Botanical Gardens

This morning we went for a hike in the Cairns Botanical Gardens. They're sort of half nature preserve and half manicured formal gardens. But they feel decidedly tropical. Here are some photos.
The large tree is a paperbark tree. It was very soft and cuddly. Next to it is one of the more landscaped areas in the garden. Can't get this stupid thing to stop underlining everything, sorry.












Here you can see a bush turkey. He's kind of cute. And in the next photo there is a strange Australian plant. It was a vine, hanging outside the ladies'.

First Day in Cairns

Sleeping spectacled flying foxes, a saltwater croc warning sign, pelicans, a cannonball tree, and home sweet home.




Hello again. I arrived in Cairns yesterday afternoon, after three miserably long flights. I immediately fell asleep, of course. But this morning I got up around seven and went exploring. I found a flock of pelicans, a cannonball tree, a few cranes, and several hundred slumbering spectacled
flying foxes! Here are some photos.

Here's Hot Dog, having a grand old time in Upper Field. How I miss him, and his floppy ears!

Well, I'm immersed in the purgatory that is packing. And cleaning. And organizing. And fending off well-wishers from all directions. No, actually I'm only slightly overwhelmed, and very excited. I'm leaving in five days! Yay!

I do miss my pigs. Martha sent me some photos of the new boar and gilts, and they are lovely. I also liked the one, shown here, of Hot Dog wallowing in upper field.

~a