"The Desert Pea" ...

...Out in the scrub today we ventured across the bridge which you may have seen in my pic yesterday into New South Wales, out into the scrublands not far away really, just across the river, and near the river..

...And here we found the beautiful Desert Pea in full bloom now, it's real name is "Sturt's Desert Pea" or swainsona formosa - which is really the Floral Emblem of South Australia which is not far from us either - the state of my birth..

...When I was governessing on station properties in the Outback of New South Wales, especially, I can remember going out to check on the dams (or tanks they call them there) making sure every pump was working, the troughs were full and there weren't any sheep stuck in the mud at the dams.. and ofcourse checking on the sheep and cattle - and whilst there I recall seeing cattle grazing amongst these beautiful flowers, as far as we could see, and which grow naturally out there and elsewhere..I wonder if they still do..I remember the white which was a 'freak' and the purple - which had picked up the color from the nearby purple "Salvation Jane" plant which was a weed, and rampant in some areas..

... It was such a pretty sight with the red and the purple -but I didn't have a camera in those days, only a box Brownie.. although I do have a pic my boss took of my Mum and I some years later amongst the Desert Sturt Peas..when we went to visit my old bosses..I'm still in touch with them, all these years later..

... One day I should put one of the photos on here for you to see..