Nature's Place

It’s ten at night now and the rain is pouring down again.

I saw on the news today there is widespread flooding in this north eastern region of NSW. And it is wonderful. Some people complain, but some people always complain.

The sun was shining this afternoon and I went out to have another look at the flooding up the road from me and there were two cars. One was in the water and out of action and the other was out of the water and damaged. They must not have seen the water on the road, it’s easy to miss, it shines like the rest of the road when it’s wet and it’s just over a slight hill. So if you were looking at the flooding in the field beside the road you’d be in it before you knew.

The water level has been rising for a week now. I went to the reserve today to see how far I’d get and to see what I see and enjoy the nature. I didn’t get very far at all. On one of the trails, the one where the spider and the wasp have built their web and nest, I only got a hundred metres before I came to the water level.

There’s the intelligence behind living high on a stalk of grass, if you’re lucky the water won’t reach you. I trust the creatures are above the water line. I went looking for a pair of gum boots the other day so I could go and see the spider and the wasp but they were all sold out. They wouldn’t have been any good to me anyway, not today. The water level is up a metre or so on a couple of days ago, no exaggeration.

I went to the next trail I walk on and though I had to cross some water that wasn’t there last time it was still passable. And it was a lovely reddish brown colour. The sound of the cicada’s is very loud now and they have been joined by a variety of frogs. It’s hard to describe sounds but the cicada makes a rapid clicking sound, and there is thousands of them, so it pulses in waves throughout the forest. The frogs today were mostly crackle and pop pop popping with the occasional needip needip. The crickets were voicing a silver trilling in places. In all it was overwhelming to the ear.

On this next trail a cicada flew out of the bush beside me and landed on my shirt. I raised my hand to activate the camera and it flew away to a nearby branch. They are usually hard to get so close to, I have tried and they usually fly away with a big buzzz as soon as I am ready to snap, but I suspect this one was tired.

A little way on I came across an amazing creature, I’ve never seen anything like it before. Its body is about an inch long and see the antennae, they are huge. I wonder what it senses through them. Nature perhaps?

I disturbed a nest of ants along the way and they were not pleased. They jumped three or four inches into the air and as much distant in search of the culprit, me. I have run into these fellows before and I am not game to see if they bite, I reckon they do, being so aggressive. You can just make out the big mandibles, gripping tools.

When I got back to the car and closed the door the silence was loud. Relief. From all the calling creatures.

I left this place to go see how the water is flowing in the creek a couple miles away. About a hundred metres down the road in the opposite direction to the flooding I have already mentioned the road was flooded. I couldn’t drive through. I didn’t know it but the road out of Wooyung was flooded in both directions since last night.

I am here to stay, for now. It’s all for now.

All copyright reserved / Mark Berkery