Very well expressed, smiddy, and thanks again for your request. Yes, about the diversity of subjects. Sometimes when I say no more poetry for me on JWD, you and others pop up and encourage me! It's not everyone's cup of tea.
You call it gum, I call it eucalyptus -- my favorite tree! When I went to the Gold Coast some 20 years ago, you can imagine my delight in walking through entire forests. They are here in California in abundance. When I see one, I hug it. I love the peeling bark and the pungent smell. They are used here as windbreaks and raised for firewood.
THANKS, smiddy!