I was cut off from Friday till Sunday when the water went down, but so was the bridge. Having to drive around from Orara Way.

Carpet snake in Cathys guinea pig cage - guess he was too fat to get out again.

Search tomorrow for missing boy 5yo

Just got a SES call to join a search for a missing boy at Nambucca: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-03/search-for-boy-missing-on-nsw-mid-north-coast/4293836 tomorrow morning - have to be at Nambucca by 6am so leaving from Corindi at 5am. Time was changed for distant units so we left at 6:15 am but Riley was found just before we arrived at 7:30am. A good ending although would have been nice to practise our landsearch skills.

Minnie's first swim

We went for a walk to the dam (~500m) as usual. Minnie enjoys wading but hadn't quite gone swimming before, I was waiting till I go swimming (35+, a nice spot and preferably a blue moon) before encouraging her to try. The dam flow way is covered in rough concrete, under cut on the bottom edge. Minnie fell in and swam to the nearest rock - under the concrete, and wasn't willing to swim out. At that moment a neighbour walked past - seemed a bit confused when I said I had to rescue my dog, since she wasn't visible. I had to take off my boots and wade in to reach her. She is enjoying chasing kangaroos (but I have to back her up for a big mob) and birds. I'm going to take her to obedience training at Grafton on Sunday.

SES Bush Skills weekend

 We camped at Station Creek, the kookaburra grabbed a sandwich out of Ray's hand, and later a goanna prowled around.  Cathy came out for a BBQ, but wimped out on camping out.






 We did some gravel driving, practising in a quarry and doing a vehicle navigation ending up at Jonaas Zilinska's statue (timber cutter and former trapese artist). Cut and winched a log.

Jeff and Debbie weren't really roughing it in their camper.

 This caravan got bogged getting to Pebbly Beach. Thankfully someone else was already winching them out.

 We walked to Pebbly beach.

 A python I nearly stepped on.

 Crossing back across Station Creek.

Thankfully I didn't take any photos before Ray put his pants back on.

Minnie the gardener

Minnie is always very interested in what you are doing. She likes to run under your feet or chase them as you walk. If you bend or kneel you are clearly asking her to jump up and lick your face. Anything you pick up she wants to grab hold of. I've managed to train her to keep off the garden beds although she still occasionally has to chase the water. I have to lock her out of the garden when harvesting otherwise she helps by grabbing a snow pea branch and pulling half the plant out. She also likes to eat asparagus, and today discovered the delights of pick your own arrowroot from the (currently dry) pond. Hasn't rained for 7 weeks here (not counting a 10 min sprinkle), suppose to get 10-20 mm today. I also take Minnie to the community garden at Coffs about fortnightly - put her in a pen where she is harassed by small children. She doesn't like riding in the car and howls periodically for 10 mins or so. Next weekend is the SES bush skills weekend, camping out overnight in a national park so she will be overnight alone for the first time (20m x20m fence around house so hardly cramped).

Puppy school

Off to our second of three puppy school classes tonight. Minnie isn't the star pupil - she hid in the corner and snapped at any puppy that got too close, can't even say she was the littlest one there. One pup with paws that looked as big as her head kept bowing to her and trying to get her to play, but then "patted" her so I can understand a little. I've taken a phenergan as being in a room full of puppies for over an hour really set off my allergies last week. Then Friday afternoon I had a whole torso hive attack, luckily it was better by the morning.

I also took her to the community garden on Sunday - put her pen up against a wall and she had three hours of kids playing with her. Had to keep telling them to give her a break, not put her up to walk on the single brick wall. At least I have the fence around the house now - am thinking since it's not suppose to be cold tonight might try her outside overnight (and have my bathroom back!).