umbrella).
But first - an early morning revelation, this time regarding over-feeding dogs. Aargh! No, no, that's not the revelation speaking. Buster my black cat has just arrived, absolutely soaked, dripping water. Try again. OK. I measure out the exact amount in the special cup that comes with the restricted calorie dog food. It looks modestly substantial. But when I plop it into Winnie's food bowl it spreads out and looks miniscule! Poor darling!
The 'look' of the food portion must not be confused with the goodness and nourishment and the needs of the dog. I've been guilty of over-feeding visiting dogs, that's for sure. 'She has three and a half biscuits for breakfast', said Rosie the black labrador's mother, firmly. Next morning Rosie gazed at me with her brown labrador eyes and I gave her one extra. And then I sneaked her the left-over half. Of course I did!
The Wriggling Stream Bed
There's just one area by the little stream left to organise. But I wonder if I might let nature do her thing here. The ground is covered with ankle-high Anemanthele seedlings, and when they all grow bigger it will look magnificent. I just have to be patient. I can do patient!