Ground to a stop

[Kody]

I now have everything ready to complete the construction of the trailer frame. All the chores around the home are done (well almost) and Cindy's car is mobile at last. I can now go out to the workshop/garage and finish the welding. It will take two days to complete it and then I can paint the steel and it's ready to start the wood work. Except for one thing! There are now millions of Marsh Flies swarming everywhere outside. They attack you as soon as you walk out the door and they bite like starving hyenas. NOTHING will keep them off you. I literally bathe myself with the best of the repellents and these monsters eat it instantly. Working anywhere outside has come to a stop!
These animals are 3/4" in length and have big green eyes and two wings. The invasion will last for at least two months or until it gets really cold for a long time. No chance of a cold break here as Australia is having a heatwave all over the continent. At least where we live, close to the coast, the temperature is always 5 to 10 degsC cooler than it is just 25 klms inland. South Australia is expecting a temperature of 40 C to 45 C today. I just want to be able to work in my garage and weld. I can't close the doors, it gets far to hot and the flies are able come in regardless. I could place some animal screens on the windows and chicken wire works well for keeping out the flies and mozzies but there is no easy way to put chicken wire across the 3 big doorways to keep them out. They settle down somewhat after 9:00 pm or even 10:00 pm but it's then too late to work. The flies are not confined to the bush, they are everywhere, even in town and at church. I hate these things with real passion!

Kody

[mikeschn]

These guys, right?



Mike...

[Kody]

These sites will show you what our problem is. They are found all over Australia depending on the weather and time of year. They are mostly found in the summer months. Some of them cause sensitization to people and subsequent bites need medical treatment.

http://www.gardensafari.net/pics/vliege ... 5_1133.jpg

http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane ... /wpe51.jpg

I was repairing our letterbox and took Kody with me, the letterbox is 350 meters from our house and among the trees. Kody was attacked so badly that she jumped back into the car in great distress with the flies still swarming all over her. I took her back to the house and left her inside with Cindy but she cried non-stop. When I came back for more tools, she jumped into the car again to be with me. She hopped out at the gate and sat next to me as I worked but she was again forced back into the car going completely nuts. Took her back and left her in the house. I went back to the letterbox and they drove me nuts but I got the job done. It's unreal to see the loyalty and faithfulness of a GSD and what they will suffer to be with their master.I hope the green heads all fry and die!

Joe

[Shadow Catcher]

Reminded me of one canoe camping trip on Isle Royale and our first camping site. I stayed in my dry suit because of the millions of mosquito's. A some what more comfortable way might be using bug off clothing i.e something like http://www.muckbootsonline.com/BuzzOff_ ... g_s/26.htm

[eaglesdare]

i was wondering how your gsd handled it, when i first read this yesterday. give him lots of hugs and pats.
i know we have horse flies here, but only one or two at a time. i can't imagine a swarm of them attacking.

[Vedette]

Snakes, flies, heat,.......sure glad to be here in Canada enjoying life without worrying about getting bit by something????????
Good Roads
Brian

[Kody]

Snakes, flies, heat,.......sure glad to be here in Canada enjoying life without worrying about getting bit by something????????
Good Roads
Brian

Guday Brian,
I spent almost 7 years in the US and traveled to many beautiful areas and parks. We traveled thru Canada and it was here that I met one of the most obnoxious little men I have had the misfortune to meet. He was lacking all patience as I filled up at the servo and in the end he wanted to fight me. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I'm 6' 2" and he was 5' 6" stretched out on a rope. I offered to show him how we settle a problem Down Under but he declined and he went nuts. I guess we meet them everywhere we go. At least the people here in the bush are very friendly and will go out of their way to help you. I have heard so many stories of people needing help and support in my travels here and the people of the bush have always been a fabulous help to them and I have even done a lot for the people as well. One job I did to help was weld a trailer frame back together at home here but that another story. We all help out whenever we can regardless of the cost to us (if we can afford it) but we never let anyone go without help when in need. People in the bush are wonderful and I love to meet them and chat but I endeavor to get them to do all the talking and I listen.
The weather here at the moment is extremely hot. The temp is 45 C in Sydney , 40 C in Brisbane and 45 C in the inland country towns. It's very dangerous to try and travel in these conditions, far better to sit in the water at the beach and in shade if possible. A fella lost his life here a couple of weeks ago all because he and another fella didn't take any safety precautions. They tried to walk out of the desert after their truck became bogged in the sand. There's a lot more to the story but these fellas were just plain stupid. There have been 34 bushfires in 24 hours down South and over 200 sheep were lost. Australia is the driest and roughest continent on Earth but we all love her. As far as the snakes and other" bities" go, we have learnt to live with them and accept them. There is no other country like ours, wish you could come here and meet us. One thing we don't have here are bears that want to have you for dinner or wolves that would like to suck on your leg or neck. Oh, I did have a very close call with a mountain lion on Washington Island but we do love North America/Canada.
Always check your boots before putting them on.

