MORE FROM TUMBALALA AND THOUGHTS ABOUT NEPAL

POST # 165

Last week I headed out for a drive from the property onto this country road which is east of my location. I was just past where the shadow on the road is (on the curved end of the road), when out of the blue, a truck came flying around the bend heading straight for me, and he was on my side of the road.  He must have been going at least 80kph or more, and thankfully I had only just started out so I wasn't going very fast.  He made a desperate swerve over to the left, where he should have been in the first place, and we passed each other unharmed.  However, if I would have left the property even 30 seconds earlier, I think that there would have been a head on collision.  As I've said many times, you never know when you get up in the morning, whether or not you'll be going to bed that night.  Anyhow, it made for an exciting start to the day, and there was no harm done.  As the driver of the other vehicle went by me, he seemed to have a sneer on his face which made me think that he was annoyed that I had interrupted his normal race track style of driving on this road.  Or perhaps, maybe he'll think twice the next time, before he goes screaming around that bend in such a hurry on the wrong side of the road.

Moving right along. Time for a few more views around Tumbalala.

I just love the green colour of the ground cover around the property.

Now here is an interesting photo.  This is a huge rock in the creek behind where I am located, and the unusual thing about it, is the old log perched near the top right. I can only assume that at one time in the past, the water in the creek rose to such an extent, that this log was deposited there.  If that was the case, it would have been something to see at the time. There would have been plenty of water here on the property as a result of the flood. (Note: I have left this photo large, so that the log can be seen easily.)

And next, we have a view from the back deck overlooking the chook yard.  This is a great place to spend time in the late afternoon, which is when this photo was taken.

Now here is a rather unusual rock/tree formation, and that's all I'll say.  I leave it to the reader's imagination as to what this might remind them of.

The lighting in late afternoon is always so wonderful, and it encourages me to try and capture what it looks like on the gum trees and rocks.

In the next photo, Tumble the cat captures perfectly, the mood around here, in other words, it's VERY, VERY relaxed.

From day one of my arrival, Ali the dog showed me her favourite ball to play with and so the two of us have managed to play ball multiple times each day.  I have found a good stick to hit the ball with, which is better than just kicking it, because it travels a lot farther, and Ali gets a better work out, as do I.  However, the poor ball has taken quite a beating, and even though it doesn't much resemble a soccer ball any longer, in it's current form, it's easier to send it flying into the air, and Ali doesn't seem to notice, that her ball isn't very round anymore.

Here is Ali, all set to play with what's left of her ball.

Today I have three short videos to share as well.  This first one is of Ali, after we've had another game of ball.

Next up, as I was walking down the road yesterday, I noticed this little spider trying it's best to get from one side of the road to the other.

And finally, one more video.  A small creature was wandering across the computer screen last night while I was on the NBL website.  Well, at least, some creatures are interested in finding out what's really going on.

That pretty well covers things for this week at Tumbalala, but I didn't want to end this post without sparing a thought for all of those people in Nepal right at the moment who are suffering through the effects of a 7.9 earthquake.  Having spent time in Kathmandu and the surrounding area back in 1980, I feel a connection to the people there, who are some of the poorest, yet most generous people I have ever had the opportunity to meet.  They must be going through a very rough time at the moment.  Of course, the media focus here is on the westerners who are in Nepal, however, they have the ability to leave.  Unfortunately for most of the locals, there is nowhere else to go.  Very sad indeed.


Soon, my time here at Tumbalala will be coming to a close, and I will once again be wandering to the next place.  I may or may not have computer access for a blog post on May 7th, but time will tell.  However, I certainly will be writing again on May 14th, with more news to share.

In the meantime,

Happy trails,

Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer