Garden Flora and Fauna

Spring has come and the bobtails are on the move again.  After reading that they don’t hibernate over winter I’ve noticed whenever there’s a warm day they are out sunning themselves.  I’ve also had a visit from the one that wanders around the units’ gardens. I’m unsure if it’s the one who escaped from my place or the one I call ‘Bob’ as he lives mostly in my neighbour Bob’s yard. He comes up to visit, sunning himself in my front garden in the safety of the bushes.  He is so chilled, allowing me to pick him up and handle him without any complaints, unlike my feisty little characters.

I have opened up the garden at side of the house for my little family so that they can explore and patrol the area keeping the bugs at bay.  Its lovely listening to them as they scrunch their way over the dry leaves. I often look out the glass doors to see them exploring the garden. One day I heard some strange noises and went out to investigate.  Mamma who had escaped in the past had another go even after I thought I had made the little fence secure.  From my side door I watched her climb the wire netting and just as she was about to flop over the top, I pulled her back!  Then towards the end of the month after putting floppy wire netting over the top of the little fence, I heard her near the raised garden bed wall.  She had climbed into the reeds and was checking out the wall for an escape route.  I caught her again and reprimanded her, warning her that if she does escape she could end up getting run over on the driveway or road.  I then put some of my pots along the top of the wall to try to prevent her climbing out.  Oh what a little escape artist.

Mamma often follows me around the garden, looking for titbits I might have for her.  Sometimes I turn over stones or pots revealing the slaters or offer her a worm or two.  Feeding her by hand does have its challenges as she thinks my fingers and toes are worth eating.  So when I go barefooted, which is most of the time in the warmer weather, I have to watch to see where she is.  Although I keep a sharp eye out for my little family, they are so used to me wandering around the garden that they often don’t move out of my way.  On one occasion I remember seeing Mamma sunning herself so looked for her there as I stepped out of the back door. All of a sudden I realised she was right in front of me, I lifted my foot just in time to avoid stepping on her tail.

Other regular visitors to my garden are the Butcher Birds who eat insects and small lizards, the Red Wattlebird which is a honeyeater but also eats small insects.  The honeyeater had become quite accustomed to me and often doesn’t fly away when he sees me.  I love watching it dashing around the garden, peering under the leaves of plants seeking out insects and dipping its beak into flowers, especially my banksias to extract the nectar.  It’s such a delight to have these regular visitors in my garden; not only do they control the pests but they bring me such joy knowing they feel safe around me.

Most of the fig grafts I had help attaching last month, didn’t survive but the bud graft looks like it might have.  I will continue to keep an eye on it and God willing it will even produce fruit this year.  Also looking productive are my citrus.  The mandarin and orange have flowered and produced tiny little fruits which for the first time have remained on the trees. I think this has a lot to do with the foliage spray I have been using which supports plants planted in my highly alkaline soils. The lime certainly has increased its productivity and continues to produce flowers and fruit.

One week night early this month I was awake at 3am with a terrible stomach ache.  I immediately got up and took some bicarbonate soda. It took a while to work during which time I was able to eliminate some of the cause down the toilet!  Lying awake I felt waves rippling out from the epicentre of the cramps, causing me to feel cold.  I turned on my electric blanket and prayed for healing. It took a bit but eventually I fell asleep, waking after 7am feeling much better.  That morning I had a lovely chat to Ririn who had left Bali to study in Java. She wants to improve her English so we catch up on her news practicing as we chat.  Mariati, another of Cheryl’s girls, also keeps in touch although our conversations are very challenging as neither of us are good in the other’s language. Both girls are looking for supporters who can pray and contribute towards their financial needs.  If anyone is interested in helping them out please let me know. I’ve been receiving quite a few amazing testimonies from the teams there in regards to their outreach.

