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ardysez

~ surrender to yourself

ardysez

Tag Archives: Todd River flowing

After the rain…

14 Wednesday Jan 2015

Posted by Ardys in Alice Springs, nature, photography

≈ 15 Comments

Tags

Alice Springs, Australia, nature, photography, Todd River flowing

cycling-Todd-River

cyclist risks the wet

As you may know from my most recent post, Alice Springs was experiencing a rare ‘wet event’ in the form of rain. We have received two thirds of our average annual rainfall in a week, some areas more. The normally dry Todd River has been flowing for days.

A view up river

A view up river

We received about 180mm of rain in 6 days. Some areas north of here have had more, areas near the airport have had less. Our average annual rainfall is about 280mm, or about 11 inches a year. Many years we get considerably less than that. It is not a vast amount of rain unless you are in the desert where plants and animals and houses and drains are not used to it, and it happens to come all at once!!

As the weather has lifted, my iPhone and I have sent out to try and document some of the changes.

Spencer-Burrowing-Frog

Spencer’s Burrowing Frog posing for a portrait

 

 

native-lily-australian

‘Naked ladies’ prolific in their beauty

The Spencers Burrowing Frogs are everywhere… even as road kill… no photo… yech. But nearly every morning we are assisting one little frog out of the spa. This fellow paused to let me take a photo.

“Eat grasshoppers and mosquitoes, please, little froggie!”

 

Insects fill the air. Birds will struggle to fly if they consume all that is available. No doubt mice will appear in droves soon, with so much food abundant. One year we trapped over 50 mice, and then stopped counting.

The air is so thick you could cut it with a knife, and no longer smells as sweetly of eucalyptus, but is tinged with the odours of decomposing leaves and drying mud.

The ‘Naked Lady’ native lilies throw a new flower head or two every time it rains or we have a couple of cloudy days. But after a big rain, they are positively prolific, and gorgeous!

One morning, these tiny, fragile little mushrooms appeared in the herb garden. They had perished before day’s end. I know these may not be unusual for you to see, but they are a little out of the ordinary for us, and surely would not have sprouted but for the continuing damp conditions. As I looked around the following day, I saw two more types of mushrooms.

mushrooms-not-edible

fragile mushrooms, lasting only a few hours

mushroom-not-edible

magic mushroom

tiny-mushroom

tiny mushroom in blades of grass

nest-processionary-caterpillars

Processionary Caterpillars coming from nest

There were a few slack periods of rain when you could almost think the weather was lifting. I happened upon this nest of the ‘furriness’, and at first could not figure out what I was seeing. First glance told me it was a lot of mould growing on an apple. And then I realised it was moving! Dozens and dozens of caterpillars were writhing and squirming to figure out whom to follow, and to where. Such is the perfection of nature, they quickly figured out that only a few feet away was one of their favourite snacks, a wattle bush.

processionary-caterpillars

processionary caterpillars on their way to wattle bush

During that slackened wet period, one wonders if Mother Nature didn’t have a quiet word to the ‘Processionary Caterpillars’. “Get out now, while you can!”

And they did!

Off they went. Top to tail.

And lucky me, I got to see it. And photograph it… and lucky you, even shoot a short video! I marvel at my technical skills sometimes! Lol. (…like the two legged dog who walks, it’s not that it is done well, it’s that it happens at all!!)

rock-outcrop-alice-springs

Tiny ferns grow in cracks of rocks, and buffalo grass decorates remains of ‘Yeperenye’

A little bit of lore, while we are at it… The ‘Processionary Caterpillar’ is also known to the Indigenous Arrernte People here, as the ‘Yeperenye’. Their Dreamtime stories tell of the Yeperenye caterpillar and two others, arriving separately and battling the ‘green stink bug’. When the stink bug started to win the battle, the caterpillars ran, and the mountain ranges known as the MacDonnell Ranges represent their deceased remains.

moisture-covered-stem

moisture covered stem

desert-plant-leaves

desert plant capturing droplets

The land is turning green before our eyes, no longer the Red Centre for a few short weeks, more like the ‘Emerald Oasis’ or as my blog friend called it ‘Glen Alice’. The river is already going to sleep again. Everywhere there are signs where once were swirling waters. Everywhere things are growing. With ample water and now the sunshine, you may hear them from where you are!

sunrise-asgc-alice-springs

Our famous sun is returning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Autumn in Alice

19 Saturday Apr 2014

Posted by Ardys in Alice Springs, nature, photography

≈ 16 Comments

Tags

Alice Springs, Arid lands, Australia, autumn, nature, photography, Red Centre, Red Centre of Australia, Todd River flowing

Most people assume we don’t really have seasons here in Central Australia. They would be wrong. It is Autumn here now, and for the last few weeks I have been inspired… giddy… okay, obsessed, with the changes in the light as it skims the mountains, is filtered by cloud, washes the kitchen bench, highlights the garden. My husband chuckles at me photographing food in the morning and late afternoon light in the kitchen. Then he calls me to see the odd shaped clouds or the colour of the sky at sunset.IMG_9154 IMG_9170

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is glorious.IMG_9096 IMG_9155

The nights have cooled and the days no longer require air conditioning in the house. We can come out of hibernation from the heat and intense sun. We often get a bit of rain this time of year, usually to spoil the Easter weekend camping experience! Easter was later this year, however, and the rain came at its usual time, so everyone is happy. When you only receive about 200mm (8 inches) of rain in a year and you get 100mm in one week, it grabs your attention.IMG_9083

Months of red dust rinsed from the leaves, filling up the basin until the dry river bed was replenished, and began to flow. See the Todd flow thrice and you are considered a ‘local’. I have lost count. There is always palpable excitement as locals, and tourists alike, flock to the river to see and photograph it during a few days of flow. And then it is gone again. It retreats underground like a great, mysterious serpent.

The Serpent of water appears

The Serpent of water appears

The Serpent is gone.

The Serpent is gone.

Our causeway dissolved into river and was blocked for a short while, so we had to travel an extra five minutes into town. The ‘hardship’ is worth it! All is dry again now, and all that remains is the proof of what transpired; fresh blades of new grass, green leaves resplendent, and a few dewy, morning remnants of moisture hovering above ground.

And there is the light. Always, there is the light that is so inspiring. Below is a gallery of photos I hope will bring some light to your life.

–Ardys

(if you move your curser over each photo you will see the titles pop up, and if you double click on the photos you can see them full size)

Todd in flow
Todd in flow
Early light along the River bed
Early light along the River bed
Early light on the ranges
Early light on the ranges
What remains of the rain
What remains of the rain
Early morning moon along the river walk
Early morning moon along the river walk
light on the corrugated fence
light on the corrugated fence
Facing the light
Facing the light
First rays of morning
First rays of morning
Cherry Alamanda after rain
Cherry Alamanda after rain

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