Theme Thursday: Pretty

Wow. What a tough theme this week. I tried to be witty and lateral and look for unusual juxtapositions etc but when it comes down to it, nothing leaves me breathless like a field of wild flowers. This one is through our back gate and over the road. It was taken last Spring before I started looking at different ways to take photographs so it was simply a happy snap of the amazing abundance and variety of colours and patterns. En masse as they were it was stunning.

Of course, no post would be complete without a few glimpses of other things that went through my overactive mind when confronted with 'Pretty'.This is my human version. It was the first digital photo my Dad ever took of Bee the day he brought his new camera home. It is so low quality when I look at it now but at the time it was mind blowing. He was able to email it to her dad in Australia the next day, who reported opening the attachment, having his breath taken away and then bursting into tears. And so the era of digital sharing began.

I still marvel at how I produced such a pretty girl.

And finally, sliding far, far back into time, we had a fashion parade 'fund raiser' today at school where the teachers dressed up in the clothes we wore as teenagers. I dragged out my very first 'ball dress' which I wore aged 14. I don't have an original picture from the era but here is a photo of me today, remembering what it felt like to feel 'pretty'.
For a pretty amazing theme, visit Tracey's and be captivated by 'pretty'.

Horses**t! I mean, sorry, Equine Flu.

On the good ole ABC tonight they had a talk back session on the current Equine Flu epidemic which has ravaged the Australian Horse Racing, Jumping, Betting and Breeding industry over the past week.

Vets and trainers spoke; people irate at Quarantine failure; people confined to Horse Stables for the next 50 days as the ban on horse movement across Australia hits home; people bemoaning the loss of income from their valuable stud animals or even their simple trail riding business. One could sympathise.

Then there was an interview with a bookmaker who pointed out that through a well managed campaign, as soon as they realised the extent of the epidemic , the Totalizator Agency had managed to redirect a large portion of the money usually reserved for horse races onto the greyhounds and overseas race meetings.
"So," queried the announcer, " No great losses at the TAB then?"
"No, not really," the chirpy parasite quipped,"Our contingency plans worked very well. We had record betting on the greyhounds last Saturday night."

Good grief.

At this point, as I was beginning to develop a sharpened and nasty cynical edge, another listener called and asked why there was all this fuss about Equine Flu.
"After all," he mused, "It doesn't kill them."

I did a double take. It doesn't kill them? Then what on earth are they making all this fuss about?

"Ah," the resident veterinary spokesperson piped up," But it restricts what they can do. I mean people keep horses to ride them and if they're sick they can't ride them. No, we need to keep this dreaded thing contained and eliminated or we will lose valuable time from the racing circuit."

Let me get this straight. This disease does not kill horses. It puts them out of action (as it does us) for a few weeks after which, true, they may need to regain form. It does not affect their DNA or their reproductive capabilities over any long term period and while it may interfere with a training schedule, it is non-transmissable to humans and totally treatable.

So at the end of the day, the real reason we are upset by this disease is that it inconveniences the racing world?

One listener asked why we don't simply let it run its course in the racing community and allow the horses to gain some immunity through building up antibodies. After all, in other countries, such as the US, it is endemic and they seem to manage to maintain an equestrian industry.

"Ah," the resident expert on the radio laughed, rather patronisingly I thought," Yes, well, but think of the time we would lose. No, no, we couldn't do that at all. That situation would not be acceptable."(or words to that effect)

Get over yourselves people!!! These horses are not out ploughing fields to feed the nation, they are running around a track for our amusement for Pete's sake!!!! And speaking of lost time, just what exactly is this total shutdown costing in terms of income for a whole range of people? The NSW Spring Racing Carnival has been cancelled. What about the jockeys, farriers and other specialists who don't have another string to their mortgage paying bow?

I would be interested to know how this disease is treated in other countries. Is everything quarantined and shutdown or do the sick horses just get withdrawn from the race and rested for a month or so? I may be being incredibly naive but it seems to me that this preciousness about our clean (previously) quarantine status is linked directly to how the disease would inconvenience horse trainers, should it become a part of life, and as a result is costing everybody ELSE dearly now.

POST SCRIPT

Since I wrote this I have heard more (hard to avoid it really as it is the only thing being discussed on the news/current affair shows etc) and it seems that mares in foal may miscarry if they catch it. OK, that's not a good thing. Also, it can kill young foals, also not a good thing.

I don't know. Perhaps I was a bit harsh. What do you think?

Best Shot Monday: Dinosaur Tree

Now this is an interesting photo from the weekend. I feel a bit funny putting it up as my Best Shot because it probably isn't, but the subject matter is the amazing thing.

Baby Angel (Bee) and her friend are standing next to a piece of prehistory, the Wollemi Pine.

This weird and rather seedy looking sapling is one of a genus which once populated our continent, way before our ubiquitous eucalypts (gum trees) reared their straggly heads. As I read it, before one of the ice ages, this species was the predominant vegetation as far south as Antarctica. Its pollen is all OVER our fossil records and up until 1994 it was thought to be extinct. At that time a young 'Parks' employee and keen bushwalker stumbled across a stand of these trees at the bottom of a deep gorge. It was like stepping back into a prehistoric landscape.

Since then a second and third stand have been discovered, all within a small radius and in the same gorge system. The depth of the gorge has protected them from climate change over time but there are less than 100 trees growing in the wild, the tallest being up to 40 meters in height.

A propagation program has been set up with specimens being donated to many Botanical Parks and seedlings now available on the open market. I believe they are even available in the USA! What is remarkable is how hardy the trees are proving to be, outside their natural setting. For a species on the edge of extinction they are doing very well as parlour palms :-)

The part I find even MORE remarkable is that in DNA testing it has been identified that every tree has identical DNA. Not simply similar, something which was predicted given their localised environment and therefore the genetic bottleneck, but identical. There are a number of theories relating to this. Firstly, there is the suggestion that all the trees are part of one root system which is essentially one organism. The other idea is that there is some small genetic difference which we are, as yet, unable to measure. Either way it is fascinating!!