When I walk to the beach after my jog in the mornings I usually wear a black windcheater with a Jesus design on the front.  I often see people looking to see what it says, just recently I’ve had two lovely comments.  One guy was jogging by called out ‘Go Jesus!’ I shouted back ‘Amen!’ I’m glad others are enjoying my favourite top and who it proclaims.

Another day while walking down for my swim I passed a couple of young surfers.  They were near their vehicles and getting ready for the surf.  In the gutter near one of their cars I saw a nappy and called out ‘You’ve dropped your nappy’.  Fortunately they saw my sense of humour and laughed.  They must have been forty years my junior.  That does make me feel my age!

After our sudden storm earlier in the month the sand on the beach at Hamersley Pool was washed into our pool making it very shallow.  It was still worth going in even if it only came up to my calves. So refreshing!

Carrying on from my challenges with my banks, I received an email to say that my visa debit/credit card which I’d had for over 30yrs was going to be discontinued. This was the card I had only just taken the block off. The only reason I was with this bank was because of this very rare debit/credit card all in one. One of the other banks I was with was also being bought out and the bank that had bought them out was not one I wanted to be with so I closed both accounts and opened a new account with a bank which gives credit on a transaction account.  This account also offers very good rates for exchange while I’m overseas.  I think the Lord has led me to a much better arrangement.  Thank you Jesus.

I also set up an account for an international debit card which I can use overseas which Jen suggested I get.  It gives great conversion rates and enables you to purchase and holds over 50 countries currencies.  I’m now ready for my next overseas trip, plus I can send money much easier or that’s what I hoped.  While trying to set up accounts to transfer money into overseas banks, I had some trouble with using two languages!  I was hoping it would be simple but when asking the girls in Indonesia for their bank details it became obvious that it wasn’t as simple as I’d hoped.  Not only could I not find the bank they were with, in the dropdown list, but the other means of sending it were also confusing as the girls either didn’t have the second choice or had a different name on that account!  Praise the Lord I was able to send money to an Australian bank belonging to the Aussie working with them; it was then forwarded to the girls.  She has also offered to help me set up the girl’s accounts as she also has the same international debit card. I also put a call into the call centre to ask why the Indonesian bank was not on their dropdown list.  Praise the Lord I had the SWIFT code for the bank, and was told the bank I was asking about was actually under a different name.  I then ran all the details by my friend who obviously was able to transfer the money safely and make sure I have the correct information before I need to make another payment.

Another challenge I’ve had this month started when I received a letter from RAC addressed to my mother; The Estate of the Late.  It was a notice for a reimbursement. I called to say my mother passed away in 2019.  I had been her representative for RAC but they wouldn’t accept that so I tried another tack. I contacted the person who had been her official Accounts person but unfortunately as in the past she didn’t get back to me for several days then I never heard from her again.  My last resort was the Public Trust.  I hadn’t wanted to go this route as I’m sure they will charge us and the money to be reimbursed was only $200 divided between them and us 4 sisters. Well it’s in their hands now so we will just have to wait and see.

I wonder what next month’s challenges will bring.  Through them all I have learnt the Lord is faithful, He is with me, helping me learn to lean more and more on His guidance.  It’s so reassuring to know my future is in His loving Hands.

Photos:  1. Pink rock orchid (Dendrobium Kingianum)    2. Two of the kids    3. Red Wattle Honeyeater    4. Fig graft    5. Bob    6. Butcher bird

Prayer & Praise Points:

Praise the Lord for His ever present guidance and love.

Praise Him for this wonderful spring weather and the freedoms we have here in Australia.

Praise the Lord for answered prayer.  Jen sold her van and is now on her way to Morocco for the last leg of her journey.  Please pray for her safety for the remainder of her travels in Morocco and the UK.

Continue to pray for world peace and for the refugees who are caught up in the suffering this war has caused, both in Ukraine and Russia.

Please keep my sisters, Tricia, Jen and Kat, in your prayers.  Pray that they will come to know the love of Jesus.