Day 68/366

Three Wicked Weeds of the West.

Or 

International Women's Day,

or 

The Longest Blog Post.

On International Women's Day we remember the achievements made by women for women since the early part of the last century.

It seems appropriate that I should finish reading Fall of Giants just yesterday, a book that highlights womankind's struggles(and other struggles) before and during The First World War.  During that time, women in the United Kingdom won their right to vote, but how many of us know that only women who were over thirty years of age could actually vote, or, if they owned property; over twenty one years age.

Japanese Honeysuckle.

Lantana

Morning Glory.

Since my bout of illness over Christmas and the new year my energy levels have remained low.  

My daily walks have suffered as a result and I can count my walking ventures since Christmas on one hand.

I have been having new treatments on my upper thoracic spine for some months now.

A Bowen Therapist moved into our area last year and I was prompted to visit her after noticing her new sign as I walked past her premises on my daily walks; when I was still capable of enjoying them.

Bowen Therapy helped initially and then things came to a standstill.

Kris then suggested introducing TRE or Trauma Release Exercises.

My first session of TRE went to plan but by the time I'd turned up for my second session I'd begun displaying symptoms of the influenza that would strike me down over the holidays.

My next session was delayed for many weeks and I've now had about four sessions of TRE with Kris.

Once again, initially, the results relieved a lot of the discomfort I've been feeling and now the altered sensations I've suffered from for decades have been transformed into pain.

I see this as progress.  With the pain I've also experienced a lot of stiffness in the affected area and I know that walking helps relieve this pain and stiffness.

So after the over night deluge I took a risk and donned by hooded rain jacket, pulled on two pairs of socks and zipped up my leather boots to go for a walk.

There is an enjoyable walk along a fire trail directly opposite our driveway which I avoid doing solo.  

There is a steep incline at both ends of the trail with road ballast gravel used to stop erosion but on which I've had a tumble down before.

There are many waterways carousing across the track and after heavy rain may mean turning back the way one came.

So I took a walk along the streets, pocketed Mr Honey Pie's point and shoot camera to see what I could find.

I'm not very happy with the shots taken today; there's lots I need to learn about the camera before there's any improvement in the photographs I take with it.  So be warned.  Most of the shots in today's post have been heavily edited!

Those of you visiting from the north of the equator might be surprised to find that some of your most loved flowers are considered weeds in Australia.

On my walk I encountered Honeysuckle.  I must admit; this is my most favourite weed.

It triggers some of my happiest childhood memories and if I could find an non-invasive variety I would include it in my mostly-native garden.

I love its fragrance and as children we would draw the stamens out at the base of the flower and suck up the nectar that would collect on the anthers.

Honeysuckle and Morning Glory grow over native vegetation and block out light.

Lantana is the weed I dislike the most.  It forms an impenetrable thicket and deprives native flora of scantly available nutrients.

Here is a link on weeds in the Blue Mountains which you may find useful or just plain interesting depending from which part of the world you're visiting.

Many of the streets in our village are named after native trees.

All this moisture and lack of sunlight has encouraged the growth of a variety of fungi.

Waterfalls have been created where waterfalls did not exist before.

Seventy five percent of our state is awash.

The past summer would have to be the wettest and coldest in my memory.

The long wet has caused plagues of some most undesirable creatures.

Inner Sydney has seen a plague of cockroaches and blood sucking leeches.  In fact most of the east coast is experiencing the leech plague.

Wagga Wagga is going through a most unusual phenomena which you can see pictures of here.

Mosquitoes and midges (sandflies) are other pesky creatures to be thriving beautifully in this unseasonable weather. 

Sales of clove bud oil I'm guessing have hit record highs as householders attempt to control growths of mould and mildew on everything from furniture to clothing.   

Lucky for me, not a drop of rain fell while I was out walking.  The wind picked up a bit and drew back some of the cloud, just enough to reveal a smidgen of blue.

Probably nothing more than a short respite before the next onslaught.