"Through The Wire Fence" ...

...I always admire a truck load of Oranges, and on the other side of these trailers of Oranges picked just very lately for juicing - are another 2 of these trailers full to the brim, besides 2 huge semi-trailers all full..

...And the chances are, if you buy Orange juice or other products containing Oranges from Australia - you may well be consuming some of these, picked from around us in the citrus orchards which I haven't shown you yet, but I should have..The Mandarins are ready now too, and the paddocks of them look so nice..Lemons too, are here, Avocados, Grapefruit and ofcourse - the Olive trees, and Nuts...

...We have a large population of Pacific Islanders here and ofcourse the Tongans who work these crops in all weather... We have lovely neighbours who are Tongan and they are so kind as to give us whatever they have been picking, grapes,, when they're ripe, citrus, or whatever they have a surplus of...

...We have 2 Orange trees, one in a pot and another which is getting quite large, and with a good crop on it again this year...

...But because I can't give you an Orange or two - I give you this photo to show you just how we, who live here sometimes take these scenes for granted, but not ourselves, as we used to pick Oranges too - when we first came here - (the first time, in 1970)...

..We were known as "pickers" then, or 'itinerant workers' - the same as our Tongan neighbours - and gosh it was hard work..I became pretty good at climbing ladders quickly with a bag of oranges then too and making sure I wouldn't fall off - but I did leave the heavy work for John I remember...and in those days - we didn't make much out of it...

...Well, it was better than picking Stones I thought, when we were share farming - now THAT is a hard job - and one we both did together - before our son was born..trailer loads...yes, we have done many things..together...John and I...