Stranger in a not-so-strange land

It was especially foggy this morning, but it cleared up as the sun rose.

We have seen this mystery attachment on trucks all over the place.  What is it?  What is its purpose?  Still unknown...

All the birds at the pond across the way were preening themselves.

This guy didn't like me watching at first, but didn't seem to mind when I took some video.

Cute mushrooms.  There is a lot of fungi around of all shapes and sizes..

..including fungi that grow out of the gravel next to the road.

I've been on a little bird-watching kick since we got here.  It's been really exciting to see new birds: most notably some kind of parakeet (!!) on my jogwalk this morning.  I think they must have been little lorikeets (not swift parrots as I first thought).  They were beautiful!  I really wish I'd had my camera.  Next time.

I saw a flock of Australian White Ibises as well, as well as others I still can't identify.  The funny doves we see really look like pigeons with a little mohawk--I guess it must be the Australian Crested Pigeon.  I think I'll probably be visiting birdlife.org.au everyday from here on out.

I listened to an old To the Best of Our Knowledge this morning, in which this guy Sam Keen said that birdwatchers live in an alternate universe from the rest of us.  I suppose I would disagree--I think that anyone who watches or listens to nature will find themselves in an alternate universe, not just birders, and there's more than nature that can take us someplace outside ourselves.

In other news, I saw a Winnebago!