Cradle Mountain Walk

The House on the Hill

I wrote this poem back in Jan 2005 when I found this old abandoned mansion in Chancery Hill Road. The owner's son had moved overseas and was unable to return because he didn't do his National Service. 

The owner had passed away sometime in the 1950s leaving dishes in the sink to wash, clothes in the cupboards, photos of horse racing on the walls - apparently they were wealthy enough to own race horses, and old art deco furniture.

In 2009, the new owners had the place razed to the ground, nothing of the place remains now.

The abandoned house left a powerful impression upon me. And I wrote this poem shortly after I visited the place.

The house on the hill
stands silent and still
Its front door is locked
Its windows are open.
Old cupboards are inside
Filled with dusty dresses
And worm-eaten books
The old house waits
Waiting for master
Waiting for mistress
But no one returns

Singapore Balcony 1am

Soft is the velvet night sky

Quiet is the black night air

A gentle breeze passes by

In stillness we patiently wait for dawn

Winter is coming

http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/squirrel-snowstorm/

Australian weather can be a tad crazy. Its Summer but it feels more like Winter on some days.

I can't complain - I really dislike the intense Summer Victoria gets this time of year.

Better 15C than 40+C.

The photo is from Nat Geo. Click on the above link to go there. Its a cute photo isn't it?

Random thoughts

On her epitaph, it was written: here lies a mother who gave her husband's inheritance to her children to strange men.

Obama's State of the Union address 2012

listening to Obama's State of the Union speech. Wow! What an orator! "Each time I look at the flag, I remember that our destiny is stitched together like that 50 stars and 13 stripes. No one built this country on their own. This country is great because we built it together. This nation is great because we worked as a team. This nation is great because we get each other's backs. And if we hold fast to that truth in this moment of trial there is no challenge too great, no mission too hard. As long as we are joined in common purpose  as long as we maintain our common resolve our journey moves forward, we have hope and our Union holds strong...

Six Fast Ways to Kill Weeds

I like to read about non-chemical (organic ways) to deal with weeds. This seems quite useful.

http://healthychild.org/blog/comments/6_fast_and_natural_ways_to_kill_weeds/

By Janelle Sorensen

Sunday, June 21, 2009

It’s summer time and the weeds are growing like, um, weeds. Instead of reaching for a toxic chemical that could be harmful to your family or pets, try one of these easy natural ways to kill weeds quick.

1. Use mulch to smother weeds. Covering garden soil with a mulch blocks weeds. Use two or three inches of shredded bark, wood chips, straw, cocoa bean hulls, gravel or rocks. The mulches will also keep moisture in the soil so you'll have to water less frequently.

2. Douse weeds with boiling water.  Weeds, like humans, will burn if exposed to boiling water. This method also kills weed seeds.

3. Soap weeds to death.  Mix 5 tablespoons of liquid soap (such as dishwashing liquid) in one quart (4 cups) of water in a spray bottle. Coat the weeds with the soapy water. Works best on hot days.

4. Pickle weeds with vinegar.  Pour household vinegar into a spray bottle and evenly coat weeds with it. U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists recently confirmed this in tests. Vinegar is really five percent acetic acid in water, and it burns the plant, especially on sunny days. For extra strength weed killer, look for pickling vinegar, which is nine percent acetic acid. Don't get the vinegar on your garden plants, as it can kill them too.

5. Give weeds a stiff drink of alcohol. Mix one to five tablespoons of alcohol – depending on how stubborn the weeds are – with one quart (4 cups) of water in a spray bottle. Shower weeds with the spray. Don't let the alcohol get on garden plants as it may damage their leaves.

6. Don't let 'em sprout!  Use corn meal gluten as a pre-emergent herbicide and fertilizer. Corn meal gluten prevents weeds from growing, then breaks down to provide nitrogen to your plants or lawn. Use it on lawns or established perennial beds, as it won't kill already growing plants. That does mean, of course, that it won't work on already existing weeds.

Read more: http://healthychild.org/blog/comments/6_fast_and_natural_ways_to_kill_weeds/#ixzz1kLMXiRMD