Seedlings in the long grass

I finally got back over in the reserve and figured out what the lines mown in the long grass were for. They've planted more seedlings! The mown areas were intriguing to start with because quite a lot of the original seedlings, the ones planted years ago by the church group doing good deeds in conjunction with the local council, the ones that get burned down every year either by the pyros or the firies (hazard control of course), the ones that continue to grow up every year after being burned to the ground ... the ones that never get above four feet or so because they get burned down every year - a lot of the original seedlings had been mown down! No doubt, tough little things they are they'll come up again. At least some of them.

So, mown stripes & seedlings mown down, and now they have planted more! In the long grass area. You know, the long grass area you can see from Ellsworth Drive. The area you see burnt every year. Hmm. It's all still green right now, there's been enough rain to keep the grass growing and everyone knows the grass isn't dry enough to burn. Yet.

The question that keeps playing in my mind is - did Council even tell the local Firies they've planted in there again? Do the Firies know? What happens when the grass dries off and a couple of grass fires happen? Will the Firies just come over and put them out or will they do their usual and burn all the long grass in one go as hazard reduction? Along with the four foot saplings and the new seedlings.

Of course, being the cynical thing that I am, I wonder about the part of the Council. The points they've gained in the carbon neutralising race, by planting all those seedlings, do they lose them again when they're burned down?

You know the Council doesn't have a fire management plan in place.

I give the seedlings, generously, a year. Someone else I was talking to gave them 3-4 months.

Tregear on Google Street View

Playing with Google Maps and Street View and found out it can be embedded not. If you haven't found it yet go to google maps and if there is street view available a small message pops up and when you click on it you enter street view. Play around or read help to figure out how to navigate around. When you have the view you want click the little chain / link on the top right and you can copy and past some code to either like to the view or embed it in your page. This is what the school looks like on the street view.


View Larger Map

Rows of grass

Haven't figured out why, but council mowed strips into the grass in the reserve .... yet to be investigated, I'll write whatever I figure out...

Upset from Fire

I seem to have upset someone with my previous post. So, firstly, I'm sorry it's taken so long to respond, I haven't logged in for a few days. I'm not going to publish your comments because I think you may have unintentionally revealed too much about yourself and my publishing them might result in your privacy being breached more than you'd like. Secondly, it was never my intention to cause hurt, that being said it's all too easy to do so by being too light about a subject. But, being light about a subject is a rather Australian thing to do, especially when it's a scary subject. It's a natural defense. We all do it. I'm sorry you feel you copped the rough edge of it on this occasion. But it was a scary subject, everyone thought the fire was caused by a vandal, they were scared for the fellow and his kids and they were scared for their own homes. I know the person I was talking to was scared enough that she couldn't sleep most of the night. She kept getting scared there was going to be a fire bomb come through her front window. It wasn't until next morning that the other story started circulating. If it isn't true then it was a defense against the fear too.

So, when I read through my post again there's one bit I would change. Instead of "... by the next morning, someone had found out ..." I would write that "by the next morning people were saying". I agree that saying 'found out' makes it sound like someone knew something real, and I am now acknowledging that it is all word of mouth and passed through a few people before I got it so it is just as likely a theory someone made up.

The other point is that I doubt very much that it's actually incriminating, otherwise everyone who's ever been the subject of a bad news article would end up in gaol! And who knew you or any more than a half dozen people ever read this blog! I'm sure the cops or the magistrate or the psych involved in all this don't read my blog, and they are all intelligent enough to recognise that post for what it was, which is a post about something scary that happened in Tregear, that is identified in the article as being word of mouth, and probably badly worded to top it off.

I know that happenings of the last few days have been shocking and traumatic for you. I can't really imagine all of what you are feeling, but I think you are probably taking on way too much and you probably think who else is going to do it, and you're embarrassed and defensive and wanting the think the best of the fellow involved and not give up on him. But I can tell you that in a quiet suburb such as this, something as hugely visible as a house fire doesn't remain private business. It's impossible for it to remain private business. People could see it for a long way, people close up were scared, and they are all talking about it. I also know it will all blow over and no one will care very much at all in a very short time. If anyone actually said anything that put the blame on the kids you'd be well within your rights, and with a whole suburb full of backup, to tell them they are morons. No one I could think of would have anything but sympathy for all the kids involved. Their lives are going to be changed by this, in one way or another, probably in lots of ways. I know I have nothing but sympathy for all the kids. We all just want to live a quiet life without too many stresses, but most of us end up going through something traumatic sometime.

I hope everyone, those who witnessed and were so badly scared by it, and those who were all involved, can relax and enjoy what they can of the silly season without anything else going wrong!

Bit early yet, but Merry Xmas and Happy New Year!

House Fire

It hasn't come up in the Tregear news alerts yet, but a house up on Nella Dan was burnt down night before last. Someone a few doors up from it told me. She was woken by the noise and jumped up to call 000. It took some time to work out what happened, but apparently a bloke was living there with his kids and no one knew for sure if they had got out for a while. Somehow, by the next morning, someone had found out that the fellow had taken his kids over to his older daughters place and left them there, and then come back to poor petrol all through the house and torched it! He left. He wasn't suiciding. He's been arrested and gone to court and it's said they are going to psych assess him. At least one person is of the opinion that he didn't want to clean up...

Now for those of you who weren't involved the other night you've seen it here first! It isn't coming up on the Google news alerts, and it isn't on the rss feeds from the local papers. It might be on the police news site, but I can't get the site to load. I know it wasn't on tv...

Quiet lately

I've very neglectful of my this blog lately. All I can say is that work has ruled my life and when I get home I'm so tired I don't want to come near the computer. And it's been very quiet lately. There hasn't been any fires in the reserve, no fights that I can hear, all is well. I'll see what I can write about again soon. Maybe go take some more pics...

Today

Ducks in the reserve heading towards Debrincat. They were quite a long way off so this was the best I could get without totally freaking them out.

And those mornings when I'm up way too early playing on the net this is what I see out my back window.

The Reserve

A fair bit of rain today and yesterday even if it isn't very heavy. Good for the new plantings. I've been meaning to get back down to the reserve to find out if they are still ok but I haven't had time. I start work late today so maybe I'll have a look before I catch the train.

