I. Inspiring. A-Z challenge

Sir David Attenborough is an intelligent individual with high ideals. At times he appears quite impish! There’s no way you could use the word indifferent in regard to him. He appears to love insects and although he is an important person he’s not insensitive, inhospitable, impatient or intolerant - to the best of my knowledge anyhow.

He inspects the insects with great intensity and passion. During his illustrious career he’s been involved in imaginative ways to present inspired, informed commentary. I find him illuminating when he imparts his awesome knowledge. He’s been instrumental in instilling interesting facts into many young people.

And for the children with learning difficulties

This well informed child can discuss Issac Newton with illustrious individuals and inquires intensely. He isn’t ignorant!

But he can’t spell, so is called illiterate.

He’s incapable of absorbing what the ignoramus in the classroom grasps with infuriating ease. Intense effort leaves him itchy and irritable – he knows it’s important!

Progress is insignificant as inch by painful inch he grapples with letters and words. It’s so inconsistent, he wonders if he’s insane. He can spell inspirational one day, but not the next.

Ignorant environments are inhospitable if you can’t spell, interesting and eloquent conversation counts for nought. Insults abound.

Here tomorrow: Justice & Jam


A Drabble is a story told in 100 words. No more, no less.


How to make a hyperlink signature here

Over at traverselife, I'm spending the month looking at different aspects of bullying.
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H. Horrible feelings & Hearing

Have you ever had that horrible feeling that you’ve been hypnotized into hiding from hearing about the ill-health of our home, planet Earth? Many humble people talk about healing her with kind humour, but hard headed businessmen hush them haughtily and harass them, saying the ideas are either too hard, or harrumph with a: “Ho Hum, what would you know?”

Humble Holiness - The Dalai Lama

Some creatures including Polar Bears are past their heyday and disappearing without much hoopla. I wonder if there’s a hidden agenda too hideous to contemplate. If so, I’ll find it hard to avoid a hurried swig from my hip flask.

Now one for the children with learning difficulties.

Sometimes kids can’t hear properly and get hell at school because they mistake Health for History. The teacher hollers: “How come you’re so hopeless?”

The child hides; hollering hurts their ears, it doesn’t help. Have them checked for *APD, which could make a helluva lot of difference in how they handle tasks. They might not even hate having to go to school. Hip, hip hooray!

Don’t be hijacked by those who say: “It’s ok, he’ll grow out of it, he just needs to choose to listen better”. The little tyke needs help, hugs and high fives, not harassing and hounding.

* Audtiory Processing Disorder.

***

A Drabble is a story told in 100 words. No more, no less.

Here tomorrow: Inspiring


How to make a hyperlink signature here

Over at traverselife, I'm spending the month looking at different aspects of bullying.
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G. Geographers.

Geographers aren’t generally known to be gaudy or garrulous but by gosh they’re great!

They gather grit and gassy substances in glass gauges and greet it with gargantuan gasps of “Golly gosh! This is gripping!” And they’re not worried about germs either.

One said to me once “Gee whiz you old geezer, get a gander at this!”...  I didn’t react very graciously.

Sometimes they gambol around goldfields wearing galoshes. Some are known for their genius in sharing their general knowledge about Global Information Systems to gather support and garner protection for our glorious geology. They’re generous like that!

Go geographers!

A drabble is a story told in 100 words. No more, no less.

Here tomorrow: Horrible feelings & Hearing


How to make a hyperlink signature here


Over at traverselife, I'm spending the month looking at different aspects of bullying.
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F: Fretful. A-Z challenge

I’m fretful that the Federal Government is telling fibs about the facts of Climate Change. They seem to have fabricated figures ferociously to fool us into filtering out any fears we may have felt. I think we’ll need more than feng-shui to ensure we don’t fall into a fiasco from which it will be hard to find our way out. I’m convinced they’re trying to flummox us with fictions. I get furious when they call us foolish for finding reason not to fawn at the altar of fickle consumerism.

Our fabulous environment should be fecund, not foetid. Fie on them!

Sludge remaining after flooding. A breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Some information on mosquitoes here and here.

