Our Weird and Wonderful series is on hiatus, and things have gotten back to normal at Gallivance. It was a fun series for us, and we’re happy to have provided an excuse for our readers to stray off the straight and narrow.
Strangely, and unexpectedly, one of the more popular posts was the quail, chicken, and ostrich egg post. UK-born Kiwi and blogging buddy Fiona over at Mistynites, provided a story and photo that seemed a perfect add-on to our post: her avian adventures on a visit to an ostrich ranch in South Africa.
Had I known the details in advance, Fiona would have been the perfect consultant for my post. As a part of a South African Odyssey she did all things ostrich. She feasted on an ostrich egg brekkie every day …
… enjoyed ostrich meat on the barbie, watched a couple of hatchlings debut …
… and the funniest and most fun of all – rode an ostrich (color me envious).
“Ostrich riding is much like sitting on a large feather cushion with a large joystick as a control. Bending the neck left turns it left, right turns it right, and pulling it back makes it stop. Their long sinewy necks are so flexible that they can bend them round in all sorts of angles, something which you need to be very aware of with the males when it comes to avoiding bites from an amorous bird.” –Fiona the Ostrich Wrangler
So a big shout out and thanks to Fiona. Her adventures on the ostrich ranch were part of her South African Odyssey post, which will make you want to find the nearest airport and zip off to South Africa.
BTW, this post will officially close the ostrich egg topic because I’ve totally eggs-hausted my supply of egg puns.
Happy Trails,
James
Photo Credits:
1. rupertjefferies
2. Lip Kee Yap via Wikimedia Commons
3. Fischchen via Wikimedia Commons
4, & 5. Fiona Gilston (MistyNites) © 2015
6. Tony Wills via Wikimedia Commons
GALLIVANCE 
I love that first ostrich photo!! Did you ride one?
No, but I’m sure it would be hoot. But, at 6’1″ I’m not sure the ostrich would like it very much. ~James
Too big for a bird. Maybe try one of those crocs? Hey, how do I find your piece that was Freshly Pressed?
We’ve been Freshly Pressed twice, and our awards page has a link to each of the posts. Thanks for your interest.
https://gallivance.net/about/
~James
Ostrich riding! On to the list after that joy stick description. If you are eggs-haunted I think you should take a break. 🙂
Don’t you love the joystick analogy? And, no more egg puns, I promise. ~James
Carry on with the puns. I’m hoping you got my little one as in take a break? break an egg? Yes i know I am not as punny as you. Okay stopping now. 🙂
That was eggs-tremely interesting James, but I want to see a photo of you or Terri riding an ostrich.
Not on a dare Carol, not on a dare. There are some things the world isn’t meant to see. ~James
What a shame. ☺
Thanks for the link! I have such fantastic memories of that trip. Ostriches are amazing birds (and they taste good too!).
And thank you Fi for inspiration. This must have been a fantastic trip. South Africa is on our list, but as you know, it takes lots of planning. It isn’t a place you just drop by. ~James
After I eggs-amined your photos, I wanted to take the next flight out.
Oh, my. What big eyes you have, and your lips…I mean, beak, looks puckered up for a kiss—forget it!
Nice to see such a close-up of an ostrich. My first time. 😀 😀 😀
Aren’t those closeup shots great. I didn’t realize that ostriches were so … how shall I put this delicately… ugly. And from Fiona’s description, the males sound cranky as well. But any animal that can be a source of two food groups, and provide transportation as well, can’t be all bad. ~James
😀 😀 I suppose that old story that we are all her for a reason hold true: even ugly ostriches. 🙂
What an eggs-celent post and
eggs-traordinary lady, Fiona!
Wow, I wish I could trade in my ride on the NYC subway for an ostrich… I’d make a brilliant commute to the office!
Cheers !!
Lia, given the number of people and diversity in NYC, I’m sure that at some point somebody has commuted to work on an ostrich. I remember seeing some photos from the early 1900s with children of the upper classes riding around in small wagons pulled by goats. ~James
You’re right! I’m sure no one would bat an eyelash! Oh that’s interesting about the goats!
