I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but ....

Love this pic! It was doing the internet rounds a while ago, but I have kept it because it tickles my funny bone every time I see it. As you can plainly see, Elvis and Michael are not dead, but sharing a house in the Catskills, and the King has really let himself go. Michael looks like he's just put the kettle on. Maybe Buddy and the Big O are dropping by for tea?

A tree in the sea

Snapped this at Saunders Beach, where we used to go walking occasionally. It's not a very good quality pic, but you get the general idea. This tree was actually growing in the ocean. Guess it was a mangrove or some such variety that was highly resistant to salt water. Mother Nature never ceases to amaze.

The disappearing house

When we lived in Tasmania, a friend of ours was house sitting and we dropped in to see her at the pictured residence. It is a former coach house situated between Launceston and Hobart and is known by the locals as The Disappearing House. Why? Because when you are coming from Hobart, you don't see it until the last minute because of a curve in the road and a hill which obscures it and then it disappears again suddenly, again because of the lie of the land. In early days, it was a stopping point for coaches and there is a little window by the front door where they used to place a lamp so that it could be seen from a long way off (in those days the road went straight past it). When we went upstairs, my wife had an eerie feeling in the attic rooms and declared it haunted. Would not surprise me in the least. Great place for a B & B, though guests might take a while to find it.

Life's little ironies

Sometimes the picture says it all. Snapped the top one in a back street of Launceston Tasmania and the bottom at Club Croc in Cairns. Talk about mixed messages!

Our share of history

Collecting old stocks and bonds is a new and growing hobby, so when I came across some old share certificates my wife had been given by her late father, I thought it would be fun to find out more about them. I contacted a couple of collectors sites and found out some interesting tidbits. Apparently those certificates which have eagles on them (which is a lot of them) are less collectible. It seems the pictures on the top are what interest collectors (in the certificate pictured, the family are enjoying a ride in their car). I also found out our certificates are not really old enough to be valuable, with most collectors looking for pre 1900. All the same, we like them and will keep them for their sentimental value, as they are like little windows into another time and place.

Stuck in the middle with you

Living statues have always fascinated me. They’ve been around for a very long time as a form of entertainment and were a regular feature at medieval fairs.

But I couldn’t imagine doing it myself. To cover your whole body in makeup and then stand absolutely motionless for hours at a time is not my idea of fun. All that makeup can't be good for you either. I read somewhere about a person dying because the silver paint they had coated themselves in had cut off the oxygen absorbed through the skin.

I also couldn't imagine standing docilely by while little kids kicked and prodded you, knowing full well you couldn't do anything about it.

And if you're busking, what do you do if someone short changes you or takes off with your day's takings?

Even worse, what if you develop an itch you can’t scratch or have a sudden need to pee, or a passing blowfly decides to crawl up your nose?

No, I don’t envy living statues, but I do like them because they let me take their photo. They don’t seem to mind at all … or if they do, they’ve never said anything

We love Wally World

Couldn't wait to go to Wally World (Walmart) when we landed Stateside. It is like a candy store for big kids, with everything from watermelons to wide screen tv's. Walmart used to only sell American made items, but that seems to have gone by the wayside, as every second label now has 'Made in China' on it. I love the fact that the car park goes for acres, the trolleys are extra large and you can wander in at three in the morning in your trackie dacks if the mood takes you (as evidenced by all those candid shots of bum cracks on the internet). They also have a tyre (tire) mart, a plant nursery, an optometrist, a bank ... all under one huge roof. Ah, Wally World! We love you, because, unlike the Grizwald's Wally World, you NEVER close!!

A fast last ride

While on holiday in Tasmania, I went to the local drags and couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this hearse on the starting line. Talk about drop dead gorgeous! It buried the previous speed record for its class that night ... quite an undertaking, wouldn't you say?

It's great to celebrate

On my latest trip to the States, I learned what a big deal graduating from Highschool is there. Never mind University; the caps and gowns come out in the last year of Highschool, with all the pomp and speechifying of a full degree ceremony. Quite a sight to see all those mortar boards tossed skyward. The bare legs were allowed on this occasion due to the oppressive humidity, but I was glad to vacate the metal grandstand when an ominous thunderstorm began to rumble in the distance. I seem to recall the end of Year 12 at my Highschool was celebrated by acting up and wagging it for most of the last week. I think the Yanks have it right on this occasion. Certainly far more memorable anyway. Okay, back to the books .....