Saturday, January 14, 2012

Holiday Entertainment (Part 3)

These are cocos palms. They were very trendy here in the 70's. Everybody thought they'd get rich quick by planting these suckers tiny and selling them for a bomb when they were big. Then people got wise to the fact they were dirty, messy and actually a danger to the protected bats around here. The bats are attracted to the sweet fruit and flap about, gorging themselves and damaging their delicate wings on the sharp palm spikes. We know one family that got stuck with a whole plantation of the plants then had to pay for their removal and disposal.
Ironically another industry has sprung up dedicated to the fallen-from-grace cocos palm. Door to door tree loppers appear periodically at the door of palm owners to tempt them with palm removal at considerable expense.
Why blow the budget in tranquil overseas idylls that provide 'children's clubs' and poolside mohitos with massage?

Nay, my people! Instead, for a few dollars less, you too can enjoy the invigorating scream of a chainsaw carving up the morning mist,
and the wiry antics of the aerial lopper as he swings about mid-air wielding that chainsaw like a crazed serial killer spider monkey!
Your offspring will stand poised at the window above Cirque de Cocos, dreamily conjuring ideas of carving up the shrubbery with the Furi knife Dad got for Christmas.
It is perhaps worth noting that this entertainment was provided by the mother in law who played her little old Scottish granny pensioner widow card with the prowess of a River boat hustler on the muddy Mississippi to get an enormous discount.
Now our horizon is more open, the fruit bats have gone further afield to further tear up their wings and the wee-uns have more fodder for their 'What I Did On the Holidays' reports next week. Entertainment and scenery- what more could one ask? ( Perhaps a new knife?)


9 comments:

  1. Indeed, we must endeavour to fit in some excitement this week or the little children will have nothing to write in their "holiday recounts". Unfortunately my kids' memories only serve them well enough to recall the last week of holidays. Enjoy your last week.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Get rid of those trees. They also attract rats. Gotta love a pensioner card ... what other discounts could you get?

    I know Darryl Lea gives discounts to pensioners, because whenever I went in there before Christmas, they'd always ask the oldies. I'll cry the day they ask me if I have a pension card - worse than no longer having to show ID at a licensed premise.

    ReplyDelete
  3. There are always amusements abounding at Chez Annie. Love the pensioners discounts. Hubby and I always try for them here. You will come to love them MMMC.

    ReplyDelete
  4. When we lived in Sri Lanka, a guy would climb up the tree with a knife in his mouth and no shoes on! I was always terrified one of the kids (or myself!) would get hit by a falling coconut or those giant branches....

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ahh yes tree loppers, digger drivers, street sweepers, energex cherry pickers, garbage trucks..... all are welcome out the front of Betsy's anytime. melx

    ReplyDelete
  6. OMG my little nephews would have loved to watch that show. You should have dressed up as the ringleader and sold tickets!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I must mention here one of my previously unmentioned skills ... I'm pretty nifty with a chainsaw. However, swinging from tree to tree with a chainsaw strapped to my leg ... not on your nelly. I've seen the damage those darn things can do, and I don't mean to growing things. This guy was clearly crazy, or very much braver than I!

    Of course the fact that I am not young, lithe and fit has absolutely nothing to do with that statement ;D

    ReplyDelete
  8. Would you rather a tree-fella feller fell on you or a tree felled by a tree-fella?

    ReplyDelete
  9. I had something to say before I read DMC's comment and now I'm too confused...

    ReplyDelete

Comments are the best bit. Drop in if you have time. You are most welcome!

Popular Posts