A Magpie Story

A MAGPIE STORY

Australian Magpies are not the same as the European Magpie. We have several types in Australia, some mostly white, some mostly black.  Many people don't like Maggies. It could be their beady little eyes and hard pointed beaks, their protectiveness during nesting season and the aggressiveness that chases a boy on a bike, a goanna up a tree, or adults walking nearby. They dive at the head and shoulders and hit really hard. 

I have been attacked, and while being struck on the back with such force was frightening, I had to admire the bravery of little creature. When they think their nests are under threat the magpies are fearless.

I love their song. I love to listen to their choir practice though the demanding screeches of their young are not as melodic. They sing in harmony, all together or in groups. They sing rounds and duets and solos.

 I once lived in a house in the forest – not a forest like the three bears had, but a eucalyptus forest with an assortment of introduced trees that surrounded the house. The open veranda was a great introduction to the local wildlife. Magpies were frequent visitors and such friendly visitors, or is that pushy, that we had to keep the screen door closed to keep them out of the kitchen.

It was hard to resist throwing meat and fruit scraps out for them, especially when I saw how hardworking and patient they were with their demanding babies. The youngsters, who seem to be the same size as the group of adults who care for them, scream and squawk for food unless their beak is full. Sometimes it takes six adults - both parents, older siblings, aunties and uncles, to care for just one speckled baby.  No wonder the fast food outlet bowl of cat food, on our veranda was checked out daily.

I had a very touching experience with one magpie families. This group had been nesting near our house for several years and I’m sure I could recognise some of the individual birds. They always announced their arrival, loudly ordering food scraps and treats. Often one or two birds knocked with their beaks on the kitchen door to get my attention. This day their calling was different.

From the veranda I could see six birds standing in arc on the ground below, behind a crippled bird. It was small but all black like the adult birds. The right wing stuck out at an odd angle and the right leg was injured so the bird's body twisted to one side, trying to balance. The group ignored the toast crust I threw and one by one flew away, leaving the injured one behind, with me.

I didn't know what to do. I tried phoning the people who cared for wild birds in our area but there was no answer - this was in the early days of the local WILVOS.  I looked at the pathetic little bird. He looked back. When I went closer he moved away.  So, he was distressed - I kept my distance.

After an hour or so he decided to move. He walked away, limping. I watched and followed as he moved under the bracken and started up a steep slope, toward the nesting trees.  It was hard work for him. He pushed his way through ferns and long grass and it took him all afternoon to cover a very short distance. As it grew dark the little bird crawled into thick bladed grass and I had to leave him there. I thought about him all night.

I knew from TV documentaries that it's best not to interfere with the natural order of things. A vet once told me that touching an injured wild animal can kill it by causing extreme stress.  When I was young, and we had cracker night, people put their guinea pigs inside the house under blankets so they didn't die of fright.  I also knew the local goannas and carpet snakes saw injured birds and animals as easy prey.  It seems there is no compassion amongst animals.

The next morning I expected to find him dead or gone but the brave little fella was still there. He refused the scraps of minced meat I offered.  As the sun warmed the ground he started off again, heading up the hill to the line of trees that magpies favoured.

Again I followed at a distance.

Like a brave wounded soldier he struggled on, ignoring me unless I got too close. Finally he reached the top of the hill, and stopped, exhausted. I left water close to him and checked on him every half hour or so. He lay panting, in a bird way, occasionally lifting his head. I didn't want a goanna or the snake to find him. There was no way he get into the trees and no sign of other magpies. I got a large cardboard box and made a fence around him. I kept watch and talked to him about the trees and all the birds. At sunset he died and we buried him beside the track, under his tree.

I’ve never forgotten him.

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This Magpie rhyme comes from England.  Apparently seeing two Magpies together is lucky. I must have a lot of luck.

One for sorrow, Two for joy,

Three for a girl, Four for a boy,

Five for silver, Six for gold,

Seven for a secret never to be told.

