The Rear of The Rhea Was Here - where can you see it now?

Photo of Rhea by Michael Palmer in Wikipedia.


The Rear Of The Rhea Is Here
by Angela Lansbury

What is a rhea?
First I must say
It's oddly spelled
R H E A

The rhea, like its name, is absurd
Because it's a large, but flightless bird
Some people won't hear one bad word,
Ok, let's say, delightful bird

At first, when that big bird was found
They called it rhea, that's Greek for ground
South America's rhea is taller
Thank God, our Darwin rhea, here, is smaller

Most people here have no idea
About the truth, about the rhea
Except of course, for me and you
Like emus, we've no work to do

We look up facts, so we are clear
In case we ever must confront
Bravely, without a tear, nor fear
That dear, but very dangerous rhea

Thousands write to support its cause
It doesn't have big teeth, lion's jaws
But don't shake hands, evade its paws!
It catches, clasps, kills - with long claws!

On good days it just eats long grass
So if you're bothered by too much grass
No time at down to mow the lawn
Just let your rhea march, munching, past

One lady thought it would be fun
To own a rhea, just start with one
It's lonely, so then you get two
But what d'you think two rheas do!

A year goes past, while drinking tea,
You look up, gasp, "Hey - I see three!"
They breed and breed, you've soon got four
Let's split them up. please shut that door

'We've not got room, what shall we do?
I'm sure they'd like some at the zoo
So take a picture. Shut that gate!'
'Sorry, one's gone - I was too late!'

Cute in National Geographic
Not fun, running round in traffic!
It's run, done something in the field
I hope that helps the farmer's yield

It's not good news, not a good day
It's dangerous - on a motorway!
They're lost, they're breeding, two, four, five
The good news is that they'll survive

It's like an ostrich, and will eat
All kinds of plants, but sometimes meat
Rodent, reptile. It's friends with deer
Stands calm by cows, if herds are near

An 'emu' was glimpsed far from home
Caught on camera, then mobile phone
Escaped rheas at first sound fun
Delays, expense, police - with guns

Although, from far, a rhea's cute
Shyly running, in its feather suit
Now it's escaped, they'll prosecute
Stop car crashes. Game keepers shoot

We should know more, we all agree
To talk this over, over tea
I'll go off to scan the media
Please read more in Wikipedia

Because there's lots more I could say
But we've not enough time today
Let's go out looking, all of us here
Before laws ban them and they disappear

Learn more about the backward rhea
See which facts we can muster
The prime use of its feathers
Is to make a feather duster

If you fly to Argentina
You'll find the rhea is no stranger
You see it on centavo coins
There they're not rare, nor endangered

Gouchos would trip up rheas with ropes
Eat eggs and meat, make leather cloaks.
Farmers are angry, rheas eat crops
Not bad, they're good! Here shooting's stopped!

If soon, the world's rheas disappear
Don't drown sorrow in tea or beer
Come to England, amigos, Hertfordshire
You'll see two rhea rears running here!
-ends-

copyright Angela Lansbury.
Inspired by controversy caused by escaped rheas by the English motorway, pursued by gunmen, eventually recaptured, or returned for lunch, instead of ending up as dinner.
Please share links to this post.
For the story about the escaped rheas causing trouble to motorway traffic, see
UK Escapes
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/27050298
https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/what-s-going-on-rhea-yorkshire-police-find-an-emu-on-patrol-1-9014419
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/police-warning-over-aggressive-escaped-rhea-bird-on-the-loose-in-nottinghamshire-10345553.html

Escapes in Germany
http://www.10000birds.com/greater-rheas-germanys-new-big-bird.htm

For info on rheas:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhea_(bird)_

ENGLAND, UK
To see rheas go to Woburn Safari Park, England.
woburnsafari.co.uk
http://www.woburnsafari.co.uk/discover/meet-the-animals/birds/greater-rhea/

SCOTLAND
http://www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/animals-and-attractions/animals/darwins-rhea/

https://www.visitscotland.com

NORTHERN IRELAND
http://www.belfastzoo.co.uk/animals/darwins-rhea.aspx

vistibritainshop.com

CHILE, SOUTH AMERICA
Or Parc Nacional Pali Aike, Chile
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g2615237-d2461967-r346309803-Parque_Nacional_Pali_Aike-Magallanes_Region.html
https://www.cloudbirders.com/tripreport
http://www.visitchile.com/en/

ARGENTINA, SOUTH AMERICA
https://www.audleytravel.com/argentina
https://wikitravel.org/en/Argentina

Clocks Changed In London - Hurray - here's why and how to keep to time and buy a good clock

Problem
We used to arrive late for appointments on Sunday. Sunday lunch out - the restaurant was closing when you arrived late.

The afternoon book club was halfway through when one person arrived late. Another person who was missing, later revealed they had missed the start and were embarrassed.

If one person in the family knew about changing clocks, and did it, everybody else felt outclassed and foolish.

Next morning, Monday, out of every thirty people in an office, one would arrive late.

Answer
Today, hurray, smart phones have changed themselves. Any radio clock has changed itself. You soon see that some clocks are on different times.

What's left to change?

Car Clocks
If you have a manually changed clock on the car, that has to be changed. If your car is all high tec, lucky you. On the other hand, you may have to spend time reading the manual to find out how to alter your clock.

Ovens
Ovens are often manual and have to be changed. Same goes for the microwave.

Watches
Watches vary. We used to photocopy the instructions for a new watch, blowint the text up to 12 point size, and stick this on the pinboard int he ktichen or office. Then, when you need to change your watch, we could do so quickly.

Dual time watches for two coutnries are handy if you can afford them. However the face has to be larger and I don't like heavy watches.