I saw a small truck with a crane driving through the reserve a couple of days ago - he was picking up dumped cars. Good move, doesn't happen quite often enough, but good move.

Regenisis

Welcoming! "We might ask if we can take your photos"..."Only if I can take yours".


Gorgeous-and-knows-it kept us company all morning.


These are 3 of the staff from Blacktown Council and our nearly finished planted area.


Putting the display back up again after the wind blew it down.



Newly planted. Good luck for you future.

Native Geraniums

Geranium homeanum. Only about a cm across, sweet as. Identification thanks to the Botanic Gardens, and they have a great pic on the interesting way the seed pods open: http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/science/hot_science_topics/Ecology_of_Cumberland_Plain_Woodland/woodland_plants/geranium_solanderi

Yes it's Geranium, not Pelargonium. I've named the pics wrong, and maybe I'll fix that one day, but not this morning! Don't pull these out of the reserve.

ps, this came in the mail.

"Tregear Reserve Community Bushcare and Regenesis Tree Planting Day. RSVP Thursday 13 November, 2008 on 9839 6283" (yeah, I know that's today - I forgot until just now). Meeting in Tregear Reserve, Wilkes Cres, Tregear (Behind the softball fields) 15th November, 9am-12. Council staff will be there to talk about the new group, provide a tour of the reserve and carryout a community planting. They will provide all tools, materials, supervision, technical advice, and light refreshments. Wear enclosed shoes, a hat and sunscreen.

Have a good one..

More pics

Todays offerings. I'm too sleepy this morning to much else. Have a lovely day.

Boom!

Did you hear 3 booms yesterday morning? Early? This is the cause. The car was removed during the day, gone by the time I got home, but I managed to get these pics before I went to work.

Public Transport

Did you know they are thinking of changing the bus routes all through the western suburbs? If you ever catch a bus you should check it out and see how the proposed changes will affect your ability to get around. I don't know if it's going to work or not. I know there's going to be less buses past my place. Go here: http://www.nswbusnetwork.com.au/ to check it out if you haven't got your hands on a leaflet and they have a survey you can do so you can give your opinions. I'm totally cynical, I don't expect improvements, I expect more difficulties getting around. I don't drive so I'm stuck with public transport and I am totally sick of the whole system, public, private, trains, buses, how late and unreliable they all run, how expensive it all is, how the trains are far too crowded.

If I could get a job close enough to home so that I didn't need buses or trains (and would still give me a liveable wage) I'd go for it. I could ride my bike to St Marys, and with a bit of practice I could get to Mt Druitt and back each day. Of course I'd end up incredibly fit as well.... but I would be such a write off for a few weeks until I got use to it!

More pics soon.

Flowers this time.

When I first saw this I was very excited, I'd never seen it before and I was hoping it was a native plant. I saw it first about 5 years ago but I didn't have a camera with me. I couldn't find any info about it and I obviously haven't been in the reserve at the right time since. So, it's Herbertia lahue subsp. caerulea, also known as Prairie Nymph. It's an Iris, introduced, naturalised, mild weed. Very pretty though. It comes from North America. There are other pics on the net but this is the only pic I've seen with the yellow markings, so maybe we have an interesting colour variation. Seeing as it isn't a native plant it doesn't matter if some are taken out of the reserve. I'd like to see what this pretty would do with a bit of water and fertiliser. And thanks to the Botanical Information Service on the Royal Botanic Gardens site for the confirmation of the id.

Fungus

With the very large close up I have you can see clearly the green on top is moss. This fungus sort of fits into this area nicely: looks worn out, interesting shapes and colours, provides a home for other species and still growing and thriving!

The ugly side

So much for idyllic! This must be the social comment part. Poor old creek. But even though it's really quite ugly, it's also functional. This is the footbridge over Ropes Creek! Washed away every time the creek floods and rebuilt out of shopping trolleys and other refuse when the water goes down again. In the twelve or so years I've been here there's always been at least one shopping trolley incorporated into the bridge. Also concrete pipes, pieces of carpet, corrugated tin, tree trunks, milk crates, mattress springs, car tires ....

More Reserve Pics

I really did have fun taking photos over there.

Tregear Reserve

I went walking in the reserve yesterday. Took lots of photos. I'll put a few of them in here over the next few posts. It's a lovely place to walk with a big variety of spaces to photograph. Some are wonderful and some are downright ugly. These are todays two.

Cold again!

Coldest October day in 60 years? And didn't we notice!

I'm told there was a brawl that broke out twice a few nights ago. People heard it and it got into the local paper. Eventually the cops arrested them. And if you look to the right on this page you'll see a news item about it. I guess some people have no life. Their lives must be sad bad and boring if that's the best thing they can find to do.

Rain

It's raining, it's pouring .......... and it's really dark because of the cloud cover. I can't speak for the rest of the country but Tregear is no where near a drought. With this much rain I'd be wondering about the creek flooding again! I heard an interesting bit of trivia on Time Team last night - they were talking about a heavy clay area they were working on and described it as being created milimetre by milimetre each time the area flooded. It's created by very fine particles floating in the water being laid down... and we have so much clay around here it makes me wonder just how bad the floods from Ropes Creek have been in times past. The creek has flooded since I've lived here, I've seen Tregear Reserve covered in water, my neighbor has seen the reserve fill with water up to the edge of the road. Each time it rains like this I find myself wondering if it's going to go again. The two main ways out of Tregear are across the creek, on Forrester and Debrincat. Both those bridges are about the same height and so they both go under about the same time. There's now a new bridge, in Ropes Crossing. It seems higher, but the next flood will tell us. The rain radar is interesting - http://mirror.bom.gov.au/products/IDR033.shtml , shows the rain covering the whole of Sydney this morning. Have a fun day...

And there was hail the day before yesterday. Very small and it didn't last long but it made a racket.