Eight for a wish, Nine for a kiss

Ten for a bird that you won't want to miss.

using the herb COMFREY

I've been in love with the herb comfrey for about 40 years but have not had it growing for half of that time.  We moved around at bit over the years and I haven't had a suitable place to plant it - but now, at last there is a garden and plenty of space to grow this incredible herb.  Comfrey likes to settle in for a long stay, in fact there is an understanding among herb growers that  - you plant comfrey knowing it will still be growing there long after you have gone.

Hairy comfrey leaf, freshly washed

Comfrey sends tap roots 3 metres down into the subsoil (about 10 feet) to find the yummy nutrients that make it the wonderful herb it is,  so a mature plant would be almost impossible to move, or remove. Comfrey is grown from root cuttings and any broken piece of root is a potential plant - you can cut away part of the root without destroying the rest. The author Jackie French tells of accidently ploughing over some comfrey plants, cutting them into small pieces, and she ended up with a paddock full of comfrey. A lucky accident I'd say.

Some leaves are eaten before I can pick them

The comfrey leaf is surprisingly hairy, thick, and sometimes bitter to taste. Flowers can be purple, pink or white and I'm delighted to discover this week that mine are purple.  The harvesting advice I've read is to harvest while in flower but others suggest waiting until the plant is over 60cms high (2 ft) but I pull leaves off whenever I want them.  I often have to race the insects though - they know it's an amazing plant.

So, what is it good for?

Comfrey plant a few months oldSo, what is it good for?  

Comfrey has been used as a healing herb forever - recorded use goes back to 400BC.  Originally from Europe comfrey was used by the ancient Greeks and then European settlers discovered the Native Americans also made good use of the herb. There is a wealth of information available in books and on the net. I've been reading about comfrey for many years, but these days I read and re-read Isabel Shipards book  - How can I use HERBS in my daily life?  One reason is she lives locally, so what grows at her place should grow at mine - the other reason is she provides so much information you feel full. But I do also look into YouTube to watch people making salve, ointments, fertilizer and doing other interesting things with comfrey.

TO USE ON THE OUTSIDE: The leaf and the root can be used as a poultice, a tincture, ointment or just the raw leaf (chopped with a little oil or hand cream to hold in place) as an external application for the healing of;  boils, bruises, burns, coughs and colds, cramps, eczema, inflammation, insect bites, fractures, gout, joint pain, rheumatism, skin ailments, sprains, strains, swelling and more.

Comfrey is also a softener for skin and hair. Make fresh comfrey 'tea' from a few chopped leaves, (bring to the boil in water, stew until water is green, cool, strain) and pour it over your head as a final rinse for soft and shiny hair. Make this fresh each time. You can also add a stronger comfrey 'tea', from fresh leaf or powdered root, to your bath water.  You'll find different ideas about making comfrey 'tea' on the internet.

With such wonderful healing properties comfrey is good for the skin and a comfrey oil can be used as body lotion and as massage oil for tired, sore feet. Rub it on your legs after your shower to deal with all those little cuts and scratches you get and to help with varicose veins and aching joints. Many different recipes for making the oil and ointments, are to be found on the internet.

A WARNING: Do not apply comfrey to deep open wounds or if infection is present as it's healing powers can work so well that surface healing may begin before the underlying wound has healed properly and skin healing over an infected wound is not good. It's better for a deep wound to heal slowly from the inside out.

Comfrey salve or ointment - comfrey infused olive oil
added to melted beeswax.

TO USE ON THE INSIDE:  Comfrey has also been used as a tea to drink, nibbled straight from the plant or as a food with the leaf eaten raw in salads or cooked in stews and soup to;  relieve allergies, anemia, asthma, bladder problems, bronchitis, coughs and colds, digestive problems, fatigue, fever, gallbladder problems, hay fever, psoriasis, respiratory and lung ailments, sinusitis, and more.

