Dec2011_MT MEE NEWS
By Ian Wells
I write in the middle of November and it is very hot and it is very dry.
But the Government is preparing to run the top off the Wivenhoe dam. Fools! What are they doing? Don’t they understand that it is never going to rain again……?
I write in the middle of November and it is very hot and it is very dry.
But the Government is preparing to run the top off the Wivenhoe dam. Fools! What are they doing? Don’t they understand that it is never going to rain again……?
The “Afternoon Proms” concert of the Grapevine “deadline” weekend is an absolute sell –out, even though some 40 of our usual customers from C.A.T.S. are otherwise committed and cannot come. The response is wonderful – except for those poor later- comers who are wait-listed, pending unexpected mortalities etc. We need some wealthy benefactor to build us a big, new (airconditioned) hall building.
By the time that you read this the “farewell” function organised at the Ocean View Winery for Cathy Croot and Les Suart will also be past history. Cathy and Les have played an important part in Mountain life and in later years have been familiar faces at their Market stall – Les with his fine woodworked items and Cathy with her wonderful sewn handcrafted stuff.
By the time that you read this the “farewell” function organised at the Ocean View Winery for Cathy Croot and Les Suart will also be past history. Cathy and Les have played an important part in Mountain life and in later years have been familiar faces at their Market stall – Les with his fine woodworked items and Cathy with her wonderful sewn handcrafted stuff.
PHOTO: Standing: Des and Jan Page. Seated: Les Suart and Cathy Croot. Click to view: <a href="http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y295/dayborograpevine/2011%20EDITIONS%20PHOTOS/DECEMBER%202011%20EDITION/p23_MtMeeNews_90x67_200dpi_clr.jpg"
But their greatest contribution to our community was musical. It was they who came to Hall Committee suggesting a Sunday symphony concert – to feature the Cleveland with whom they were playing at that time.
We thought that they were either joking or in early dementia! But they persisted in the face of our sniggers, and cracked their first Hall concert just a year or two later.
And look at what has happened – three or four serious music concerts on balmy Sunday afternoons each year, with an amazing parade of polished ensemble and solo talent. I can never quite believe that we have such quality performers bothering to come from the bright lights to perform for us in our humble country hall.
Thanks to you both – from everyone, for getting us started and for performing for us. Please enjoy your new lives at the seaside.
The selection of Mt Mee School’s headmaster Trevor Buchanan as Queensland’s “Principal of the Year” is no longer news – but “well done Trevor” anyway! Trevor showed a few of “us oldies” around the school grounds the other day – and it was a surprising tour. Near the front entrance there is a flourishing big herb garden on ground level and several raised vegetable beds. A disused wilderness behind the tennis court is currently being tamed and transformed into a fairy garden, to have flowers, shrubs and even lights. And work is about to start on a beach volleyball court on the top oval, which will replace the present sandpit.
I tell you – it is all happening- perhaps because Trevor is there more than seven days a week. No wonder it is such a happy and productive environment!
By the way, Trevor is doing a “Masters” in his “spare time”!!!!
The Mt Mee Garden Club held the November AGM and meeting in Joyce Knight’s traditional garden in Robinson Road. Members remarked on the variety and colours of the many beds and the apparent docility of the surrounding kikuyu lawns. The next meeting will be the Christmas bash – on the 9th December at the Ocean View Winery. Phone Pam (5498 2098) for more information.
Be warned again that the scrub ticks remain unusually profuse and highly toxic. The local vet surgeries are very busy with affected companion animals, and I saw a 400kg steer with big wobbly boots the other day. A quick bath in amitraz settled things down and he was right again in a few days.
And now to wild dogs!
In a remarkable experience, Peter Goodman was moving down track towards the Delaney Ck boundary of his property earlier this month when he saw no less than three wild dogs and eleven pups emerge from a den in a patch of lantana. Reasoning that shooting could only net two or three at best, he contacted Council, and an officer came up three or four days later armed with a dozen 1080 baits. These were duly laid within the vicinity of the den.
When the den was examined the following weekend, no less than five dead adults and twelve dead pups were found under a log – not a bad haul for twelve baits!
It is interesting that for good reasons Peter hadn’t baited his place for some months, giving this pack a secure refuge and plenty of vacant territories on nearby places that had baited. And there was good hunting amongst calving cows.
This episode gives a clear call to Mountain livestock owners to join in the Council baiting programmes wherever they can meet the regulatory restrictions, (phone Ray Johnson – 5433 2229). Remember that dogs move about, and baiting your place will help others too. But don’t expect to find bodies unless you are very fortunate – they hide very effectively.
Remember that while baiting does a lot of the heavy lifting, we must also make the best possible use of shooting to mop up the bait shy and generally recalcitrant elements. Shooters are needed particularly to deal with wild dogs operating in those bait – forbidden areas – which cover so much of Mt Mee.
