A lone carnivore with a prehensile tail

{Inky mice scribbles on the page, I.}

Over the course of the long weekend I shall be making a path to the Royal Melbourne Zoo to celebrate the birthday of a dear chum, surrounded by roaring lions, pacing tigers, elephants in wading pools and meerkats ever on the lookout. We will no doubt have our lunch with the seals and our sweet eats with the otters and perhaps our beverages with the shaggy-haired Orang-utans. We shall spend time with all inhabitants save for the recent escapee, an Asian bearcat (binturong) with a fondness for climbing trees. From an open-topped enclosure that previously housed those devilishly handsome otters, the bearcat slipped. A slightly grazed paw a small price to pay for an evening stroll. Don’t you, too, sometimes hanker for a prehensile bushy tail? Did you know that it can rotate its hind legs in such a way so that its claws still have a grip when climbing down a tree head first.. it sounds perfect for sticky scrapes, doesn’t it?

Now in quarantine for a spell, we shall nod knowingly in the direction of his enclosure.

{Inky mice scribbles on the page, II.}

And now I must away and eat a mango in the garden before the sun all but disappears. A box of 12 mangoes picked up today at the Vic Market and split three ways between my Mum, Louise and myself - how wonderful. Mangoes, pineapple, watermelon… I am loving my fruit feasts all day long.

Incidentally the bearcat was given a banana and mango for breakfast. Ah, so very like my own breakfast though I prefer a hairy-skinned kiwi fruit post ripe mango.

{Inky mice scribbles on the page, III.}

See the bearcat news footage here.

And it seems another animal, this time a local possum is also causing a great deal of fuss and heartache knocking over mannequins and breaking glassware at the Moruya and Historical Society's museum (in New South Wales). Read a little more here.

{A recent collage soon to feature in that oft talked about food zine.}

(So happy to know that many of you are keen Charlie Chan fans, and that you enjoyed seeing two of our three posters in action on the rail system and reading the words of the always-clever-wordsmith, EZB. I've had little chance to reply in the comments section these last two posts so I shall thank you all briefly here instead; it's been a busy week what with hoping to spot a bearcat in the dense garden growth. Oh, I do wish he had come and visited me, that black-haired binturong, if only for the shortest of times. Here's to a wonderful weekend all, g xo)

Comments

[louise]

Yay for the inky mice. I can feel a pen and ink zine coming on!

[risa]

as the weather here gets colder and colder, i too dream of fat and golden hot chips...

[The Ghostis]

This post was great fun. You have a clever way with words as well as with a pen and glue. These little adventures (and expactations of) are quite amusing. And mangoes sound wonderful right now.

[andrea (scout)]

i hope we hear more about the wonderful inky mice in times ahead.

this week, i picked up a huge hulking used copy of 'audubon's mammals: quadrupeds of north america.' every time I see at the beautiful plates, I think of you and your collages and can't help but smile and smile. i hope audubon compiled 'quadrupeds of australia' as well. if i am lucky enough to find one, it will be sent to your door. xoxo

[julie]

A lovely post dear Gracia..inky mice and a big moose (i think) made me smile. A birthday party at the zoo sounds great xxx

[karin]

This old photograph is beautiful. I love his dress! Have a nice weekend :)

[amisha]

hope you are having a wonderful weekend and enjoying the zoo, gracia. as it gets colder and colder here your post has me dreaming of mango breakfasts eaten outdoors... yum!
xo

[lisa s]

your inky mouse scribbles are so fantastic.

happy happy weekend g!!
xo

[shell]

Somethin' tells me it's all happenin' at the zoo....I do believe it, I do believe it's true...ooh ooh ooh ooh, oh oh ohoh....I can't help but sing Simon and Garfunkle whenever I hear the word zoo! Hope you have a wonderful time!

[gracia]

Oh, yes! A pen and ink zine sounds just grand, LJ. I’ll add it to the imaginary list of zines to create.

Ah, there’s nothing like a drop in the weather to make one dream of hot sweet and savoury treats; hot chips, pies of all fillings, crumbles and cobblers, yes, I know just what you mean, Risa.

Hello Ghostis,
So glad you enjoyed hearing of the adventures of the bearcat from the zoo. The little terror is still in quarantine and, I suspect, will be moved to a fool-proof enclosure upon his return.

Hi there Andrea,
Your Audubon find sounds wonderful. I have one or two books filled with large-scale reproductions of Audubon’s mammals that I picked up second-hand and going for a song. You might like to explore these John Gould mammals from Australia.

Step this way, if you please, for placental mammals:
http://museumvictoria.com.au/bioinformatics/mammals/images/thumbgplac.htm

Find Eastern Grey Kangaroos, Antilopine Wallaroos and more over here:
http://museumvictoria.com.au/bioinformatics/mammals/images/thumbgkan.htm

Take a peep at Honey Possums and other companions here:
http://museumvictoria.com.au/bioinformatics/mammals/images/thumbgmar.htm

Finally, let us not forget the Monotremes:
http://museumvictoria.com.au/bioinformatics/mammals/images/thumbgmono.htm

(You have given me plenty of ideas for a parcel to send your way by way of thanks for the treasure you sent me earlier in the week. Thanks so much, once again.)

Hi there Julie,
A trip to the ol' Zoological Gardens was just the ticket for us all. Who wouldn’t wish to spend an afternoon conversing with lemurs, bobcats, grizzlies and giant tortoises? The only thing we four could have done without was seeing lion feeding time; two dead angora goats strung up in the trees do not necessarily equal a Birthday must see though, I suspect, this depends upon the punter.

Hi Karin,
Yes, I’m quite a fan of his outfit, too. If only I could get around in such garb all year long.

Hello Amisha,
It feels as though the warmer weather has been here for the longest time. Living vicariously through your blog, and others in the northern hemisphere, I feel as though I’ve done this all before; I was able to enjoy stone fruits and berries in the middle of the year! Oh, the luxury.

Hey there Lisa,
So glad you liked those hastily pulled together meeces. I have drawn them for many years now; ever since my primary school years I have always lent heavily towards drawing rodents over humans.

And you’d be right, Shell. It’s all happening at the zoo!

cheers, g xo

[cruststation]

I really love these inky mouse drawings, so charming and delicate. Looking forward to the wonderful food-zine, you're killing me with excitement :)

[gracia]

Thanks, CrustStation, I hope it's worth the wait. The zines are ready to be photographed and put on the shop. An edition of one hundred, this zine is one to whet the appetite.

see you, grache xo