BUT I MUST ADD THIS DISCLAIMER: Do not eat or drink tea from any plant you have not fully studied and identified properly. Please consult with your local alternative herbal care specialist before using herbs you are not familiar with. In some areas internal consumption of comfrey is not encouraged, for a variety of reasons.

IN THE GARDEN:  I must make it clear that I am not a gardener. I sometimes say I am an organic farmer, but in reality my husband is the organic farmer and while we chat about the work and make farm decisions together, for me it is theory.  I don't dig dirt or pull weeds. The actual work I do is paying accounts, keeping the books, labeling boxes and making phone calls.  My interest in herbs is for food, health and treating ailments.

In the kitchen garden comfrey is a wonderful fertilizer, especially for tomatoes. I have a bucket of, what is also called 'tea' waiting to be used as fertaliser - a half cup full added to five litres of water, sprayed around the veggies makes them very happy and healthy. I might experiment with some of our ginger plants one day.

Comfrey fertaliser ‘tea’ - I pick the leaves and let them dry out for a day or two
before putting into a tightly covered bucket, just covered with water. This is
two months old and almost ready. Add half a cup full to five litres of water and
water your vegetables.

The leaves also make a rich mulch. When I find dead leaves around a plant I leave them to mulch the parent plant and find they are quickly absorbed into the surrounding soil. Comfrey leaves and stems can be used to accelerate the action of your compost heap. Many websites offer advice on how to make the fertilizer tea and how to use it in compost.

I have heard that when fed to cows comfrey aids milk production and gives longer living, healthier cows, but I've not had any experience with that. I've also heard that horses will eat it but I imagine if it was used regularly you'd need a huge amount of leaves and you'd have to have a comfrey farm. I know chooks like it, but don't seem to seek it out like caterpillars do. A few days ago R spotted a wallaby in the comfrey garden, but I can't say it was comfrey that brought it so close to the house.

Our beloved dog, Rufous, is 12 years old and while he has survived cancer in the past, he now has several more tumours growing on his body and something wrong with his digestive system. The vet doesn't know any more about his stomach problem than we do. We have decided not to put him through the trauma of more surgery to remove misc growths at his age, as he has had more anesthetics than most humans.  I am giving him comfrey in his food and also rubbing it on, and if it does not fight the cancer I hope it will at least give him some quality of life for the time he has left.

Rufous under the frangipani

Last July I bought 5 comfrey roots to grow. I kept them in self watering pots until they had decent leaves, before planting in the garden under my frangipani trees.  I'm not sure if this is the best place for them as they do not get a huge amount of direct sunlight, but they will have the sun for the winter months. The insect damage is the worst problem, as they eat more of the herb than I pick. I do know what type of comfrey these plants are and where they came from.
Then in October I was given an exciting birthday present in the form of a plastic bag of woody bits and dirt, which I recognised as a comfrey root! What an amazing gift!  I had been speaking to an interesting lady at a school fete, and we got onto comfrey, which this lady had growing in her garden. I told her how I'd used a comfrey poultice when I cracked the bone in my elbow. (I made the poultice with leaves from my mother-in-law's comfrey plant, which is twenty years old and a lot stronger than my little babies). A week later that ladies daughter sprained her ankle, so she dug up her own comfrey root to make a poultice and also sent me a clump of twisted root as well. Some of this root I used to in oil and the rest, seven pieces, I planted in my home made pots. Two pieces failed to root, possibly it was the wrong section of wood. As our weather has been extremely wet I've been protecting them and they are not in the garden yet - I'm still looking for the right spot, but that is a job I'll be doing this week.  I plan to put them on the other side of the garden to my first five plants because I do not know their history and I'm not sure if it's the same type of comfrey.  I'll be taking my own advice above and waiting to have it properly identified.

Baby plants waiting for a permanent home

After an eight month wait I'm very excited to find that one of my original five comfrey plants has flowered. This little one, below, was left as a sort of control plant, mainly because it was hard for me to reach. I've already used leaves from the other four plants to make oil infusions, tinctures and ointment, and I'm looking forward to experimenting more with comfrey recipes as all my plants mature.

