Sellie

In March 2005, Sellie was born in the cabin of an abandoned table-top truck on a small landholding on the outskirts of Sydney. She came to me five weeks later.

At the age of five, she is slowing down, sleeping more, hunting less. As she ages, she is becoming more affectionate and hungry for my company. She sleeps here, in an A4 wicker tray, beside my keyboard.

Is there such a thing as an autumn equinox?

There is much growth in my garden at the moment, not frantic clambering growth at any cost, but a calm, mature segue into the cooler months.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.

Still life with fur

A precedent is a pretty silly thing to set!

Once upon a time, my cats, Sylvie and Sellie, were happy with the odd scratch, maybe every other day. Maybe just an absent-minded scritch behind the left ear. Not anymore. No siree ... Not any more.

Now, they come to me. And if I pay scant notice, they sit on my keyboard and thwack my cheek. Whadda we want? A scritch. When da we wanit? ... you get my drift.

However, I have come to realise there is lots in this for me. Less hair inside, for starters. Less asthmatic reaction, for seconds. And a very healthy, toned pair of cats into the bargain.

Now to the mug of coffee ... I used to make my own each morning. Just Moccona and hot water with a dash of milk. Not any more. Jools has wisened up - past participle of 'to wizen'. She now nips across the bus layby and into the corner shop for a 'large flat white, no sugar' for $3.80. And what a delight it is, and I only need one to keep me going all day!

Finally, here is a bud forming on a segment of the Holiday Succulent that I was given over the weekend. What joy!

Early morning sprinkle

This is the best I have ever seen my Poinsettia. However, I thought they were meant to flower at Christmas.

Fig cycle

This is a Black Genoa fig. I don't know much about its seasonal cycle, but it had no sooner matured this first fig, than others are forming on the new growth.


It suffers damage to its leaves, though. It looks like it could be wind and rain that tears at the edges, although I suspect it rather is a bug, but I cannot locate the blighter. The fruit was as delicious as the shop bought variety even though not ripe to the very edge. Maybe I was just too keen!

Another additon to my orchard

This Shepard Avocado was so delicious that I googled how to grow avocado in my climate and figuring I could manage that (I figure I can manage most things, so long as I change the rules!), I set about striking the seed. I found me a coffee jar, broke a bamboo stick in half, and using two pointy ends, set up a cradle across the lip of the jar so that the seed just sat in the water. I guess that was about the beginning of March.


I took it out of the water when I returned from down south, to be greeted by this long root covered in slime.Figuring that to be for the good, I stuck it in a good friable soil, watered it, and proceded to sit back and watch it grow.

So, now I have an avocado, a fig, a lemon, a lime, two olive trees, and herbs (basil, oregano, parsley and mint).

Goodo ...