On my last night with Jeannie, I saw a mouse scuttle across the floor – a tine wee bush mouse (well everything’s a bush something around here) and she admitted to me that this is because they don’t have the snake around at the moment which has been eating them. Snake around here? I shrieked. Yes, she admitted, it was upstairs, wriggling over the bed then off behind a shelf. Didn’t sleep so well last night:)
I’ve now moved to visit friends in Maleny, Queensland and their place is a wildlife santuary, right in the middle of lush rainforest, and nature is all so close around you. Here’s the view I see when taking a shower (I’ve noticed Australians in the bush don’t go in for curtains!).
Forest showers
So the discussion turned to all the interesting wildlife you can see around here, too numerous to list. I’m thinking ‘take me back to the city’ as I’m reassured that any noise in the night will be possums on the roof. Nevertheless, I accept the offer of being accompanied down the short path to the guest quarters – and what do I nearly tread on? Of course, a snake – ok so it wasn’t huge, but whew, how brave was I! Just a sharp intake of breath, some mild hysteria, then a fearful totter down the steps to the door. Then this morning the sun came out and suddenly everything round here is magical.
Vera,
Still wearing your new shoes in snake country ?
Ho ho ho…i remember how loud you used to shriek when we had a toy snake! Good going if you kept it to a whimper!
Was wearning open sandals actually – should ahve had my wellies on I know but I’ve got so at one with nature that I walk down the path alone with just my torch – not even a big stick.
And Fergus – if you and Callum hadn’t chased me around the garden with that toy snake so much, I probably wouldn’t be so nervous of them now!