Steve is a softy

I haven't had much time lately to do any blog entries because of tafe but I am nearly finished and so far have passed all my assignments only about 5 to go thank God.

The reason for my title is because several weeks ago we released our long term inmate Lucky the brush tail possum and Steve is always saying don't get to friendly to them as they have to be feral to be released but Lucky was with us for so long that even Steve had a big soft spot for him because of all his issues. So I couldn't resist posting this photo of Steve's farewell to our beautiful boy.

Not long to go

There is not long to go and tafe will be finished and I have to go back to working in my old job. I am going to miss all the people I have encountered in the last couple of months. I don't think I will miss the assignments which I still have about 7 to do and five weeks to do them but I am determined to get them done.

A week at tafe at the moment consists of Monday we had chalk and talk in the morning an a mapping exam all afternoon. Tuesday start 11am chalk and talk and then planting trees all afternoon besides a creek in the Redlands. Wednesday off and Thursday an all day first aid course. Friday a new module was introduced in the morning and we then spent the afternoon setting quadrants out in the field counting plants. One of the nicest things about Friday was sitting under a tree outside the classroom having lunch with a koala just above us. Koalas are becoming an extinct animal in the Redlands so it was nice to see one for a change.

The latest research shows that in ten to fifteen years there will be no koalas left in the Redlands one of its main habitats.

Work Experience Week Two

Day one lush green weeds.

Day two looking a bit barer.

Day three almost cleared our small patch.Day four not much left.

We finally reached the river that runs beside the property. Yahoo.

What a week. The place that we did work experience needs to be napalmed. It was full of weeds, there were hardly any natives if any, it was dreadful. Our first day most of us wished that we could breath, the pollen, spores and dust were awful. It was like working in a jungle, the heat and humidity were intense. We all left on the Friday feeling very disheartened, the Trust that owns the land are not going revegetate as the land is cleared, consequently the weeds we just removed will be back in 6 months time.

Needless to say I have not had a very educational or moving experience in the field I thought was for me.

I have decided that working with animals and their habitats is where I want to be. I will finish my course and hopefully pass then I will move on.

Work Experience

This week I had the experience of working in the environmental industry. Oh what a shock I spent the week mulching a park full of hundred of year old fig trees. It was back breaking work. We had 19 trees to mulch around the park, the first day was pretty easy as we had the assistance from a posy cat (it was like a small bobcat) then it broke down, after that we had to do every thing by hand. In the photos it shows the park and just one of the mounds of mulch (we had seven like that). We had to pitch fork the mulch into wheelbarrows and spread and rake it around the trees and the surrounding area (most days we had 6 people). It was hot and sweaty work but I did enjoy it, I just don't know whether I am capable of doing that sort of work on a full time basis. I am still trying to grasp what I actually learnt from this experience though, I already have learnt through age and time hard work, humility, working as a team etc. and I already know about mulching, I have done that for years so maybe I have learnt that the council gets lots of free labour from volunteers and work experience idiots like me.

Pain

Last night I decided to silly me, weigh our new ringtail possums even though we have had them for several weeks, now I understand why we have not tried this before. I walked away with a bleeding finger to the point I have not been able to move it for most of today and bruises and scratches all up my arm.(Oh and it peed all over me). Next time I try this I will wear full body armour. Although there won't be a next time real soon unless Steve does it and I don' think that will happen.

On a sadder note we have a few local possums that visit our yard and tonight we had one come onto our patio (not a usual thing)it had an eye that was red and inflamed, it needed attention but it moved on before we could look at it properly. I am quite worried about the implications of this as we have several baby possums in care, if it has a disease it could spread to them.

On a brighter note I have spent the week in the field weeding and revegetating and I have had so much fun. Today though was animal day so we went out to some migratory bird watching shelters and observed the birds, some of which will leave our shores in the next couple of weeks and move onto Alaska via Japan to breed then back here. What a journey to just have some kids (we as humans don't realise how easy our lives are). Imagine flying thousands of kilometres to give birth leave your babies and fly back and then a couple of weeks later the babies fly all the way to find you. The mind boggles.

Oh what a time

I have had the day from hell trying to get my assessments done I understand the questions but putting them in my own words ohhh boy. Give me a cheque book and a pile of receipts no problem ask me about a laboratory analysis on QA,QC,accuracy,blanks and control and I am lost. I know what they do but to put that in my words is proving to be difficult to say the least.
I said to my husband why did I give up my job I am starting to wish for the mind numbing boredom (not really) but it does go through your head when you have to do assessments. Bottom line is I am enjoying what I am learning and I am still just hoping I pass everything.

Getting past that our new possums are doing well. We still have Lucky but hopefully for not much longer he is well over due to be released and I mean well overdue. I worry about him going out into the wild because he has been with us for so long and he is such a big boy now and he so horny (I feel for the boy he can smell the females that come into our yard and he calls for them) he won't be successful though because he is in a cage. (I think it would be hard to have sex through a mesh of wire "don't you").

Hopefully he will move on soon, we need more release sites around where we live. But we also need more people to take these poor orphans on or become members so that we have the finances to help.

It has been awhile

Well where can I start I have had such a full on four weeks since I started tafe. I have learn't so much I don't whether I have taken much in but it has been fun. Apart from all the riparian zones and the benthic zones and lots more I have done, ( how should I put this) I have met an interesting other side of me. That is how I am feeling. The first day I met a fellow student, we found we have so much in common it is scary. Now I think we could be really connected some how. She is around my age hasn't studied for the same amount of time, has two sons the same age as my two girls, has been separated and divorced the same amount of time, is living with a guy just like my Steve and so so many other little things, don't laugh but even our teeth have a similar story. Apart from all that she is she is a lovely lady and I am enjoying getting to know her and what else we may have in common. Funny thing is I have yet to ask her when her birthday is.

Getting away from that, the other day we had our first of many field trips where we got to rip out weeds etc. This trip consisted of us walking out to a small island off Wellington Point and digging up prickly pear. It is a 20minute walk (take into account we had wheel barrows, digging equipment, a roll of fencing wire, buckets, bags for rubbish and black plastic) and we were set. There was no water (except what you bought with you and no toilets). Did I mention it was in the middle of the day. Apart from all that when we finished I felt we had done something significant for the environment. We are all still picking out prickles out of our clothes, gloves etc one guy said he found one in his beard.

On my days off from tafe I have been working in my old job. Such a day was today, I honestly don't miss my old job and am looking to the future in the hope I get a job in what I am learning. I was quite down after today and really look forward to my days at tafe at the moment. I think I was never destined to be in a cage.

On a brighter note we have new babies, we have three new possums two ringtails and a brushtail (don't tell Steve but Sarah and I just got Clive our brushtail out and he escaped SSSHHHHHHH.) We caught him again but still we were very bad to get him in the first place but he is just sooooo cute. Hopefully I will get some pics soon. I promise I won't get him out again. That was for Steve as he will read this. Love you babe.