Smokin' Pyramid

The middle of last week, when I was driving home from in town (not that I can remember why I was in there), baby Possum had fallen asleep and the Pyramid was smokin' so I took a little detour.

I'm not sure how far it got in newsworthyness but the burning off of Walsh's Pyramid certainly made the news here.

There were even some people from other areas convinced it was a 'for real' volcanic eruption.

Haha, the jokes.

Anyway, I didn't see it that day but noticed it the next day.

Walsh's Pyramid definitely wasn't looking volcanic anymore but the smoke was still pretty impressive.

This is the time of year for controlled burning off around here, before it gets too hot and before the hot weather and pre wet season arrives when storms might do the job, resulting in big fires and lots of damage.

That is what this smoke display was from, a controlled burn of the national park. A clean up you could say. Actually, I haven't seen them burn off the Pyramid since I moved here so it has been a few years (unless I missed it).

It was nice to have the excuse of an only just fallen asleep baby to so a bit of driving around. He had missed his sleep after all and no one likes a sleep deprived baby.

At the moment we are in the middle of the cane season so there are trains and harvesting everywhere. Not that I have seen much because I haven't been gallivanting around the countryside this year.

The sugar cane is a varying ages, some newly harvested, some not long planted, some regrowing and some still waiting its turn.

It won't be long until the heat of summer is here so it is nice to get the chance to enjoy the cooler weather while we can. Mind you as said in a discussion this morning with Mr Sparky about enjoying seasons "there aren't really seasons here just summer and hot summer" 😁. Not quite true but close enough, we have been having some cooler nights and mornings after all.

Lines, Feathers and Changing Colours

Sometimes it is quite easy for me to get bogged down or overwhelmed by city living. 

That might sound a bit strange, especially to city slickers out there, but well other than the first couple of years of my life (which I don't remember) I'm country bred.

But then, as Mr Sparky says, I've kind of gotten used to living here. So I should think so after two and a half years. I've adjusted and adapted.

With nearly constant traffic sounds and close neighbours it is easy to forget that just on the edge of the city are farms. That the country, as such, is just there beyond the city limits. Even if it is a lot greener than the rural landscape that is always in my minds eye.

The other morning I headed south rather than north, to more copious cane paddocks rather than to the beach.

Why haven't I done this before? Wide open skies and paddocks as the sun greets the sky ... ahhh. Mind you being so close to the city the traffic is still there, even off the highway, although not as much.

 I took photos from a few different places while exploring roads I had never traveled. The clouds and mountains had slowed the sunrise.

 

I even found a barbed wire fence. Little things that excite me.

I also thought the towering, metal giants, the high voltage towers looked pretty cool in the sunrise. Something a bit different.

As the morning brightened I could see masked lapwings in a freshly planted paddock. I think there must have plenty of tasty treats for them there.

The morning sun made the feathery flowers of the sugar cane shine gold.

I saw sugar cane at many different stages from newly sprouted to standing tall to chopped in carriages ready for pick up and transport to the mill.

I did a bit more exploring down skinny roads. Quite a few suddenly ended, very inconvenient of them really.

Most of the time I could see Walsh's Pyramid and often the smoke from Mulgrave mill rising into the sky.

The lines of sugar cane growing in the morning light with mountains behind was picture perfect.

By then I was feeling the need for some breakfast and it seems I wasn't the only one with kites looking for their breaky above the cane.

At the moment we are having the perfect, tropical winter weather. Cool mornings, lovely days in the mid 20s with a breeze and mostly blue skies. The stuff of dreams.

The Mulgrave Mill at Gordonvale was hard at work. I think it is going 24hrs at the moment and there is something about that rising smoke that fascinates me. Maybe I am a bit obsessive about getting photos of it.

I saw a cane train engine go out and collect some carriages.

Despite enjoying the morning sun my tummy was getting a bit demanding so I decided to head home.

I did of cause take the scenic route rather than just heading straight to the highway.

I also found that cane train again with empty carriages in tow.

It was certainly an interesting morning, not only did I get to fill part of my sugar cane season obesession but I learnt some new roads, making a new map in my head.

Are you the kind of person who has to drive roads to get where they go stuck in your head?

What is happening in your part of the world?