the nothing ,anything ,everything thread

[opmania]

This is a thread with no particular

Topic so no one can be off topic 🙂

So if anyone out there has something 

To say about anything you like now

Is your chance

Keep it clean 

And be nice 

See how long that lasts

Can we keep politics and religion out 

Of the conversation 

[ecar3483]

It's a good one.

I've got a soft spot for 1969, sitting in a motel in Townsville while the tail end of a cyclone roared around us, watching the moon landing on a crackly old black and white TV.

That was pretty okay as things to remember go.

🙂

[tasfleur]

[ecar3483]

It must have been in the mid 80's that I bought my first camera, from an op shop; a battered second hand Minolta SL/R that had seen better days, but still worked.

I wasn't really that enthused by photography, but I knew people who were, and I wanted to "keep up with the Joneses", so to speak.

They wouldn't leave the house without a camera, lenses, filters, tripods. Some days it was like going on safari.

I don't think photography even qualified as a hobby, for me. It was interesting, but I wasn't really passionate about it.

Somewhere there's evidence of that -  I've got a part filled photo album with pictures of sunsets and someone's wedding and raindrops on a window.

The digital revolution arrived, and the old SL/R became redundant.

Eventually I bought a digital camera and managed to lure some young lady back to my flat for some 'scantily clad' photography.

(At this point you butt in and ask "How did she feel about you being scantily clad?" Then we both start laughing, because this is just a silly bit of "creative writing").

🙂

[ecar3483]

There was an old man cockatoo here today, an engaging character, a little on the "larger than life" side of things you might say.

When he was amusing himself, he was great.

When he decided that he preferred my company, it was like being pestered by a cross between an energetic puppy and an inquisitive six year old. You could possibly throw in an amorous octopus, to the mix, as well, just for balance.

He suffers, as I quickly found out, from selective deafness; words such as "No" have no meaning to him.

I don't know if you can envisage me gently holding him back, while I'm trying to close the door, while saying "No", to no avail.

He had it in his mind that inside the house must be a pretty good place, and it took some gentle persuasion to stop him coming in.

Several times...

I got the bottlebrushes planted, the bottlebrushes in their cheerful red plastic pots - Those are red and shiny, I'll have to follow you and try to eat them, then get somewhat annoyed when you take them away from me...

As a diversion, I offered him a slice of apple.

Okay, he says, I'll open my beak just enough to take the tip of it, then when you let go of it, so will I, because nothing says "No thanks, I don't want that" quite like taking something and then dropping it on the ground.

He's got ten tons of personality, more front than a row of houses, and more bottle than United Dairies, ha ha.

He flew in under the pergola, and I could see it passing through his mind as I stood there - "Sharp right turn and land on the bridge or land on his head... ?". Thankfully, he chose the bridge, but for a moment there even I could envisage something awkward happening.

He's a handful.

I don't know where they come from, but I'm not about to say I'm unhappy about them dropping by.

They add a bit of colour and movement to the day, ha ha.

Speaking of colour and movement, there was a pair of young males up on the roof playing with the bird toy.

One of them had a hold of the end of the cord, and was pulling on it.

The other one was standing on the other end of the cord.

I could see him mentally counting to three before he lifted his foot and released about a four inch loop of cord.

It all turned a bit slapstick from there - the tension in the cord suddenly released and the bird on the end found he had more cord than he thought, and bowled over backwards as a result.

I don't believe I've ever seen cockatoos laugh, but I'm pretty sure the one who lifted his foot thought it was pretty funny.

🙂

[ecar3483]

Today's strange old bird of the day...

If I looked at him, he'd turn shy, and nervous, and move away.

If I didn't look at him, and this included, on one occasion my having to become Very interested in looking at a stick that was lying on the ground, he was fine - he'd move from A to B quite happily.

I wanted him to go to the big table, and I think he wanted to go there, too, but because I was "in the way", he couldn't get there.

I ended up with my back to him, shuffling sideways, across the garden, to get myself "out of the way".

I know, I know, the things I do for those birds, ha ha.

🙂

[ecar3483]

The rain came early in the morning, washing the pollen from the wattles.

In the afternoon the wind picked up; fierce gusts.

The air is like breathing sand, fine, golden sand.

A fat bee fell from the sky onto a twig near me.

As it struggled to find a foothold, I thought it a sign of Spring -

The bees are drunk.

🙂

[ecar3483]

[ecar3483]

[ecar3483]

The golden wattles are in full bloom and there's pollen everywhere.

I bet the shops have sold out of Telfast, ha ha.

The cockatoos, just to be different, spent the day acting like kids who have had far too many iced vovos and far too much red cordial.

It's been a bit chaotic, here.

They discovered a roll of chicken wire, fairly tightly rolled, but still quite flexible, or perhaps I should say bouncy.

Now they have a new game.

It's called Jump from the perch, onto the wire, then bounce off that and fly off across the garden, shrieking.

Fingers crossed, this burst of pollen will blow over before too long and they'll return to their normal somewhat less raucous selves, ha ha.

Relying on the weather to tamp it down is a lost cause - maybe it'll rain next week.

Maybe...

Don't hold your breath.

On second thoughts, with the pollen count this high maybe holding your breath will be the only way to find some relief, ha ha.

[ecar3483]

Got in the car, key in the ignition, turned it to the first stop, little lights came on on the dash.

Tap, tap, tap, tap... An irregular, metallic tapping noise...

Strange.

Switch the car off.

Switch the car on.

Same thing. The irregular, metallic tapping noise.

I've never heard a car do this...

Strange, very strange.

I switched the car off and got out, to pop the hood for a look.

There's that noise, again...

And if you turn your head round this way you'll see the cockatoo on the roof, grinning idiotically at you...

Little claws, on the car roof. I never would have thought of that, ha ha.

A pair of black cockatoos flew past in the afternoon, having a bit of a look...

I've heard them around, for years, but this is the first time they've come in closer.

Maybe I should qualify that - go down the street about four houses, then draw a line running parallel with my garden.

They flew a perfect line, four houses distant, enough to get a decent view of the place without getting too close.

Canny birds, these ones, and from the look of them, big birds, too.

I don't think I'd be smiling indulgently if one of them decided to jump up onto the box of food while I'm holding it, ha ha..