Yesterday David was in the garden and a baby magpie flew up to him, landed untidily at his feet and looked up at him expectantly. Squaark! Squeeek! David walked to the house and it followed like a dog, squawking all the while. I heard the racket and went and got some cheese and fed it a bit. It was hopeless at pecking, just wanted to open its mouth wide and have the food pushed in. Squaark! Gobble gobble gobble. Squaa-aark! More! That's enough, I said to it. Too much cheese isn't good for your little birdy system.
But it wasn't taking no for an answer and kept up that baby-magpie incessant squawking, seeming desperate. So I went and found a newly dead blowfly and a big flying ant, dropped them into the gape. Gobble gobble, squaark! I went inside and tried to ignore it. It walked up and down the deck for what seemed like hours, looking in and demanding more, flapping its wings, hurling itself against the screen door, sounding alternately desperate, then angry, then hungry, so hungry. I had read somewhere that they can take oats mixed with fat. So we gave it a bit of that.
It seemed to like it. But was it full now? NO! Squaark Squaa-aark! This bird had clearly imprinted on me as its new mother. I went outside and walked it up to the back of the block where I knew its parents lived. They were hiding, it seems. It followed me back to the house, still carrying on. I got some more cheese and put it in a little pile some distance from the house. While it was distracted trying to peck and kill the cheese bits, I snuck back into the house and closed the blinds so it couldn't see me. It was getting dark. All went quiet. Later I saw it with its parents. I hoped they enjoyed their time out!
We are nearly ready for Christmas. First time ever that I don't feel strung out for time to do everything. Time! That good other side of being jobless. Learning to be thrifty is another one. A few home-made pressies this year.
We looked at live Christmas trees in Canberra on Thursday of last week. Breathtakingly expensive to buy. Unlike Canberra, no free pinus radiata growing any where around Diamond Beach. Hmmn, what to do? Here's what we did. Don't tell anyone, especially not Mae.
Time is 5.37am, just getting light.
Dawn clouds clearing, uplifting.
Target spotted. On the verge of an undisclosed, deserted road, surely this will have to be removed by council if it gets any bigger...
Target lifted.
A beautiful little callitris, Australian native conifer.
Fulfilling its destiny being a joy to behold and helping us celebrate our first bush Christmas.
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