Sunday, October 26, 2008

Slithering Tales

I was gardening down in my studio garden this morning and the poodles were playing in the house yard. All of a sudden I saw Lily jump backwards and give her 'snake bark', the sound that always makes my blood run cold.

Having the old poodle Connor with two deadly snake bites during his life, I am very worried about hunter Lily, who often cruises round the yard, nose down, ready to take on anything that might rear its head.


I saw the grey slither as I hobbled up the stairs, calling them all inside. Then I got the 'killing hoe' and went to do battle.

Thankfully it was only a blue tongue lizard, very angry at being flushed out of his morning wanderings. He was full grown; about 15 inches long, and didn't want to be caught, but I carried him out of the yard and let him go amongst the gum trees, very relieved he had legs.


This is a rough photo of my first iris for the year, but I am very pleased to have their handsome colours and shapes in the garden.


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

You iris has just bloomed? Must be a bit later in the country. The lizard looks to have recently eaten.

BwcaBrownie said...

beautiful garden.
me and Pants are minding a house with 4 colours of iris and I love their scent and fragility and the velvety bits, and van gogh.

I was weeding today and thought; oops! thats reptile skin right in front of my nose! it was a blue-tongue just like your photo only very-recently dead. poor dear thing. I tried to console myself by thinking of nasty aspects of blueys, but could not.

off topic: Thats So Pants has a birthday Tues 28th. we are lunching at a winery.

and please take care with
The Killing Hoe!

Robyn Rinehart Art said...

Lunching at a winery sounds like an excellent way to celebrate.

Re: irises. We are 364 metres above sea level and everything growing is maybe 4 weeks behind 'the flats', including farmers' hay cutting.

I saw Van Gogh's 'Irises' years ago when Alan Bond 'owned' it. What a stunning painting. I'll take some photos and maybe have a go.