All good things must eventually come to an end, and that includes letting my readers boss me around on Fridays. But before we throw the inbox in the dumpster, The Nest has one final letter to answer in the smashing second season of our Prompt the Squirrel series. I
begged asked for more participation this time around, and you all delivered as PTS2 featured 21 prompts in all, three more than last year’s inaugural run. I can’t thank everyone who took the time to fill out a contact form enough for helping to increase the variety of my blog by challenging my creativity these past five months!

And I think Buster only died a few times in this series… though there’s still time to run up the score.
Our final entry for the 2016 edition of Prompt the Squirrel Fridays comes to us from Nest Follower Hall of Famer Gentlestitches, whose works of soft and cuddly art have won my heart for years and even proudly adorn my shelf! Thanks to Aunt Sharon’s longtime participation here, her homeland of Australia is prominently featured on my blog, and today will be no different as this is what she sent me to work from…
My prompt is that Buster visits Australia and mingles with the “wild life”
Perhaps he could have a holiday which you call a Vacation? Not Pigadillo though as I would worry about him too much. 😀
Sure, I guess Buster could use a bit of a holiday from his hectic and grueling routine of regularly dying on my blog. And I’ll bet he’d just love to visit his much cuter possie cousins in Oz… so I’ll just take some money out of The Nest’s bank accou….. er…. um…. wow, where did all of those moths come from? Errrr, nevermind. Looks like Buster will have to fly cargo on this trip. Don’t worry, we’ll make sure to put him in an airtight suitcase…
I’ve called ahead to make arrangements with one of the locals to pick Buster up and give him a guided tour of the land…
Wiki comes from a long line of experienced, Australian bushmen who’ve spent many years bravely wandering the outback….. um….. OK, that’s not true. Wiki’s father actually worked the drive thru at Possum Hut… and to be honest, Wiki’s never even set paw in Australia before. But he did watch a lot of The Crocodile Hunter when he was a teeny hyeeny, and has a kickass National Geographic guide to the strange critters from Down Under. So basically, he’s perfect for the job, and Buster’s sure to get his our money’s worth out of this once in a lifetime international experience!
WIKI: Alrighty, mate! Are you ready to embark on a fair dinkum exciting adventure?
BUSTER: (Shakes head)
WIKI: Great! Let’s get started! Follow me….
Wiki leads Buster away from what passes for civilization and into the grasslands of deepest Australia. It doesn’t take long for the tour group to encounter their first taste of the unique wildlife the continent has to offer…
WIKI: Oh boy! Look at that ‘roo!!!
WIKI: Go on up there and say hello to the l’il chap! (Wiki pushes Buster the kangaroo’s way)
BUSTER: Ummmm….. hello there. My name’s Bust….
WIKI: Aw, how cute! They must really like you to give you love taps like that!
BUSTER: Cut me, Wik! Cut me…
Further on out in the country, Wiki stops dead in his tracks and his tail perks up in excitement…
WIKI: Crikey! Wouldja look at that, mate!
BUSTER: What? I don’t see anyth…. (Wiki points down, causing Buster to freeze in terror)
WIKI: Why, that’s the eastern brown snake! Only the second most deadliest snake in the world! Why, I’d reckon there’s enough venom in his fangs to kill off a whole plethora of possums!
BUSTER: Did you really have to say that?
WIKI: Oi! Did he nip you, mate?
BUSTER: (Holding tender groin area, speaking with high pitched voice) I’m gonna need somebody to suck the poison out!
WIKI: Aw, there’s no time for that, mate! You’re about to meet another of our wonderful little critters down here! That’s a Sydney funnel-web spider on your neck!
BUSTER: SHRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!
WIKI: Golly, mate! That was a direct hit on your skull! Lucky you he can’t liquify what you don’t have in your head!
BUSTER: Can’t we just visit some cute, non-lethal critters!?!?
WIKI: Oh, sure thing mate! Come on over to these eucalyptus trees and check out our native koalas!
BUSTER: What…. the….. fu…..
BUSTER: I knew I should’ve stayed at home and got run over by a street sweeper….
WIKI: Hope ya brought your swim trunks, mate! It’s time to go swimming! (Pushes Buster into the pool of water that materialized out of nowhere)
BUSTER: Glub glub!
WIKI: Keep your eyes peeled for crocs! Oh, and watch out for the reef stonefish while you’re cooling off! One sting from that l’il fishie can be so painful that you might die from the shock alone!
BUSTER: If I can pry myself from this shark’s mouth, I’m going to beat you to death with your sissy bushman hat!!!!
WIKI: Sorry, mate! I’m afraid there’s no refunds for this tour! Shall I use my belt as a tourniquet for your lower torso?
A battle scarred, barely alive Buster pulls himself out of the dangerous outback waters and follows Wiki along on the final leg of the walkabout… all the time stifling any murderous impulses that may be stirring in his spider-eaten brain. Wiki stops dead again, causing Buster to shake his head and groan at just what might be up ahead that’s brought his hyena sherpa to full attention.
