Just thinking

When I went to Office Works the other day, it was a trip I enjoyed, with my car window down and the perfume of damp earth, Eucalyptus trees and other bush vegetation wafting through. I wanted to jump out of the car and go strolling through the scrub like I used to do when I lived in the outback and then in the farming region. City living is a necessity when one gets old, living close to hospitals, chemists, specialists, doctors and of course shopping precincts. But nostalgia calls all the time to return. It seems I must content myself perhaps to little trips, scribbling my bush poetry taken from my memories and keep busy so I don't get blasted homesick all the time! I would love to be in the Murchison, particularly in the winter and spring, not necessarily the summer thank you when the sun beats down on one's head fare to push me through the baked ground! But to see the willy willy's spring up, swirling around filled with twigs and dirt and anything else it picks up, kangaroos umping away from my intrusion, the leaps causing puffs of dust or an inquisitive emu treading warily towards my stationary person. Until I moved! Here where I live I often get the smell of the jarrah trees wafting down from the hills, and the familiar itch occurs and I have the desire to wander through the Darling Ranges, checking out the plants and dark-trunked jarrah trees, granite rocks and such. Have you ever been bush reader? You don't know what you are missing. I feel for the kids of the city today, who do not have the freedom I have had when growing up and in my married years, where I roamed freely wherever I wished to go. Youngsters today cannot do that, unless it is a controlled visit to the bush. Perhaps I am not making myself easily understood, but as kids we took off into the scrub wherever the fancy took us, never worrying about getting lost or of 'absolute rotters' who may be hiding. Such things never entered our heads. We would roam anywhere and mostly barefoot. I do not recall getting feet full of prickles! Quite often I roamed on my own, amongst the granite rocks up in the Darling Ranges seeking the elusive and precious orchids, donkey, spider, pink lady, blue enamel. They were never picked, but enjoyed. It is wonderful walking through the bush and smelling the rich aroma of the blackboy. In my younger years, damaged blackboy trees were used for lighting fires, within reason of course, as the gum clogged up the chimneys. A delight though, when having picnic or camping out for the aroma of burning blackboy was delightful! Dangling from their writhing positions from shrubs and trees hang the fringed lily to enhance one's view. Underfoot were the yellow bellybuttons, amongst them the mulla mulla's, or pussytails another name for them, the common name.


Cotton bush on Three Rivers station in the Murchison



Blackboys, Gooseberry Hill, Darling Ranges

White everlastings, Moorarie Station, Murchison



Kangaroo Paws and smoke bush, Kings Park, Perth



Royal Mulla Mulla or Pussytails, Murchison

Donkey Orchids in a park near me, Kelmscott

Pink enamel orchid, Darling Ranges

Smoke bush and a friends hand Toodyay

Blue Leschenaultia Toodyay



A little blue unkown creeper



Sturt Desert pea, DeGrey region Pilbara.

Memory is a ...

Well there you go! For quite some months I have not been able to get into my blog because I had forgotten the password and then of course, going through the help business I have no way to receive it on SMS. But tonight, I was visiting WA Poets Inc and my name is there as a member, when I clicked on my name, my blog came up and I sat there staring at it. The password popped into my head. Howzatt then, back to blog writing again. But not tonight as its rather late, but definitely soon!

Lots of rains

This is the third addition to my blog recently regarding rain. Rain and rain keeps tumbling down in the USA as ours seems to lift a bit. The result of ours in lower WA has been prolific growth in my garden and the result of theirs has been what we suffer from at times, flood, floods and more floods! We are warned and warned to be prepared, for the good and the bad. Give mighty thanks for the miracles and pleas for safety. Heavenly Father will listen. Then to add to the USA's woes, Obama is seeking war with Syria. Pray for the government of our nations that they may choose what is right! Pray for ourselves to choose the right! And prepare! Study self reliance and do something for the bad and be grateful for the good

Western Australia's weather chart
for late August 2013. Here it comes again.