Ha Ha! What a great add-on! Can’t believe she’s standing on the eggs! Maybe Mr. Cogburn at the ranch in AZ can learn a thing or two from the rancher in S. Africa as far as what to do when a balloon or plane flies over! Wouldn’t want them to suffer the same fate!
This is a tasty kernel of info Kelly. I read the NPR interview with Cogburn, and the mental image of a terrified ostrich running into a fence at 35 mph is a strong one. And he lost the lawsuit 😦 ~James
Poor guy – sorry to hear that! Always enjoy your posts 🙂
What a good-looking chap! 🙂
You know when you suddenly think ‘I haven’t seen…around for a while’? Well, I just did, and am happy to find you entertaining the troops as ever. Safe and happy travels!
Hey Jo, thanks for dropping by. You know us at Gallivance: we aims to please, and you can never have too many egg puns. ~James
I’ve heard of walking on eggshells, but Fiona wins the prize 🙂
This reminded me of when I was in high school back in 1994 I had to take a class in economics. One time the teacher was talking about penny stocks. As an example, he mentioned how someone had recently attempted to convince him to buy stock in an “ostrich burger farm” in Australia. It was the first time I had ever heard of anyone domesticating ostriches and using them for food. Apparently the whole ostrich burger thing did not become the next big phenomenon, though, since in the two decades since I cannot recall ever seeing them on any restaurant menus. Well, at least not here in the NY metropolitan area. Maybe it is a much more popular thing in other parts of the world.
Walking on eggshells – that’s a good one Ben, and I’m sorry I didn’t think of it for the caption on the photo. It’s a bit surprising that ostrich doesn’t show up on restaurant menus. In these days of bison burgers, why discriminate against the ostrich. Fiona can describe the flavor, but I can say that after trying gator and bison that I’d have no problem having an ostrich burger: it must be low in saturated fat. ~James
We lived in a twenty-year-old single-wide mobile home back in the ’90s while we built our home. It was actually OK living. Had to replace the furnace but that was about it. When the house was done we sold the mobile home to an ostrich farmer. He wanted it for an incubator…
Fabulous story Tom – fabulous! I can always count on you for a good tale. This is the perfect add-on to the post, and I can imagine that it’s the perfect conversation starter at cocktail parties. Can you tell this story in French? ~James
Loved this! I’m willing to bet it would be hilarious to watch someone else riding an ostrich … not sure I’d want to though 🙂
Joanne, I’m as adventurous as the next guy, but I can think of about 3 reasons I wouldn’t like to sit astride a galloping ostrich. I’m just sayin’. ~James
Ostriches are definitely a bird put together by a committee, James— so ugly they are beautiful. –Curt
Well said Curt. I’ve never spent much time around ostriches, but it doesn’t take much time to see they are indeed ugly critters. But, they win the award for the world’s heaviest bird, so they got that goin’ for ’em. ~James
Love that first and last photo of the ostrich. There are ostrich farms in AZ and each year they have ostrich races. It is great fun to watch! 🙂
I read a post by Nurse Kelly (above) about the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich ranch in AZ. Was this where you saw the ostrich races? I haven’t seen ostrich races, but when we lived in Sudan we went to the camel races a few times. You’ve never seen so many long spindly legs and flapping lips. ~James
Yes, it was the Rooster Cogburn Ranch…great fun! I can only imagine what a camel race might look like! 🙂
LuAnn, because you’ve visited the ranch, you have to read this NPR report on a ballon incident that put Rooster out of business. Strange and sad.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4794667
~James
Better stop now before you have egg on your face! What great pictures and a super connection to Fiona who knows all about this subject. It definitely qualifies as both weird and wonderful.
There you go Rusha, egg-stending the puns just when I promised to stop. ~James
What a lot of fun she had and what lovely eyes the ostrich has too.
Lovely lips!!
Thanks for the comment Helene and for dropping by the blog. This ostrich does have lovely lips. ~James
Looks like fun!