Cacophony.
If you have ever woken up in Australia, chances are high that you were greeted to the day by the song of a bird or 10. Especially in Spring, especially in Queensland. This morning I woke up to a chorus of song. There are whip birds, wrens, lorikeets, kookaburras, to name the ones that I am familiar with. It’s similar to being in a region specific bird sanctuary. This melody has taken Mum and Dad about 20 years to achieve. When we first moved to this block of land, it was basically 40 acres of clay with a house perched on it. Now there are flower beds, citrus trees, a small sub-tropical corner with a hammock where you can watch the lorikeets, a giant shrub thing that smells amazing when it’s in bloom (located near the front stairs to greet you upon arrival), and the old gum tree that houses the odd koala outside my bedroom window. In short, it’s a pretty sweet abode.
With the absence of Mum and Dad for the weekend I’ve been the person in charge of things like feeding the cows and watering the gardens/veg patch. Bo – the Black Heeler, has been of great help making sure the back and front door steps are fiercely guarded at all times. This is usually rewarded with the distribution of ham cuttings and playing tug of war with his rope. Bo usually sleeps in his pen under the Koala tree, however these past few nights I’ve had him on the front verandah. The second night here I realised that I was about 30 minutes from any major assistance and suddenly felt super vulnerable. Like scary movie vulnerable. So I went under the house, turned all the lights on and off as I fed Bo and closed all the doors as I went back upstairs. Bo was chilling by the back door and I really needed him to be by the front door, I really didn’t want to open the back door again and what would happen if he ran to the neighbours again (as he had done previously)?… I dragged him through the house, much to his reluctance as he knows he’s not allowed inside.
With Bo out the front and my phone by my side, I went to bed. Before I make this situation sound more ridiculous than it is, I had heard some strange noises when Bo headed out earlier that evening. He had taken a long time to return when called (unusual) and that’s when it hit me that I really didn’t have any kind of defence system beyond this pup and I don’t know my neighbour’s phone numbers. So I go to bed, because that’s where you go to be safest, and drift off to sleep. I awake to Bo losing his mind barking at something at midnight, I go and investigate and see nothing (by investigate I mean peek out of the window and stand very still for a few minutes until he stops barking). At 3am I hear someones footsteps on the verandah. The rhythmical ‘Left, Right, Left, Right’ that is someone pacing while figuring out how best to break in. My heart is pounding out of my chest, my legs are flooded with adrenalin and I have no idea what to do. ‘Left, Right, Left, Right’. I breathe and wonder why Bo didn’t bark at all? Then I thought back to where I’d heard that noise before, almost like a rocking to and fro. Bo and I were sitting at the picnic table on the verandah the other day and he was using the bottom of the chair to scratch his back. My heart rate drops by about 10 beats, and I can breathe a little easier. Not someone trying to break in, dog scratching. Very different, much safer. Breathe and lay back down, no need to call your parents (5 hours away) or the police (“excuse me, I think someone’s breaking in, no wait, it’s my dog. Never mind…”).
All in all an adventurous evening. It did make me rethink living independently in Brisbane for a moment, then I gave some mental props to Mum for staying here alone while Dad’s out of town. It’s amazing what the mind can do with some odd noises and a little inspiration. Luckily, I survived the night, the house pulled through and Bo continues to guard our safety diligently and with enthusiasm (as I write this he is chewing on a rock… Send help!!!!)
Since that night, life on the farm has returned to normal, I’m watering things, going through old possessions to give away, and eating delicious ham. This is pretty much what happens each time I return home. The great part is that each time I come back, there is more bird life, new vegetables to pick, new flowers to admire, new places to sit and observe. It really is a lovely little oasis that they have built here and I’m super happy to call it home!
Happy Wandering!
Hx
P.S. My brother, Lachlan, took a bunch of epic pictures while he was home last. All photo credits go to him (except the rainbow, that was all me)! He really captured the place well.