Nature Photo Challenge #14: Your haven of peace
This quite easy for me. It’s a bit a walk if I feel like a bit of exercise. The only trouble is I get side tracked when on foot. There is always something to take a photo of or a weed to be pulled out so driving in Old Smoky is the best option. Plus we could get some firewood or collect rocks for the garden.

In the lower end of my place is where Frenchmans Creek begins. All the gullies that run from the ridge where the road runs, contribute water. One of they gullies that begins in my neighbours place runs into my place, trickles over some rocks and into a waterhole. This waterhole has never run dry in the whole time I have lived here.

It’s a lovely place to sit – making sure there’s not a Bullant nest nearby or you could scare the birds. They are quite aware that something is different, as you can see.

After a while there will be a small flock turn up. I was amazed at how well this White-naped Honeyeater could hang on upside-down

The Fuscous Honeyeaters were a bit more cautious.

Yes, even Mr Whatareyoudoinghere, relaxed and really got stuck in

In a very big tree, a pair of Powerful Owls lived. It would be a good feeding spot as at night a lot of animals would have come to have a drink, not knowing their possible fate. Hearing them call in the bush at night is wonderful

The other place of peace is the Raspberry Lookout which is about a one and a half hour drive up the mountains. A picnic, walk around and feel the serenity

Your bird photos are wonderful BB. You live in a great place.
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Thanks Jude, it is rather fabulous 🙂
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I’m trying to get my head around the scale of this! Are you saying your land is so large that it merits driving to the far end?! Wow! It’s so fascinating via blogs to discover the very different places we all live, isn’t it? I don’t think you could even fit that truck in our back garden, let alone drive it 😆
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I know it does seem big but is small compared to the farms that surround me. It’s about one kilometre from the house to the waterhole, up and down a few hills 🙂
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Mr Whatareyoudoing here is the cutest, and wise Mrs Powerful Owl, the sweetest, those eyes… Howmaywehelpyoumr? 😀
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Thanks Nicole, your comment made me smile 😀😀
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I enjoyed this glimpse into your world. It looks so idyllic.
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Thanks Sandy, it is a wonderful place to live 🙂
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Mr Whatareyoudoinghere 😂🤣 Great name for your little friend.
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Thanks Lois 😁
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The bird life would encourage me to come and have a moment or two in your haven. I don’t promise to heave heavy logs though.. Not that I’ve been invited, of course. I’m being very presumptuous.
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Always invited Margaret. You can always weed while I cut firewood and then we can have a cuppa afterwards by the waterhole 🙂
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It’s a deal!
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Thanks for this wonderful tour, Brian 🙂
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Most welcome Hammad 🙂
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What a nice summary of Your havens of peace!! The photo of the owl is amazing, look at the eyes, it’s looking straight into your camera 😀 So many beautiful birds and I love the image of Old Smoky fully loaded with firewood. The last picture is very peaceful.
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Thank you Anita. It is amazing the number of eyes that watch from the bush, a lot you don’t see. It is quite relaxing to get to the mountains and sit awhile 🙂
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The landscape, breathtaking! Thanks for sharing these bird photo captures, Brian!
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Thanks Amy 🙂
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Does look a lovely place to sit. 😍 🕊️ What kind of tree is that? The chopped up one. 🪓
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Thanks Michele, quite fab 🙂
The red coloured timber is Red Ironbark. A very durable Australian hardwood and burns very well in the fire place
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Welcome. 🦉 That timber is a beautiful color!
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It is very lovely. A hard timber to work with as the grain isn’t straight 🙂
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So, it wasn’t meant to be a boring table. It was meant for a shorter-lived beautiful burning existence! 🔥
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The wood makes for delightful durable red hued tables. Solid house frame timber, I used some in my house, great for fence posts and a much sort after milling timber.
I am cutting up logging residue and the windfalls to keep me warm
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That is not boring at all! Looking at the timber color, that sounds lovely. Multipurpose timber! Interesting details. Thank you for sharing. 🌳
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How nice it must be to hear the actual birds twittering, instead of reading the idiotic “twitter” feed 😉! Beautiful bird captures Brian!
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Thanks PR 🙂
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Both of these places are my kinda places to sit and observe Brian, thanks for sharing. I wonder how you can pull yourself away from the waterhole to resume your chores. I’d be there all day, and hang the log chopping!
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Thanks Denzil. Once the sun dips below the mountain, the afternoon chill sets in and you are glad there is a load of firewood to take home. First is a sit for a while, then once a suitable log is found, it doesn’t take very long to cut it up and load so there’s plenty of time to get back to the waterhole.
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I can see why both places are special to you Brian. Interesting that the waterhole has never run dry, given the vagaries of your weather.
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I was surprised the first time I went down there when It had been dry for a while. It is spring fed in the dry is the only explanation I can think of
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Special places Brian!
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Most certainly Aletta 🙂
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I love your haven of peace. I guess the pond might be a natural spring since there has always been water. The bird photos are fantastic as they are in their element..and so are you. The owl was my favorite.
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There must be a spring feed into the waterhole for sure.
Glad you like my little place of contemplation Donna 🙂
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