A Drabble is a story told in 100 words. No more, no less.

Tomorrow: G for Geographers.

Over at traverselife I'm spending the month looking at different aspects of bullying.
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E. Environment & Ethics. A-Z challenge

This Karri tree (Eucalyptus diversicolor) is known as the 'Gloucester Tree'
It's not a Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans) but it's huge too.

It’s exciting to see the enormous eucalypts (the Mountain Ash) near Emerald. You should exercise extreme caution when driving around that environment and don't raise your eyes to the tops of the trees particularly in the evening when the echidnas are eating or you might hit an oncoming car if you get distracted and be eliminated entirely.

Wouldn’t it be great if everyone could entrust sound environmental management to enormous corporations and know they would ensure the longevity of our Earth. Unfortunately they ensnare those of questionable morality and enlist their support.

Many would get an *E for ethical behaviour.

***

*In Australia an E is a fail grade

A Drabble is a story told in 100 words No more, no less.

Here tomorrow: Fretful

Over at traverselife, I'm spending the month looking at different aspects of bullying.

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D. Distinguished scientists. A-Z challenge.

A number of distinguished scientists drowned us in data describing the devastation that could dampen our spirits due to our voracious determination to drill for oil continuously and use all the dark coal completely 'till it disappears forever.

The dastardly shock jocks delved deviously to detect a difference of opinion, then jeered delightedly and defamed the dear scientists calling them deranged, deluded and dreary. They were determined to make a dramatic beat up and tried to discredit the danger. Oh dear; the uneducated dumping on the deeply knowledgeable. I felt deflated when the politicians were also deaf to Earth’s degeneration.

We might need all the help we can get

***
A Drabble is a story told in 100 words. No more, no less.

Here tomorrow: Environment & Ethics

Over at traverselife, I'm spending the month looking at different aspects of bullying.
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C: Climate & Children. A-Z challenge.

The conversation about climate seems to have changed into a general acceptance that mankind hasn’t helped, and may even have created a fair bit of the coming crappiness. The cycle of change is there of course, but too many organizations want to capitalize by creating quick profits and use the catchcry of "constant growth" rather than calling for restraint for all our communities.

It’s challenging to convey the complex ideas clearly, but surely no one wants a cataclysm or catastrophe?

Couldn’t we curtail our ceaseless consumption so we don’t end up down the creek without a canoe or a paddle?

Down the creek without a paddle - or a canoe.

***

Children with learning difficulties are often chided by usually caring teachers for being careless with their ABC’s. Sometimes the teachers use contemptuous words like “CRAP!” The kiddies cringe; they’re trying as carefully as they can – they can’t do more.

Often, so painfully often, they cry themselves to sleep and dread the constant cry of “FAILURE”. Many seek counselling as adults even though they have proven themselves to be creative and courageous. The constant misunderstanding and contemptuous criticism felt catastrophic - simply too cruel. Unfortunately some get caught in a life of crime because the mainstream community has shunned them so consistently.

Some people with learning difficulties feel
like they just don't belong.

***

A drabble is a story told in 100 words. No more, no less.

Here tomorrow Distinguished scientists.

Over at traverselife, I'm spending the month looking at different aspects of bullying.
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B: Bereft of Bananas. A-Z April challenge.

The last of our bananas

Bananas are one of the favourite fruits of Australians. It’s a bit of a bother because the price has recently bounced around $11 per kilogram. This bleak price is blamed on the cyclone and floods north of Brisbane earlier this year. The bedraggled farmers battled the bloody weather in their Blundstones, but many felt beaten as they were bombarded by the blustery conditions. Sadly many of their budgets are bust and they fear they might go broke. Hopefully this beautiful part of the world will bounce back and become bountiful before that happens. These battlers don’t need any more burdens.

Screen captures from ABC24

Thanks to Arlee Bird at Tossing It Out and her bounteous crew for hosting this beautiful challenge.

A drabble is a story told in 100 words. No more no less.

Over at traverselife, I'm spending the month looking at different aspects of bullying.

Here tomorrow: Climate and Children.

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Art. A-Z April challenge.

