On the hot seat

What I read

According to "Australian woman bitten by snake in toilet" (2019), the extreme heat that has recently killed many animals in Australia, from horses to fish and native bats, was probably the reason that a 1.5m carpet python sought refuge in a toilet in Brisbane before the shock of Helen Richards sitting down caused it to bite her. She had calmed down and cleaned the bite wound before a handler arrived to remove the non-poisonous snake, which is native to Australia's east coast, from the toilet. 

___________________________________ 

My response 

Where I grew up
Less native bush than 50 years ago

I suppose it is serious, but I thought this news story was also a bit more fun than many. It reminded me of my family home, which is also on the east coast of Australia, about 200 kms south of Brisbane. I grew up on a farm in a rural area, and although most of the land had been cleared of the original native bush, the river banks had been left largely as they were, and a few small bits of the original bush land had been left. When we were children, my brothers and sisters and I used to love playing there, and we regularly came across snakes. Several of these are very dangerous, and we were also very careful to avoid the the deadly brown snakes and red-bellied black snakes, The only time any of us were ever bitten was when one of my sisters trod on a brown snake that had been lying behind a log we jumped over. Fortunately, the local doctor in the town nearby had the necessary anti-venom and my parents knew what first aid to apply, so she was OK, just a bit sick and very shocked for a while. In contrast, the carpet pythons that lived in the trees and shrubs along the Richmond River, which ran in front of our home and circled our property, were not poisonous, and as long as we were careful, they could safely be played with, although they did sometimes bite. 

More seriously, I think, is the reference to the heat that has been affecting Australia over the past few weeks. I've read several news reports about this recently, with record breaking heat well over 40°C being recorded across large areas. I greatly prefer warm weather to cold, but I also like air-conditioning, and  I'm very glad I'm not there for the recent heat spell. I usually go back to see family and friends at Songkran, which is a good time to out of Bangkok and a very pleasant time to be in Australia, although when I was there last year, it was still over 30°C on a few days. Global warming appears to be already affecting Australia. And that sort of heat really is dangerous, not only for the animals that have been dying, but for human beings. I saw one story in The Sydney Morning Herald with a video of people frying sausages and eggs on the road! It was so hot you see and hear them sizzling. 

___________________________________ 

My question

What reminds you of your childhood or of earlier periods in your life? 

___________________________________ 

Reference

• Australian woman bitten by snake in toilet. (2019, January 25). Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-46996559