ISLAND LADY OUTWARD BOUND

Shipping  Reporter  shots .

THE CASE OF THE MOANING POLTERGEIST

 For months , a  strange , short   moaning  sound has  been  heard at  various locations  close  to  the house  . At  times it was like  a  dog barking .  The initial supposition   was   a  wretched  cane toad calling .  Searching  likely toad  locations failed to  locate  the  moaner . Then - bark, bark .  Followed  by  a  moan . 

While  sitting  in this blog's den , late in the afternoon ,  after days of silence ,there was a distinct  bark , not  very far away . Alerted  to the presence  of  the mystery  moaner , this   writer  let forth  with a  doggy  yelp.  No  response.

Back to pounding out golden prose on the computer , there was another  loud  moan ... followed  by  a  distinct bark  very  close  by . 

Sliding upon the door , this  blogger   stood  in  public view in the driveway ,  making  occasional  barking noises , keen  to  lure  out  the  mysterious  longtime resident.

Eureka ! A loud  moan was heard  coming  from  an  area where there  was a  garbage bin used to catch  runoff  from the  roof  and  a  large   pot  with a  potted  Desert  Rose on top.

A close examination of the garbage bin and nearby rockery failed to find any sign of  ET. In  true  crime scene investigation style  the  Desert Rose  potplant was  lifted out , resulting in  an  explosion of escaping  black ants. 

And there was Frank Sinatra , the old groaner  hisself, a  large  native frog in a dark corner of  the larger pot . He obviously  did not want to be disturbed, gave a little moan , as if to say go away and leave me in peace with the tasty ants , added :"Turn off  the bloody  lights !"   

Days later, a check on the frog discovered  that he had moved upstairs  as it were  into the  Desert Rose pot . 

RUSSIAN MYSTIC FORETELLS WAR CRIMINAL'S VIOLENT DEATH

 The  same fate as Italian Fascist  Benito Mussolini !

The  brave mystic  is having recurring   visions of  Vladimir Putin  hanging  by  his  heels like Il  Duce in  WWll.  In  another upside down vision, below,  the  crazed   Russian leader appears  to  have  a  Chinese  background . 

A  postcard entitled FINITO MUSSOLINI depicted jowly  Mussolini  upended, being  flushed   away  by  an  Australian  soldier . 

 Mussolini , who dreamed of restoring the glories of ancient Rome, ended up a corpse , hanging  by his heels , in a public square , a  howling  mob cursing and  kicking   and  spitting on his remains, according to the New York Post .

He  died in April l945 , two days before Hitler committed suicide in the Berlin bunker.

Founder  and leader of the National Fascist Party of  Italy , a former  journalist, Mussolini, like Putin , promoted a cult image by stripping to the waist ,wrestling  an  animal , in  his case , a lion cub, flying  a  plane, driving a fast car.

SAY CHEESE AND SMILE DURING DREAMS

Vivid  dreams have  been   experienced of  late, possibly due to cheese consumption . Upon  awakening , very  little of  the  dreams  have been  recalled. However, one dream , in which  I  watched a large  Maori  carving  being  worked  on  over  weeks , made  such  an impression  much of  it  could be  recalled.

The  carving  reminded  me of  the above impressive one at the  entrance to the Maori village at  Whakarewarewa , Rotorua. 

By Peter Simon 

In  the  l960s , I  saw skilled  Maori carvers  in  action  in  Rotorua  where I also  met  and wrote  about  Dutch  artist  Theo Schoon (1915-1985 ) ,who grew  and  carved Maori facial tattoos on gourds ; photographed  volcanic  mudpool  and  silica  patterns ; studied and carved  jade, wrote  Jade Country.

Born in Java  , he came to New Zealand with his parents before WWll. Early on ," living  in  gumboots "in swampy country, he  studied  and copied  early  limestone  cave art , which was being  blown up  by  farmers  and  damaged  by  stock rubbing  against  the  walls  and  overhangs .

Another  possible contribution to me dreaming about Maori carving could have been the above 1923  advertisement for a  Rotorua  newspaper in a  batch  of  Australasian  newspapers . Two Maori clubs hanging from  the dressing table  also  came  from  Rotorua . 

ADVENTURES OF A THIRSTY WASP

 

Vallis series.

ALONG THE ARTY ROAD TO MANDALAY

A little known  work of art on Magnetic Island is the stand out metal fence (above) with an ornate  central  front  gate  at  the Island Living Centre ,Mandalay  Avenue , Nelly Bay.

It incorporates the profiles of  local flora ,fauna and sea creatures in the intricate design .

It was created by Peter Stein who has  a British degree in three dimension design and  is also a jeweller.  He is skilled in the Japanese metalworking art of Mokume- gane , long used to make  decorative handles for Samurai swords and other art objects , which he  has used to design one off rings and pendants.

It took about six months to construct the unique fence, each creature , plant made separately from metal  under  his house  and  forged  together.

 

Left wing.

Right wing, with  live Peaceful  Dove perched on top . 

Coloured  in  by  island  schoolchildren, the  fence  features in the  advertising  leaflet  at the top  of   this post  announcing  the  business has  diversified   into  new   electrical   appliances .

Peter  and  his wife , Susan , spent  three years  in  Darwin  teaching  and  have  been  in   business  on  the island  for  20 years . 

TROPICAL NATURE NOTES

 Observing birds , insects   and   flora  seems to  indicate a seasonal change is underway. For example, in the midst of  the many wasps  busily  building   nests  in  numerous  places  on  the  house  exterior ,  a  new   flying insect  was noticed  on  the  back  veranda -a dragonfly . 

In  the Northern Territory , a  dragonfly  is  usually  regarded  as a  sign of  the start of  the  dry season .

No substantial  rain has fallen since, but  there have  been very heavy falls  north  and  south of  here .

Butterflies and  moths  galore seem to be  caressing  all  the blossoms  , before  they  wilt . The  popular China Doll tree  is dropping masses of aromatic  blossoms .  Lizards in particular  are  out  in force . 

The  above mango tree ,  down the street , is  covered in new  leaves  as a result of   earlier   rain ,which  could  indicate  a good crop  later  in  the year .   

Close to nature , the  observant Queen of the Jungle has   noticed  that  Torres Strait Pigeons  have  departed .  She  also  spotted  a  young   Channel-billed Cuckoo  who  seemed  to  be  lost  because  no  adult  birds  were  around .

This is because the Channel-billed Cuckoo , also known as the Storm Cuckoo, Floodbird  and  Rainbird, which has a  loud screaming call, lays its eggs in the nests of  Currawongs  and   Crows  and  vamooses  about March . Crows  have  been noisy of  late , perhaps rejoicing at  the  hatching  of  young  ones , not  realising  an  Ancestry  DNA  test  would undoubtedly  cause  feathers  to  fly .

There was a strange experience with a  large wasp which  got trapped   inside   the laundry  and  kept  on banging up  against the  flyscreen,  trying to escape. When grabbed  with a hanky , carried  to  the door, and  unwrapped , it emitted a  loud buzzing noise, flew away , abruptly came back and seemed to  inspect the  grotesque looking  creature  which  had  helped  it  go  free.