Virus: 7, Jen: 0

The post title really does tell all. Turns out, I have plenty of immunity to the local strains of virus, but when a bug comes in from overseas ... wham! No immunity whatsoever. Have been laid low for a few days with a very nasty "stomach wog," as we'd say here. Call it what you will, the effects are the same. Am just beginning to lurch back to my feet, so ...

It's this time of year in South Australia:

Springtime -- October -- and the hills dress up yellow and purple with two kinds of weed. The brilliant yellow is Cape Daisy, aka Cape weed, Cape dandelion, Cape marigold etc.  -- native to Natal and Lesotho, in South Africa. The purple is "Salvation Jane," native to England, which we were told very recently is utterly toxic to livestock, since it produces a neurotoxin when eaten by mammals. Hmm. Here, we see paddocks of cattle grazing happily and safely in the midst of this biohazard, so ... go figure. It's either a neruotoxin or ... it ain't. And I have no answer for you today. Must look into this.

At any rate, the landscape is very beautiful, a mix of green and gold and purple. These shots were taken on the road to Rapid Bay. We're enjoying traveling around the local region with Anna, who's here from the US east coast, for a few weeks' vacation downunder. Aha! That's how the salien strain of virus got in, right? Right!