"In the beginning"

Disclaimer

The views expressed in this blog are not necessarily the views of the blog management, (on the other hand, they are not necessarily not the views of the blog management).

No effort has been made to stay within the bounds of the truth in this blog as it has always been the view of the management that the truth should never be allowed to stand in the way of a good story.

Thursday, June 07, 2007

RAIN!!!!!!!





Yes he is a bit rough isn't he.












We have had two and a half days of glorious rain over most of
SE Qld but still need LOTS more to put some water into our
storage dams.


Some of you may recall this photo from a few days ago showing the ant
nests with their flood proofing parapets, I was a little skeptical about
how efficient this would be if you remember.

I should have had more faith in them, once the rain started they simply
sealed the top entrances over with more soil and sat it out in comfort
today, as the rain looks like its finishing for now they have opened up
some small entrances you will see if you enlarge the photo

There are dozens of these nests just on my property so there must be
thousands around the town, here each nest has a cap built over the
top entrance and the rain only made the soil they built with set a little
to become more waterproof... Nature is indeed great to observe.


A cold winter.

It was April and the Aboriginals in a remote part of South Australia asked their new elder if the coming winter was going to be cold or mild.

Since he was an elder in a modern community he had never been taught the old secrets. When he looked at the sky he couldn't tell what the winter was going to be like. Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, he told his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the tribe should collect firewood to be prepared.

But being a practical leader, after several days he had an idea. He walked out to the telephone booth on the highway, called the Bureau of Meteorology and asked, "Is the coming winter in this area going to be cold?" The meteorologist responded, "It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold." So the elder went back to his people and told them to collect even more wood in order to be prepared.

A week later he called the Bureau of Meteorology again. "Does it still look like it is going to be a very cold winter?" The meteorologist again replied, "Yes, it's going to be a very cold winter." The elder again went back to his community and ordered them to collect every scrap of firewood they could find.

Two weeks later the elder called the Bureau again. "Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?" he asked. "Absolutely," the man replied. "It's looking more and more like it is going to be one of the coldest winters ever." "How can you be so sure?" the elder asked.

The weatherman replied, "There are reports that the Aboriginals are collecting firewood like crazy, and that's always a sure sign."





19 comments:

Jamie Dawn said...

Funny joke!

Soooo many ant hills. There must be thousands upon thousands of ants on your property. I hope they never make it into your house!

Anonymous said...

Peter, good for the rain. There are report that the Aboriginals are collecting fire wood.

Very funny.

OldHorsetailSnake said...

I am so stealing this! Good show, Peter

Val said...

These ant photos are absolutely fascinating, Peter. Are there any negatives to having so many nests around?

Anonymous said...

Hey with a dick like that he can look how he likes.

Ha, that was a funny joke...Aborigines stocking up on firewood, very funny!!

Anonymous said...

Peter, there is an update on my chicken post for you.

Jim said...

I guess you are serious about those waterproof anthills. Our ants find something floating to attatch to and then go floating downstream to a different location.

When I lived in New Hampshire we could tell when winter was coming because the old timers (mostly Brits in exile) would put the elderly to bed for the winter in the cold outside porches.

Spring brought a reversal and a thawing out. Limbo, very much like the hibernation of bears.
..

Christina said...

Do the ants sting? (like our "fire ants" that have a very painful sting) or are they more or less harmless?

Puss-in-Boots said...

Hi Peter

Aren't ants the most amazing creatures, when they're not swarming all over the bench, that is. Great photos of mother nature at work.

Hee hee...loved the joke...sounds about right for bureaucracy.

Suzz said...

Peter, just love your humor, especially the stick figures. I wonder if we started collecting umbrellas if the weather man would predict more rain for north Florida!

Lee said...

I've had a lot of interruptions this week, Peter and am now just catching up on blogs. The rain was wonderful...it just didn't last long enough. I hope it all comes back soon and lasts longer. It's damn cold up here today...freezing, actually! On with the winter woolies!

Cliff said...

New version of the firewood story Peter. One I hadn't reard before. When I was a kid they always told it on our local tribe the Omaha's.

Jeanette said...

Oh my gosh Peter it looks like your being invaded, I hope those ants stay outside,

Walker said...

Mother nature does have its ways of dealing with the elements.
Now if that was my neibours lawn I would sit out there and look at how the ants went on building their little world.
If it was my lawn they'd get evicted real damn fast LOL

Loved the joke
Have a nice weekend

Joy Des Jardins said...

Those are some serious ant hills Peter..YIKES!

I love the stick figure doodles...keep them coming...

Rachel said...

Very funny joke Peter!!!

Those ant hills!! Wow!! It looks like they have you surrounded. I think I'd be on guard if I were you!!

Glad you got some much needed rain. We still need it here.

Pamela said...

my girls tell me I have an obsession..but those anthills are a little bit phallic



oh.. winter joke funniest I've heard in a long long time!!!


and hope your rain keeps falling (it is here)

Pamela said...

ps
and I'm going to one year old in the blogging world this week.

I've been side tracked by grandkids -- but right now they are with their other grandmother.

Miss Cellania said...

You can't go wrong taking the advice of the Bureau, I mean the Aboriginals, I mean the Bureau...