Last day with the video groups

I received a question about the echidna and would like to tell you a little more about this unique Australian creature before I write about today's activities.

The echidna is unique, it is not related to the porcupine or the hedgehog. Surprisingly this little creature is a pouched animal. A single egg is produced and held in a pouch which opens to the rear. This direction is because of the low slung nature of the animal. If the pouch opened at the front like (a kangaroo) soil and twigs would be scraped into it and the egg and the young damaged. The egg hatches in the pouch into a bald, hairless and helpless embryo that, like a kangaroo joey, attaches itself to a teat which swells in its mouth, so anchoring it to the mother. Gradually the tiny embryo forms into a miniature echidna with soft hair and still it is anchored to the teat. The spines form but are soft at first. When the spines start to harden the tiny echidna is expelled from the pouch and is left in a hidden nest for a few more weeks while the mother goes out to gather food for herself and return often to feed the young milk. When the young echidna is weaned it is independent and may leave to live a lone life straight away. Defence is to disappear downwards into the soil. The echidna seems to be able to go straight down even in the hardest of ground! A hedgehog would roll up into a ball, The echidna merely pulls his head right under his shoulders and the four legs do the rest! Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle and down it goes.

Now just one more picture from yesterday's visit to the zoo, I was delighted to see this cat being walked along like a dog! So far this big puss is not in a pen where the public can see it so the keeper takes it for a walk - on the other side of a wire fence - past the public tracks so that people can see it. I was fortunate to be able to spot the cheetah (leopard?) as it was taken across the path from its walking track to the other side where it was to be taken back to its invisible (to the public) pen. But why did the girl walk so quickly when she could see a few of us wanted to take photos? I only just managed to drag the Samsung camera out in time - nearly missed them! I never saw the face of the animal, it was turned away from me all the time it was walked across the track.

This afternoon was the final activity for the delegates to the Video Convention. We were all taken to a little country town to a very old theatre that ran silent movies with a fellow who played the pedal organ to accompany the movie and give mood to the images on the screen. The trip to Pomona took an hour (detour to a lookout on the way!) and we all piled into the theatre.
Colin and I took our seats where we felt we would be able to see the screen without too many heads in the way. Five minutes later my head was swimming and I could hardly breathe. The musty mouldy smell was overpowering (have you even been into an "op shop" where there are lots of old clothes?) Two minutes more and I just had to get out, I felt as if I would pass out! I have never felt that way before. Fortunately Colin could see I was serious and we hastily made our way outside. It was only three in the afternoon and the departure time was 7.30pm What were we to do in a little place like Pomona for all that time and rain on its way?
We wandered down the shopping street to the old pub and decided that it was definitely not a place for any female! Talk about rough! I called into a news agency and picked up a puzzle book and we managed to find a coffee shop that was open. The tables were outside on the pavement but it was still daylight and still not too chilly so we sat there and enjoyed a palatable cup of coffee and a muffin. As we wandered along the street someone going home from work advised us to return to the theatre side of the rail track and seek shelter because a serious storm was on its way. I assume that when it rains the foot path turns to a quagmire! We did as suggested and chatted to the team doing the cooking for the theatre. They were using what looked to be a covered barbecue on the pavement to cook the roasts. A table was set up out on the pavement for us and when the theatre program was over we lined up with the rest of the delegates for our meal (which we took to our outside table) and no one was even aware that we had missed out on the films!
Yes, the storm came. About ten of us had climbed in to the bus for the homeward trip when it hit. Everyone else (the other forty) got soaked getting in! The rain poured down in buckets for fifteen minutes and we were hopeful of getting to the Conference resort and the cars without getting wet. Three minutes before we pulled up the heavens opened again and the rain was heavier than before! Most people dashed the ten paces into the foyer of the place but Colin and I were prepared to get wet, we wanted out of this convention! We ran fifty metres to the car and dropped in as fast as we could, stripping off our jackets as we did so!
Its been a good week, we have caught up with a lot of enthusiasts and have been enthused. Now I am ready to go home!
AJ