Tregear and Whalan Reserve plans

The plans for Tregear and Whalan Reserve by Blacktown Council are here: Master Plan and Plan of Management

I'm afraid I didn't see this until comments were closed. Interestingly, they only had just over 20 people comment. They don't advertise these things. No doubt they thought they had their usual coverage and that would be sufficient. There are parts that I think are ok, and parts that are just strange and uninformed. They want to build some sort of structure for the lookout again. The remains of the last lookout was still there when I first moved in about 12 years ago. It had already been burned and not long after the remains were burned out to. But they want to build again. Maybe they think the pyromanics have moved out of the area. They are also talking about a walking track, but it's already there. A fitness area over by the baseball grounds. A kids playground up near Ellsworth. The last playground was trashed. Maybe they think those people have moved out too......

Local area blogs

I would like to be able to link to other area blogs here - last weekend I did a big search and found a few not too far away, but most aren't being kept up to date. There were 2 in Mt Druitt, 1 in Glenmore Park and a few others but the Mt Druitt ones haven't been written in since 2007 and the Glenmore Park one only had test messages on them. People get discouraged if they don't see evidence of people reading their blogs, but I think it doesn't really matter, I know a half dozen people drop by occasionally and I get a comment or email a couple of times a year. I figure the ones who do the poll or write comments are the tip of my iceburg and I actually have a huge readership!!! Well..... anyway, if any of my half dozen know of any other local blogs I'd be happy to link to them, thereby helping each other out a bit. My reasons for keeping this going is simply I like to blog and I don't really have delusions of grandeur - I don't need to be the most popular anywhere, and sometimes this space is the only place you'll see stuff about this suburb. Even the local papers don't cover everything.

Welcome to Typical Sydney Weather!

Here we go, cycling like crazy. Get up to an insanely hot day then it breaks, storms or just rains, stays cloudy for a day or two and works its way back up to insanely hot again. Typical spring and summer. Mind you, when they said on the news the other day that it was the hottest day in a year I was surprised, it didn't feel that hot out here. Might have been the hottest for those who live on the coast, with the sea breezes that keep the temperature tempered, but out here I didn't even turn the air con on and I know I needed it last summer. It was hot, yes, but the fan was enough. And not hot enough to stop me sleeping. Unless, there's a weird thought, I'm not adapting to the heat out here am I? After all these years? Nooooo. More likely their coverage of the temperature doesn't cover what happens in Tregear! Although I am so use to it that I almost never check the thermometer any more. I've checked once and only because it was way cooler outside than inside first thing in the morning after one of our hot days, and it's too obvious that, even with the windows locked open so the air can get in, this house holds too much heat - it was 5 degrees hotter inside!

Toxic rubbish and Blacktown Council

You know how we all suppose to use the new light globes? Much more energy efficient, one of the pollies pushed through legislation to make the regular incandescent ones illegal. You know the ones, after we'd been using for ages we found out they contained really toxic stuff and shouldn't go into landfill? Mercury isn't it? Nasty stuff. The politicians are so bloody stupid, try to fix one problem (electricity consumption) and create one just as bad (mercury toxicity). So, did the politicians at any level come up with a solution for this little dilemma? No. Garbage disposal being the forte of local council you'd think they'd come up with something even if they weren't the ones to cause the problem. So, we finally have one of our fancy toxic lights blow. We aren't suppose to put it in the rubbish bin. We ring up Blacktown Council to find out what we are suppose to do. We are suppose to hold onto our toxic rubbish until the annual clean up. They don't have any other solution. Luckily, for us this time, it's soon - 26th October but even then it isn't a council-come-to-us thing, we are suppose to save up all our toxic rubbish and deliver it to them at the Rooty Hill depot. They don't have a suggestion for people without cars. I wonder if anyone at all is planning to catch buses and or trains up to Rooty Hill with their light globes? Hey, that's a perfect subject to comment on - leave a comment here if you're planning to take public transport to dispose of your globes at Rooty Hill!

Did I say Wind?

Still, yesterdays wind didn't seem to be as bad as the sensationalist press was making out. Yes we had some wind, and yes it was stronger than the other day, but there's been no trees down around here. We didn't lose any washing off the line although we did eventually bring it in. Everything dried really fast! This morning everything is quiet and calm.

I don't think it's winter any more...

What an amazing day so far! Really warm, promising to be positively hot at this rate. Bit scary really, I wonder what summer will be like? The grass is finally mown, first time for the season. Not that it makes the place look tidy, that would be too much for me. Such a quiet suburb here I can't think of anything else to write! Have a lovely weekend!

The Wind!

Amazing how windy it is. The air smells really clean. I want to wash everything in the house coz, for the first time in months, it will dry so fast! Have to watch my skin though, it's dry enough as it is, if I go out in this wind without moisturiser on it gets really bad. No trees blown down yet close to me. The plum tree is losing it's petals in the wind so it looks like snow. White petals floating on the fish tank. All very lovely. Pity I have to go to work.

Weather

Yesterday was so warm! I watched a softball game up at Glenmore Park. They don't have any shade there so I can see it being too hot later in the season. It was lovely yesterday. Of course the warm weather couldn't last, today it's raining. Not cold yet, but very raining.

Big bangs around here last night. Everyone thought it must be fire crackers. Hoping so at least. And the fire over in the reserve? Just over the hill so I couldn't see what was actually burning. It seemed quite big.

btw, I did get to the festival, heard a young woman with a remarkable voice singing on stage by herself. It was her last song of course, only got to hear part of one. Don't know her name but I hope she keeps going with her singing. Good voice, and doesn't just sing, she uses her voice.

The Coles in Ropes Crossing is open, just in case you hadn't noticed. There's been a few good specials.

Spring has sprung

With lots and lots of rain. Enough to leave puddles and turn big parts of the reserve into a big mud puddle - especially where it lost ground cover and hadn't had time to regrow after the 'hazard reduction' by the fire brigade.

Still, no more frosts, downpours, and now the grass is growing again, so fast we really should mow today. Don't know if we'll get round to it. Should. It's long already! Maybe it hasn't dried enough to mow yet? That'd be it!

Burnt Reserve

This is what happens when the local fire brigade decide to do a cleanup of what they consider a fire hazard. They burnt off the long dry grass in Tregear Reserve, in itself not a huge problem, except they never control it properly - all the trees in the long grass area ended up on fire too. I don't think the trees were a fire hazard. I'm not even sure the long grass is, especially as that is where all the new tree saplings are, but when our local pyromaniacs are in full swing they do burn the grass. Funny enough there hasn't been any pyromania in the reserve for ages. My cynical side says maybe there wasn't enough work for the local fireies and maybe they were missing their regular hit of flames....

