To The Moon Alice: Oct 2009 [& Black & White Sunday]

I hesitate to miss another Black & White Sunday in lieu of my Full Moon Post, so I am combining the two. I also have some more oddities & mishaps to share.

This image was taken at the last full moon but too late for my post. Once again I took to the balcony, camera wrapped tightly round my wrist and leant over into the abyss to take this shot of the moon hovering over the now leafless and creepy looking Jacaranda Tree. It’s only 2 floors up, but feels like the abyss, in the dark, with the bats flying around.. YES.. bats!! eeek! Do you think they know Halloween is coming?

I also have some colour & sepia versions of this shot, but for now, here she is in Black & White, Bella La Luna;



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Moon Oct 20091





0BeingRubyMoonBW2smlsg12





Moon Oct 20091





So nature seems to have a mind of it’s own this last week or two. The bats are new and have taken up residence in the tree out the front. We do get bats around this area due to the nearby parks but they usually don’t stay so close to human activity. Nor do they usually swoop so low or do flyby’s when you are sitting on the balcony. Every night they get a little closer. It’s giving me the creeps. I'd post some photos of them if they didn't move so fast!



And if bats aren’t your thing, then there is always the wasps. YEP.. must be a nest somewhere close as the wasps keep dive bombing me when I am out on the balcony in the daylight hours enjoying a magazine and coffee. Poor House Beautiful took a beating trying to fend of the wasp as it kept coming at me.. There was a lot of ‘hand flinging, hissy fitting’ going on trying to get back in and close the door. I’ve taken to sitting out there with the coffee in one hand and insecticide in the other. Not a nice way to treat nature.. but nature’s getting dangerous. It came at me again today, but this time I substituted House Beautiful for the more weighty tome of Vogue Living in my defence.



But wait there’s more. Last week we had a Red Bellied Black snake out the front of our office building [did I tell you about the snake already? I can’t remember]. Now this is Sydney CBD folks, not the usual place to find a venomous snake. The Police and Wildlife Rescue were called but couldn’t get it to come out from where it hid with all the commotion. Turns out the following weekend, shopkeepers saw the snake come out and stop traffic as it crossed the road. And ‘Why Did The Snake Cross The Road?’ … to get to the Blood Bank of course.. ha ha Someone suggested I park my car out the front of work the other night when I was working late. I don’t think so!!



There you have it, my latest Full Moon Madness.. and all strange but true stories! Welcome to Sydney and the world of Ruby!!

Ciao Julie









B&W Sunday2



Pop over to see other Black & White Sunday participants Hosted by



Anne Marie of Na-Da Farm Life





IMAGE SOURCE: Image by me [being Ruby]

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UPDATED: YES I am reposting Sunday's post. Just until I have a chance to put something else up. The Aliens abducted the post subsequent to this one. Something about confiscating evidence! And to all who had commented .. Thanks a bunch!!! The general concensus was Aliens!!



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22 comments:

Mammabellarte Rita Reade said...

BOO-liciuous Julie, love the moon. I made charms that said moon with German glass glitter around it and people asked me why moon? I just love the moon! It was full moon yesterday, bellissimo. I love bats, of course never had one stuck in my hair. Just killed a rattle snake 2 days ago, never seen one so close. Madre Natura. Ciao Rita

Sue said...

Julie-I love the picture. It is both creepy and cool at the same time. Very Halloween. As for the "wildlife" at your place. I don't think I'll be coming for a visit anytime soon. Snakes, bats...I can't think of much worse. I found myself thinking that the wasps weren't so bad compared to the others!

Sue

erin's art and gardens said...

full moon, bats, wasps and snakes oh my! nature in all its mysterious glory! i love the photo and the magic you have added to it. just a glorius, ethereal image......enjoy your sunday!

Amy {The Red Chair Blog} said...

Love your moon photo--perfect for this time of year! My baby daughter loves to point at the moon, so I've been noticing its phases more often recently.

Thanks for stopping by to say hello!

Amy

Jen Beaudet said...

That is an awesome picture of the moon Julie! It's so spooky! The sky was so beautiful last night!

Maya @ Completely Coastal said...

