I received a letter from 'Trees For Life' - an organization of which I'm a member:

"Dear Seed Collector,

Enclosed is your seed collection permit for the coming season.
...
I like to ensure that members who attend a seed collection workshop have a permit for more than a year.
..."
Okay, I attended a workshop in June. It was winter and freezing cold. The room where the introduction took place was not heated and I was not able to follow the lecturer. I only concentrated on my feet. How blue they may be and how they are slowly turning black. And when I will take off my shoes how the necrotic feet will fell off. It was a torture. So I left the (very good!) presentation an hour later - 5 hours earlier than expected. Now I have not really an idea how to collect seeds.
[Excerpt of the list of seeds needed for the seedbank:
Acacia argyrophylla, Acacia ligulata, Acacia nyssophylla, Acacia oswaldii, Acacia pygnantha, Acacia retinoides .... Senna artemisioides, Vittadinia blackii, cuneata or gracilis]

Whether there are animals more common than sheep then only one answer is possible: flies. They are not like the house flies in Europe. They are half the size and double annoying just fitting inside the ear and nose. I tried different repellents - natural and chemical based. Nothing worked. The only way to survive when working outside is wearing a fly net. Not fashionable but sufficient.

I'm very proud of my first botanical success:



The 'Kangaroo-Paw' is blooming. It's not really a South Australian plant but at least it's native to Australia. The velvet flowers remind me of the 'Edelweiss" from the Alps.

More information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_paw

Always entertaining.

buying a radio controlled wall clock






...when there are no radio waves at all!

Summer has arrived: on the weekend it will get 37*C and the first bushfires emerged in South Australia.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-11-21/port-lincoln-bushfire-comes-within-metres-of-homes/4383182?WT.svl=news1



Here some additional background information:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/summer-forecast-dry-and-bushfire-hot/story-e6frg6nf-1226476871647

The result:



A spectator who is not really interested in what's going on.



And the competition? Guess what!


The solution:

I scrapped my job as night nurse at the University - I'm physically not able to do an exhausting night shift and then drive 80 km back to my new home. I would end on a gumtree and this is the job not worthwhile. Now I have to learn some new vocabular: mm pp, hr, gut sounds. Mare, gelding, colt, stallion, filly. Pony, Mini, TB, Paint, Arab, Standard Breed, Grade. And so on. I'm doing some data research for a fabulous and engaged horse veterinarian: http://adelaideplainsequine.com We'll see how it works.

(= http://guterbubi.wordpress.com/) wouldn't have a slight chance to survive (here in Australia):


http://www.news.com.au/national/shelter-animals-killed-for-convenience/story-fncynjr2-1226480386569