Frost and private roads.

Of course the frost is back. What else would we expect? It's still August so the frost is back. The rain the last few days has been light and pleasant. But the frost is back.

Has anyone else noticed the road into Ropes Crossing from the roundabout on Forrester has two signs on it? The first is the name of the road, Ropes Crossing Bvd and the second is "Private Road". Private Road??? It was a private road before the suburb was made, it just lead into an industrial area. On the older street directory it's marked as an unnamed private road. It does make me wonder if they accidentally on purpose forget to remove the old sign when they put the road name sign up.... I might send an email to RTA. If I get down there with a camera with me I'll take a photo. I've been trying to remember to do that for days since it was pointed out to me.....

Festivals and elections

See the Google News? Tregear Festival is on August 30, usual place, corner of Aurora and Wilkes. I usually get up there for it, usually manage to find something interesting. The other news item is the Blacktown Council election on September 13. Not half as interesting as the festival. Except for the info that there is 62 people running for 15 spots!! That's going to make voting ... ummm ... "oh great" was the comment I heard. Not as bad as Penrith: 83 for 15 spots. Gee. The festival is going to be a lot more fun!

Even the weather is more fun than that. Still cold in the mornings and if there's a breeze it's too cool without a jacket during the day. Light frost when I took the dog out this morning. Very clean air tho, smells very good the last few days. Except for St Marys station - one of the industrial places across the road was pumping out burnt plastic smell today. It's not as bad as the rotten onion body odour smell, but it's probably more toxic.

Warm and light

The light is finally catching up with my wake up time. Yesterday it was lovely to notice that there was light when I woke up. And today is so perfectly warm. I just want to curl up and drowse. Not even sure I want to read a book, but of course I end up on the net. Talking about being outside in the sun....

bye

Mist

We have fog this morning. A light mist. Made the backyard rather surreal - warm(ish), wet and mysterious mist - instead of freezing, crunchy grass and dry air. Still didn't want to stay there after taking to dog out, skittered back in very quickly. Got my hot coffee now trying to wake up enough to iron my clothes for work.

Cleaned up by the neighbors

I finally asked enough people and found the right one - the people next door to the mess cleaned it up. They got sick of looking at it so they cleaned up after the council cleanup people. They put all the mess in the garbage bin and then put the bin out on garbage night. They rang the council about the rubbish pick up not being finished but council never sent anyone else out.

What else would we expect? No doubt no one from council will comment on this issue. I did email them but i guess responding to the concerns of the people in Tregear isn't their big thing.

Cleanup!

That was quick! Around lunchtime when I left the house the mess was still on the street. When I came home the footpath was spotless and the garbage bins had been put away. Was it council? A neighbor? I'll have to ask around to see if anyone saw who cleaned up.

Blacktown Council Cleanup

You know when you've called council to come out and pick up rubbish? You sort of expect them to actually pick up the rubbish. This is what Blacktown council cleanup people leave behind. The house this is outside is empty. No one is going to clean up after council. No one lives there anymore.

Just to add to the irony is the sign directly across the road from the rubbish.

More Tregear ice

More ice from the same car windshield

Tregear Ice

From the car windshield

Frosty!

It's cold now. Lots of frost. 2 deg C on my front porch and that's after the sun has come up. Frost not just in the reserve but in my front and back yard. The days are perfect, warm so long as you're in a sheltered spot. I have requested photos of frost from my friend, but that means the poor dear would have to get outside and get cold... we'll see if it happens.

All sympathy to the Tregear woman who got caught up in the accident at Springwood. Soft tissue injuries? Hope you're feeling much better. I bet that stuffed up your day.

Warm(ish) winter

It's so dark at this time of the morning. I had to go to work early yesterday, left the house at 6am, and it just felt so strange to be leaving the house while it was still totally black. The sun didn't become a glimmer until I was down at the station. But it's also not all that cold. I think maybe that there's been so much cloud cover that it's acted like a blanket and kept us a little warmer than we'd expect. We've had no frost at all besides the first couple at the beginning of the season. Now we are towards the end of June and it's just not cold enough. Mind you, if the cloud cover clears we are going to freeze!!

On a completely different subject Westbus doesn't have timetables on their site anymore. They have a link to the government timetable site, http://www.131500.info/realtime/timetableentry.asp and their timetables are on there. I suppose they are saving money by not maintaining their own site. It doesn't say it's temporary. And the wording is peculiar, it looks as if you have to ring for timetable info. You don't - it's a link to a website.

Fogs

The fogs have been amazing!

Poor puppy

All sympathy for the people who owned the puppy that was killed. I can't begin to imagine how bad that felt.

To the person who killed the puppy - you should leave. You should just go. What happened? Puppy bark at you? Scare you? Maybe you just didn't like the people and thought you'd take it out on the puppy. You are so out of touch with your humanity that you think that's ok. There's a word for people who are so dysfunctional they can't feel even a basic connection with other human beings - psychopath isn't it? Go away.

Truck crash

I saw the truck crash on Forrester Road the other day. The funny thing is that it got onto tv news once and then dissappeared. It was pushed off the news quickly by the story of the police chase where someone shot at the police, but it doesn't appear on the net anywhere either. It isn't even on the news section of the police site and the last crash down there was on their site within hours of it happening. The local papers that have been delivered haven't covered it either.

It looked as if the two trucks were driving towards each other and have clipped each other on the front edge. I couldn't get close enough to see what the damage was but one of the trucks ended up on it's left side and went through the guard rail just before the bridge over Ropes Creek and got very close to going over the bank into the creek. The guard rail is still trashed. Forrester road was blocked for some hours.

Fog

Took this with my camera phone from the bus. It's worked out much better than I thought. Just imagine how good it could have been if I'd had the proper camera instead of a phone, if I wasn't on a moving bus, and if the bus windows weren't grotty!

