Sweet little thing

I don't do reptiles.

I despise snakes with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns.  Really, I don't like them at all.

Frogs are cute until the moment they jump at me.  

Toads are evil invaders and ugly to boot.  

And lizards, well I'm sure they're nice but I'm happy for them to exist separate to me and my world.

And then I spotted this little mite in my strawberry patch the other morning....

hello little lizzie!  hope you are enjoying your sunning perch on that manky old orange!

....cute as a button.  I don't think the photo shows his size correctly but he was only about 8cm long - so little!

I'm sure I saw his (her?) parent lizard in the garden the other week - a bit of a novelty as they aren't often seen in suburbia (well, as suburbia as we live).  But mum/dad is a welcome addition to my vegetable patch so long as I see them well in advance and don't get scared witless thinking they're a snake as they scamper off through the weeds!

I really don't do snakes.

Is it just me?

Or do these things happen to other people as well?  I tell ya, I'm starting to get a bit of a complex.  Why me has been uttered a few times this last week and I'm really hoping this is the end of it.


Today I woke to the sound of a bird chirping.  


Not so much of a problem you say?  Well, said bird was chirping from my kitchen.  On the bench.  In my kitchen.  Inside my house.


For the fifth (FIFTH!!) time in 12 months a bird has fallen down the chimney and found itself flapping around the house, flying into windows and squawking for its friends.  Stupid bird.  And of course, this only ever happens as the sun starts peeking over the horizon.  Never at lunch time, or in the afternoon, no no no, these little buggers wait until I've got a sleep-in planned and then they strike! 

Picture courtesy:
www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2004/04/08/2044900.htm

This morning it was an Indian Myna - currently in plague proportions in our little neck of the woods.  That makes three Mynas and two parrots venturing into my domain to wreak havoc and freak out in the last year.  Hopefully they aren't stupid enough to be the same bird.


Eventually, I managed to get it out by opening a few doors and windows and hoping for the best.  They usually sense freedom and make a speedy exit so all's well that ends well.  


I have to complete this task on my own because the LOML, who gets an allergic reaction from a feather doona, would probably require hospitalisation after an episode like this!  As it was, when he emerged from behind the closed bedroom door an hour after the deed was done he still choked up and started itching - and that was after I had swept the floors and had the fan on high (bbrrrrr!) to try and shift the 'bird cooties'.


I can just imagine the conversation these birds have when they finally get out and make it back to their mates.....

You'll never guess what just happened to me?  I was abducted by aliens - tall, giant, feather-less aliens that can't fly - who live in a freaky cave that has invisible walls that you can see through but when you go to fly through them you knock yourself out.  I'm lucky to have escaped!

I bet his birdy mates teased him last time (assuming it was the same bird)....

Good on ya!  You didn't get abducted at all - you just had too much grass seed and were a little under-the-weather....there's no such thing as aliens.

You reckon!?!  I'll prove it to you....this is where I was sitting when I fell.....TTTTWWWEEeeeeettt!!!  (sound of bird falling)

Don't get me wrong, I love the nature and wildlife we have around our house.  I'm just over it trying to get into my house - between the possums, galahs and now these birds, I'm feeling a little terrorised.  Someone (ie not me) really needs to get up onto the roof and fix up some holes......


On a (more positive) side note, my hands have returned to normal following the dye incident of the other night.  Turns out that semi-obsessional hand-washing for two consecutive days is the way to go!  

You crazy galah

Yesterday afternoon while I was waiting for the LOML to come home from work, I heard a noise coming from the back of the house that sounded like someone was trying to break in.

No need to tell you I shit myself and immediately started thinking which alternative exit I would take to GET ME OUTTA THERE.  We have a number of...how to put this politely...ferals....living in the next street over so I'm always cautious when I'm home alone.

Eventually I got angry enough (who the hell do they think they are trying to break into my house!?!) to go and investigate.  True, I did so sneakily, tiptoe-ing along the timber floorboards and peering out from behind a curtain.  But investigate I did.

Couldn't see anything from the window so then I had to brave it and go outside.  At least it was still daylight.  If it was night-time, not a chance.

Anyway, this is what was trying to break into my house.....

Note to self: must do something about that mould....

....two pink galahs.

My guess is that they were looking for a place to set up house - a love shack all of their own. 

Unfortunately for them this house is already taken.  And no amount of eating the weatherboards (that's what the noise was) is going to change that.

Bloody nature*.

* running joke in this household - said by the sister of a friend who, after moving to a bushland setting surrounded by native trees, was woken one morning (quite late by any standard) by a number of birds chirping and singing outside her window.  Upon rising and greeting her guests uttered the immortal words 'bloody nature'.  Funny as!