Purple flower on a full grown plant

The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse always gets the cheese.

using OILS AT HOME

I'm happy to say I've enjoyed a very busy life. I've always had plenty of interests and hobbies, work I enjoyed and self improvement study. And there was house work, organising the family, health issues, friends, extended family and associated problems plus the children with all their interests including pets, homework, sport and other activities.  So, along the way I've had to decide that some things did not fit into whatever space I had left. Understanding how a car works was one thing I did not have room for and physical exercise was another.  One person cannot do everything.

Kambucha tea

I've always had an interest in health and natural remedies.  For years I talked to people and read what I could on naturopathy and herbal medicines, then using what I had learnt, diagnose and treat my family and myself (naughty girl). I did start some naturopathic study once but life got in the way. I am not a person to take things at face value though. I like to know what I am getting into so if something was recommended I would investigate ... things such as bark therapy (not for me), acupuncture (not for me), fasting (maybe occasionally), kambucha tea (eerrkk) reiki massage (seems a bit airy-fairy), aromatherapy (expensive and vague area), homeopathy (I don't understand it) and chiropractic (first experience was a bad one) were some areas I touched and then put aside.  Until recently. My wonderful physio therapist found a different job and I was desperate to find one who could treat the ongoing problems with my damaged neck and shoulder and ended up at the chiropractor.  It seems chiropractic has come a long way in the past 25 years and my shoulder and neck are being treated very well - as long as I take breaks from the computer.

However, I digress - and that's not like me at all!  Lets wind back to aromatherapy.  I don't know what I thought it was but I ignored it because I just didn't have the time. Then my sister emailed me about success she was having with some 'new' oils she was using for chronic bronchitis, so I read about it and found that using essential oils can be called aromatherapy - .  It never occurred to me that I already practiced a type of this therapy, many of us do when we massage Vicks Vapour rub or eucalyptus into chests and make menthol packs for colds and flu or burn scented candles. That's basically what it is.    

Avoiding the airy-fairy feel-good attachments to many alternative remedies, this area of alternative medicine uses essential oils distilled from herbs and flowers to improve personal comfort and health and to heal - just like my mother and grandmother did. My mother used eucalyptus or Vicks, rubbed onto the chest for infections like bronchitis, or spots of the oil on the pillow case for sinusitis. She massaged it into our feet and put us to bed in cotton socks for colds and flu. I always loved her honey and lemon juice sipped from a spoon, in the middle of the night, for a sore throat or the misery of a cold (but that, apparently, is naturopathy). As I suffered chronic sinusitis I learnt, at the age of eight, how to prepare an inhalation and everyone understood that a menthol lozenge would to 'ease the throat and clear the head'.

The essence of the oil is absorbed through the skin or inhaled - but let's keep it away from eyes and sensitive areas.  The brain is stimulated and muscles relax so you can rest or sleep. Blocked sinus passages can be cleared and mucous membranes strengthened. But beware, commercial oils can be very concentrated and some are poisonous so care is needed when handling them.  And, if you are allergic to any food or herbs, you could be allergic to the oils too. 

Lavender

Oils can be antiseptic, antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial, such as Tea Tree.  Brochures available at health food shops list a wide variety of oils available and what to use them for.  I look down the list and always want to buy the lot, but I've learnt the hard way, they are expensive - some over $30 a bottle, and they have use by dates. You could use very little of some oils and end up throwing the bottle away. Apparently it's much cheaper to make your own oils and there are instructions about that here - 

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Essential-Oils

As the oils are very concentrated they are usually mixed with a 'carrier' oil before applying to the skin in massage.  Carrier oils are made from nuts and seeds which can cause allergies in sensitive people so the use of these essential oils must be tailored to the person being treated. You can substitute a light tasting/smelling olive oil for the expensive carrier oils. And if it's all too messy and too fussy, just use a blob of plain, low fragrance, hand cream in your palm, add one or two drops of the oil and mix together before applying to feet, chest, back etc.