Cold

Getting cold in the mornings and warming up so quickly. I need a padded jacket and scarf to get out of the house to go to work, but by the time I get down to the station I have to take the scarf off. The jacket comes off at work and by the time I go outside for morning tea or lunch I don't need the jacket at all. Yesterday I knocked off just after 6 and didn't need the jacket for at least a half hour. This is tasting winter. Nearly time to put the timer on the heater so it comes on before I get up. Already time for my slippers and soft wooly shawl in the morning.

Windstorm!

What about that wind storm?? I haven't seen any trees down, but I don't know why not. The trees along the creek over in the reserve were amazing, they sounded likes waves on the ocean! Totally awesome. The silky oak over the back from here looked as if it was going to snap off, it was bent so hard. Certainly cleaned the air though, the air smelled really clear very quickly. And today it so cold - then I found out it snowed at Orange today. And the wind was coming from that direction. The electric blanket goes on tonight!

Great nieces and nephews!

I had family down from the country for a few days. Lots of fun, but the ground was wet the whole time so we didn't get outside very much. I usually take the little ones out for a walk through the reserve. There's always something new to see over there. Not this time. We went to the movies instead, watched Nims Island and Spiderwick. The kids loved them both. And they were dry!

Rainbows and thunder

(this was suppose to be on the 13th April - I lost the post)

There was a huge full arc rainbow this afternoon! One end of it was doubled. Makes up for the huge storm and thunder that shook the roof of the house and made me turn everything off for the duration.

The problem with this time of year is that the grass never dries. It's just not hot enough. It is a very green world right now.

Don't you love this area? We cleaned out a kitchen cupboard and found redbacks in a box at the back. Watch out for those dark corners. The good news is that after years of thinking redbacks kill people I found out a while back that it's highly unlikely that would happen. The main problem with the bloody things is the extreme pain and how it doesn't go away. It's debilitating and persistent and it's hard to function which is why they have an anti-venom. Good basic info here: http://www.australianprescriber.com/magazine/29/6/156/8/

Frost

We had our first frost yesterday! I wrote yesterdays post when I first got up and then didn't see the frost until later. I lost that debate with my daughter, she said it was going to be this week but I kept saying it wasn't cold enough. It was over in the reserve, hasn't crossed the road yet. She noticed of course, was very pleased that she'd won. I still haven't gone outside so I don't know if there's frost this morning, but it's cold enough so there probably is.

Cold wind

Gee this place is a bit nasty at this time of the morning. I'm reduced to padded slippers and a shawl around my shoulders! I wonder if it's going to be windy today? That wind was enough to make a person feel a bit wild! To be this cold and windy will make me pull out the beannies, and no one wasn't that!!! Actually the beannie itself isn't too bad, it's when a take it off my head........

Still a hot coffee in the fingers solves most.

Getting colder

Actually put a scarf around my neck this morning when I left the house. Took it off by the time I got to work, only needed it for while before the temperature came up.

I'm pretty sure I could see the International Space Station the past couple of days. It just looked like two small stars but when we looked through the binoculars there was just a faint line connecting them. Very faint. And I hope it was the space station because I can't think what else would look like that!

Dogs!

There was a dog yesterday morning. A big one, with a loud bark. Started next door, barking, walked up the street, barking, past my house, and continued up past next door the other side, maybe one further and then stopped. That all happened about 30 minutes before I wanted to wake up. And we all know we can't go back to sleep that close to wake up time! That dog is my enemy! I did get up and have a look but the dog had gone into a space between the houses just up the road and I couldn't see. The mystery dog from hell! Questions remain, was there a human with this critter? Was the human riling up the dog? Did something else set the mutt off? The alsation up the road, who doesn't usually bark at night, decided to bark back, but I'm pretty sure the loose canine was the one who started.

This dog hasn't returned, luckily.

Noise

There has been a fair bit of noise from a house up the road from here for a few days. Tonight they are quiet. It hasn't been enough noise to cause me a problem because they are just far enough away. I wonder how their neighbors coped, but it wasn't a problem at my end.

Quiet and foggy

The weather can't make up it's mind if it's going to rediscover summer or go straight to winter! There's been fog on and off. Very quiet, nothing really to report. A whole group of people went over to the reserve just to play I think! It's unusual to see so many people over there at one time without motor bikes!

Warm

Warm. Warm enough to put the air con on in the afternoons. Warm enough to put the air con on in the car.

Other than that it's very quiet. Not even roaring motorbikes in the reserve.

Fog

There. Fog in Tregear Reserve. And I'm told there was people with a quad bike and a kid on it in the reserve yesterday, but, delightfully, it was set to go slow and the kid had protective gear and a helmet on! Now that is an unusual sight around here!

No pics

I was going to put a pic of the reverve in fog in here but my image program is having trouble scaling it down to a reasonable size. Today was lovely weather and nothing really happened.

Good wishes to the fellow from the chemist who was stabbed in the leg. That was just so crazy!

Better late than never!

Happy Womens' Day for yesterday!

And it was foggy this morning and I got some pics - I'll post later...

Fog

There was fog again this morning, but of course I didn't have time to rush out and take photos.

My bus friend, Sandra, told me there had been a domestic on her street, with a man bashing a woman pretty badly, but by the time the police showed up the two had moved back inside and the police didn't seem to be able to find them. And my daughter told me she'd been disturbed last night when she was trying to get to sleep by a helicopter almost on top of her house. She asks that all sorts running from police please stay away from her street at that time of night. She doesn't want all that noise being brought over her way. Thank you.

It was quiet down here.

Politicians in Tregear!

One of the news items over on the side there says that a couple of polis came to Tregear!! Paul Lynch, minister for Aboriginal Affairs and the member for Londonderry Allan Shearan. They came for a forum to listen to local Aboriginal people saying what they think the priorities are for improving services. Of course we shouldn't hold our collective breathes, they are still and will always be politicians, but it has potential as a start for improving things.

Lovely day!

There was fog out there this morning! If I remember to take a pic I'll post it. If I'm out there at the same time as the fog and with a camera as well.....

Warm & some noise

A lovely warm day, constructive and relaxing. Could have done more, but really, did enough. Have to go to work tomorrow, but not thinking about that until I have to.

