I’d Love to be a Treehugger

Hug a tree for love.

Surrounding our home like sentries are gum trees, some of which would be 80′ high. The backyard features a ‘mother’ gum which is heritage listed, meaning approval is required before any part can be removed. The house was built around her. She’s the pinnacle of the ship.

Turning off the TV and the kids means nature’s soundtrack plays from dawn until dusk. Rainbow Lorikeets twitter and play in the lower branches and entertain with their antics in the bird boxes nailed to her trunk. Possums disembark from her to our roof before daybreak and reunite in the higher regions when the moon is full. The local koala takes his overnight stay on a fork wide enough to comfortably hold his weight. On still Summer days he stays low to the ground, easy for us to watch. Rosellas, kookaburras, honeyeaters and finches all delight in the bird bath under the shadow of her outstretched arms. The hoot of a Tawny Frogmouth owl can be heard after dusk. The Black Cockatoos chew on her looking for grubs and branches are shed which fall to the ground. I am in awe of her but that’s tinged with fear. Many a night has passed where I lay and wonder whether she’ll survive the storm unscathed.

She provides shade for picnics, is wide enough to hide behind and will most likely have the boys high amongst her leaves when they are a bit older. She is the heart of our yard.

Do my kids see me as the tree of our home? Sure they’ve nestled in my arms many-a-time and Just 3 gives the best leg hugs and I do call him tree hugger when he’s latched onto my thigh. I stand firm and weather most fronts. I go through the seasonal changes. Bunkering down for the long haul of winter, the focus is remaining stalwart through the rain, hail and wind. I’m always there. Strong and sturdy but fragile all the same-providing refuge, standing tall, always watching over but who watches over me?

I envy my saplings, for I once was one too. But now it’s their turn and I’ll try to ensure they’ll each grow to become the tree I see they’ll be.

It’s a mother’s nature to love.

Image from: here.

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Naturally, I Love You!

Naturally I love my kids. I love the fact that they naturally love me too (most of the time).

I also love the fact that they get to experience some natural wonders at home. We live in a suburban area that backs onto natural scrub and rural properties and are, therefore, very fortunate to have some overnight visitors and home-stay guests.

Featuring in the parade of wildlife we have seen are echidnas, koalas, kangaroos, blue tongue lizards, possums, bats, sleepy lizards, scorpions and brown snakes. Of the feathered variety are rosellas, rainbow lorikeets, black cockatoos and owls. The koala in this photo regularly stays a night or two in a ghost gum in our backyard. He’s a true ‘local’ who spent many a night up our tree as a youngster clinging to his mother’s back before flying solo. He’s aptly been named ‘Blinky’ and the kids check daily to see if he’s around.

The only trouble with nature’s neighbours is that the nocturnal ones can be a little on the rowdy side. On occasion my eldest will know we have a koala in the backyard before he gets up because he has heard it the night before. Have you ever heard the noise a koala makes? It puts the words cute, soft and cuddly right out of your brain.

I also love watching my boys try and catch a gecko by the tail. I have vivid memories of being successful at this when I was a kid. I screamed when the gecko’s tail continued to wriggle for quite some time after it had become detached from the gecko by way of my vice-like grip. The only thing I do worry about is the snakes. I’d rather my boys never see a brown or black snake in our yard but they know what they should do if one crosses their path.

Naturally I love my kids. That’s how nature intended it to be. It’s only natural!