Aaarrgggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh

[icomefromalanddownunder]

Had a wee bit of a lie in this morning. Semi-conscious, aware that Panda was curled up beside my pillow, felt Swish land on one side of bed, then walk across me to the other. Something made me open my eyes. There before me, walking across the quilt towards my face, was a third furry creature, but this one had 8 legs.

My scream was of such a pitch that I couldn't hear it, but it woke up the dog.

It's all very well saying that huntsman spiders are non-toxic, but I reckon cardiac arrest can be just as fatal as a dose of venom, and I am seriously displeased with Swish for plonking the thing on my bed: especially since I am reasonably confident that it was in retaliation for me forgetting to buy sufficient cat food to sustain us through a public holiday, and refusing to buy a can of exorbitantly priced recycled flea collars and assorted pharmaceuticals used for the purpose of euthanasia at the garage.

The egg I gave them for breakfast doesn't seem to have satisfied her, so had better head for the supermarket before she sprays my monitor or liberates the huntsman from the plastic container I trapped it beneath. I will liberate it - eventually .......... after the bravery pills have taken effect.

[sejintenej]

Had a wee bit of a lie in this morning. Semi-conscious, aware that Panda was curled up beside my pillow, felt Swish land on one side of bed, then walk across me to the other. Something made me open my eyes. There before me, walking across the quilt towards my face, was a third furry creature, but this one had 8 legs.

That wouldn't sound too bad until one remembers that it is claimed that of the ten most deadly creatures eight live in Australia, the funnel web spider being one of them. Methinks there was more to it than food - they couldn't bear to see you hungry.

So far as I am concerned there are actually nine such creatures in Australia - Swish and Panda being representatives of that ninth potentially deadly creature. I may like cats but if they come near I have to go on the oxygen - a bit like some people and peanuts

[J.R.]

The joys of wild-life !!!

[Hannoir]

What species of animal are swish and panda?

I read on the NZ herald website that there have been loads more snake attacks this year because of the hot weather. Sounds nasty!

[icomefromalanddownunder]

What species of animal are swish and panda?

I read on the NZ herald website that there have been loads more snake attacks this year because of the hot weather. Sounds nasty!

Hi

Swish and Panda (see my avatar) are cats. The original post was intended for the 'We have adopted' thread, but ........................

We haven't seen any more snakes than usual this summer, but I suspect that they are hanging around domestic areas looking for water. However, I read in yesterday's papers that there are emu chicks hatching in large numbers, which supposedly means that the drought is coming to an end, as there have been very few chicks for the past 3 years. Fingers crossed.

A chinese student who has been helping me out for the past few months asked for my advice on snake deterrents. He told me that when they go camping in China they take sulphur with them to sprinkle around, but that he had been unable to buy any because it is so dangerous. (????????????)
I offered him some from the container I happened to have in my car (we feed it to the horses, and in small amounts to the cats and dogs to deter fleas), but I think that my laughter when he asked whether australian snakes were deterred by sulphur, or whether it was only chinese snakes, put him off accepting my offer

Best wishes

Caroline

[Great Plum]

Is the drought really as bad as what is being reported?

[icomefromalanddownunder]

Is the drought really as bad as what is being reported?

The eastern states have been hit harder than us for the past several years - many stock losses.

Two years ago we had no rain in Adelaide from September until well into the following year - hay was in very short supply, and incredibly expensive. Somehow this didn't affect the city: I guess there was enough winter rain to top up the reservoirs.

This year we had well below average winter rain, but the hay crop was reasonable. Reservoirs, however, are very low, so finally the government have implemented water restrictions, but, imho, far too little and far too late. We have a mediterranean climate, but the majority of Adelaide's inhabitants cultivate lawns, with many also having cottage gardens - big water usage to maintain them.

[Angela Woodford]

We have a mediterranean climate, but the majority of Adelaide's inhabitants cultivate lawns, with many also having cottage gardens - big water usage to maintain them.

I remember that you said a while ago that newly -created cottage garden style lawns are allowed to be watered, Caroline! Doesn't that seem crazy?

The garden journals here seem to be promoting, gravel, paving, containers - lawns seem to be losing popularity from both maintenance and aesthetic points of view.

At the garden where I work, there are vast areas of grass. I've had to learn to use the huge lawn mowers!