Last night there was a party up the road. pretty loud, but mostly voices rather than music. They were making a bit of a racket before I went to bed, but I put the fan on and it provided enough of a noise buffer that I couldn't hear it. I don't know if people closer were annoyed. I don't think it became ugly because the fan wouldn't have enough to block the noise of a brawl.

There you go, something happened in Tregear. Maybe 10 newspapers should cover it!

Belated summer

Summer came back for a short time today. It was quite cold last night, less than 10 deg C when I woke up but during the middle of the day when we went back to the car that was parked up at Penrith we actually had to put the air con on and wait for a while before we got in. Too hot! Too hot for the jacket and closed shoes I thought I was going to need.

Tregear has been very quiet as usual. Nothing more than the usual occasional speeding car with music up too loud. There was a couple of people passed each other on the footpath and stopped to talk for a few minutes outside my house. There's news reports of a drug bust. Quiet. I suppose whoever lived next door to the house that was busted might have felt it wasn't so quiet for a change....

Storm

Just in case you hadn't noticed, it's wet again! Big storm this arvo, lightning and all. Of course it was all over by the time I got home, just a bit of rain! The creek is up just a little.

I want someone to tell me about something that happened in Tregear lately! I think I live in the quietest corner of the suburb!

Cool green & kangas

Well, today is a bit cool to start only 14 deg on my front porch, but it's clear skies so it will probably get quite warm.

There's a house being built up on Nella Dan, I haven't been up there for a while so I don't know what happened to the original house. And the reserve is so green, the summer has been so wet that no one has been able to get a grass fire lit. And this photo I took a few days ago when the kangaroos visited. It was only a little camera and we had to stay at a distance and zoom as much as the camera would allow. The one on the left has a joey and possible the one one right does too, but it isn't clear. The binoculars helped with that.

Finally hot

After losing her way for a long time summer found us again! It's actually hot enough to put the air con on!

On the way home this evening there was a lot of black smoke just north of Tregear. I don't know what it was but it was so black I'd guess it was a burning car. I wonder if I'll figure out what it was and where it was?

Tired and hot

I'm a bit technologied out at this point. I've been playing so much I'm finally getting tired of the net! This doesn't happen very often I can tell you! I'm sure I'll be back in form after a decent nights sleep but I won't get it if i don't stop posting and get off here!

Today was warm, very warm, but not really hot. We skipped summer didn't we?

Very quiet. No one I know was aware of the shooting in Cambridge Park and the culprits being caught in Tregear. Up on Forrester apparently. If you didn't see it on the news you missed it altogether.

Cool & loud

Another cool day after a sunny day. We only get sunny days one at a time. And the sunny days aren't really hot anymore. We're sliding into Autumn quite rapidly.

The only thing I can report is the loud abusive one up on Nella Dan was up and yelling very early this morning. I couldn't hear from inside my house, just far enough away not to be a bother. I could hear her in the back yard. I feel sorry for her neighbors though - I hope they weren't trying to sleep in. I've only been close enough to see her maybe twice and both times she was yelling. Not close enough to figure out what her problem is. Must be a problem of some variety, no one can be so loudly angry and be a stable person.

Quiet, grey and interview

Grey day today, but no rain. A dog, mildly barking and howling further up the road. Nothing else, I'm told.

I have an interview for a job at Parramatta on Friday. It would be very nice to not have to go into the cbd any more. Halve the travelling time!

(later) Something did happen - There's three kangaroos in the reserve! They've come out onto the shorter green grass to eat. At least one has a joey in her pouch.

Neglect & local events

I feel like I've been neglecting this blog badly. Three days between posts. I think it's a little hard to write about such a quiet place actually.

Let me see, it's been very cool and quite wet. One of my neighbors just grown up daughters has moved to Cairns. There were some kids squealing out the front. They were playing a game, but the squealing was so peculiar that we weren't sure if it was human or not. Was just kids. I lost my umbrella today, but that wasn't here at home - it was on a train or in the city or something. Bad timing too, it was raining when I left work.

Cool summerand dual names

It was 16 dec C on my front porch this morning. What a strange year. Even though there's been heaps more rain the creeks haven't come up any further. South Creek drained and then came up a bit more, but not to the same extent. BTW, I discovered while I was looking in the latest street directory that South Creek now has a dual name. It's South / Wianamatta Creek. Mind you, when I look up the Geographic Names Board entry I find out it was dual named in 2003. Went right over my head! http://www.gnb.nsw.gov.au/name_search/extract?id=TRIOjzsyKW . Ropes Creek has stayed at around the same level for days, up but not really close to the bridge. The dams are up to 64%! i wonder when the last time was they got that high! I'm told it didn't rain during the day today but it's just started again.

More rain! Fancy that.

It was sunny during the day and rather hot. Then the rain came back! With a vengance! I turned everything off while the storm was happening but it's gone again. I keep wondering if South Creek has flooded again, but I can't be bothered going out to find out. I also want Ropes Creek to break it's banks. It's been too long. Lots of people round here have never seen our reserve flooded. The rain radar is stunning, one massive amount of rain that is just traveling across the whole of Sydney. It looks like it has a big blank area with no rain in the middle.

As for the missing kids yesterday - no one has been reported missing so the thought is the kids got out by themselves and don't want to own up. The next day or so will make it more obvious.

And isn't it amazing how many papers picked up the brawl at the community centre? It's pushed all the other bits of news off this page and it's just cycling through all the different papers that have covered that story. I hope the girl is ok. My best wishes go out to you, whoever you are.

Flooding

There's been so much rain that various streams have flooded around the area. Ropes creek hasn't yet. It's up quite a lot, but not close enough to flooding. I have seen it flood, a couple of times a few years ago, and the worst was when the whole reserve was flooded. It filled up to the bottom of the embankment along Ellsworth Drive. Both bridges, the one on Forester and the one on Debrincat were covered and there was no way from Tregear into St Marys. We had to go round via Mt Druitt or up to Penrith. Luckily the buses come and go from Mt Druitt so we could still get around without much trouble.

On the way home from the station today we drove around to have a look at flooded South Creek at St Marys and found all the fuss on Werrington Road with the possibility of missing children. There were helicopters everywhere and a motor boat on an area that is usually dry, running beside the road on the north side of Dunheved Road. Fire engines everywhere and heaps of onlookers. The whole of South Creek has turned into a lake.

