The blonde beauties of the plant world

Chinchilla gums are a new species for me, and a strikingly beautiful tree to add to my knowledge of Australian vegetation. It's the stunning blonde of the eucalypts, with a slim, straight, silvery-white trunk and compact crown.

The Chinchilla gum reminds me of lemon-scented gums (which are native to this part of outback Queensland) and the three trees we grew from seed and planted here in Mitchell. You will see from the photograph that the trees have suffered severe frost damage this year, but they will recover. Eventually, lemon-scented gums grow tall enough to withstand frost.

We nursed our three lemon-scented gums through the frosts this year using aluminium foil wrapped around their trunks, seaweed spray on their foliage and a tarp draped over the smallest. It's been a particularly bad year for frosts, with many -6°C nights, and even now, on 11 September we're having a run of below zero temperatures.

Chinchilla gums, on the other hand, resist frosts even from a very young age. For this reason, Chinchilla gums are better suited to the climate here beside the river in Mitchell, and as a consequence, we've placed an order for three young trees.

I like to look ahead. I like to imagine our trees in 50 years time giving pleasure to whoever lives here on this piece of earth, in Mitchell. After all, we're enjoying the bottle trees, callistemons, silky oaks and eucalypts that others planted for us to enjoy.

Trees pulse with life, vitality and beauty -- they offer inspiration to all of us who love them.

Appearing bottomless: a waterhole in the Maranoa

Instead of my usual walk along the Maranoa River with Major, I now drive a short distance to the Mitchell Showgrounds and walk my shepherd three times around the circuit, with lots of commands, clicks and food rewards. He's improving!

After 30 minutes of obedience training we go to the river -- and there I sit and dream. The waterhole below where I sit appears bottomless and is the home of three large fish. I'm still unsure if they are carp, yellowbellies or cod. I tried asking one of my blogging students from Mitchell State School but couldn't get a definitive answer.

Tonight it was after sunset while I sat. An almost full moon reflected its sphere deep, deep down in the waterhole. It was magic.

Where the Olives Grow

In 2002, Doug and I spent three weeks in Italy, living in a stone house in the hills north of Assisi. It was here that I researched a book about St Francis and his gift with animals.

While driving around the countryside I fell in love with olive trees, especially the ancient twisted trees so full of character. So began my habit of planting an olive tree wherever we live. Consequently, I have two thriving specimens, one in Mitchell outback Queensland, and the other down south on Phillip Island in Victoria. Both trees are now well over head height. I've pruned them to have a single trunk with a well shaped canopy, and it's my hope that in 100 years time they give people pleasure.

At the recent Landmark Art Show -- held in Mitchell -- I saw an oil painting titled 'Where the Olives Grow' created by Heather Wehl of Emerald (Qld). I fell in love with it!

The art show finished today so the painting is now hanging in our home here in Mitchell. I chose the position carefully, finally hanging it in the sun room where I'll see it often. Olive trees need lots of sun!

Clicker training my German shepherd

Obedience training my two-year old German shepherd is my current challenge.

When a dog weighs as much as his handler (which is the case with Major and me), training for instant obedience becomes essential. Major disgraced himself two weeks ago by pulling free of my grasp and chasing a little dog back to his house. He didn't attack the dog but he did give it a scare. I was extremely disappointed and cross!

Therefore, instead of long walks along the river, we drive to the Mitchell Show Grounds and do lots of training on the oval. I'm trying a new method of training using a clicker and food rewards. So far it's working well. For example, I say, "Sit", click as he obeys, then give an instant food reward --with all of this happening in very quick succession.

Major was taught to sit, drop, stay, watch (look at my eyes), and come when called when he was a young pup. Consequently, most of the work is done, I just need to reinforce the commands with the clicker and sharpen up his obedience. Pulling on the lead while heeling is another problem area that needs more work.

German shepherds are intelligent, keen to learn and want to please. Therefore, the process of training is enjoyable and I feel we are making steady progress.

Mitchell Museum, recording the past

When I was a secondary school student learning history, I found it difficult to understand the relevance of European history to my life in Australia. Slowly awareness dawned.

Almost every town -- large and small -- has a museum of some sort; a place where history is recorded and articles from the past are displayed. Mitchell in outback Queensland has its museum too.

The Booringa Heritage Group is made up of a band of enthusiastic volunteers who have recently created an excellent museum in Mitchell.

On 14 October 2011, at 5 p.m., the Mitchell Museum will host a 'Meet and Greet' with food and a bar. At this function the book 'Under the Pepperina Tree' by Rosalie Sharpe and Brenda McKenzie will be launched. People who attended Mitchell State School in the 1950s and 1960s will enjoy reading about the past, as well as celebrating the 50th School Reunion.

History matters. By studying the past, we give ourselves the opportunity to learn from our mistakes -- and achievements.

Prickly pear: the caterpillar that saved Outback Australia

Bottle trees and prickly pear mark the Australian outback with a distinctive stamp. Add to that red dirt, huge skies and seemingly endless plains and you begin to have a picture.

In the days of early settlement, prickly pear covered huge areas of inland New South Wales and Queensland. The cactus plant was introduced from South America to establish a cochineal dye industry, using the scale insect that lives on the pear. By the 1920s, 26,000,000 ha were severely infested, with station homesteads and farmhouses literally walled in by the plant. Many properties became an impenetrable jungle. Families were forced to abandon their properties and homes. The situation seemed hopeless.

In 1925, an enterprising entomologist went to Argentina and collected 3000 eggs from the tiny cactoblastis moth. After breeding up the numbers, he distributed eggs to landholders throughout the areas infested with this noxious cactus weed. In the space of only a few years, the orange-striped caterpillars ate their way through most of the fleshy cactus. By 1933, eighty per cent of the pear in Queensland had been destroyed by the caterpillars. To the present day, this miracle insect continues its good work on any rogue cactus, never touching any other plant.

What an incredible story. Huge areas of New South Wales and Queensland were saved by an introduced insect. This is biological control at its very best.

PS

The photos show prickly pear trees which are larger than the prickly pear plant that caused so much trouble.

Comforting Cats

As a child I wasn't allowed to have a dog or a cat, and was brought up by parents who professed to love dogs but not cats. But I had a passion for ALL animals and would frequently rise before dawn to feed stray cats in the garage. Baby birds that had fallen out of their nests, stray dogs, frogs, lizards, caterpillars -- -- I loved them all.

My first cat (bought when I was 43) was a Siamese called Kim and he was an inside cat -- an envirocat. It was at this stage in my career as a writer that I was asked to write a book about keeping cats either indoors or within a garden enclosure. Hyland House published my book Envirocat in 1997, and it's still available through The Australian Book Group in Drouin, Victoria, Australia.

Envirocats are birdwatchers not bird catchers. They are utterly indulged, loved and content. Katie, our present Siamese, is the most affectionate and loving animal friend I've ever had. She sleeps between Doug and me in bed, with her head on my pillow. She follows the sun around the house, interacts well with our two German shepherds (she is top 'dog'!), and at 14 years of age is still playful.

At present, my mother aged 93 lives with my brother, his wife, lots of dogs and two cats who've made it their purpose in life to convert Mum from not liking cats to a cat lover. And they have succeeded!

My mother now admits (somewhat reluctantly) that a cat on her lap and purring offers the gift of unconditional love, while at the same time offering a comforting presence.