East Side Gallery. Berlin - AWESOME!

Accomplished artists often anticipate riches using the skills they’ve accumulated over many years. They give advance alerts to devoted advocates and approach award winning art galleries to appraise their work for purchase by the aristocracy. Their often angsty work (rarely of angels) is arranged of the walls at appropriate angles to appeal to authors who will write well articulated articles which often appear in August in Australia.

Amber is an argumentative albino artist who appeared wearing azure anklets made by Ambrose. Ambrose, from Adelaide, advertises widely and absorbs the huge amounts of adulation and applause that greet him on arrival.

Amazing carved wood in Venice. I fell in love with it!

Adulations to Arlee Bird at 'Tossing It Out' and her amazing crew for hosting this awesome challenge.

Addendum:
I'd like to Add my Apologies for my recent tardiness and Appearing not to visit other blogs. I seem to be having Added difficulties in Accessing either your blogs, the comment boxes or the whole thing just stuffs up and times out. I feel a bit Aggrieved but it could be my techno Awkwardness coming in to play. Anyhow please accept my Apologies if I seem an inAdequate blog buddy.
Oh dear now I’m up to 70 words and I feel the Drabble Addiction is going to hit me Accutely and now I want to Add Additional A words. Aaaarrrggghhhhhhhh!


If a drabble is a story told in 100 words, no more and no less. What does than make 2 Drabbles?

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K. Kangaroos, koalas & kookaburras. ABC Wednesday.

I’ve found a photo of a kangaroo or two, taken south-west of Kalgoorlie a couple of years ago but unfortunately no koalas are in my albums. (The cyclists did have heads, but I've edited them out to maintain anonymity even though it looks a bit queer.) 

It was great to be around kindred spirits and have a cup of tea from their kettles – they were very kindly - often I’d follow the cuppa with a bit of a kip when I got to the campsite.

My knobbly knees suffered a fair bit, and exhaustion kicked in each evening. But on this particular day there was a bit of a kerfuffle when the crazy emus kept pinching ketchup sandwiches from the kindly kids. The kangaroos weren’t much better and of course the kids treated them with kid gloves because they were in awe of them and were afraid they’d be kicked in the kidneys if they weren’t compliant. 

Honestly, you almost need to use karate or kick boxing to keep the creatures away they’re so keen to collect your food. But if we did that, they’d keel over and that’d be bad for your karma and the cops might hold a kangaroo court wearing kaftans (this is crazy!)

Many years ago, I saw a kangaroo on the beach hopping over the kelp (true dinks!) and was surprised when it swam across a creek. Even weirder was watching kookaburras chomping strawberries. 

Simple pleasures, happy memories - sometimes I think I've lived better than a king.

Thankyou to Mrs Nesbitt and her kindly team for hosting ABC Wednesday. Click to see fabulous variations on the theme from participants from around the world.

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J. Junk mail and trees. ABC Wednesday.

Sometimes I just can’t believe the amount of junk mail we get. It makes me feel jaundiced to think of the vast numbers of trees that have been felled to create this jaunty looking bin filler.  Most of it's for stuff we don't need either, not now, maybe never. Some of my friends feel jittery if they don't shop for a day or two! By jove, that's a head scratcher isn't it.

from Wikimedia Commons

Jenny thought I was jesting when I showed her a photo I’d taken of the clear felling not far from Jindabyne. It’s home to the endangered Leadbeater’s Possum, Victoria’s faunal emblem. She thought I’d hit the jackpot and said she was jealous that I’d been able to get into the High Plains and see it with my own eyes! Really! I just felt jangled, as if someone had jabbed me in the heart; justifiably I think. Thank goodness they weren’t jarrah trees, though I hear they are in jeopardy and being jettisoned injudiciously just to make paper to advertise junk. There's so much jiggery-pokery going on, it's hard to join the dots and make sense of it all.

By jingo! Sometimes I get so angry I could go for the jugular of … I’m not sure who … but I’m sure I‘d end up in jail, without a jelly bean or jug of juniper juice and definitely no jukebox playing jazz. (Does one drink juniper juice? Perhaps that should read mint julep?)

