Australia has its share of weird and wonderful wildlife, and I seem to get a few of them turning up at Number 68.
A while back, I introduced you to this fellow:
https://ytaba36.wordpress.com/2011/08/03/strange-critter/
Last evening, I had a new bloke drop in to bid me season’s greetings. I can truly say I’ve never seen such a lanky stick insect before.
The pencil on the window ledge is 15 cm (6 inches) long, so you have an idea of his size.
My new best friend and I wish you a most happy festive season! (I wonder if he’ll like these mince pies?)
Hello World 
I have one hanging on my wall. It’s about 15 inches long and prevents my friends from going into that part of the house………lol
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Mine’s just a baby then, Russel!
Say hello to Zoey from her Australian fan.
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I miss some of the interesting bugs that we had back in Texas. They don’t live here in sunny San Diego for some reason.
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It was suggested by my friend Karen that I bring panettone back with me in my suitcase but…there just wasn’t room. I did bring a bag of those lovely cookies from Burano though….and the jar of Nutella that Karen gave me for my birthday (it costs three times as much here).
Merry Christmas to all of you in time zones where it is already the 25th!
Michelle
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How interesting! (Are you a vet, Melissa? Guessing so from your comment on the previous post.)
Ooh, you have mince pies! They are the only thing I’m missing at the moment – will have to bring a jar of mincemeat back from Britain next summer. But just had our first slices of a very nice panettone from Tonolo 🙂
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Buon vigilia, Caroline. I’d swap a jar of mincemeat for some of the fritelle from Tonolo, please and thank you. Have you made any pie crust while in Venice? Does their flour work for that? I can’t make decent pie crust in Australia, the flour is quite different compared to the Canadian product.
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And greetings to you too, Yvonne! We haven’t eaten fritelle yet – they are a Carnival speciality, aren’t they? – but we did get our panettone from Tonolo and very nice too. Interesting what you say about pastry – lo chef hasn’t yet attempted it here. But isn’t the pie the national dish of Australia? 🙂
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Caroline, I’ve had reports from friends in Venice saying they were eating fritelle already. Maybe they were just tormenting me?
Yes, lo chef should try to make a pie [in all of his spare time 🙂 ]. And, there are pies, and then there are Aussie meat pies ….
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Hi Caroline, I am a veterinary nurse but due to a recent redundancy I am looking for another surgery! We are usually inundated with Christmas Beetles but for the past few years the numbers have dwindled considerably!
Merry Xmas to you and yours, and beautiful Venice 🙂
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Hi Melissa. Good luck with the job search! Christmas Beetles look very decorative. And I suspect are less trouble than a roomful of Italian teenagers 🙂 Greetings from cold-ish Venice to all of you in the sun!
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Sorry, got sidetracked, I like your stick insect! Haven’t seen any Christmas beetles this year, have you?? There were so many when I was a kid, I loved to see the gold coloured ones. Now they seem to have almost disappeared!
Here are some links with interesting info for your overseas friends.
http://www.csiro.au/en/Outcomes/Food-and-Agriculture/ChristmasBeetles.aspx
http://australianmuseum.net.au/Christmas-beetles/
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Merry Christmas Yvonne 🙂
I am very jealous right now of our Northern Hemisphere friends enjoying a White Christmas! It’s a funny thing, even though we swelter here through a hot Christmas day, we still turn the air-con to freezing, dig into Roast Turkey, Roast Pork, Roast Vegetables, Maple Glazed Ham and Warm Christmas Pudding topped off with Egg Nog and Brandy! (Yum!)
Oh, how much nicer it would all taste if it wasn’t so darn hot (and if snow was falling outside!). We have done the beautiful Queensland seafood with Crabs, Prawns, Bugs, Oysters, Mussels with cold salads and cold beer/wine/champagne at past Christmas’ – however, it seems, it’s not Christmas without the traditional hot meal! Ha, go figure!
Anyway, have a wonderful Christmas and may your new year be filled with peace, love and happiness – Oh, and lot’s of trips to Venice! 🙂
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I have to say I haven’t enjoyed Christmas since we moved from the land of the Big White! Sand in my turkey just isn’t the same as eating by an open fire … in the house that is.
Best wishes for a lovely Christmas, and a happy 2013.
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Saw similar guys in Mali. They looked like walking blades of dried grass.
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They wouldn’t get any mince pie in Mali! 🙂
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Finding that critter outside is one thing, having it visit you indoors is another! You’re right, he probably smelled the mince pies and came a-calling.
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I’m just happy he was not a fat stick insect, that would have been a different story, perhaps. I would have booked a room at the local inn, perhaps, until he moved on.
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Quite an interesting creature you have there, Yvonne. Nothing quite like Christmas in the tropics.
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He had moved on by the time I got up this morning, and I assume it was to the great outdoors.
Merry Christmas!
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