LEUNIG BALLET DE ARACHNOLOGY

Blowing  in the  wind ,  part of  a  desert  rose  seed  and  Curlew feather  entwined,  suspended  in  a  spider  web. Followed soon after by a muscular   cricket  fan  dancer  stripper  performance .

Photos  by  Jiminy  Vallis .

MUSHROOM CLUB

 

Vallis pix .

SKINNED LIZARD AND OTHERS

For obvious reasons , this  lizard, with peeled   back skin and other damage  on its body,   indicates  why   one  needs    to   be   fast   on  your  feet  as   you roam about   looking for  food. A variety of birds , including Kookaburras,  feed   on   lizards .

The injured lizard is on the left in the above shot  with another similar lizard nearby .

A variety of lizards   patrol   this  blogger's residence  , some    coming inside, a few  unfortunately  caught  in  the sliding  screen  and  glass  doors .

It is  noticeable  that  they often  display  a  stubby tail , indicating a near  death encounter   with  a  predator . If you are  patient and  half troppo, you can develop a  relationship with a  lizard. At first  encounter, they tend to race away from you. However, if you stand still ,  blow kiss like sounds at them , they will stop in their tracks , turn their heads,  eye you  closely , like the  one below , which has  some  skin  missing  from  the tail .

Once they get to know you , they  will not dart for cover   when you  come their way . There are wary  smaller ones which wave  their  tails  about  like a  whip .

 

Photographs by obviously troppo Vallis .

 UPCOMING : The  geckos who  run an  art  gallery .

FROM CAIRO WITH LOVE

First  World  War  postcards  sent  On  Active Service

With love and kisses for his dear wife and a wishes for a merry Christmas and happy New Year back in Matilda Street, Peterhead, Port Adelaide, Trooper Arthur Forsyth , of  the Australian   Light Horse  Regiment , sent the top French postcard on the 23rd of  October, l917. It  is  a view of  the bridge Kast-el-Nil . 

 The other  postcard , also French , posted in  January  l918,   shows the busy donkey market  at Barrage. Bearing both  the stamp of the Light Horse Regiment  and  passed by the  A.I.F censor, it  was sent to Forsyth's son ,Master Joe Forsyth , expressing the wish  that he was looking after" Dear Mum, " doing what she told him , and  keeping the yard clean . 

There is also  a request  not to forget  to  look after  "Jacko" .Was this  a  dog , a  cocky ? A  photograph of  Forsyth  late in life showed him sitting with  an old    dog .   

Four of  the Forsyth's comrades in arms   feature in   the   following cluster of worn , faded   and damaged   postcards,  the  photographs taken in a studio .

At the  top , left , seated , with a   cane , is a  soldier  identified  just  as   H. J. C. , apparently nicknamed Aussie . Next to him , with riding crop  and pith helmet  is  Trooper  J. H. Harrison ,10th Reinforcements  , 9th Light Horse , Egypt.

On the bottom row , dated  11/10/1916 , addressed"to my dear ones at Home , Sunny South  Australia ,  the  name  of the  helmeted soldier  " one of my  mates",  is obscured.   Carre ...visible .

 

With  a backdrop  of  a  painted  encampment , the other  comrade is  Pal or Pat Pearman.   

THE VAULTS OF HEAVEN

 Hungry Jack  heading  for  Hole In  Ozone Café, Cairns  

Cloud formation over Cleveland Bay, off Townsville .

LATEST WAR MACHINE , AN ODD HORSE AND PRIMITIVE SHELTERS

In the many  First World War photographs and postcards sent back  to  his family in Matilda  Street, Peterhead , Port Adelaide , by  Light Horseman  Arthur   Forsyth,  was  the puzzling   above shot   which  appears to show  soldiers  clustered  about  a  disabled   tank , without any details on  the back . There  is  a stand out white horse  which surely would not have been used  on  the  battlefield  as  it  would  make  a  prime target.

On closer examination , could the animal   have been painted on the tank ? Perhaps  an  example  of  Aussie  disrespectful  humour, an attitude towards the  innovative  tank ? Not a white elephant ...an  albino  mule or donkey.

 The  following snapshot was  identified  as " one  of our  Whurleys " (sic). The dictionary  describes a  Wurley, also Wurlie,  as  an Aboriginal hut  or shelter made of  boughs, leaves and plaited grass. The caption gives the impression that a number of  these structures were  built  by the soldiers to give them some  degree of  protection  from  the  sun .

Those in the photograph are identified as"  Dad"  (Forsyth),standing, with pipe ,   James,  Dobbie  and , seems like , Leggett.         

BARNABY JOYCE JACKED OFF BY POLITICS , MOVING TO AUNTY

 CANBERRA:  A secret deal has been made  for  grumpy National Party member  Barnaby Joyce, who recently failed to topple  the party leader  and  Deputy PM , Michael McCormack , aka  the Wagga Wagga Wrong Font , to  quit politics  and   replace  Ita  Buttrose  as chair of  the  ABC.
 

 Argus Tuft  Exclusive
 

The extraordinary  job  offer by ScoMo  includes  a  promise that he will  be given  the lead roll/role  in  the government  fully  funded  $80million  ABC revival  of  the  pugnacious  Aunty Jack  show  . Ms Jack , of course , was the  popular  lady , with a ticklish moustache and a boxing glove ,  who  threatened  to  come down  your  TV set  and rip  your  bloody  arms  off  if  you  did  not  pay  attention .  

Other disgruntled  Nationals   have been offered parts , like those two oddballs  above, seen here with   Aunty Jack in  the  highly rated  original.  Senator Matt  Canavan's  rubbery  facial expressions make him a  monty  to  get a  part  in  the  exciting  venture, as  he  recently declared  he  was  going  to  come  out  fighting .He was subsequently hit  by a haymaker punch  and took the full count.  

Canavan's desire to box on   could result in  tension with   Barnaby . He and Barnaby  could  end up slugging it  out in  public for the Aunty Jack  lead  part which  would  be  a  great promotion  for   Australian culture .

 In parliament house, frothing at the mouth  Barnaby demonstrates  how he will rip the  arms off ABC  political  reporters  , especially  bloody  Shaun Micallef of Mad As Hell   and its    smelly  Kraken  , the   new  annoying  satirist  Mark  Humphries .  

 As the result of a freedom of  information application , the nation's top award winning political  reporter  Argus Tuft  discovered  that there are   167  Prime Minister's  Department  emails  on  the subject of  clearing out  ASAP  morose, troublesome  Nationals from the Coalition. 

 Tuft   found  Joyce   described  as  a spent  force in many of the emails . His claim  to be a   great retailer of  politics in the boondocks  is  of  no use  as  the arse has clearly  fallen  out of  the  retail  trade-ask Harvey Norman, David Jones , Harris Scarfe  , JeansWest ,  GMH , etc.