Sheep in the paddocks

This is another letter from your Uncle Roger. I hope you liked my last letter about the carpet snake I found in the firewood heap. The snake is still hiding in the wood-heap waiting for warmer weather in the Spring-time. Did you like the photos I sent of the wattle out in bloom? - When we see the wattle flowering, we know that Spring-time is not far away and soon the weather will be warmer.

I've sent you some photos of the sheep here in the paddock close to the house and the sheds; they are getting woolly and soon it will be time for the shearing. We shear the sheep once a year in the Spring-time. I have a friend called Laurie who owns these sheep, so when he wants to shear them, I'll take some photos for you to see the shearing.

Early in the morning, sometimes we see the dawn just before the sun rises, very pretty in the sky, I've sent you 2 photos of the dawn here taken about 6:15am in the morning. 

Also, 2 photos of me sitting on a log out in the bush.

My letter this time is a bit short, but I have not forgotten you and I hope you like my little letter. Maybe I'll try to write a bit more next time. Remember - I love you all very, very much.

A snake from the past

These pictures are from a long time ago.

This is another letter from your Uncle Roger. I hope you liked my last letter about cooking spinach. This time my letter is about the snake I found in the firewood heap. I suppose this snake thought my wood-heap would be a nice place to hide and spend the Winter. Snakes are not very active during the winter-time and so they usually find a quiet place to hide until the warmer spring weather. This snake didn't know that during the Winter I would be using all my firewood and his hiding-place in the wood-heap would be discovered.

I've sent you some photos of this snake for you to see. This is a carpet snake very much like the one we saw in the back garden of your home in Brisbane when I came to visit. Do you remember? - Your Mummy took some photos of it.

Carpet snakes are not poisonous; - they can bite, and they will bite if we don't handle them gently, but if we pick the snake up carefully and hold it by the neck it is quite safe and there is no need to be afraid of them. Carpet snakes go hunting for mice and so they are useful creatures which are good to have around. Sometimes I find a carpet snake in the shed here on the farm looking for mice and so I just let them stay and find somewhere to hide amongst all the things in the shed. They are called – CARPET – snakes because they have a pretty pattern on their skin like the pattern on a carpet; so they are called carpet snakes. 

Carpet snakes also catch small birds, but they have to be quick and so they just keep very still, waiting and hoping that some little bird or animal doesn't see them and gets close enough to catch them. Carpet snakes are included in the kind of snakes called – PYTHON.

Pythons often grow very large, and there are many different kinds; they live in tropical jungles of Africa and Asia and in Borneo in South-east Asia. Some pythons grow to a great size, sometimes as much as 30 feet long. There is another very large snake which we call a BOA - these snakes are found in South America and they grow very big. Here in Australia snakes of the python family grow to about 6 or 8 feet long.

I heard you have been helping Daddy and Mummy repairing the roof of your house; and Aisha, I saw the photos of you doing some painting; - and Brioni, I saw some photos of you learning to measure with the tape-measure. I'm very pleased to see that you are learning new things.

I've also sent some pictures of my broad beans and cabbages growing in plant pots; see how much they have grown since the last time you saw them.

This is the end of my letter now. Remember - I love you all very, very much.

Uncle Roger

Crickets

This is another letter from your Uncle Roger. I hope you liked my last letter about foxes; I haven't seen any more foxes since then, but sometimes at night I can hear a fox barking. This is the Winter-time now and the weather is very cold. But I have plenty of wood to keep the fire going and it's nice and warm at home.

I've been in communication with Uncle Ben who is living in China, and he caught an insect which is called a cricket and asked if anyone had seen one like it. I've sent you the photo which Uncle Ben sent me for you to see the cricket he caught.

Although I have often seen different kinds of cricket here in Australia, they are not quite the same as the one Uncle Ben found in China. I sent Uncle Ben some pictures of crickets here in Australia, and pictures of some very big crickets which are found in New Zealand called – WETA crickets. I thought you would like to see these pictures too.

You will see from the pictures how large they are. Of course, crickets are quite harmless creatures and it is quite safe to pick them up, but if you see one in the garden it's best to ask your Daddy or your Mummy if it OK to touch it. I hope you like my pictures of different kinds of crickets.

Did you like the photos I sent of my beautiful Jacobean Lily which is flowering?

On Tuesday I had to go to town to do my shopping and collect my mail at the Post Office, and I bought some new batteries for my digital camera so I'll take some more pictures for you when I see anything interesting which you would like to see. It has been very cold, wet weather and not very good for taking photos, but when the weather clears up and we have sunny days again I'll take some photos for you. - Is the weather cold in Brisbane?

I've been inside most of the time lately, reading and doing my study, so I don't have very much to tell you about the things I have been doing around the farm.

This is the end of my letter now, but I will write to you all again sometime, and I will try to take some nice photographs for you.

Remember - I love you all very, very much.

Uncle Roger

Catching mice

Dear Aisha, Brioni and Calista,                                                          

This is another letter from your Uncle Roger. I hope you liked my last letter about getting the firewood in to keep the fire burning in my home. Just lately, it has not been very cold; we have had showers of rain for a few days. I have been doing some gardening; I'm growing some little cabbage plants and broad beans.

I've sent you some photos for you to see; - Do you like my big plant-pots?

They are just right for growing my plants in; I had to go to Griffith to buy them.

When I was finished shopping, I called in to see a friend of mine living near Griffith who has an orange orchard and he gave me all the oranges which you can see in the pictures.

- When I got home from Griffith I had a big surprise!

I saw a mouse running across my kitchen table! - I didn't know I had some mice living in the house with me, but I noticed that mice have been trying to get into my bags of rice and even trying to eat my potatoes! - I was a bit worried because mice can be very destructive and make a lot of mess in the house. So, I decided to set some traps to catch the mice. I've sent you some pictures of the traps which I set near my bags of rice, and also, on the kitchen table. 

During the night I heard a sound- SNAP! - I had caught a mouse in one of my traps. In the morning I found another mouse caught in a trap, so I caught 2 mice during the night. I've sent you some pictures to show you. - Now, I have no more problem with mice. I haven't seen any signs of mice in the house since then and my rice is quite safe.

My garden is still growing nicely and the recent rain has made everything fresh.

I've been eating my spinach which is very delicious to eat when it's picked fresh. I have not found anymore caterpillars on the leaves. 

When I went for a walk down to my dam I saw some wild ducks swimming on the water. I've been trying to get close enough to take a photo to show you, but they fly away before I can get a good photograph, but I will keep trying until I get the picture I want to show you.

The mornings have not been very cold lately, so I have not yet been able to get a good photo of a cold frosty morning, but when it's a very cold day with frost, I'll take a photo to show you.

This is the end of my letter now, but I will write to you all again sometime.

Remember - I love you all very, very much.

Uncle Roger