I have never used oils with babies, in my family, apart from a little eucalyptus somewhere in the room, so I'm not sure what oils can be used with little ones - maybe consult a professional first. When one of my children needed it I used a steamer in the room, without oil. When I say children I mean from about age two and up. And take care they don't rub oils into their eyes.

So, oils can be used three ways.

Topical application - the oil is applied directly to the skin by massage or soaking in a foot bath or a whole body bath.

Aerial diffusion - the oil evaporates into the air disinfecting the room and treating the patient.  This can be done through a commercial diffuser, or in an oil burner. A hot scented heat pack, usually lavender, can bring comfort too.

Direct inhalation - the oil is inhaled to treat respiratory infection or decongestion. Boiled water is poured into a bowl and a few drops of the oil added. The patient holds their face over the bowl breathing in the steam, and the oil.  When I was young my grandmother insisted I have a towel over my head to avoid wasting the steam, but it is stifling inside that hot 'tent' for child and could possibly lead to burns, so I never do that now. You could make a larger tented area with a sheet if needed. Oils in the bath can be inhaled too but the bath needs a really good clean out afterwards and I got sick of scrubbing away greasy eucalyptus tide marks. In fact all oils are inhaled to a degree, from massage or spots on clothing or candles.

Some useful oils to have on hand would be,

Eucalyptus  - This is the first bottle I reach for when I I have a cold or flu. It clears blocked airways and. I feel, can help to prevent the infection spreading from head to chest. Eucalyptus does not need a carrier oil before applying to the skin for adults, but maybe you should dilute it with young children. And we all know eucalyptus comes from Australia.

Lavender  -   I've found to be an aid to relaxation.  Massaged into neck and temples it can give relief from some headaches. It is also used as an antiseptic and pain reliever for minor cuts, burns and insect bites. It can be used in massage for muscle pain or in chest rubs. Some people add Lavender oil to a hair rinse to treat head lice. It is a traditional 'old lady' perfume, used in soap and talc.  Lavender originated in Europe and now grows widely across the world.

Sandalwood - I love the smell of sandalwood and use it as a comforting chest rub or foot rub.  I find it helps me sleep when I'm not feeling well. Sandalwood originates in India and is used in cosmetics and as a perfume.

Tea tree - I use it for its disinfectant and antiseptic properties - very handy for insect bites and apparently it can be used as a mouth wash.  During WWII Australian soldiers carried Tea Tree oil in their first aid kits. It's a little strong to be a perfume but you do get used to it.

Cloves - I use the oil in damp weather to discourage mould. The bottle I have is extremely concentrated and a stray drop can be smelled on the skin all day, and I don't like the smell.  Apparently is it a topical analgesic, or painkiller and I know it was traditionally used for toothache. My grandmother didn't use oil, she would just put a whole clove in her mouth and bite down!  It can also help with nausea but I'm not sure how.  Apparently cloves are native to Indonesia and can be used as a tea.  I'll have to look into that as I'm becoming in interested in teas lately.

Citronella - This oil is a great insect repellent. Used in soap, candles and incense to repel insects it is sometimes called the mosquito plant.  It grows in pots and is handy to have in outdoor living areas.  Apparently it is also good to calm barking dogs. I think they put it into those spray collars, but I've never used one.

And that's the news on good oils.

instructions for SURVIVING THE FOREST

Bush Turkey chick

Living on the edge of our sub tropical forest is interesting and fun if you follow a few simple tips I've gathered - from very personal experience.  

In the forest:  Keep to the cleared tracks and wear solid shoes.  It's helpful to carry a large stick for support over rough patches and to chase away nasties.  Expect it to be very humid in the forest.

