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When we arrived home from Elizabeth’s late yesterday afternoon, the house was very smoky, and the garden full of ash, all emanating from a bonfire in the North Breeze garden, which had been almost razed to the ground. The jungle is no more.
Much rain in the night freshened up our garden,
but had not put out the fire which was added to today.
Some parts of our plot and its contents, like these dahlias, still saw the sun,
but mostly it remained befogged.
Elizabeth, Danni, and my great nephew Jasper, came to lunch, after which we drove in convoy to Hatchet Pond.
Jasper and his Gee-ma investigated the lapping wavelets at the edge of the water.
A woman handed the little lad a bag of prawn crackers with which to feed the water birds. As I said, you always receive too many of this freebies with a Chinese takeaway meal. Jasper wasn’t all that interested, so Danni decided to feed them to
the hastily arriving donkeys, one of which was really very young.
She began with a medium-sized one,
which was head-butted away by the largest creature.
This animal was so aggressive that the crackers were soon chucked on the ground.
Leaving Jackie on a bench, the rest of us walked to the far end of the pond, past the water lilies,
and others seated in the sun,
in search of ice cream.
Elizabeth clutched wipes for protection against her grandson’s drips,
occasionally licking her lips in anticipation.
Eventually she was handed the melting cone.
After this, the aggressive donkey rested its muzzle on my lap.
We dined on Mr Pinks’s fish and chips, gherkins, and pickled onions. Jackie drank Hoegaarden, while Elizabeth and I finished the Douro.
Danni has just e-mailed me our selfie on the bench.
Oh wow. What caused such a terrible fire?
Thanks very much, Mate. They are clearing an overgrown garden that has been untended for ten years.
Oh, burning is such a horrible way to do that. Even if it is effective. 😯
Agreed. Thanks again
That would be illegal here though our rangers organise official burnt offs to reduce fuel for bushfires. There was one recently and Sydney was engulfed in smoke.
Many thanks, Mary.
I love the rainy, misty photos. Such mystery!
Thanks very much, Leslie
Smoke makes for ethereal pictures doesn’t it Derrick? Do you think maybe the ‘aggressive’ donkey just really, really likes prawn crackers? Or was it your gentle, gentlemanly charm that seduced it? Too many questions? 😀
🙂 Thanks very much, Pauline. I think it smelt ice cream.
I am surprised that they are allowed to burn like that and that it isn’t contrary to bylaws.
Really close up and personal with donkeys and cones. The latter have set up a longing in me which cannot be satisfied late at night. Thanks a lot!
Thanks very much, Leslie. I’m not sure of the legality of it.
Burning like that makes me nervous. I’m not a fan of selfies, but this one is priceless, Derrick!
Many thanks, Jill. Had we been at home on the first day we would have been nervous too.
Flamin’ gorgeous pictures all round today Derrick, and especially of the Donkey’s and the finale Selfie !!
Many thanks, Ivor. ‘Flamin” I like
Sorry to hear about it Derrick. That’s quite hazardous to health.
Wow, ice cream. Can I have a cone?
Many thanks, Arlene. I’d send you a cone, but, as you can see, it would probably melt.
That is a fascinating cocktail of donkeys and ice cream! I guess everytime you’ll see that selfie you’ll remember the equus asinus family.
Yep. Many thanks, Uma
That aggressive donkey probably thought you were related.
Didn’t you get you hair cut last week? Looks in need of a trim! 😀 😈
🙂 Thanks a lot, Brian
I’m with Mary. You wouldn’t be allowed to light a fire like that in Oz, and leaving it to burn overnight could result in a major bush-fire. Imagine the bark and leaf your one eucalyptus drops and multiply that many times, add in its natural oil and you have a recipe for disaster. Even if the fire is permissible, it would have been courteous to have advised you in advance. What if you were having visitors? Or one of you was asthmatic? Oh well, I suppose it amounts to short term pain for long term gain. Interesting donkey encounter.
Many thanks, Gwen. You are right. The problem was we were away. Had we engaged the fire services no doubt they could have been stopped, but at least the jungle is gone
Has the beast come to you for shelter?
🙂 It didn’t make it
Oh – er – you mean it went on the sacrificial alter that Disperser was discussing on Lord Beari’s latest?
Actually, I rather hope it had got under the fence and away
Phew.
The burning is terrible! At least you got some great shots from it.
True, Dordogne. Thank you.
You see, the naughty donkey just wanted a friend!
🙂 Thanks a lot, John
IIt knows a fellow-type when it meets one 🙂 🙂 🙂
🙂
I’m glad the fire was contained to the debris. It seemed like you had a lovely day, once you got out of the smoke–water lilies, donkeys, ice cream, and family–sounds perfect!
The donkeys are very friendly!
Very many thanks, Merril. Cupboard love, I think
What a fun, pleasant series of photos, Derrick! Oh, these lovely garden photos after the rain are dreaming and beautiful! Thank you for sharing!
Many thanks, Amy
The whole of Greece was devoured by flames last week. Many properties vanished into air and quite a few people were left homeless. Btw, on a lighter note, I just love the last picture of you, Jackie, and the rest. Have a great weekend, my dear friend Derrick!
Very man thanks, Sofia. Sorry about your fires
Wonderful photographs, Derek, from the first dramatic one of the fire and smoke, to the family heart-warming shots of family, ponds and ice-creams. Made me smile, anyway!
Many thanks, Mike
Yes, wonderful selfie! And, such cute pictures of the young child and the young donkey. What is about young ones? Hope the smoke is cleared by now. Yikes!
Thanks a lot, Laurie. Smoke subsiding
Woops, just noticed I have spelt your name wrong! Sorry…
🙂
neat the way the smoke garden images came out, kind of ghostly, and I think that aggressive donkey really wanted its own ice cream perhaps? <3 I love donkeys <3 nice pics <3
Many thanks, Kim
You look kind of like Beethoven in that picture, although you always smile and he had a very serious stern look in every photo
Thanks very much, Pleasant
You always inspire me. I’d have never thought to take pictures until the smoke cleared and yet the photos of the smoke were fascinating! The close up pictures of the large donkey are amazing!
Many thanks, Elizabeth. That was definitely too close for comfort. 🙂
Wonderful 🙂
Thanks very much, Lakshmi
That big donkey was a very bold fellow!
There are some controlled field burns over in my area at this time of year, but backyard brush burning is prohibited during the dry season. Smoke from forest fires near and far has drifted through on occasion.
Thanks a lot, Lavinia. Fortunately that fire did not get out of control.
The smoke looks dangerous.
Sweet donkeys! You had such a great day.
We did, thank you, Inese. Glad to see you back here
Thank you! It was a very challenging time, but now I am trying to catch up and visit all blogs.
What an enjoyable day and so well described. I loved as usual your famous way of positioning the water features in your shots, the water lilies look awesome. The black and whites too.
Many thanks, Geetha. ‘Famous’ I like 🙂
Welcome Derrick 🙂
The smoke adds such atmosphere photographically but I am sure you are glad it dissipates. The last is a treasure–sure like this one of you, for some reason it just seems fresh and naturally you–and of all.
Thanks very much, Cynthia