A reward of a display of donkey orchids after all our
rains in Perth August 2013 (photo by Judith Fulton)

Floods in Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Missouri rain coming August 2013

These people lost their caravan to the raging
flood seen behind them. Missouri, September 2013

Like in Australia, cars get swallowed up in floods in Missouri

Rain keeps falling and devastating flooding continues in portions of Missouri, Kansas and neighboring parts of Oklahoma and Arkansas.
Multiple complexes of thunderstorms have rolled from west to east across the region this week, and additional storms will bring even more rainfall into the weekend across flood-weary areas.
Portions of central and southwestern Missouri have received more than a foot of rain so far during the first week of August, which is four times the normal for the entire month.
The rainfall has led to dramatic flash and urban flooding, as well as rises on some of the rivers in the Ozark Mountain region.
The Gasconde River at Jerome, Mo., set a record high level of 33.83 feet, breaking the old record of 31.34 feet set on Dec. 5, 1982. A near-record crest is forecast by National Weather Service hydrologists farther downstream on the river at Rich Fountain, Mo.
The Maries River in Missouri crested just below record levels. Moderate flooding occurred along the Neosho River in Kansas earlier this week.
The torrential rainfall has hit some communities so hard and so fast that some people were caught off guard.
During Thursday morning, many downtown streets were flooding in Wichita, Kan. Most streets in Fairland, Okla., were under water for a time as well.
A portion of I-44 near Waynesville, Mo., was closed at midweek due to inundation, but the road has reopened. Dozens of Missouri roads remained closed Thursday.
A 4-year-old boy died and his mother was missing after their vehicle was swept into deep water, according to Pulaski County Missouri Sheriff Ron Long. Two law enforcement officers were stranded near Highway 7 and the Gasconade River.
Communities and campgrounds along some of the streams and rivers in the region were evacuated Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Pulaski County Sheriff's Office is reporting that 50 homes have been destroyed and hundreds of others have been flooded.
The National Weather Service in Springfield, Mo., has described the flooding potential as "extreme," and Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency.
Additional water rescues and evacuations have taken place Wednesday night in the town of Hollister, Mo.
The worst of the rain has fallen from eastern and central Kansas to central and southwestern Missouri, brushing northeastern Oklahoma and northern Arkansas. There has been and will continue to be a sharp cutoff to the rain to the north and south.
Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo., has received over 14 inches of rain in seven days, which is several inches greater than its entire average rainfall for the three summer months of June, July and August.
Popular tourist area, Branson, Mo., has received 8 inches of rain in 24 hours spanning Wednesday into Thursday.
Meanwhile, in St. Louis and Des Moines, Iowa, to the north and Tulsa, Okla., and Little Rock, Ark., to the south, less than one half inch of rain has fallen during August as of the morning hours of Aug. 8.
The location and terrain in the Ozarks region is prone to flash flooding.
In June of 2010, flash flooding claimed the lives of 20 people in the Arkansas Albert Pike Recreation Area.
Over the Ozarks, moisture from the Gulf of Mexico meets up with complexes of thunderstorms from the Plains. The rainfall is channeled rapidly through area streams and rivers along the hillsides.


...and Obama is doing his best to persuade congress to have military intervention against the Syrians and the atrocious attacks to rebels in that nation, if rebels they may be!

it's about all that rain...

I mean really, I wrote all of that stuff and posted Perth Now's news article about the rain with its wind and flood warnings and such, writing of what it has done to my garden, and never once acknowledged the True giver of this great blessing. I hang my head in shame! I was working on something else when I realized that and I humbly beg Heavenly Father's forgiveness. Some time back I had prayed for rain, and here is the blessing, a wonderful blessing and now I publicly say thank you Heavenly Father and hope and pray others have done the same. We here in Australia, a dry continent, should never growl about the rain, just prepare for the occasional floods accordingly!

Rain, rain,rain!

