It’s snowing in my backyard in summer

The big tree in our backyard drops seeds this time of year.

It’s worse this year because of the Lorikeets.

I’m not sure what the tree’s called, I thought it was a nightshade tree, but Google doesn’t agree with me. It flowers early summer, big white trumpet-y flowers that bloom at night, and drop before breakfast time.

Either way, it looks like its snowing in our backyard right now:

Urban Lorikeets

Twilight in my backyard is crazy busy:

The local Rainbow Lorikeets LOVE the big tree in our backyard. I usually hate the tree because at this time of year it drops so many seeds that it looks like snow in my backyard. If it’s not dropping seeds, it’s dropping horrible flowers or blocking our sewerage pipes.

But now that I’ve realised that I’ve got native birds in my backyard (and not just sparrows), I’m taking the time to stop and watch the lorikeets hang out and have their dinner.

Lorikeets are noisy buggers, always yacking while they make it snow.

Pretty impressive for my concrete backyard!

My SD card is chockas with blurry lorikeet photos! Think I need to get me a monopod….

Have permission. Back soon.

This is why I love living in Sydney’s inner-west:

So the sprayers have repainted a wall so they have a blank canvas. But they haven’t had time to come back to finish the job.

Promise to show you the finished product (whenever that may happen!).

x

Enmore – The Movie

A few nights ago the back lanes of Enmore were all a-flurry with excitement:

A film crew!

Admittedly, they were filming a short film that just happened to be set in a laneway, but it got me wondering what Enmore – The Movie would be like…

Opening scenes: Morning commuters patiently wait for buses to come up along Enmore Road. Customers walk into the Methadone Clinic to make an appointment. People with parcel pick-up cards hassle the Post Office staff before they actually open for the day. Cafes fill up with coffee-needing customers. Residents hose their footpaths to remove the pee from the night before.

Drama!: Another Thai restaurant opens up and the 20 other Thai restaurants get the shits. The police are called for another complaint about a “local businessman” and his inappropriate behaviour. People double-park illegally while they pick up their fruit and vege from Alfalfa House. There’s a gig on at the Enmore Theatre and/or at Notes Live and parking becomes a thousand times worse than usual (and it’s the locals who get the parking fines). The bottle-o gets robbed and/or the front window shatters all over the footpath (again).

Closing scenes: The guy who carries his pet snake on his shoulders is walking home. The old greek guys outside that mysterious unnamed shopfront have another smoko. Customers pick up some last-minute groceries from IGA (but not Food Works). There’s smoke billowing out of the Sultan’s Table because they don’t have sufficient exhaust fans in their kitchen. Locals stand around and watch a street artist create another mural on a vertical surface.

What quintessential Enmore scenes have I missed?

Grumbling in the direction of Marrickville Council

I was driving down our street tonight looking for a parking spot – something that sucks as a general rule because we’ve chosen to live in a congested area of Sydney’s inner west. Tonight there are workmen blocking off empty parking spaces with witches hats. There were parking spots as far as the eye could see, but they were all blocked off by damned witches hats

Turns out they’re doing line marking. Because the kerb isn’t enough of an indicator on where to park, apparently.

I try to park in a spot anyway and get waved away by one of the overall-clad blokes and decide to suss out WTF is going on

Me: So where do I park if I actually live here?

Him: Yih, moite thir is sum spots up an’ ’round in (names street 3 blocks away)

Me: *blank stare*

Him: Yih, I fink they done a letterbox drop an’ that

Me: Well, they never made it to my letterbox

Him: Awww shoite!

Me: So this is Marrickville Council’s doing, yeah?

Him: Yih!!

Me: Well, at least I’ll know who to send the memo to if I get mugged!

We both chortled* and he continued blocking available parking spots with witches hats while I drove off to the next suburb to find somewhere to park my car.

Mental note: wear walking shoes in the morning.

* I can’t believe I actually said typed the word “chortle”. I am getting old.