Before and After (the fires)
The landscape around Granite Glen is ever-changing.
Do you remember how there had been some planned burning ’round here recently?
It’s something we do when we need to clear some of the old dry grass from the paddocks, and let the new growth burst through… it’s a carefully considered move. If you burn too early, it doesn’t take hold properly and get much cleared. If you burn too late, you might miss the rain and end up with black countryside going into a hot summer. This season has been reasonable so far (after many years of drought) with some small falls of rain encouraging the new sweet growth. It’s a sight for sore eyes… with so many on the land almost despairing of ever seeing a green landscape again.
Do you remember how there had been some planned burning ’round here recently?
It’s something we do when we need to clear some of the old dry grass from the paddocks, and let the new growth burst through… it’s a carefully considered move. If you burn too early, it doesn’t take hold properly and get much cleared. If you burn too late, you might miss the rain and end up with black countryside going into a hot summer. This season has been reasonable so far (after many years of drought) with some small falls of rain encouraging the new sweet growth. It’s a sight for sore eyes… with so many on the land almost despairing of ever seeing a green landscape again.
Wanna see what they see now?
…
It is a study in contrasts:
…
It is a study in contrasts:
Immediately after burning the old grass.
The same scene, a couple of weeks later.
See those white cattle – they are my uncles, and they are happy. You can tell, as they graze contentedly over the new shoots, tails flicking the occasional fly away. Those are some happy Brahman bottoms there!
Remember this gate?
Yes, this is a gratuitous shot of my husband being firefighter… forgive me!
But I was talking rear ends, and happiness, and this particular hiney makes me smile…
And that same place yesterday … the gate still works!
And the grass… sweet and lush and good enough to eat!
Last night we had another 13mm (half an inch) of rain. Sweet music on the roof!
I can’t wait to go for a drive to see the new calves and check out how the landscape has responded to this last little drink.
There should be plenty of happy cow bottoms around!
I’ll drink to that… charge your coffee mugs (or wine glasses, depending on when you read this!)
*chink*
BB
4 Comments
jeanie
Its funny, I could almost smell the fires reading that!
And for some reason I now have a Queen song in my mind – “fat bottomed girls” would you believe? Must be all that cow talk.
steviewren
I can almost smell the grass growing. Everything looks so fresh and green. Enjoy your bit of paradise!
Kate
How pretty! I love fresh grass. Round here after it rains the sage brush greens up (it gets really bright, it’s hard to describe) and smells wonderful. I like the white cattle as well, we don’t have white cattle here…i wonder why. Thanks for the great pics!
Kate
And Jeanie and i totally think a like, i was singing Fat Bottomed Girls as i read the post. AND!!! I love the new banner! The colors are amazing. Love that red dirt.