Amused and Bemused in Tasmania

Poo is becoming a recurring theme in my blog The Meandering Matriarch. I never intended it that way, it has just emerged. It came up in a "The News As I See It" article. Then, not long after, there were . . . related items. "Poo happens," I hear you say. Indeed.

Well, a sharp-eyed reader just brought this to my attention, and as it is from Tasmania I thought I should share it here:

"The paper mill at Bernie has a wonderful use for certain types of poo, they make a roo poo paper, from the droppings of the Kangaroo. They boil, wash and sterilize it so only the fibre is left and incorporate it into handmade paper, it's very attractive too. You can see it at:

Creative Paper Tasmania

Roo Poo Paper A4, A5, Envelope,
Pack of 10 A4 sheets Made from genuine Australian Kangaroo Poo fibres with recycled cotton. The most Australian paper in Australia! Genuine Roo Poo. Give your relatives, guests and friends a giggle with Roo Poo paper!!! A4 - $2.50 ($2.00 ea for 10 or more),
A5 - $1.40 ($1.25ea for 10 or more)
C6 Envelope - $2.00 ($1.80ea for 10 or more),
Pack of 10 A4 Sheets - $20.00"

Thank you, Sandie!

Now that's what I call value-adding!

'The Slow Lane' is not a derogatory term. Quite the contrary. Slow refers to the pace, not the people. Don't believe any of the drivel that the North Islanders (that would be those people from mainland Australia) put out about Tasmanians having two heads. That's just their snarky, ill-informed way of suggesting that Tasmanians are a little in-bred. Pah! I say they are just suffering from sour grapes. Tasmanians, ignore them; you are being called ugly by a frog! I have rarely seen any two-headed persons out and about in the community, and I feel certain that there is no scientific evidence to suggest that Tasmanians are disproportionately represented in the statistics for two-headedness.

But back to my point. There was a point earlier when I did have a point. It was about the pace of life in Tasmania.. Let me just say, we Tasmanians do not have traffic-envy. Indeed, we don't even mind that our version of rush hour is pathetic. Which would you rather spend an hour and a quarter doing: getting from work to home, or getting from home to a peaceful walk in a rainforest? I rest my case.

The Hobart Show starts next week. I haven't been to one for several years, but this year I'm going with a mission. That mission is to buy some chooks! Chooks, for those of you who are not Australian, are chickens. I adore chickens. I haven't had any for about three years, and I'm thinking it's time to correct that lapse. I've recently had my henhouse updated, with a new run built, and it now awaits some new occupants,

In the past I've always liked to have some hens from a local battery. The idea of liberating the poor girls from appalling conditions appeals to me. It takes a few days for them to learn how to be chooks as they've never had an opportunity to scratch, or spread their wings, or even eat something green. There is usually one hen who is a bit sharper than the other girls, and once she has figured out how to do the chickenly things, they learn from her. They're allowed to range freely here, and they have a very handsome chook palace to roost in. It's not a bad life to be a chook at Fossil Cove.

But as much as I love my battery girls, I also hanker after some fancy little bantams. In the past I've had Pekings (I think they may be the same as Cochins). They're gorgeous little birds with fluffy feet. I've just added a photo of my handsome little rooster, called Leon Redcomb, and his Mrs, Unfortunately, they were killed by a neighbor's dog. Because the bantams are quite small, they have to be protected from predatory birds (hence, the new chook run). The battery girls seem to be just big enough to be safe, so they can free-range. The fact that they provide me with wonderful eggs is a bonus, not their raison d'etre.

You can eggspect to hear more about the new chooks soon! MM

At last we have had substantial rains this winter. The countryside has never looked better (at least in the fourteen or so years I've been here). Even my 'dry sclerophyll' acres are looking fresh and (almost) lush. As it is now early Spring, the days are getting longer, and occasionally warmer. There is color everywhere on my land. It is purely native bush, but the natural flora is in bloom and looking splendid. I shall have to have a walk around shortly to check out the native orchids. There are at least eight different kinds (that I've identified) that bloom at various times. I know of a couple that bloom in September, so the hunt is on! At the moment, most of the color is in shades of yellow, from pale cream to bright orange. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Further afield, the rolling hills of the countryside are a dairy cow's dream. No wonder Tasmania has such wonderful dairy products -- especially the cheese. Oh my god, the cheese! Sheep cheese, goat cheese, and, of course, cow cheese. I recently attended a one-day Camembert Workshop to learn how to make camembert! I was hooked from the start. I now have ambitions to try some different kinds, as well as repeating the camembert, I can get lovely, creamy un-homogenized milk from Pyengana -- one of my favorite places on the planet, and the source some of the best cheddar on the planet. I shall share a picture of the rolling hills of Pyengana Valley, dotted with very contented cows. Now do you see why I extoll the beauty of Tasmania the Green?