Rain: If it starts to rain, as it often does these days, get in close to the trees to stay dry - but once the rain stops get away from the trees because the water you were sheltering from will be running down the leaves and raining onto the ground. If you have bare feet or wear thongs (like I do)  in very wet weather, keep an eye out for leaches - if one latches on to you do not pull it but pour salt over it until it falls off - they inject an anticoagulant so eat green salad leaves to stop the bleeding.  Expect itching for weeks from a leach bite.

Insects:  After rain be prepared for mosquitoes.  Don't put fingers into crevices or even the letter box without checking for spiders. Spiders really do eat insects so leave them alone unless you are in danger.  Stay indoors during dawn and dusk to avoid the midges that come out of the trees - a midge bite will itch for a week. If you see a mud sculptured wasp nest on the house or a tree, do not poke it with a stick.  Bright coloured caterpillars will hang in large bunches from three branches and tree trunks - don't touch them, some have spikes or stingers.  If bees get into the wall of the house call for help to smoke them out. Carefully handle wet cardboard and paper mulch that could be hosting white ants - they bite.  Bull ants sting and only an ice pack will ease the pain.  Ticks drop from trees, float on the wind or crawl onto you from something else. The sooner you get them off the better. We all have our own technique for removing ticks, some say to kill it with insect repellent first and that also reduces the inflammation and itching - which can last for weeks.

Wind:  When the weather has been very dry and then suddenly windy stay away from the tall trees to avoid falling branches and sticks - they come down with great force and spear into the ground so deep it's hard to get them out and heavy branches crash to the ground and shatter.  If an ant nest or a wasp nest falls from a tree, probably from very high up, don't touch it until it's been on the ground for a few days and definitely empty. If an egg falls from a nest and does not break do not pick it up - even if the parents can't get it they could be upset if you touch it. 

Sticks: If collecting wood for the fire it's best to stay on the path, especially if you are wearing thongs, like I do. Before picking up an old looking stick or log check for white ants - they bite.  When clearing the letter box,  also check the track the postman uses on his motorbike and clear away any sticks that will be in his path - if he's annoyed the letters won't get pushed right into the slot.

Reptiles: Do not casually pick up black plastic or sheets of ply or tin lying on the ground - snakes love to lie under these in the sun. If you find creamy white rubbery eggs in the ground, don't pick them up and certainly do not give them to your young niece and nephew to play with - they could be snake eggs.  If you find a snake skin, the snake is gone.  If you startle a goanna don't stand still, run away - it might mistake you for a tree and run up your leg. Geckos are lovely and keep the house free of insects so don't let the dog bite their heads off.

Odd sounds : a loud scratching could a bush turkey covering his egg mound, a small brown bird delousing trees by pecking insects from cracks in the bark, or a goanna (monitor lizard) zapping around a tree trunk so you can't see him. A lion roar or deep bear growl at night could be koalas mating.  All our birds sound odd to overseas visitors - they don't tweet or sing, they squawk and screech and chortle and scream.

Kookaburra

 Birds:  Kookaburras and bush turkeys have very strong, hard beaks so hand feeding them is not a good idea and if you leave food out and then forget to do it again they will remind you to the point of bullying. It's best to throw fruit or vegetable scraps into the bush for them to find. Don't chase baby bush turkeys even if they are cute - every other creature wants to eat them and it's amazing so many survive the stress. Kookaburras know how to tease dogs by flying low over the paddock. Do not stand under a tree where a Kookaburra is sitting and definitely do not look up - you can find a Kookaburra nest by the white droppings down the tree trunk and on the ground.

Toads:  Do not go near toads, their skin is coated with poison, they also squirt poison when threatened, aiming for the eyes - this can kill a small dog by causing heart failure. Toads have an odd sense of direction and don't always hop away from you when startled, sometimes they hop towards you - eeek.  If a dog gets a toad it will spit it out because it tastes bad, but if you see white foam forming around the dog's mouth it is the poison at work -  hold the dogs mouth open and use a hose to wash the mouth out so the foam and water wash through the mouth and out the other side, not down the dog's throat - wear gloves if you have cuts on your hands to protect yourself - this usually seems to occur in the middle of a very dark and rainy night. 

