Meanwhile, in Australia.....

[Kismet]

Don’t think so. There were some small beasties which could cling to you and Dickpa said something about if you broke it off you had to winkle the head out with a pin. I remember thinking that could be a bit gruesome.

I'll try to remember to check the reference tomorrow.

[RAAF Spitfire Girl]

I've engaged in communal de-leeching (and de-ticking) back in the days when we led Duke's Award expeditions through the SE Queensland bush and mountains, and the beautiful Tweed Ranges. I remember one poor girl slipped whilst rock-hopping a stream and, besides emerging very wet, wound up with several leeches covering her arms and even on her lower legs, despite wearing long pants. (And on that occasion she reached out wildly as she overbalanced and took Mr RSG into the water with her...) Sorry if that requires more brain bleaching, chaps

[id_ten_it]

I've engaged in communal de-leeching (and de-ticking) back in the days when we led Duke's Award expeditions through the SE Queensland bush and mountains, and the beautiful Tweed Ranges. I remember one poor girl slipped whilst rock-hopping a stream and, besides emerging very wet, wound up with several leeches covering her arms and even on her lower legs, despite wearing long pants. (And on that occasion she reached out wildly as she overbalanced and took Mr RSG into the water with her...) Sorry if that requires more brain bleaching, chaps

Oh dear! It has always amazed me how the blighters come in despite there being clothes covering one's skin. Cheeky wee things.
Can't help feeling it would have been easier in the days when everyone carried smokes and lighters because you know full well that they'd have been a lot handier than the lighter hiding away in the first aid kit

[kylie_koyote]

Don’t think so. There were some small beasties which could cling to you and Dickpa said something about if you broke it off you had to winkle the head out with a pin. I remember thinking that could be a bit gruesome.

We had a critter like this where I grew up in Oklahoma. They seemed to like burrowing into the backs of one's legs, when sat on the ground. We called them "chiggers" but I don't know what the scientific name is.

They could also be got rid of by adding some bleach to one's bathwater (not too much, just a capful) and sitting in it for 20 minutes. I used to have to do this every day after summer camp.

Thankfully we don't have them where I live currently. A pleasant side effect of our colder-than-Antarctica polar vortices.

[Kismet]

Don’t think so. There were some small beasties which could cling to you and Dickpa said something about if you broke it off you had to winkle the head out with a pin. I remember thinking that could be a bit gruesome.

I'll try to remember to check the reference tomorrow.

I've checked. No pins were involved in the removal of the irritating insects In Cruise of the Condor. Wonder where my mind got that one from?

[RAAF Spitfire Girl]

Here's a bit of a different story - about an emu that adopted a family out west and helps out with some mustering. Quite funny
https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019- ... g/10786236

[Fairblue]

Here's a bit of a different story - about an emu that adopted a family out west and helps out with some mustering. Quite funny
https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019- ... g/10786236

Yes, it is. Makes a change from creepies and crawlies.

[Tracer]

That is amazing as well as amusing - made my day.

Not sure how I'd feel about one of those hanging around the bird feeders.

[kylie_koyote]

Aww, wow!

[Kismet]

Emus roam free at our local zoo and you can buy food to hand feed them.

[kylie_koyote]

I once had an emu who was very interested in my necklace. I thought I was going to be pecked to death in the jugular vein, so I high-tailed it to the exit.

[RAAF Spitfire Girl]

Watched "Backroads" tonight and learned all about the Windorah International Yabbie Races This tiny outback Queensland town hosts an annual yabbie race, attracting a huge crowd of travellers en route to the iconic Birdsville Races. Fascinating. Apparently a decent sized yabbie will sell for over $500!!!!! (And to think of all the yabbies we caught in the creek, when I was a child, and just took them home for mum to cook )

(For chaps not familiar with this Oz TV show, the host chooses a fairly remote small town somewhere in Australia each week and shows us what keeps the town ticking over - has rapidly become one of our top favourites.)

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=wind ... 98&bih=623

https://www.outbackqueensland.com.au/ne ... bby-races/

[Fairblue]

I had to look up ‘yabbies’, RSG. No thanks.

But talking about what keeps small towns ticking over - appropriate for this time of year.

https://www.countryliving.com/uk/wildli ... untryfile/

[RAAF Spitfire Girl]

Interesting insights into our "difficult" Aussie accent

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-13/ ... JkjmInoOYs

[Kismet]

I like the 'Lover' postmark story, FB.

Interesting insights into our "difficult" Aussie accent

I have a nephew who spent his early childhood in Scotland then his middle childhood in the USA. He spoke Scottish to his Scottish friends and when visiting Scotland, and American when in America. He's back living in Scotland so I expect he'll have reverted to Scottish by now. His mother's Scottish accent never wavered, although she picked up some American usages.

[Fairblue]

My daughter has a knack of picking up accents. In Italy she spoke Italian with a Roman accent and her English was a mixture of Scottish (her father) the flat Midlands accent (me) and some wonderful international slang, culled from her father's NATO workmates. When we moved to Scotland she was Scottish within six weeks and when we moved down to the Forest of Dean it took her the same amount of time to become a Forester. I don't have that gift, unfortunately.