Post Holes and Stinkhorns!

l worked quite hard these days off. The weather was lovely so it was good to be outside. l dug four very difficult holes in the sheep yard in readiness for building some smaller pens to make it easier to get the sheep where we want them! (Difficult at times trust me!)

This one was particularly hard as it was just thick heavy gluggly clay! It stuck to the spade, it stuck to the crowbar! It was awful! l was quite tempted though to sit down and try and make a bowl out of it!! The holes are now all full of water as l think the water table is about one foot below the surface (and that's the deep parts!!!) Combined with massive rocks and boulders only inches apart it makes for hard work!!

l also quickly put together a pen to put the geese and ducks in at night, Mainly to save the pasture as they tends to wander around all hours of the day and night (quietly now though!)

And l mowed the lawn which was quite an event as l had to empty the catcher every single run as it got full of Walnut Leaves! (Anyone want any leaf compost?? l have LOTS of leaf compost!) l forgot how nice the lawn looks when you can actually see it!!! Saying that though, l mowed it this afternoon and l think its half covered again already!!! (sigh..where is my Blower Vac???)

l also discovered  that we are the proud owners of an Octopus Stinkhorn!!!

""Clathrus archeri is indigenous to Tasmania The young fungus erupts from a suberumpent egg by forming into four to seven elongated slender arms initially erect and attached at the top. The arms then unfold to reveal a pinkish-red interior covered with a dark-olive spore-containing gleba In maturity it smells of putrid flesh(nice!!!)The pinkish-red colour and fetid odour of the ripe fungus is thought to resemble decaying flesh and thereby attracting flies which unwittingly spread the gleba and thus the species
The Octopus Stinkhorn is edible, but its taste is extremely foul. The eggs of this fungus taste and smell like radish and are the only edible stage. It should only be eaten in a wilderness survival circumstance when no other food is available. In other cases, it is considered inedible"" (that's reassuring to know!!!!)

It really was quite disgusting!!!!

When l got close to it with the camera lens l half expected it to either spit at me or swallow me up!!