This is a continuation on a blog thread startd during a visit to Australia in late May, early June: our Monday in Melbourne had been reserved for a visit to the Museum accompanied by BJ and her lively little daughters, who skipped ahead across the green as soon as we left the cars. They had a PA Day so no school to go to. The large trees there were all wrapped with wide bands of metal sheathing meant to prevent damage from possums. That is one animal we did not ever see in our travels - not a single possum. Apparently, they are as plentiful as our urban racoons, and are protected, but do a fair amount of damage to the trees they nest in. Anyway, the girls were most anxious for us to see the bower birds. The museum is huge. Just inside the entrance is an glass enclosed atrium like a conservatory, filled with native trees, birds, and samples of pond life. We had a lot of fun looking for the bower birds, she blue and green, he a brilliant blue-black. When we found the bower, complete with salvaged bits of blue detritus, the littlest niece was delighted. It was the main event as far as she was concerned. We did take in a few dinosaurs and diaramas about prehistoric Australia but we kept the visit comfortably short. After a quick snack break, I went to the gift shop and bought post cards and a few gifts for our grandchildren back home. Other than a final lovely visit with BJ and family, the only other remarkable instance was finding a shop named Birdie Num Nums and taking a picture of us and the girls pointing to the sign. This for our youngest daughter, E, who at one time in her teens listed The Party among her favourite films and did a very good take on Peter Sellers reciting that famous line. On Tuesday morning we said good-bye and headed back to Canberra.
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