Kody

[Roo Dog]

G'day Kody,

Bugger all flies over our way right now.
Its been quite cool as well. Oz is a country of contrasts without a doubt.
We have been intending to head up Norseman way with the Teardrop but the weather, thunderstorms, has put paid to that over the last week or so. Not too keen on stomping around in red mud. Give it a chance to dry out some before we go.
Next week mebbe.

Take it easy.

RD

[Kody]

The score now is,
FLIES - 2
JOE - 0

I went out to do some welding 'cos I'm getting nowhere with not being able to weld. I made a fly trap the same as I saw on the www for trapping horse flies but they just laughed at me. I had a go at welding but it was impossible. Fair dinkum, I've seen better shapes under a chook perch, (US talk is chicken, Aussie talk is chook). There is no way I can hold the hand-piece steady with a zillion teeth chewing into me. I will have to grind out all the "chook droppings" and start again. I'm soaked in Deet 20% but the animals line up to eat it and then me as well. If I use a stronger amount of Deet, my skin burns for days. I found another fly trap on the www and I will build it late at night. I'm so thankful that we live on 26 acres of eucalypyus and schlerophyll forest. The noise I make at night doesn't upset the neighbors so I am free to do almost anything. My nearest neighbor is 400 yards away as the crow flies. ----- FLIES! Don't mention that word! I hate them and hate them!
However, I will extract vengeance on them all!

[pete42]

you mentioned helping someone without the thought of pay
remined me we were driving from Phonenix AZ to Riverside Ca one hot summer day pulling a camper.
now I was stationed in california so I knew how hot midday can get but we were delayed in getting away early.
about midway the car started to overheat I pulled into a rest stop car cooled down and we started off again
not to many miles down the road in the middle of nowhere it boiled over
a pick-up truck stopped gave me a gallon of antifreeze and would not take money
he said "the next time I see someone in trouble stop and help"
it took several years before I came upon a broken down car on the roadside I left that driver with what I had been told to do.
something about the good feeling I got both from receiving help and giving help made me repeat the good deed many times since.

pete

[Shadow Catcher]

I have long liked the pay it forward concept. Practice random acts of senseless kindness.
Our culture is too much about paybacks and as a Christian that is an anathema to me, one of the greatest joys in life it to give, expecting nothing in return. I grew up with a song By Malvina Reynolds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB5Z_30xSe8 Love is something if you give it away you end up having more and it hit me a few years back it is not necessarily that it will be returned but that you will have more to give. Love is not as we tend to think of only its eros connection, also the brotherly sort.

[Vedette]

Hi Kody
Thanks for the boot advice as I do plan to visit Australia in the very near future.
I will plan around the cooler season.
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi

[Roo Dog]

Vedette,

G'day,

There are not too many worries about wandering around Oz, very little that will do you any harm. You really do have to make an effort to come unstuck.
I have been wandering about Oz most of my life , and in some less salubrious parts without doing myself any damage.
Some 95% of Australians live in cities or towns, it is one of the most urbanised countries in the world and even in the country the roads are good and there are plenty of people out there due to mining, exploration and rural activity.
It was a bit rugged back a bit and my work took me into some rather isolated areas but that really is a thing of the past.
There are a few snakes and spiders but the average Australian would never come to harm or in many cases even see a snake or a really deadly spider. Even Kody's flies are not universal. No flies at all where we are right now.
The weather varies across the country and it is never the same all over. Cool where I am at the moment.
Australia's biggest feature to me, and I have lived in most parts of it at some time, is its friendly laid back style, it is a really homogenous nation, the people vary little in style due to the mobility of the population. Some difference between city and country living obviously but no great contrast between the people. Like any society there are groups that have some problems but they are in a minority, no society is perfect from that point of view.

You will enjoy it, it is friendly, safe and fun. There are no man eating kangaroos or koala bears.

Take it easy.

RD

[rowerwet]

around the coast here the green head flies are terrible in August, however the fishermen discovered something in Avon skin so soft keeps them off. I don't know if Avon is sold in Oz but I'm sure you could find it on Ebay.

[Roo Dog]

The weathers looking good so we are off up the track tomorrow, about 200 k, there will be a few bush flies about as expected but none of the biting variety. A run of the mill fly spray will keep the local flies at bay.

Camping around a little mining town called Norseman, population around 800. The place has had a productive goldmine since around 1900 as I recall. It is also the Western end of the Eyre Highway, the road that connects Oz East to West across the Nullarbor Plain. Nullarbor is derived from the Latin and means no trees. (Null Arbor). To this day many Australians think it is a native name for the area.

Anyway, back to sorting out the Teardrop.

Take it easy.

RD