I would have one watch on my right hand for now when getting on a plane, and a second watch on your left hand already set to desitnation time. I had watches in two colours. A day later I could set both watches for the coutnry I was in.

Business
The time in the UK is still different from Euopre by an hour. Some people say business would be easier if we were all on the same time.

Airlines thankfully adopt the sensible system of giving you the time of arrival at your destination. Keep your eye on the time.

It doesn't stop on Sunday. If you have any hidden clocks, or a second home in another country, you may arrive to find all the clocks telling the wrong time.

But your smart phone should sort you out.

What was it all about, the time changing?

Farmers
Some claim it was to help farmers. Never mind. Forget the past and look forward to the future. Longer, lighter evenings.

If anybody in your family has an old phone, maybe time to upgrade. If anybody doesn't believe in technology, here's one reason why it's good.

Frankly, even if you are on top of the situation, congratulating yourself that although you can recall a year when you were in a muddle you are now on the right time, it's just another nuisance having to change clocks.

Happy Hour
I have two reasons to be happy today:
1 More daylight in the evenings for travel and photography in London, and England and Britain.
2 Clocks closer to other countries.
3 Smart phones tell you the right time and help you sort out your day.
4 Other people are also more reliable.

UK and Ireland only?
If you buy a clock in the UK, or from the UK, it is likely to be set to radio control from UK and Irealand. The one I looked at could be changed manually to operate elsewehre in the world, which is OK if you prefer manual and don't mind going back to manual.

Batteries Needed
If you buy a clock online, it may be radio controlled but you may still need batteries. You can order them online at the same time, unless you have a stock at home or your local newsagent or bargain store sells them in bulk cheaper.

Size
Anything which is a desk clock as well as a wall clock is likely to be smaller. My desk is short of space, so I would want a smaller clock for a desk. However, if your desk is against a wall, you might like a larger clock which can go at the back against the wall, whether or not attached, and won't be concealed by clutter.

A wall clock on a far wall needs to be larger. Here's the size of one I looked at:

: 23 x 2.5 x 16cm
23 cm is about 9 inches
16 cm is about 6 inches

But is that the screen or the whole clock?

Radio Controlled Clocks
What do I want in the sales? Another radio controlled clock.

Radio controlled clocks on Amazon, new and used, start at about £10, with free delivery next day if you are a member of Prime. Loads more at about £17-20, mostly the round sort with conventional numbers. For an oblong clock with a digital readout, about £20.

Checking Prices
Now, for the first time, I have found a use for the choice of starting with prices high to low. It enables me to see the most expensive, find out if the most expensive has any extra features. Radio clock controlled clocks are priced up to about £800. Around £200-600 you can buy a clock which looks traditional to match your living room decor in a home or hotel, a real old-fashioned looking pendulum clock, but radio controlled so you don't have to re-set it once a year, nor any other time or day.

Any disadvantage to the radio-controlled clock? Yes. For types like me who are always trying to cram more into the day and finish the last task before they leave, it was very handy to be able to set clocks five or ten minutes fast, so that when I rushed out ten minutes late I would still arrive on time.

Clock Sizes
Check the size of the clock. I find it easier to go into a shop and stand ten feet away and see if I can read it easily. It's handy to have the date as well, underneath.

Where Else To Buy?
We bought ours  in Homebase. One of the best decisions we ever made. I look at it every hour, first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

More Information
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5541375/Britons-complain-iPhones-taking-fun-clocks-changing.html#comments

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_clock

Amazon Radio Controlled Wall Clocks All Prices
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Temperature-Display-Inovaxion-inopmt01-silver/dp/B00U82FZBO/ref=sr_1_5?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1521979499&sr=1-5&refinements=p_n_feature_keywords_browse-bin%3A1249834031

Argos
Radio controlled clock, round, from £16.99 (that's £17 near enough).
http://www.argos.co.uk/product/6237475

Travel
https://www.visitbritainshop.com/world/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwkd3VBRDzARIsAAdGzMCnweFdLFFyhzqkzoMA0qX94pLMftgolKe4ASEkzjT8gDdak3efmksaAqjTEALw_wcB

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Travel Tale Detectives - are you one?

Problem
A member of my family takes a trip to Changi airport with a friendly chatty taxi driver. He says he travelled to London several years ago. He can't remember the airline or the airport name. London has five airports. Which one was it?

Answers
My relative asks: "Was it a direct, non-stop flight?"

"Yes, it was direct."

"Only three airlines fly direct and non-stop between Singapore and London. They are Singapore Airlines, British Airways and QANTUS."

"It was Qantas."

"They fly from Heathrow. So you flew into Heathrow on Qantas!"

When you go to London, photograph the statue of Sherlock Holmes outside Baker Street Station. How many clues can you pick up from your fellow travellers? This great fictional detective was based on a Scottish doctor who could deduce several facts about a patient the moment they walked in and said hello.

For example, a farmer might have dirt under his fingernails.

My late father was an optician. He said that when somebody walked into his shop, he knew what they needed. A teenager without glasses probably had myopia, short sight, and needed his first pair. An older person with a frown, wearing a pair of glasses, was probably a reader and needed an updated stronger prescription. A middle aged person wearing glasses probably had glasses for myopia, short sight but had developed presbyopia, age related long sight in later life and wanted bifocals.

We were on holiday in Spain and my father said of a couple looking in shop windows nearby, "They are British."

I asked, "How do you know? Did you hear them speak?"

"No," said my father. "They are wearing National Health Service spectacles. "

*** 

Have you ever made deductions about people you meet on your travels? Were you right or wrong? How often do you find that 'the clothes make the man' and 'no smoke without fire'? How often do you find that 'you can't judge a book by its cover' and 'handsome is as handsome does'?

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourites posts.