Spiders, Snakes, and other Oz trivia,
Lew’s friendly email from an Australian said, ” Watch out for reptiles. They have a reputation!”
Enough for me. Of the first 100 poisonous snakes in the world – 98 of them are here. Fuzzy Koalas are endangered and have large claws. Some kangaroos, the red ones, get 6 feet tall, and there is a spider, the Huntsman spider, that is so large it comes out of a nightmare. (and creates one) — I am definitely not picking up any rocks.
We compared notes and realized that we have mountain lions and bears that are equally frightening to them, but snakes??? Poisonous reptiles?
So, on that happy note, let me Ozyfie you. So many positives. The beach sand glows like golden grains from one end of the coast to another, a dreamy, seductive giant swath of real estate, something like 40 miles. (66 kilometers) The sun isn’t as hot as the Colorado sun, and I’ve not worn sunscreen. Got no burns — it’s bright with little heat. Little tagging anyplace — none of that destructive energy apparent, although it must be here someplace, human nature being what it is. Construction is happening everywhere, and they seem to expect a real estate boom. They close up the streets at about 8, and restaurants close at maybe 7-ish, which works for us — somewhat elderly bedtime by ten.
More: The word rooting is apparently a swear word, meaning rutting action. Our bus driver wore no uniform and looked like a youngster who was working on her first driver’s license. The bus drivers are on strike, and because they don’t/can’t/won’t actually call in sick, the buses all had signs that said no bus fare today — ride free! I loved that clever resistance, of course. I wish I’d known that before we needlessly contributed $40.00 to the welfare of mass transit, but it’s a worthy cause. We have a bus right outside, a block or two away, and it runs every ten minutes, going up and down the coastline. A great way to see local living…
Perhaps like elsewhere, the schools are dealing with furries cutting off the bottom of their pants to allow for their tails(?) to grow through, and the local groups are being sued to allow for non-humans, called — wait for it — “otherkins!” Men and women, or people and otherkins. Has a little ring to it, don’t you think? A school principal told me that they have to (mandated) allow food bowls to be put on the floor for some of their furries to eat.
I met a woman who was raised about a mile from my original home in Chicago — small world, this. The coffee is not brewed in almost any place or restaurant, but it is instant and pretty decent. The environmental movement is not everywhere here either, but we have a saved table set for four or six of bamboo ware as our alternative knife (not so utilitarian, really can’t cut much), fork, and spoon.
The street signs are a touch more gentle than ours, which tend toward authoritarian mandates. I’ll post some if I can get pictures. Construction signs in the street say “Que on the right/left side,” for example. Or: “Stop if directed.”
Today – in an hour or so, we are going to the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. Among other things we humans and non-humans alike apparently have done is kill off populations of koalas — shot for sport until they are critically endangered. They only eat the leaf of one tree, the Eucalyptus tree, the beautiful smooth-barked tree that is everywhere here and almost nowhere else. They are oily and, therefore, highly flammable but resprout quickly after a fire. (Who knew?)
Some folks here we met live in a protected area, where no one is allowed a cat or dog, as they are also responsible for the decimation of birds and koalas. The animals are, therefore, somewhat protected from predators, and the people become additional guardians.
I’m supposed to do a commitment tonight, and my slight head cold is dropping into my throat on its way to my chest. I have a lovely, silky, baritone voice for my presentation. Wish me well. Forty-eight hours, and we’ll be on a plane with my mask on since I am probably now the carrier of the common (oh, how I hate to be so common… ) cold.