Of course none of that was in Tregear ... hmm. In Tregear there was a dirt bike in the reserve, although under these weather conditions we might have to call it a mud bike...

I'm back

I've been in Queensland for a symposium for Web 2.0 technologies in libraries. That was a heap of fun but I won't go into the details here. Coming back to Tregear and finding it cool and raining was a real treat after the muggy heat of Brisbane. I swear I didn't stop sweating the whole time I was up there! And I thought Tregear was hot! It was raining and or cloudy a lot of the time and still I was dripping with sweat all the time. At least when it's raining and cloudy here I can cool down!

The previous 3 posts were all suppose to be on different day but my fill in poster got mixed up with the technology. Never mind.

I see there's a news post about a riot up at the community centre! And a passer by ended up hurt! Did anyone else see it? Was involved in it? My back up here said she thinks she saw the group before the fight broke out and thought something might turn nasty, but walked away and forgot so she didn't end up writing about it. Anyone want to give their side of events? Remember - no offensive stuff.

rain

very hot here yesterday, humidity is the killer. then the storm came in, just lots of thunder and some rain but it's still raining now so all the plants have had a good soak. very quiet here today.

Warm day

It's very hot here today. my dogs are both old and don't like the heat so their inside at the moment. When it start to cool they'll go back out. Very quiet morning so far just the sounds of kids off to school.

Alone again

My partner has gone of the a symposium on Web 2.0 up in Quennsland. i would have went but I'm enrolling in TAFE on the 1.2.08 so i stayed here. Also we have two old dogs and it's just easier if one of us is here. One is 16 1/2 the other is a 14. Both of them are blind but they cope ok with that. I've taught the 14 year old one to follow the sound of me tapping my leg. She cope really well. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

The other one is coping better than she was but she just not as physically able as the other dog so he put a harness on her to lead her around by. She presses up against you leg as a guide when she walks.

Oh well there's really not much else to say another quiet day in Tregear

Brain fatigue

You know what happens when you go back to work after having 5 weeks off? You end up with brain fatigue! I can't believe how tired my brain is! I haven't done this much thinking for 5 weeks! Done some of course, I have projects, I'm doing my family history and I've done work on that and because I had time I got stuck into the really complicated part, but I haven't had to do this much thinking for so many hours in a day for (yes, again) five weeks. I keep losing track of what I'm saying in conversations and having to backtrack, and my brain has turned all foggy! I think my brain has gone on strike actually. Had enough of all this. And I can't type, I've had to correct so much of this entry! I want to go on holidays again to recover from going back to work!

I'm told it got up to 38 deg C today but I didn't feel it - I was in the cbd in air con. It was cloudy and sprinkling by the time I got home.

The bit Tregear event was another helicopter flying low, slow and loud. I guess they're chasing someone again. The one problem with living across from the reserve is that all the ones running away from police head for the reserve because it's the only piece of scrub around here.

Back to work

I'm not going to be as aware of what's happening in our suburb except for evenings, I'm no longer on holidays. Back to work today. Culture shock! I'm glad to say I actually managed to not sleep and therefore I got out of the house and to work more or less on time. Of course CityRail stuffed up and I got to work 15 minutes later than I should have, but it was still ok. And I remembered my password for my work computer!!

I'm told it's been hot out here today and only started cooling down this evening. It still felt muggy and warm getting off the train but it wasn't too bad. A cold dinner, some internet, some tv, and then sleep early enough to go to work tomorrow..... they really should pay me to stay home, I'd rather be hanging here any day, and I'd be really good at it! But they don't pay me for that so it's back to the big smoke each day.

I'll be away on the weekend so someone will be posting.

Cheers!

Happy Survival Day

A warm day today. Warm enough to put the air con on when the sun hit the loungeroom in the arvo.

And to those who are into such things: Happy Australia Day, or Happy Survival Day.

Now. The day before yesterday, after I'd done my last post, I was told by someone who saw as drove up, that there were about 7 police at a house just down the road. There you go, something happened.

And those dirt bikes and the motorised pushbikes have been around and not just in the reserve. Although the ones in the reserve haven't had children on them lately, the ones on the roads are so much louder!

Cool, hot, cool and mowed reserve.

The weather has mostly been quite cool, except for today - the sun came out again and it got uncomfortable hot, but before it could get really bad the clouds came back!

They mowed the reserve today! It looks so different out there. I like it when the grass is long, it's a paddock then instead of a suburban reserve. It does have to be done because otherwise, when the grass dries out, the pyromaniacs burn it.

I saw a letter in one of the local papers today complaining about the entertainment development in Ropes Crossing again. They didn't complain about the surrounding suburbs this time.

Cool fireworks?

Well, so much for the hot weather! It's back to clouds, rain, cool breezes! It was all of 22 deg C at 8.30 this morning.

Now, what's been happening in Tregear? Hmm. Someone let off fireworks last night. I didn't go outside to see them. It wasn't very late... nah, I can't think of anything else.

Hot and dirt bikes

For the first time in a week it's hot. It's 36 deg C on my front porch. I actually have the air con on. On the good side all the washing is done and dry and the whole suburb no longer smells mouldy!

Yesterday there were people playing with a dirt bike in the reserve - they were having a ball, screeching and squealing, but you'd have to wonder what would happen if the adult, who was carrying 2 children at the same time, hit a rock. Or a hole. Not like there aren't any over there. Could have ended up with people screeching and screaming instead...

Cool, damp

The last two days have been very cool and damp. It was 18 dec C this morning when I checked about 8.30 am.

There's a mower going just up the road, I reckon they think it's a good day, nice and cool, even though it's damp. They probably think they should mow quickly before it starts raining again! I should be out there mowing the front yard ..... but I'm not.

Warragamba is up to 56.1%. The storage reports are published weekly here: http://www.sca.nsw.gov.au/dams-and-water/weekly-storage-and-supply-reports

Quiet and cool

Yesterday and today both cool. Maximum 30 dec C yesterday at it's hottest and so far just 23. The sun looks as if it might break out. That will be the end of the cool!