Animals:  You cannot cuddle a possum.  If you leave food for possums they like carrots and apple slices, but keep feeding away from the house and not always in the same place.  Wallabies come out to feed and drink at dusk - avoid frightening them if possible because you could cause them to be without water or food for days.  Echidnas curl up into a ball if you disturb them and stay that way for a very long time and miss out on their dinner.

Water:  Water dragons live in the overhanging branches and will dive into the water when you come close - they don't like people but love showing off.  If you go into the dam or the creek be prepared to sink to the knees in the soft mud and to come out sticky - swimming won't be enjoyable and you'll need a shower to get rid of the smell. Don't disturb the reeds, they keep toads out of the dam.  Ducks don't like dogs.  Always put a long stick in any tub or bucket of water that has high sides, so birds drinking or bathing can get out.

When the Eastern Yellow Robin arrives winter is close

An echidna digging for ants under tree roots, at night

... now you can enjoy your bush walk.

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There is a comments facility below for your comments and your stories - 
BUT it's not like facebook, there is a process to keep the spammers and hackers out.  

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smelling the COLOUR

Here on the Sunshine Coast the first day of autumn doesn't have the effect it might in other climates.  Most people think autumn - 'colour' - leaves changing - cool nights.  Usually summer continues for us until the equinox, around the 21st/22nd and then we notice a difference in temperature and change from singlet to tee shirt, sandals to joggers. Most trees are evergreens so leaves drop all year round. It will be harder to notice a change this year as we've had rain, rain, rain and now new growth.  Autumn colour for us today is bright, wet green.

This year on the 1st March I coloured my hair. I have done it before - about 30 or 40 years ago, but had forgotten how messy it can be. Half way through the phone rang, so my colouring was done one handed while I chatted to my beautiful 18 year old granddaugher.

When I was 18 we all coloured our hair with magic silver white, 3 drops turned grandmother's white hair mauve or 20 drops put purple highlights into my long dark hair. No smell and it started washing out immediately.  Over the yearsI did a few home colours, because it made my hair thicker, but mainly went for those wiggly perms that were so popular in the 70's and 80's. 

Years later I chopped off the long hair to make a new start after divorce and realised that while limp long hair has a cool hippy look, limp short hair needs help. Putting colour in gave it body and as my hair seems to bleach with any treatment, I had dark brown with burgundy fading to light reddish streaks over three months - and that was good value - I thought.

Kids leaving home meant I could afford a hairdresser and discovered foils and re-discovered what fun it is sitting around for 45 mins while the stuff works on the hair.  It's a lucky dip as to who the company will be but it's a great way to get to know people in the community you may not meet otherwise.  We've always had half a dozen hair dressers in town, they seem to open and close and change owners and I've tried them all at times and heard many secrets.  I had one experience that still leaves me in disbelief.

I was in the chair and half way into the half head of foils when a man walked in the door. He rattled keys loudly in the air and strode through the salon to the back room. The owner, who was doing my hair, turned and followed him. There was another hairdresser working on another client and a third customer waiting for foils to 'cook'.  They all seemed to know each other well.  The owner and the man came back through the salon, out the front door and went up the street without saying a word.  I sat in the chair, half wrapped, waiting. 

After about 5mins the other hairdresser said to me, "She's just gone to drive her husband to the airport, she won't be long". 

What?  The airport was 20 minutes away!  Half an hour if I was driving.  She was going to drive him there and come back BEFORE finishing my hair!! I'd have one side done and the other side raw! That was hoping it was the local airport and not Brisbane which would take about 90 mins each way. No one else in the room seemed to think it was strange.

She did come back, 45 mins later, removed my foils and put in others, so I did double time in the chair.  I didn't go back there because I didn't know how to be with those people.

