A True Garden of Eden...a Snake and Apples

This morning we thought harvesting the Grannie Smith apples as well as the rest of the quinces, would be an excellent idea.

Kym was on the other side of the apple tree and I was just starting to lift the net up over the branches when I noticed part of a brown snake. For a moment I thought it was a left over from the snake I found entangled in the net at the beginning of the season.When Kym came to have a look we realized it was very much alive but totally tangled up in the net.

We could not see its little head so Kym uncovered as much as he could and severed its tail end from where it was sticking out of the net.

We got the net off the tree and dragged it well away. We could not disentangle the poor creature at all so we left it to make sure it really was dead.

We harvested the apples and left the little ones for the birds....when I started thinking about the whole situation it made me smile ....the snake did not say a word....

Later in the afternoon, I carefully cut the net away from the snake and it took some doing as it was tangled up right to its gills, though I don't think snakes have gills do they?

You can see the length of it, spread out on the net after I cut it free, it measured 41 inches which is 3feet 5inches or 104 cm. I gave it a christian burial by the Walnut tree.....

 The apples are stored in layers between newspapers in the bath ( I shower in the en suite so don't freak out, no need to stand upwind from me next time we meet...)

 The apples keep very well this way. The quinces I store in the fridge and they too, store quite well.

 The vegetable garden is starting to look presentable again, the seeds have all sprouted now, it did take nearly three weeks for some of the seeds to emerge, the onion tribe especially. The garlic though is doing brilliantly.

So far I can't say that burying a tin of sardines under a silverbeet plant has had dramatic effects on it...its control plant is further ahead ,I hate to admit...

Sequel to the Micro Bat rescue

It is some weeks now that I wrote about the little bat which found its way into our house.

After we rescued it I kept it safe in a dark shoe box for the day and when it was dark I had been told, it was the best time to let it go.

So come evening, I took it out and put it on the potting table under the Ash tree.

When I went to check it in the morning, to my horror it was still in the same place....

So I thought I would take photos of the poor little creature and as you can see it is quite detailed and you can see it's tiny little sharp feet.

I went to turn it over with my gloved hand( it is important to wear gloves when handling bats)when, with a shock I realized it was still alive as it wriggled when I touched it. So carefully I transported it to the rough bark of a Eucalyptus tree which has a Carob tree for company. So it was a lovely dark, sheltered place for it to hang out.

 It hung there all day and when I went to check on it the next morning it was gone....no bat body under the tree so I can only assume it recovered from its traumatic experience and went back to its clan...it is a Lesser long eared Bat, Nyelophilus geoffroyi

The grapevines have all turned a lovely autumn colour....winter is on its way......log fires...mulled wine.....good books....contentment....