So Western Australia, the southern

Radar chart of the rain band across
Australia that has deluged half of our
big state

 

Perth freeway leading to the city. The shadow beyond the city
skyline are the Darling Ranges covered with rain clouds

half of this big state, cops a beaut few days of rain and rain. So whose complaining for its raining, raining! And the cloud band spreads right across Australia! Yesterday coming home from the Temple toward evening in peak hour traffic, the ranges had their hill tops smothered with black cloud and clouds wreathed around their edges into the valleys. We on the flatland in front of the ranges were getting wet also. its wonderful for the dams will be filled. Noticed the Canning and Southern Rivers were swollen with their floodwaters. Outside now as I write at 9:44am, it rains, my garden is soaked, but all my flowers are heavy with buds and flowers and the tomato plants are reaching for the heavens as only the Gross Lisse tomatoes can do. They are enjoying it

DRENCHING overnight rain has dumped 80mm on some parts of the Hills and up to 50mm in the metropolitan area - and more showers are forecast.

Perth had 45mm to 9am after heavy rain hit the metropolitan area between 4pm and 5.45pm last night and continued through the night.
Falls were heaviest in the Hills and southern suburbs, with Bickley, south-east of Perth, recording 80mm to 9am and Pickering Brook 60mm. Jandakot had 51mm, with Champion Lakes and Armadale recording 47mm.
Perth Airport has had 32mm and most suburbs have recorded at least 30mm or more.
Swanbourne got 36mm and Pearce, 40km inland, had 32mm. Gingin, 80km north-east of the city, had 48mm.
Rain is forecast to ease to showers during the day.
Water on Stock Road, Bibra Lake
Flooding over Stock Road, near Phoenix Road in Bibra Lake is affecting early morning traffic.
The northbound lanes are affected through the area and emergency services are on site to clear the incident.

Traffic is busy through the area.
Tree smashes onto house
Emergency services received eight calls for help in the Perth metropolitan area.

The most significant call so far has been for a tree hitting a house in Parkerville, in the Hills.

A Department of Fire and Emergency Services spokesman said the majority of the calls for help had been for leaking roofs.

In the South West falls were lighter with much of the rain falling yesterday during the day. Collie and Walpole share the top falls with 27mm.
Some decent falls are expected to reach the agricultural area as the heavy rain band pushes east during the day.
In the Great Southern, most centres received soaking rains, with some getting up to 25mm. Bannister and Kojonup 23mm, Brookton 20mm and Wandering, 120km south-east of Perth, had 17mm and Katanning 14mm.
Flood Watch for South West
A Flood Watch remains in place for much of the South West, including the Vasse, Preston, Lower Collie and Harvey River catchments

"River levels along the coast from Mandurah to Busselton have shown significant rises during the past 48 hours. A few of the river level sites in the upper Preston and lower Collie River catchments are close to minor flood level. As the catchments are wet and further rainfall forecast, the rivers may continue to rise during today into Thursday with minor flooding.

For current information on road conditions contact Main Roads WA on 138 138 or at www.mainroads.wa.gov.au.
After a freak weather event on Tuesday created a dangerous water spout, sending five people to hospital, people in Bunbury, Harvey, Donnybrook and Busselton were told to prepare for more stormy conditions.
For those at risk of floods
WHAT TO DO:
• Watch for changes in water levels so you are ready if you need to relocate.
• Never walk, swim or play in floodwaters, as they are dangerous.
• With water moving quickly people need to stay out of the Vasse, Preston, Lower Collie and Harvey River catchments, this includes no swimming or kayaking.
• If you are a traveller do not park or camp adjacent to rivers.
IF DRIVING:
• Floodways and river levels may rise rapidly so be careful at crossings.
• Do not drive into water of unknown depth and current.
• Take care on gravel and unsealed roads as they may be slippery and muddy, and you could get bogged.
ROAD CLOSURES:
No roads are closed.
There is water over Caves Road, between Metricup Road and Fifty-One Road, and drivers are being asked to use caution and drive slowly.
FLOOD DETAILS:
Overnight moderate rainfall of 10 millimetres to 20 millimetres with isolated heavier fall is forecast.
Stream rises and localised flooding will continue with minor flooding in the upper area of the Preston River catchment.
Current river levels are available from Department of Water at www.water.wa.gov.au.
IMPORTANT NUMBERS:
• For SES assistance call 132 500
• In a life threatening situation call 000
• For the latest flood information call 1300 659 213 or visit www.bom.gov.au/wa/flood.
• For information about road conditions and closures contact the local shire or Main Roads WA on 138 138.
KEEP UP TO DATE:
Call 1300 657 209, visit www.dfes.wa.gov.auor listen to news bulletins.

