Ant Music

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Last night we gorged on roast chicken from the supermarket then settled down to watch the 1969 version of the Italian Job.  Michael Caine really is a remarkable actor....he does 'wooden' better than anyone!

At dawn we saddled up and headed out
into the nullarbor.  For the first 45 miles little changed, but then we came to a roadhouse and store which had a sign telling us it was the last shop for 1000km.  That was a bit of a wake-up call!

Over the remaining 50 miles (it was a 95 mile day) the landscape has become bleaker and the flies have become a ruddy nuisance.  There is a big incentive to pedal fast as, below about 15mph, you invest more effort in swatting flies than propelling the bike.

We are staying in the Nundroo roadhouse - a gas station on a dusty lot beside the road with  a few basic motel rooms out back.  The room itself isn't bad but otherwise the whole place has the feel of being on its last legs.

It was a good day for roadkill with a rabbit and a pair of wombats.  We also got a snake but we worry about the ethics of collecting roadkill that we have killed ourselves.  Neil chopped a 3ft bugger in two with his wheels......we are considering passing it off as a mating pair of much smaller snakes.

The song?  Well, last night I left all my stuff in a big heap at the foot of the bed (my wife will not believe this as I am usually so tidy).  This morning I discovered that the 'stuff' included an open packet of biscuits and everything was alive with ants.  I shook them off as best I could but suspect I'll be finding ants in things for several days.

Comments

  1. Stuart4 March 2018 at 19:36

    Mmm biscuits and ants. A good balance of carbs and protein. Ideal post cycling fayre. According to my googling “Ants and other insects provide a good balance. According to an article in Mother Earth News, most ants are edible. Their flavour is pleasantly sour or vinegary due to an acid they secrete when threatened. ... In China, consuming ants is part of a protein-rich diet”

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Steve Wesson5 March 2018 at 03:55

      Thanks Stuart. ....but how many should I eat to fuel, say, a 90 mile day?

      Delete

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