WIKI: Do ya hear it, mate?
BUSTER: Hear what?
WIKI: The call of the most dangerous, most lethal, most terrifying creature to ever patrol the Aussie outback?
BUSTER: You mean there’s something out there more dangerous than what we’ve encountered already!?!?!?
WIKI: Yes….. CRIKEY!!!! There it is!!!! Cover your ears, mate, or you’ll never make it back to civilization alive!!!
BUSTER: Cover my… what? Huh??
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WIKI: (Covering ears with bigass headphones) It’s the dreaded Aussie Earworm!!!!! Just a few seconds of exposure by the naked ears to its horrific soft rock sounds is enough to….. oh no, it’s too late for you, mate!
And so concludes the worst outback safari evah. Wiki was kind enough to ship Buster back to the States in several crates. Most of him has managed to safely arrive already, though we’re still waiting to hear from his spleen which seems to have gotten lost somewhere near Antarctica. A big thanks to Aunt Sharon for allowing me to show off the very best of Aussie fauna, even if the Australian board of tourism is probably in the process of blacklisting my blog as we speak.
And that’s a wrap for Season II of Prompt the Squirrel Fridays! A sincere thank you to all 21 of you who helped make this year’s series such a success! I don’t know what I’ll do to fill the end of the week void in the meantime, but come next March or so, I’ll be totally ready to open up the request lines for you all once again! Until then, put those thinking caps on, and let your imagination run wild in 2017!
ody & biskit……now thatz what we call a ta ran choola ……..whoa…..!!! grate post two day…we N joyed all de fryday promptz { de ones we could see when de food servizz gurl waz at werk } lookin for werd ta next yeerz prompt de squirrel …heerz two a zebra oto kinda week oh end ♥♥♥
There’s nothing scarier than a ta ran choola that will liquify your insides then drink you out with a straw. I’m buying a mosquito net to sleep in…
Tell Buster not to worry. He doesn’t really need his spleen. And travel is SO broadening! I think I’m going to have snake and spidey nightmares tonight. That’s one YUGLY spider.
It’s quite possible the spider is being misrepresented there and is actually a really nice guy that wouldn’t hurt a fly. I wouldn’t want to see it crawling up to me to find out though…
That was fabulous and clever you knowing about one of our obscure life threatening fish. The wee “stoney” It was funny too because I got bit by a whitetail under my chin and I didn’t know and thought “why is my face swelling up?) Shane said there is a spider bite under your chin and I thought “whew! I thought I might have a swelling disease or something serious!” Just a bloody, mongrel, whitetail! Last time I got bit I had to go to hospital but this time just a couple of weeks of swelling. I am glad Buster had a time. Those pools really do just materialize. I actually love that song and funny they were/are popular at the same time as accadacca. (ACDC) Crikey! What a lot of fun our visitor Buster had!
LOL! People here will freak out over the tiniest spider bite. My house becomes a veritable spider hotel during the warmer months… nothing quite like some of the spiders you all have while I was reading up for this post! I certainly wouldn’t want a spider turning my insides into liquid!
Me either, that would really ruin the whole day! 😀
EEEEEK…….I just crossed Oz off my list of “gotta go visit before I croak” spots – I have a feeling I’d croak a lot faster if I visited….and I’m not in a hurry if you get my drift. It was a great pile of fun seeing your Prompt The Squirrel Fridays creations. Bravo to you Matey!
Pam
I wouldn’t worry too much… I read that only 13% of people who visit Australia don’t come back. Those are pretty good odds…. are you feeling lucky? 😉
I just crossed the land down under off my to-visit list too! I would never sleep knowing that spider exists on the same continent that I’m on. And a grizzly couldn’t possibly be many more terrifying than that koala. That photo and caption made me collapse with laughter! That’s just the sort of fate that would await Buster. I loved reading about his travels. Well done!
Yep… Buster, the first creature to ever be eaten by a koala bear. Maybe that’s why his spleen hasn’t shown up yet…
Out of all the cute koalas in the country, only Buster could have the bad luck to meet that one!
I’d still like to visit Down Under one day, though I’d be the only one on the beach in full body armour.
The end of another great PtS series!
Full body armor would be a swell idea. You wouldn’t want to escape all of those vicious creatures down there only to end up succumbing to skin cancer!
What happened? I made 3 suggestions on the submission! Loved the series any way! 🙂
You must have been up to your neck in Bridezillas the week I did this… 😛
https://evilsquirrelsnest.com/2016/07/15/would-you-like-to-play-a-game/
Well played! Thank you for setting me straight (someone needs to before I humiliate myself in public agai…too late)! 🙂
That was the most disturbing looking koala EVAH!!!
I had to look really close to make sure that even was a koala. I’ve never seen one act anything but cute and adorable before…
Evidently if you take away their Foster’s they get pissy.
Yeah, I think I to will avoid Oz now! Although it hasn’t ever been that high on my to visit list anyway…