Wandering the back roads

John went off fishing early this morning so I went in to the market and collected the papers and decided to go along the back road to see who was selling their property and as I havent been up there for a while to take some photos. There are some magnificent trees up there and also in the first photo an import from Western Australia. I must admit to loving the flowering gums and have tried and tried to grow them but they dont much like frost. Any way this one was on top of the ridge in some ones plantation so I had to take it flowering in all its orange splendour, they do come in other colours as well, reds and pinks.
On the other side of the road was a magnificent and very old Banksia, unfortunately the photo I took of the whole tree, and although people think they are shrubs they can get to be a tree, was out of focus but the photo I took of its magnificent trunks was ok.
Next a yakka or blackboy, not flowering but I love their shape and skirt.
Then two different roads, although I suppose they look pretty much the same. The lovely very old big gums on the last one is on the old track that winds up the side of the valley (my valley) and the other is coming home on the unpaved end of the Back Valley road.
Once upon a time I lived in Back Valley, but now I live on the Back Valley Road a shame in a way as Back Valley now seems to encompass a part of the lower Inman which is not part of our valley at all.
I think I may do a bit of our family history every so often on this blog as it is a shame it is not better known and I have some wonderful old photos.
Some how in the middle of the night my poor peahen lost her chicks. She only had 2 yesterday and then at about 2 am I heard her call out and land on the roof and from then on she has been pathetically calling to her chicks all day. John said he heard the same thing the night before. She was roosting up high so I doubt it was a fox, perhaps an owl or some other night creature. I am surprised though as they gather underneath her.
She is a young mother so perhaps she will do better next year.
I do have to say I really dont need any more as we have about 8 any way and they do make an awful noise when they tramp over our iron roof.