Cruelty to All Living Things

Cruelty To All Living Things.

In Australia, cruelty to animals gets you in hot-water.

Pro-animal groups make it their life passion to protect their chosen subjects; free-Willie, protect-the-dolphins, rescue-the-sun-bears, stop-whale-slaughter, ban-shark-fin soup-consumption, the litany goes on.

Recently, a greyhound dog-trainer was charged for leaving his dog in an overheated utility-van, after he crashed it against a bus and left it stranded in the outback, and made false allegation by reporting his vehicle being stolen. The dog later died from heat exhaustion; the authority is holding him accountable for its death.

But cruelty to plants?

January is a hot month in the arid continent of Australia. Along the coast like Sydney temperature can reach to mid thirty degrees. But in the red centre, the heat can be as punishing and unforgiving as in the mid forty degrees Celsius. This reason alone is thought to be the factor in speeding up the geological process of creating minerals and gemstones.

The unique opals are mined in the most arid areas like Coober Peddy. This region is so hot that locals find it necessary to build their homes underground; mainly to escape the unrelenting mid-sun heat.

It is important to note that opals are the only gemstones that have a 3D image; with a kaleidoscope effect against the reflection of light. Its colour range is as varied as the rainbow spectrum, in between and beyond.

Coinciding with Christmas and New Year holiday break, some workers extend their annual leave in January, unless their partners are on call indefinitely. Such is my boss, Jill’s husband Maurice. His company policy required him to be at US Head Quarter the week after the New Year, resulting in the postponement of their planned holiday.

After moving into their first home and embarking on home renovations, they were ready for a break.

During a brief conversation I told Jill my intention of giving her a house-warming present. Since people are very particular with their décor, I offered: “Would you like a pot-plant for your garden, Jill?”

“That sounds great, Maurice is into gardening now”.

“Okay. A pot-plant is forthcoming; can’t kill it if you try, very hardy and easy to care”.

“I think we’d better leave it till when we get back”.

“You’re on”.

Tuesday 29th January 2008 was the first working day immediately after Australia Day annual celebration on 26th January. It marks the landing of Captain Cook; the second discovery of Australia after the Dutchman van Diemen’s, in Botany Bay in 1798.