I saw a few bats once from my porch..., and the wasps, oh my. We've got a nest hidden underneath the roof of the porch. Me running around with spray, trying to get rid of them. After a few dozen cans I gave up and ignored them. Now it's cooler, less activity..., but we'll have to address the problem eventually and call someone to take out the nest -it's not getting smaller!

un abril encantado said...

Bellísima Luna...

Gracias Julie, Lourdes

Carole said...

Boy Julie never realized you were living in the bush. We have those sorts of crazy things around here too but we're in the country. We had a lot of bats around our house for awhile but I haven't noticed them lately.
Be careful out there....it's a jungle!
xo,
Carole

Chemin des Muguets said...

Julie,

When I lived in Oz everyone I asked had never seen a snake. However, the more I probed the real truth can out. "There was that time...", they'd finally say. Do be careful my dear! I'll take feral chickens anyday.

Love,

Marjorie

P.S. Photos fab in spite of dangerous assignment.

Anne Marie said...

I think I'll stay at the hotel when I visit then (lol)....

bats are SO good for the environment (maybe put a tarp down and catch their droppings for your topiaries........HA!)
have you seen the bat episode on Planet Earth dvd series...now that's just awesome AND creepy...

Simply Mel {Reverie} said...

Absolutely love these moon shots! So bOOOO-tiful!

And your stories of Mother Nature's revenge - well, at least most things happen in threes, so you might be good for a while!

Brabourne Farm said...

Hi Julie - your moon photo is brilliant and oh so spooky! I agree with you, bats are creepy little things and as for snakes .... Hope your week is filled with lots of lovely things! Leigh

Courtney said...

Oooh, that moon looks eerie and beautiful in black and white! I love the October full moon. It's definitely my favorite.

Marina Saclley @ Iced VoVo's said...

What on earth is happening on that side of the world?
First red dust storms, bats (well, I know Sydney has lots of them), wasps ... watch out for them... they hurt! and now snakes in the CBD!
Are you sure you didn't see a werewolf? hehehe ...
Just love that moon shot ... very halloweeny ;-)

Jane said...

Wow that is wierd and creepy and animaly. We get bats flying over our house on their way from the Botanic Gardens to whatever not as nice home in Cranbourne the government has created for them. They are soooo scary, those wings and those little furry bodies. I don't see how people can be scared of spiders and snakes in my book bats are the worst. Lovely moon photo. Very Twilight. (I know, embarassing).

simon said...

now thats a shot that should grace the cover of an Evanescence CD! AMAZING!!!

Now as for your bats- they will be flying foxes, very black on the wings but with a hint of ginger in the fur.

They eat fruit and are not vampire. However, they do have a nasty bite- their mouths carry bacteria, and if you get bitten then you will become very sick. They are smart like dogs, if you put fruit out they will eat it.

People who handle bats use a glove made of chain ( spelling?) mail..as well as a leather over glove... this ensures no bite....

We see them leaving the caves in the mountains and heading for Sydney and yes its exactly like a movie!

Bats are very essential in preserving forests, gum trees, rain forests etc.. as they pollinate much like a bee does. without them many of our native hard wood trees would die.

My favorite bat is the Lesser long eared bat- about the size of a mouse- they eat moths and other insects...


Geez!! I hope I am not boring you or your followers!!!

Pauline Wiles said...

Lovely photo, although undeniably creepy!

Viera said...

July you are so talented.
These picks are very interesting.
X
V

koralee said...

Your image is amazing! You sure are getting your fill of strange creatures my dear! Bats...yech...Bees...not so good but Snakes too! The worse...once a snake fell out of my kitchen cupboard ..lucky for me my brave husband was home! Took me a long long time before I ever went back into that cupboard even knowing he had got it!

Linda Wood said...

Great moon shot!

Wanted to tell you that I too have been visited by a large red-belly black snake...although I'm further out in the 'burbs'. Not very far from the bush.

Cheers, Linda
linda-wood.blogspot.com
www.lindawood.com.au

Millie said...

There's definitely something happening here too Julie. No RBB snake, but a kangaroo tonight hopping down one of the main streets in the Adelaide CBD creating traffic chaos. Go figure.
Millie ^_^

cate said...

I hate snakes but just LOVE your photo...& the madness is fun too!!!
:)Cate