Doo Down Buster #8

3.15.2013

Wow, finally an "easy out" as they say.

The flowery smell is back! After a "farty party" with many beans consumed with some of the other cast members, my BMs (also my initials, Brian McCorkle, which I believe further qualifies me for this guest blogger position) are going very well indeed.

The bean were interesting, and greatly helped by the addition of some fantastic Australian cheese (it's a white cheese, can't recall what kind). Garam Masala, celery, black beans, chilis, tomato paste, a little onion. They were excellent (thanks Jason and Jess) and today I am very glad I ate them.

Yesterday I went to the Cleland Wildlife Preserve with some of the aforementioned bean-eaters. Australia may be one of the few places in the world where animals are allowed to hang out with people unsupervised. It was quite amazing.

When I first arrived, alarm bells of drugged animals and horror at captivity were going off. For example, at the entrance there's a picture of a couple holding a Koala (or, as I later found out, appearing to hold one), which I know from past experience is a horrible, horrible idea (having reached out for one and being severely reprimanded by an Australian zookeeper as a child on my last trip to Australia).

However, in this particular place (and I presume part of the inspiration for its existence), there is a Koala named Arthur who was ophaned by his Koala family and became close to his keeper over the course of 15 years, so that he now is comfortable with humans in a way wild Koalas are NOT.

I wanted to participate in the Koala holding after hearing this but not only would it have cost me 30 bucks but my animals rights friends probably would have objected when they saw the photo. I know every inch of my uptight American views on animals would have freaked out.

Elsewhere, I petted and fed MANY different marsupials and birds, stared down an emu, accidentally kicked a potoroo (sorry potoroo!), watched dingos feeding, admired (from behind a wall) a Tasmanian Devil, and finally discovered my new favorite bird, the Tawny Frogmouth.

I also spent much time recording bird songs, as they (especially the magpies here) were so incredible sounding (tritones and awesome interval jumps and "atonal" sputters). The crows added one or two extra long notes with a soft decay to their call which made me crack up every time because it sounded like a baby cooing. . . except it was a crow. Amazing place.

Did I also mention that these animals were pooping EVERYWHERE! The ground was covered, COVERED in poo. It was a doo doo dream, there were little potoroo and bandicoot poos, big kangaroo poos, weirdly shaped and colored bird poos, every kind of poo you could imagine. However while I was there I did not get the chance to add to the collection of poo. I did however get some ice cream, which was delicious but difficult to eat without a napkin on hand with my (now quite large) beard.

Probably tan but still white as can be,

Brian