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| First 'Proof' Copy of Bee Dazzle...sitting on my laptop |
When I emerged from the New Portland Post Office on Tuesday
morning, I was smiling. I’d stopped by
on my way to work because I was hoping to receive in the mail a ‘proof’ copy of
Bee Dazzle, a novella originally written as a game of Writers’ Tag by my
friend Saint and me.
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| Saint... and Me |
To my delight the proof copy had arrived – and so had two additional
packages; both from Australia. One was sent
from Grahame and KK, my friends in New South Wales. It was a Christmas gift and I’d known it was
en route – and that it had been…for six weeks.
Lord only knows what Aussie Customs agents found ‘interesting’ about a
calendar made from photos of Grahame and KK’s luxury resort in Australia’s wine
country, but I’ve come to depend on those hard-working and diligent agents to
find something – anything – to focus on which will delay shipping packages to
and from Maine and Oz.
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| Varykino Mudgee in glorious Autumn colors |
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| Kaz...in Larry's "Driza-bone" after shooting his cell phone with a 9mm WWI Luger |
My frozen hands worked at tearing through the glue and
staples which held down the envelope’s flap.
Successful at last, I peered into the gloomy interior of the bag. Whatever it was, it smelled
slightly…musty. For all I knew, the
package had been subjected to inclement weather for weeks on end –perhaps
riding topside on a slow boat to China, via the ‘scenic route’ along the east
coast of America.
I reached inside and pulled forth…a kangaroo skin. A kangaroo pelt. A kangaroo rug? I held in my hands the furry hide of an
Eastern Gray Kangaroo….long tail, included.
I laughed. In
surprise. In dismay. And more than anything else, I laughed
because I knew that the gift was sent in an effort to let me share part of
Larry’s Australian life and culture. I
immediately looked at the tote bag sitting beside me on the truck seat, which sports
gifts from Jack in Queensland. A ‘roo
scrote pouch’ in the back interior pocket and a desiccated ‘cane toad purse’
(both of which Jack says no self-respecting Aussie kid would be without)
attached to the exterior key ring holder.
Yep, I’ve been the recipient of a plethora of Aussie
‘culture’.
Lal is (when sober—which of course is almost always!) a man
of few words. The brief note
accompanying the gift was short and succinct.
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| Ornamental pelt on my upstairs bannster... |
“An eastern gray kangaroo.
Don’t add water or it might hop away.”
No signature… just those few words penned in his unique scrawl upon a
scrap of paper. It was enough. Enough to
make me laugh. Enough to make the start
of my day one filled with humor and good feeling. I chuckled as I backed my truck out of its
parking space and headed west on Route 16 towards Kingfield.
So…I am the owner of a kangaroo pelt. The question remains – what will I do with
it? As I’ve shown it to my co-workers and my kids, suggestions have been
plentiful. The most popular notion has
been to make it into a full-sized apron by attaching a ribbon to the upper
‘neck’ part and tying the front legs around my back. The long tail presented a bit of a dilemma,
but again…the majority ruled. If ‘tail’ored
properly, that long appendage could contribute to the making of a one-of-a-kind
‘thong’ apron.
Oh, Lord.
At the present time, the pelt is draped over the banister at
the top of our stairs. The first night
it was folded up atop the table…and our three cats took turns curling up on
it. But hides of any kind don’t belong
on a kitchen table (nor do cats of any kind) so over the banister it was draped.
What to do with it? I
have two full-sized Aussie flags that haven’t been hung or displayed – for this
isn’t Oz and I’m not sure of proper flag ‘protocol’. I have photos of much of the eastern half of
Australia… and videos of pythons eating possums or slithering along the tops of
pagodas… and books on local Australian history and (often-deadly) flora and
fauna…and local maps of specific regions Down Under (so I can find these
friends if I ever travel to the South Pacific).
I carry Australian money in my bag --bills AND coins -- just in case I ever need it or want
to show others what Oz currency looks like. I
have autographed novels from best-selling Aussie authors...and Aussie calendars
which threaten to confuse me because their weeks begin with Monday on the far
left and Sunday on the far right. I have
all this and more…but I’ve never agonized (much) about what to do with these
treasures.
But a roo rug? Hah! I
have no idea what to do with that. If
you’ve any suggestions (which don’t include a scenario in which I’m wearing it)
I’d love to hear them
You know where to find me.
Not Down Under but ‘Up Above’… in Lexington Township, Maine.
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| Home....in Lexington Township...Maine |
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