why border inspections are important

i hear a lot of grumbling in my travels
from people who resent the caution exercised by those monitoring our borders
but here's a good reason for it all

while out wandering the fields on a misty autumn afternoon

gathering stuff to make more things like this

i found record numbers of these disgusting creatures

they're everywhere, crawling outside and inside the house
in writhing waves of black
dropping from the ceiling
and crunching underfoot

these accidental immigrants only appeared in South Australia in 1953.
conditions have been just perfect for their world domination plan.

scourges aren't limited to things that creep and crawl. think of the diseases that have decimated tree populations around the whirled as well [the chestnuts of eastern USA, for example, not to mention the dogwoods now under threat]

and while i have in the past [when it was permitted] cheerfully imported leaves [carefully packaged and labelled, leaves later incinerated after processing] in order to steam/boil them for dye samples it's not a risk i want to take anymore.

nor do i need to - the trusty travelling cauldron is all i require to gather windfall treasure on the run