Our shooters Rod and Len are operating for the present on a “fee to landholder for service” basis and so the Cooperative Dog Fund has been suspended. Our most profound thanks go to those relatively few locals who have donated almost $6000 to our Fund over its short life. This has helped the lads to account for a lot of dogs!
So if you need help with shooting, phone Len on 5498 2134 or Rod on 0400 018 949 for a price. Alternatively, Trevor Greinke of Mt Pleasant, (3425 2755) is well practised, keen and available to help out on the Mountain, and of course Council’s Pest Control Officers are always worth a try. They are more than willing to hunt and shoot when other duties permit.
MARKETS – No Market in January.
LAST EVER MONTHLY DANCE !!!
We will be holding our last ever Mt Mee monthly dance on Saturday 7th January.
It will start at 7.30pm.
Let’s make it a big one!
We thought that they were either joking or in early dementia! But they persisted in the face of our sniggers, and cracked their first Hall concert just a year or two later.
And look at what has happened – three or four serious music concerts on balmy Sunday afternoons each year, with an amazing parade of polished ensemble and solo talent. I can never quite believe that we have such quality performers bothering to come from the bright lights to perform for us in our humble country hall.
Thanks to you both – from everyone, for getting us started and for performing for us. Please enjoy your new lives at the seaside.
The selection of Mt Mee School’s headmaster Trevor Buchanan as Queensland’s “Principal of the Year” is no longer news – but “well done Trevor” anyway! Trevor showed a few of “us oldies” around the school grounds the other day – and it was a surprising tour. Near the front entrance there is a flourishing big herb garden on ground level and several raised vegetable beds. A disused wilderness behind the tennis court is currently being tamed and transformed into a fairy garden, to have flowers, shrubs and even lights. And work is about to start on a beach volleyball court on the top oval, which will replace the present sandpit.
I tell you – it is all happening- perhaps because Trevor is there more than seven days a week. No wonder it is such a happy and productive environment!
By the way, Trevor is doing a “Masters” in his “spare time”!!!!
The Mt Mee Garden Club held the November AGM and meeting in Joyce Knight’s traditional garden in Robinson Road. Members remarked on the variety and colours of the many beds and the apparent docility of the surrounding kikuyu lawns. The next meeting will be the Christmas bash – on the 9th December at the Ocean View Winery. Phone Pam (5498 2098) for more information.
Be warned again that the scrub ticks remain unusually profuse and highly toxic. The local vet surgeries are very busy with affected companion animals, and I saw a 400kg steer with big wobbly boots the other day. A quick bath in amitraz settled things down and he was right again in a few days.
And now to wild dogs!
In a remarkable experience, Peter Goodman was moving down track towards the Delaney Ck boundary of his property earlier this month when he saw no less than three wild dogs and eleven pups emerge from a den in a patch of lantana. Reasoning that shooting could only net two or three at best, he contacted Council, and an officer came up three or four days later armed with a dozen 1080 baits. These were duly laid within the vicinity of the den.
When the den was examined the following weekend, no less than five dead adults and twelve dead pups were found under a log – not a bad haul for twelve baits!
It is interesting that for good reasons Peter hadn’t baited his place for some months, giving this pack a secure refuge and plenty of vacant territories on nearby places that had baited. And there was good hunting amongst calving cows.
This episode gives a clear call to Mountain livestock owners to join in the Council baiting programmes wherever they can meet the regulatory restrictions, (phone Ray Johnson – 5433 2229). Remember that dogs move about, and baiting your place will help others too. But don’t expect to find bodies unless you are very fortunate – they hide very effectively.
Remember that while baiting does a lot of the heavy lifting, we must also make the best possible use of shooting to mop up the bait shy and generally recalcitrant elements. Shooters are needed particularly to deal with wild dogs operating in those bait – forbidden areas – which cover so much of Mt Mee.
Our shooters Rod and Len are operating for the present on a “fee to landholder for service” basis and so the Cooperative Dog Fund has been suspended. Our most profound thanks go to those relatively few locals who have donated almost $6000 to our Fund over its short life. This has helped the lads to account for a lot of dogs!
So if you need help with shooting, phone Len on 5498 2134 or Rod on 0400 018 949 for a price. Alternatively, Trevor Greinke of Mt Pleasant, (3425 2755) is well practised, keen and available to help out on the Mountain, and of course Council’s Pest Control Officers are always worth a try. They are more than willing to hunt and shoot when other duties permit.
MARKETS – No Market in January.
LAST EVER MONTHLY DANCE !!!
We will be holding our last ever Mt Mee monthly dance on Saturday 7th January.
It will start at 7.30pm.
Let’s make it a big one!