But the smell of salon hair dye is not quite the same as the dye you use at home - the strong whiff of ammonia that makes you gasp when you open the bottle, that wet perm/dye odour under the shower for the first few week, the feel of the hair, thickened by the treatment, like grasping a wet sheep skin - and the smell is ..... chemical, and not pleasant, but for me it stirred some very pleasant memories. Memory episodes they are called. I opened the bottle of dye and suddenly was back in Di's family room eating scones from the pool table.

During those kids-in little-school years I was part of the best ladies church group in the world, with an incredible group of women/girls.  It was a wonderfully mixed group with an age range of early 20s up to 60+, girls having babies to grandmothers.  Over several years, through  changes in venue and leadership the group varied from straight bible study to mostly social, from learning life skills to pure hands on helping each other.  Ladies came into the group and left for various reasons, leaving behind their stories and hearts. At different times we had very new Christians and the well seasoned, people with skills to share, ladies who struggled speaking English, some with very unusual backgrounds - all with one thing in common - we wanted to know more about our chosen faith and we wanted to share it. 

Ann and Diane from that group could even be reading this now. Remember those years we met at Dorothy's house and the meetings went on all day. Drop the kids off at school and go to Dots for a morning of singing and discussion, shared lunch and an afternoon of craft or other activities.  When the plums were falling in the streets we'd make plum jam and chutney in Dot's tiny kitchen.  We crocheted and knitted squares to be sewn into cot blankets for the local children's home or babies of bible college students.  We taught each other first aid and swapped recipes, helped care for Gloria's kids when she went to hospital, made soft toys, bed pillows and scrappy patchwork. 

The following year at Robyn's we had guest speakers and discussions on gardening and tupperware parties, organised shopping trips and hiking excursions.  We made bread and turned to wholemeal and soy.  Meetings at Diane's house, in that huge family room, we took turns with the message - Diane shared Handel's Messiah with us and for my turn I talked about meekness, using Clark Kent as an example.

After lunch we'd chat while little kids played under the table and we'd take turns to perm or dye each other's hair. Olga, was always ready to perm a head. She made the yummiest hungarian walnut and honey scrolls - out of the oven and straight onto a plate for us to have with coffee. Olga grew garlic and helped her husband mix concrete for their stone walls, and showed me how concrete blocks work and my house today is concrete block. All these memories came back today when I opened the bottle of hair dye. That sting of ammonia made me blink but inside it was the smell or Olga's walnut scrolls and her garlic, the sound of Diane's music, the taste of Ann's stew, the plum jam and the almost blind lady who said she hadn't been aware of how important it was to memorise the address of scriptures .....

When you think about it, we don't have actual names for most of the smells we experience, we call them by the things they are 'like' or the memories they bring - wet dog, old socks, the grass after rain. Science tells me my emotions are stirred by the fact that my olfactory bulb, the seat of smell in the brain, is placed next to my hippocampus, the primary brain nucleus for memories, as a sort of accident but I think it's by design, a special little gift for us that is beyond words.

Wherever you are, girls of KCF, you taught me so much about sharing and relationship, and understanding each other.  I've never found what we had again, though I've tried. Here in the sunshine state everyone is too busy to sit and talk regularly and make new friends. Maybe it was that damp and misty Leura weather that drove us to huddle together with mugs of hot tea or soup, in sisterhood.  I'd like the opportunity to give that whole experience to others, if it were possible.  We had family, sisters called together by God and I miss you all. I love the girls you were back then and hope those of you who are still around are still blessed and blessing others in the autumn of your lives. 

Yes, once again I've written too much - if you get this far, thank you for reading.

our WILD GARDEN

Life is a garden, 

unexpected, beautiful, dangerous,  

wild, cultivated, barren, productive.  

Our wild garden, in a secret valley on the Sunshine Coast. 

              We learn to avoid the thorns, 

and leave the inhabitants alone. 

 Home to lizards, snakes, birds, wallabies, echidna,

mostly they survive out of sight.

Shhhhhhh