Monday, January 14, 2008

Plagues proportioned

A beguilingly idyllic scene on Victoria’s Bass Coast affords a small glimpse of the Hay-Bale Plague presently assailing South Gippsland.

With great skill and courage, Susie managed to capture this one...

But hay-bales are in plague proportions and on the march...

In a life-and-death encounter exclusively captured by this blog, a hay-bale lies in wait for a passing echidna, balefully regarding its prey...

Before you can catch your breath, it’s all over! — one squished echidna...

As elsewhere, South Gippsland is also in the grip of the pestilential spread of Advisory Signs. This one warns of the pestilential spread of Significant Roadside Vegetation...

The Bass Coast Nanny Council warns visitors to beware of the pestilential spread of ... um ... natural features...

Meanwhile, the new RACV Resort at Inverloch not only has an advisory sign problem, they also have a snake problem...

Wonder if that will go in the brochures...?

And finally, a militant local nimby warns of a coming pestilence...

all images by jarcob

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7 Comments:

Blogger Father Park said...

It is not only South Gippsland Jacob. I can report a veritable grand army of the buggers presently assembling throughout Victoria.

There are two hay-bale army groups marshalling in the Western and North Country districts. As well, there is army group North East which has presently taken over the Murray Valley districts from Nathalia to Wodonga.

I suspect an agrarian putsch on Melbourne with pincer movements from hay-bale Army groups West and East (in the Gippsland) whilst hay-bale goups North and North East drive anything in their paths into Port Philip Bay.

The Batle of the Bale is approaching...

14/1/08 2:08 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Nice photos, Jacob.

Is the echidna actually flattened or is it just a camera playing tricks on me?

PS - I read that last sign as 'Diesel Sucks' and wondered at the sorts of militant, pro-unleaded petrol protesters you can find about the place.

14/1/08 9:04 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

HEH HEH HEH.
Great pics Jarcob.
Lucky you.. I have never seen an Echidna in it's natural environment.

14/1/08 10:31 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Father Park, we need an army of goats to mount a snack, er, sneak attack.

Dylan, when threatened, echidnas dig in to the ground as far as possible, leaving only their spiny hides exposed to predators. They can look quite flattened in that defensive posture. Positioning the camera directly above the animal completed the ilusion.

Surprised you haven't seen any free-range echidna, Kathy. Although timid creatures, they're fairly easy to spot in open spaces where they can't find cover. Still, I guess a degree of luck doesn't go astray, too.

16/1/08 11:47 AM  
Blogger Caz said...

Oooh, I love the signs.

(The sight of all that rampant natural vegetation sure had me terrified too, despite being in the safety of my little study. I'm still all a quiver.)

Hay bales in fields bother me.

They're weird.

Like giant turds dropped from alien craft.

19/1/08 11:10 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yes, I can quite easily imagine the expression on that hay-bale's 'face' as it watches the approaching echidna is truly balefull.

It's like the, er, enigmatic expressions on clowns' faces, they just give you the creeps.

21/1/08 10:11 PM  
Blogger Caz said...

A recent study reported that MOST children find clowns frightening.

A particularly problematic thing in hospitals that insist on decorating the kiddie's wards with clown impressions all over the walls, for example.

The question remains: does ANYONE LIKE clowns?

At all?

[Let's not forget "Clowns are Evil" - linked on my site.]

22/1/08 8:25 PM  

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