Clear felling is happening in the jungles as well, some people say this is ‘progress’ and is justified, but at this juncture I think it would be wise to allow the juvenile trees to regenerate rather than be a jumble of logs. It’s all to do with biodiversity which is vital for out longevity.

We need to juggle the needs of the inhabitants and ethical stakeholders judiciously (but jettison those who act without integrity) or we won’t be jubilant at many more jubilees.

Joy will have gone. It gives me the jitters.

Thankyou to Mrs Nesbitt and her jaunty team for hosting ABC Wednesday. Click on the ABC badge at the top to be taken to other J posts from around the world, and perhaps join in yourself!


*This post on J is a work of fiction based on fact.
** I'll be unable to visit many blogs this week and comment. Thankyou to everyone who drops by, take care and see you next week.
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ShShSu #148 Coppins Track, Sorrento

Coppins Track on the southern tip of the Mornington Peninsula. Victoria. Australia.

A narrow strip of protected land runs along the stunning coastline at the southern tip of the Mornington Peninsula. Just outside the expensive tourist town of Sorrento, a short windswept path named Coppins Track winds through the sand dunes. The name came from an early settler, George Coppin who promoted the commercial opportunities and natural beauty of the area during the 1800's.

In the 1870's people visited here from Melbourne in a paddle steamer which must have taken significantly longer than the current road trip of 90 minutes (according the extremely optimistic advertising material).

Although it was a blustery day when we visited, usually in Summer at low tide there are deep pools for swimming or practising your back flips off the rocks.  (There are occasional broken legs when people misjudge the distance or angles.)

 In the photo above, it's high tide and all the rock shelves and pools are covered in the white water of breaking waves.

Sand is encroaching on the boardwalk, blown by the strong winds off Bass Strait. The weak sun came out for a few minutes and provided some fleeting shadows, quickly captured before they vanished for the day.

The first white settlement in Victoria was established in 1803 not far from here. It wasn't a very popular site amongst either settlers or convicts and was abandoned after a short time. (No doubt to the short lived relief of the local aboriginals)

A few convicts escaped, some were quickly recaptured, some died. Amazingly, one named William Buckley survived and lived with the local aboriginals for 32 years. He eventually gave himself up, and described the subsistence life of the Boonerong people who had allowed him to live with them as being very brutal and in no way idyllic.

Looking south along the Mornington Peninsula
 towards Tasmania about 200 miles away.

This view is from Coppins Walk looking south across the sand dunes and low vegetation towards Bass Strait. To the right of the picture, across the low hills is the swishy tourist town of Sorrento and the beautiful Port Phillip Bay with its fabulous beaches. (I admit I'm biased!)















If you squint you can just see a rotunda a bit further along the path on the high ground on the left. It's strategically placed for resting and oohing and aahing over the stunning views while enjoying a picnic.

Coastal erosion and fragile cliffs.

Windswept Moonah branch.

Sandy soil, salt laden air and winds takes its toll on the plant life. The Moonah (Black Tea Tree) tolerates wind and salt.

Nearing the end of the walk, overlooking the "All Smiles" Cafe at the Surf Beach. I waddled back to the car after an excellent hamburger and coffee.

To be continued...


Information taken from:
http://www.visitor.com.au/VG-pdfs-spring07/Page121.pdf
http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/shipwrecks/

Thankyou to Tracy of Hey Harriet for so generously hosting Shadow Shot Sunday. Do pop over to see shadows from around the world.

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I...Ink...ABC Wednesday

My first ABC Wednesday challenge, (thankyou Mrs Nesbitt and team for hosting) and I've come in on the letter I.

I'm an Insomniac, and last night I was thinking about being Indoors at school when I was an Infant. I was the Ink monitor and filled the Inkwells each day and went home with Inky fingers; it was Impossibly Ingrained. My preferred colour was Indigo blue from India.

The only bottle of Ink I could find in the house.

My Impertinent friend Ivan Insisted on Inserting the nib from his pen In-between the desks and splattering blue droplets Inventively over his Incredibly beautiful Illustrated books  -  Ill-tempered Individual!  This would Incur the wrath of our Informative teacher who was Irritated by Inventive Ivan's Insane outburst.

Our Inspired teacher tried to Instill a sense of wonder in learning. I think he was under the Illusion that everyone was Interested in not being Illiterate. He thought this was very Important! He Insisted the letter I was vital for us to learn, but it's not very Interesting, just being a simple stick.  I hope the Italians would Include some Illuminated manuscripts in their museums to keep me Intrigued in this Insubstantial letter.

We also learnt about Inches and Inchworms before the Introduction of Metrics. These lessons were very Informative.

I think I'm getting a bit Intense and It's possibly unwise to let my Imagination run on any further because you might become Impatient with my Insistence that I Is a vital Ingredient in our alphabet.   I would then be Irrationally and Impossibly Inconsolable.

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ShShSu # 147. The Great Southern Rail Trail - Gippsland

Freedom!

Bikes on car, panniers packed, ready for adventure.

Trail smoothed and welcoming,
just one short road section

sharing with traffic,
then only rail trail;
the sounds of scrunching gravel,
leaf litter
and wobbling rocks beneath the tyres.

An occasional whack as a large grasshopper hits my face.

Enviro-loo.
A welcome sight after litres of water
have been gulped down.

The fragrance of dairy cattle

blood and bone

the sweet smells of death

and rich humus.

Lulled into a false sense of security by the long,
long downhill start, I felt fit!

Stretched muscles feel good.

My butt disagrees.

Perhaps a weekend
and 90 kilometre round trip
was a bit ambitious.

"How long till the auto timer
goes off?"

"Are you sure the camera is pointing in the right direction?"

(90km is roughly 56 miles.)

Shadow Shot Sunday is hosted by Tracy at Hey Harriet. Pop over to see shadows from around the world.

A Drabble is a story told in 100 words. No more, no less.

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Corporate cows

"Bovines bathe at Busselton beach"

Isn't that a fantastic header! I suspect the journo had fun with the whole article too.

It's so easy when driving for my brain not to really concentrate on what is being discussed on the radio, but this one got my attention.

The idea of a small herd of scrubbed cows being taken to paddle at a beach, with their farmer owners in top hats and tails - well it's different! The artist Andrew Baines has produced some unusual paintings in the past. He combines the sea and corporate types, putting them in the water to show them getting away from the city to enjoy nature. The paintings are dramatic, and encourage one to pause and think about the message.

I understand that he created this "surreal bovine installation" in part to highlight the difficulties faced by dairy farmers with the current ludicrous pricing of milk.  The price of a litre of milk is not much different to a bottle of water. No wonder the farmers are grumpy. I hope this bit of artistic expression helps raise awareness about their plight.

Somehow, I can't imagine the cows I photographed being remotely interested in paddling,  they look too happy relaxing in the paddock.

A video clip of cows, beach and spiffied up farmers and a brief interview with the artist Andrew Baines is available here, and an article with fantastic photos at the link up the top.

ShShSu #146. Rock pools & sunburn

Becoming absorbed in fossicking around rock pools is no excuse for my stupidity in getting sunburnt last week at Flinders Beach on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. But it's what happened.

When the tide is out, and the sun seems to be mild, with a gentle breeze hovering over ones skin, it's just too easy to become completely involved. There are so many interesting rock pools and rock formations at Flinders that it's easy to get distracted looking at snails, translucent shrimp so small that they are hard to see, tiny darting fish, starfish of delightful purples and pinks...and shadows! This week I've been well covered with suncreme and t-shirt on the few occasions the sun shone.

It's nearly time to put away the mask and snorkel, and rug up as the weather changes.

Thanks to Tracy over at Hey Harriet for hosting Shadow Shot Sunday. Pop over to see shadows from around the world.

The playground

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Echoes of children playing.

The fallen tree trunk 

became a ship

a fort

a balancing beam.

Now a haven for spiders and bugs.

Water pools in a crevice.

Birds bathe.

Mozzies breed.

Hmm, I think I'm a bit fixated on mozzies at the moment.