So to find one in our own Botanical Gardens filled me with awe. I was a little disturbed to see how seedy this one looked although the top looks green and there is obviously new growth. Perhaps the lower branch die off is part of its natural habit? On the other hand, maybe last Summer's drought did it no favours.

I am not sure the girls were as struck with the mystery and marvel of this living fossil as I was. I think they were more intent upon the promised ice cream, just around the corner. Oh well, by the time they are aware of how special this tree is, I hope it will be a towering giant in our park. Something akin to the trees dinosaurs may have rubbed up against or grazed upon way back in the time before 'us'.........................................wow...............................

For other awesome pictures, be sure to have a look at Best Shot Monday over at Picture This.

See, There Really IS a Musical Called Pilgrim

I know, I know, I was supposed to be looking for costumes today (and I'm supposed to be marking essays tonight) but it was a beautiful 22C and it felt like Spring! The BabyAngel, who wishes to be renamed Bee (is for Beautiful apparently: see her My Space page) took this photo of me with the Spires of St Peter's Cathedral in the background. We had just walked from Memorial Drive ( I know this will mean v little to my O/S friends...but me Mam will know what I'm on about) to the Botanic Gardens and back again.

Bee and her friend accompanied me and we had a lovely time. I can't wait til the weather settles back into this pattern.

Anyway, the point of this post is my T shirt!!! It is a production shirt for the school musical and it was designed by my talented husband from an idea by the students. They hit the school on Friday. This is the only part of my job as costume director that I have actually achieved. I think it looks pretty cool, although perhaps not with me in it :-)

It was an idyllic afternoon. I knew it was Spring when I saw these.
There was a very conscientious father duck who was squawking indignantly at anyone who ventured too near to his brood. He's not in the picture as he was accosting a cyclist at the time.
I'm not sure about the pigeon there at the back. I think he has cuckoo tendencies.

In the Botanic Gardens there is a fantastic old Victorian Palm House with a gloss painted bannister out the front so the girls simply had to slide down it.

There were also Moreton Bay figs which HAD to be climbed.


And of course we couldn't leave the ducklings alone.What a wonderful afternoon. Roll on Spring I say!!!! Oh, and here is a tree in the lake that I shot in May and another shot of the same tree today. I'm looking forward to the Spring shot!!!!

The Musical: Part 1

I woke up yesterday and realised there are 5 weeks until our school musical 'goes on' and we currently have costumes for, oh, maybe ONE character!

I am in charge of costumes. What was I thinking?????

Now, I have done musicals before. I have directed, designed and painted sets, choreographed, acted, danced, sung, stage managed and worked in lighting BUT I have never been solely in charge of costumes before. I may be out of my depth.

Today I must go op shopping and look for 'stuff'. Our musical (being a good Christian school) is 'Pilgrim: The Musical'. Yes, dear reader it is the story of 'Pilgrim's Progress' set to modern music and modified to include a cast of thousands of dancing girls. Do try NOT to laugh. I wonder how many Quaker's hats I'll find at the local Goodwill?

Wish me luck :-D

Eds Note: The above atmospheric but totally unrelated photo is the 'Peartree Players' 2002 production of "Robinson Crusoe and the Pirates" directed by yours truly, sets painted by yours truly, yours truly in title role (they INSISTED) and standing third from the right. A lavish production by our local Church, this annual Christmas entertainment extravaganza made up in enthusiasm what we lacked in talent. Which was quite a lot. Of both.

Theme Thursday: Fade

After a big dinner and lively, intelligent, entertaining conversation, my sister and brother-in-law have a tendency to 'fade'. Or maybe the conversation wasn't that entertaining???

For a variety of 'fade outs' slip on over and visit Tracey at Picture This.

The Rolling Stones Got It Right

On Radio National this morning they were talking about debt. A learned gent was expressing concern for the levels of debt in our community and proposing Financial Counselors to be provided by the Govt. He also advocated having lenders be much more stringent about their credit checks and more realistic in telling people that they could not afford the debt they are seeking.

"That would be difficult, mused the journalist. "After all you would have to tell people that they couldn't have, or they couldn't afford to have something that somebody else could have."

What?

Am I hearing correctly?

We are worried or feeling precious about telling people they can't have something..........(doesn't even finish the sentence in disgust)

HELLO!!! Welcome to real life!
This may come as an incredible eye opener in this day and age (and obviously does to the millions of idiotic parents providing 5 years olds with X Boxes and mobile phones) but since when do we live in a society where everyone gets what everyone else has? Wake up people! Inequity is rife and you had better get used to it.

Not only that but not everyone NEEDS what everyone else has!! Just because everyone else has one does not make it RIGHT!!!!! (see note re mobile phones and 5 year olds and I stretch that even further to include any child who cannot afford to pay the bill).)

It is about time our society pulled its head in and started to live within its means. Cut your coat according to your cloth my mother used to say. In other words, if you don't have it....don't spend it!!!! Especially when the things we spend it on are so meaningless. A better car, an overseas holiday, a jet ski.

Now please don't get me wrong. I enjoy a bit of materialism the same as everyone else but it all comes back to the Rolling Stones and that saying that every parent should have carved in stone and hung over the kitchen sink (or in whatever other prominent place nagging "I want" transactions occur in your house) 'you can't always get what you want!'

Say it to them now parents and don't let them get into that pit of debt which our radio journalist would have us believe is a matter of course, even a matter of right!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.