Love

Munch

[Great Plum]

I read in the morning paper tha the Australian government are thinking of recycling water from sewage... nice...

[J.R.]

I read in the morning paper tha the Australian government are thinking of recycling water from sewage... nice...

That'll be about the same as 'Fosters', then !!!

[englishangel]

I read in the morning paper tha the Australian government are thinking of recycling water from sewage... nice...

Like the water cycle then! Where on earth (pun intended) do you think our water comes from?

[Great Plum]

Well I know, but I think the water will come from treated sewage.

[Angela Woodford]

Caroline, how big is this huntsman spider??

I have read Bill Bryson's Down Under. I know about

the funnel-web spider
the mouse spider
the redback spider
the wolf spider
the fiddleback spider

It's enough to fill anyone with dread. But most terrifying is the prospect of having a nice little swim in the sea and encountering

the box jellyfish

As you say, aaaaarrrrrgggghhh!

Take care!!!!

Love

Munch

[icomefromalanddownunder]

Caroline, how big is this huntsman spider??

OK multireply post, starting with:

South Australian government have exempted newly laid lawns from watering restrictions. IMO they should be banning people from planting grass ......

Somewhere in NSW they are trying to convince the locals that they can drink recycled 'sewage'. Not sure whether it's just grey water, in which case no sewage, or whether all the 'waste' water ends up in the same recycling plant. It gets a primary treatment, then gets put through filters by reverse osmosis, then gets hit with Hydrogen peroxide and UV light. Can't taste any worse than Adelaide water. Apparently there used to be two places in the World where ships would not take on water - Adelaide and Aden
I've had a dose of giardia, which I would not wish on anyone. Hadn't been down to the Murray for ages, so don't think that I caught it from drinking river water. Pretty sure that the little buggies came out of my tap at home.

Um, what else? Oh, yes, spiders
Huntsmen are too big to suck up the vacuum cleaner hose (tried that when I first moved to Oz). If you splat them with a well shod foot the legs are llikely to come up over the side of your shoe. I now try asking them, politely, to leave my house. They just look at me. I become agitated and am prone to yell 'I know you can hear me! Out! Now!' They continue to look at me. They are harmless, in that they are non-venomous, but I, and many others, find them very scary.

One day, up at the farm, I heard a clackity noise behind me - it was emanating from a large, hairy creature with 8 legs which was running around the outside (wooden) wall. It must, surely, have been wearing clogs to have been able to make such a racket, but I didn't hang around to find out.

Love

Caroline

[Angela Woodford]

South Australian government have exempted newly laid lawns from watering restrictions. IMO they should be banning people from planting grass ......

The South-East here has had draconian hose pipe ban last summer! Nobody would have planted a new lawn in the spring - anticipating a dried yellow tragedy by summer. Lawns are definitely a source of worry now - and it's no longer de rigeur to ban every weed!


I've had a dose of giardia, which I would not wish on anyone.

What's this? A water-borne disease!!

Um, what else? Oh, yes, spiders
Huntsmen are too big to suck up the vacuum cleaner hose (tried that when I first moved to Oz). If you splat them with a well shod foot the legs are llikely to come up over the side of your shoe. I now try asking them, politely, to leave my house. They just look at me. I become agitated and am prone to yell 'I know you can hear me! Out! Now!' They continue to look at me. They are harmless, in that they are non-venomous, but I, and many others, find them very scary.

And Panda Piano Paw or Swish put one on your bed... Moan of terror, turning to scream of terror...

Co-incidentally, there was a programme on the box last night called "Australia's Deadliest Destinations"! Of course I switched on thinking of Caroline. I didn't think too favourably of the salt water crocodiles, or even the golf-course populated by kangaroos that just mightattack the golfers - kicking clawing and biting - of course this might add a frisson of excitement to a deadly dull game.

I was impressed by the devotion of the Queensland Fire Ant Operatives. 480 of them searching territory for these horrid ants! The ravaging of limbs bitten by these ants! But I was bowled over by a really gorgeous and fanciable centipede, caterpillar and scorpion catching guy. As he expertly searched under a rock, who could guess what he was transferring into his lunch box? In fact, the programme featured some very very nice blokes - ooh, deadly!

Love

Munch