What can I say? Very quiet in my part of Tregear. How is it in your part?

Storm!

It's all of 20 dec C out there today. Still very cloudy and wet and cool. It would have been interesting to look at the rain radar to see what the storms yesterday were looking like, but really, I wasn't about to plug this computer in while that was going on! That would be a recipe for disaster. No tv either (and did everyone remember to unplug your aerial as well?) so there was a lot of lounging around and reading.

I was out the front doing some garden work when it was sprinkling. It was the first time it's been cool enough to do anything out there for a while. Got quite a bit of pruning done. Then it started thundering again and I scuttled back inside quick smart.

I'll be checking the dam levels again on Thursday when they post them. It will be interesting to see how they are going after all this and I swear it was over the catchment area as well.

No damage close by. The wind was so strong I'm surprised there wasn't.

Softball, kids on bikes and domestics

Yesterday the weather started out hot and sunny but then the clouds came over. Thank goodness! We went off to watch the state finals of the softball at Rooty Hill and it had cooled down enough to be reasonable by the time we got there. NSW won in wonderful ways, Stacey, the captain got across the home plate twice. She was the only one who did.

Today it's 28 deg C on my front porch right now and the sky is almost clear blue. It's going to be hot again.

2 things!

Well, the first wasn't actually in Tregear but it was just around the corner on Luxford. A young boy somewhere between 10 and 12, was riding his bike on the road. And doing a really bad job! He was very awkward and I'm wondering if he could actually ride properly! 2 of us in the car and we were about to yell at him to get off the road, when he did something even sillier - he actually dropped his bike on the road and made to walk back to the footpath! Seems he saw someone he knew. He jumped when he had 2 people yelling from our car and at the same time he was yelled at by the girls on the footpath! Now that is a kid who had parents who have no idea of his behaviour when he's out on his bike! He's too young, and he doesn't have enough common sense to be responsible for his bike let alone his life. Take the bike off him.

And last night there was a fight up on Nella Dan. We think. We could hear it but not see it. We could only hear it when we were outside. I think it had been going on for a while and I wonder that no one had called the police. Maybe they did - I couldn't here anything once I was inside.

Hot and quiet

This afternoon it's 38 deg C on the porch. And the sun wasn't even on the thermometer! With the aircon on inside it's about 27.

I think it's just too hot for anyone to be out and about!

Sunny

The clouds went away... It's 30 deg C inside this arvo. The air con went on! I'm not looking at what the thermometer is doing on the porch. The sun is on it now.

The only other thing to report is a car with thumping music went past last night. After I'd gone to sleep. Didn't like that.....

ps, check out the new additions: on the right is a Rollyo search engine. Make sure Tregear is chosen from the drop down list and then type in Tregear as well to see what you get. Further down is another map from Wayfarer with tags, routes and notes. The routes don't show up properly here...

Still cloudy

I didn't look at the thermometer first thing this morning. It's 26 deg C now. Still very cloudy. Hasn't rained.

There was a kid crying. A car blocked my driveway for a couple of minutes - driver had stopped to talk on the phone. Quite responsible really! I can hear that a few of the cars driving past are speeding. I really can't think of anything else, Tregear is quiet...

I'm back!

And this morning it's 22 deg C! Full cloud cover. All very pleasant so far.

Wow! Someone else found the blog and actually did the poll thing! I don't care if you said no to liking Tregear, thanks for doing it!

Now, let me see. I think someone walking past broke a bottle on the road after I'd gone to sleep last night. It woke me up and I got up to have a look, but there wasn't anyone in sight and I don't know where the bottle was.

I'm glad to be back, I like my home.

HOT

It's about here today, was thinking of mowing this morning when it was only 22, not doing it now for nothing. Very quiet here again, maybe everyones away or maybe the heats done them in, or liek me they're inside in air con comfort.

Went out and did some shopping got a case of mangoes for $5. Pick up my partners daughter house, she cut her dogs nails and then we went and got some fly ointments for her dogs ear. On the way home we stopped at the local club and had chips with gravy and both got a jackpot on the pokies. She won 29.74 i won 20.75 not a lot but we won money. You leave when you win.

She's back at here place with a fan and I'm here with air con, she likes the heat though.

rain

It's very quiet here today not even kids riding there bikes. Rain never bothered me as a child I loved it. But i was a country kid and rain was to be rejoiced. It's 26c here very nice.

cool day = mowing

it started out cool today 24c at 10.30am so i mowed. It's the only time i mow, which can means the grass gets a bit long over summer. It did make it to 32c but i'd finished by then. It's cooled down again maybe 28c. I have a friend over for dinner and were going to have salt and pepper tofu and vegies. yum. home made too. even better.

All is quiet on the western front.

21c

Not to hot at all here today, nice change. Fingers crossed that it stays that way, the last few days have heated up in the early afternoon. It's very quiet here. At around 5.30 this morning there were lots of birds chirping they woke me up a bit earlier than i like, nice sound but I would have liked to sleep a bit longer.

The day after New Year

20 deg C out there this morning.

Missed a day again! Could be something to do with being tired after NYE noise. But it was NYE so it was to be expected. It is amazing though how many people can get hold of fireworks when they're not supposed to be available and even if you do manage to get them from somewhere else you aren't suppose to be able to get a licence to let them off. Oh well, I like fireworks and I didn't here any sirens so I suppose no one burnt down their house.

There was loud partying up the back, but not loud enough to keep me awake. I don't know how their more immediate neighbors felt about it. I actually went to sleep before midnight, woke again just before midnight and put the tele on to watch the fireworks. Pretty! And even the television coverage was ok. I think they're getting better at it. The coverage from above was too distant so maybe they need better cameras if they can't get in closer.

Understandably I didn't do much yesterday. I was sleepy. Went around to my daughters place to let her dogs out. We always keep our dogs in for NYE so they don't panic and Fiona was spending NYE with a friend up the coast. Went for a little drive. Came back and watched movies and read books. Did a miniscule amount of domestic activity. Went back to watching movies and reading books.

It certainly got hot enough yesterday. Didn't look at the thermometer at the days hottest and it looks like today is going to be the same. Summer found us! Thank goodness we're still having cool nights.