 

 

going, going, gone!

Unbelievable! Wonderful! Delightful! What more can I say! Three cheers for dispensing with this unwanted Prime Minister. I did not like her right from the start. Why? Because she unceremoniously ousted Kevin Rudd from the Prime Ministership; because she doesn't want to be saddled with children, she doesn't like them,; because she doesn't believe in God; because she doesn't believe in marriage and openly lived in the Prime Ministerial residence with a man. What kind of an example does she portray to our younger generation? What kind of a society are or would we be dealing with if the population followed her ideals, which many are. I have always felt threatened by her. She certainly did nothing for the pensioners either. In her goodbye swansong tonight, she used the word 'proud' many times as she bragged of her achievements, including being the first woman Prime Minister of Australia. I wouldn't say that was anything to brag about. What DID she do for this big, vast, brown nation of ours that the Chinese are buying into at an alarming rate! Where is national pride in being Australian? Where are our better education systems teaching our children literacy? Where are our hospitals and staff, including doctors, that will care for the poor as well as the wealthy and those in between? where is the helping hand for the struggling man on the land who feeds our nation? That is just a few of my complaints of where is the help we need! Okay so she has gone, Kevin Rudd is back as Acting Prime Minister until the elections in September. I've often had my arguments, or tried to put across my point of view, of why I am neither Labour or Liberal, or any of the groups in between. Because I don't vote for any political party. I search out the one who is likely to do his, or her, best for my nation and its people! Now who can fit that bill? What is interesting for me is that Shane took his family to the Labour Day march in Brisbane in early may and they had their photos taken with Julia Gillard, even one with her arms around my grandsons Dylan and Nicholas!

Dylan and Nicholas with Australia's prime Minister
Julia Gillard at the Brisbane Labour Day March in May 2013

 

 

Theresa with Australia's prime Minister Julia Gillard

 

My Shane with Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard

Kevin Rudd takes on Julia Gillard for the Labor leadership. But how did we get here?

• by: Jessica Marszalek Federal Politics Reporter
• From: News Limited Network
• June 26, 2013 3:45PM 

Gillard v Rudd Source: News Limited

  

TREASURER Wayne Swan and Stephen Conroy have stepped down. But what about Garrett? Combet? Bowen? O'Connor?

The man who knifed two PMs  

LABOR powerbroker Bill Shorten now has to his credit the scalps of two prime ministers - both from his own party.

Labor faced 'certain death' with Gillard  

A JULIA Gillard-led Labor Party was like the Australian troops in Gallipoli - "facing certain death'', according to Alannah MacTiernan.

Gillard v Rudd - how we got here  

IT'S been a crazy day in federal Parliament, but how did we get here?

  

Rudd must still win over West Australians  

OPINION: THE Federal Labor Party has a new leader. But winning over WA still remains a task of monumental proportions for Kevin Rudd and his WA MPs.

IT'S been a tumultuous day in the federal Parliament but the catalyst for tonight's leadership showdown was no one event.

It all started when Australians awoke on June 24, 2010 to news they had a new Prime Minister - the nation's first woman.
It was meant to be the dawn of a new Labor after MPs fed up with Mr Rudd's erratic behaviour, rushed policies and increasingly unreasonable demands tossed out a first-term PM.
Ms Gillard declared a good government had lost its way and she had been left with no choice but to seize the reins.
But it was a bumpy road at the outset when damaging leaks caused Labor to bleed votes gained in the election euphoria that was Kevin '07.
To her credit, Ms Gillard has achieved a lot with a hung parliament, with one of her most recent victories the creation of DisabilityCare.
But her broken carbon tax promise, continuing streams of asylum seeker boats, a mining tax collecting little money, support for Craig Thomson and the political faux pas that saw her elevate the now disgraced speaker Peter Slipper struck blow after blow.
Polls have shown for some time Labor is now in a hole it is unlikely to climb out of, meaning election defeat is almost a certainty.
Despite that, MPs have insisted for the past fortnight Ms Gillard would remain as PM and that they took Mr Rudd at his word that he would not return to the top job.
Mr Rudd now says he's here to rescue the party, echoing the sentiment of Ms Gillard back in 2010.
That's despite the character assassination that was brought down upon him before he lost a February 2012 ballot, and the fact he refused to put his hand up in March when Ms Gillard declared a Caucus vote.
The party will at least be able to put the issue to bed once and for all, with the loser promising to quit and fade away.
###

President Monson and healing

What can I say about this great man? He has been a source of inspiration to me for years, especially since I first purchased and read Faith Rewarded. This book, excerpts from his journal, tells of his trials and troubles, heartbreaks and laughter, when travelling to and spending time with the Saints in a country that was then behind the forbidding Iron Curtain. A plucky American who faced the unknown crossing a border where nine times out of ten Americans were shot! He did it because he loved and obeyed his Saviour. He did it to spread His word and bring love and hope to an impoverished but believing people. Now one of them, president Dieter F. Uchtdorf, his  second counsellor in the First Presidency. Here is another story of President Monson's quiet achievements, working for his Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ and setting a great example to us who also believe.

A Miraculous, Little-Known Story About President Monson

Thomas S. Monson

Every time I see or listen to President Monson, I’m always reminded of (and deeply impressed by) his loving character and his private ministry.
Here’s a little-known story about him that touched my heart:

In 1971, when Mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, the doctors said she had less than a 20 percent chance of surviving two years. Mother did not know this. Dad did. I found out only because I overheard the conversation between my father and the doctors.
Months passed…it was stake conference, a regional gathering of church members that meets four times a year. My father was a member of the stake high council, a group of high priests who direct the membership on both organizational and spiritual matters. President Thomas S. Monson, one of the Twelve Apostles, directly beneath the Prophet, who at that time was Joseph Fielding Smith, was conducting interviews for the position of stake president.
Before the conference, President Monson met with my father privately, as he did with all councilmen. he asked him, if called, would he serve as stake president? My father’s reply was no. In a religion that believes all leadership positions are decided by God, this was an unorthodox response.
“Brother Tempest, would you like to explain?”
My father simply said it would be inappropriate to spend time away from his wife when she had so little time left.
President Monson stood and said, “You are a man whose priorities are intact.”
After conference, my father was returning to his car. He heard his name called, ignored it at first, until he heard it for a second time. He turned to find President Monson, who had put his hand on Dad’s shoulder.
“Brother Tempest, I feel compelled to tell you your wife will be well for many years to come. I would like to invite you and your family to kneel together in the privacy of your home at noon on Thursday. The Brethren will be meeting in the holy chambers of the Temple, where we will enter your wife’s name among those to be healed.”
Back home, our family was seated around the dinner table. Dad was late. mother was furious. I’ll never forget the look on his face when he opened the door. He walked over to Mother and held her tightly in his arms. He wept.
“What’s happened, John?” Mother asked.
That Thursday, my brothers and I came home from school to pray. We knelt in the living room together as a family. No words were uttered. But in the quiet of that room, I felt the presence of angels.

The mother of Terry Tempest Williams was healed and lived until 1987, sixteen years after President Monson had made the quiet, prophetic declaration that she would “be well for many years to come.”
Source: Williams, Terry Tempest. Refuge: an unnatural history of family and place. New York: Pantheon Books, 1991. Print.

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