vale Lumpy

Lumpy flung himself out of his pond and now he's swimming in the big glass bowl in the sky. Lumpy is survived by Blackie, and Michaelangelo Optica. Our thoughts are with them.

naming names

In the bush it's important to know the names of things, as proven by my last post. This time, I know what the pond is called. Do you?

some trees

I don't know what Europeans call these trees. Anaglyph might, polymath that he is.

Of course, the Lia Pootah people would have had their own word.

Nothofagus cunninghamii

Tasmania is covered in Myrtle Beech. And the trees are covered with lichens. It is cool and otherwordly standing in the green light, quietly awe-inspired.

willing & able

Many years ago, young Cissy played a cop in a dreadful TV show called Willing & Abel. It tanked. Unlike Sara Sue's new career with the CIA, which will flourish. This one's for you.

(And yes - culottes)

as the Cow commands, so do I obey

I was walking down my spiral staircase ...












... thinking about my latest invention, a whistling dildo, and wondering why ...













... it seemed so attractive to Scientologists ...













... and clowns, when suddenly ...













... I tripped over that little piece that you always have left over after making something from Ikea.

faux lesbo

For Cuntie, in case she missed this, and to say welcome home. This is a young Cissy in "The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant" by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, about to go the tongue with another young lady. Please don't mention the turban.

for mike, because he asked

Mmmmmmm....



Ahhhhhhh....



ooooh oh oh ....



Ah! Ah! Ah!



uh uh


waaaargggleeeeboyyyyeeezshhhhhhaaaayyyyyyy ...... uh

duck's arse

Ah Melbourne, where it rains on you even when the sun is shining. And then a duck shows you her arse. Sigh. Still, I hope you are enjoying your new home, Anaglyph.

just this once ...

Ginger Stick features photos by me. But just this once, a photo of me. I don't know, JediMac sounds as if he needs a boost.

This is me twenty-five years ago in a long-forgotten cabaret. And yes, that is a wig. Everything else is real, though. Sorry the photo doesn't show my legs. They were spectacular.

Next, we return to another natural wonderland, Tasmania.

Satan's flesh eaters

Tintarella and I were lucky enough to visit a research facility for Tasmanian Devils, and it was there that I took these photographs.

Satan's Flesh Eaters was the name that the European invaders first gave to the Devils. They were perceived as a threat to introduced livestock, and so a bounty was put on them. Keep in mind that, when you are decimating a population, not only are you removing individual creatures, you are also substantially reducing the gene pool of the species. We shall shortly see how bloody appalling that is.

Tasmanian Devils were finally protected in 1941, after the last Tasmanian Tiger had died.

But our Devils are not safe. In 1995 a previously unknown disease appeared. It is called Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD). It is 100% fatal. In ten years, the Devil numbers have halved.

Because the Devil population is genetically limited (only cheetahs are more genetically similar to one other) it is assumed that any Devil who contracts the disease will die. In a genetically varied population, some instances of disease resistance might be expected. And that might have led to a vaccination. Too bad.

DFTD is one of only three communicable cancers that are known. Why did it spring into life in 1995? Was it a mutation? And if so, what caused the mutation?

Okay. Here's the other thing. 1994 saw the beginning of a systematic scheme of laying a poison called 1080 (ten eighty). 1080 is a fox poison. Unfortunately, native Australian animals don't read labels. Foxes are carnivores. Devils are carnivores. There are some who believe that the poison contributed to the factors which produced DFTD. It certainly killed some Devils.

Do you want to hear the kicker? There aren't any foxes in Tasmania. But there is a lot of government money to be had for fox extermination. Last time the Tasmanian government considered ceasing grants for fox research / poisoning, a dead fox turned up. Good timing, Mr Reynard.


Here is a cute picture of two Devil pups just out of the den.



(Wiki has a good article on Devils, but before you go there please be aware that there is a distressing photo of a Devil with DFTD.)

Vombatus ursinus

This Common Wombat is a young joey just emerging from the burrow. Tintarella & I were in Tas for 4 days & we saw 22 wombats.

Here is what they often look like:



Yes, that rock is a beautiful tough little tank of a marsupial. Here she is in the open:



And another joey, just for extra cuteness:



Go to wiki & read about these marvelous marsupials. Among other delights, you will see the phrase "distinctive cubic scats" (hee hee hee).

scat

Only one animal in the whole world lays square poo. And they only live in this wide brown land. A photo of the beast next time.