Puppies and house sitting

New to me sofa free from SES friend

Puppies clean after wash

I have spent two lots of 12 days puppy/house sitting in the last month. Lots of travel back and forth to go to SES and RFS activities.

Well that is a reason to bark - Echidna next to dog pen

Update

Python visited again - killed the remaining hen chick but couldn't swallow her (saliva coated). Clearly I can't raise chicks without extreme fencing or killing pythons, even though I did keep them locked up for ages. But that is fine because I don't really like eggs - always struggling to keep up with 3 bantam hens. The only survivor I'm pretty sure is a rooster - from the silver lace wyandotte. Finally gave in and bought a new mower, I just wasn't keeping up to the grass with scythe/push mower/whippersnipper.

Python in chook pen

Woken near midnight by dog barking. Minnie was staring at her kennel (pet carrier) on the verandah, behind it was a 1+ metre python (probably trying to get to swallows nest above there). I tied up dog and flicked python off verandah, gave it a few minutes to get clear and let dog off. She ran straight to the chook pen and barked more. Found the python now with a large lump (one of the three remaining 6 week old chicks) inside the chook tractor. Tricky operation - tractor is too low to climb in (with an angry snake), snake didn't want to move, chooks and dog in the way. Eventually shoved it out of pen - it makes escape through chainlink fence until the lump got stuck. After much poking left it there to work out for itself how to get free.

Margaret's 50th in Perth

Zoe dancing with Anne and Bill, Cathy and Margaret in background.

Margaret and Zoe.

Chicks

Only three have survived to 17th Dec, I had to remove the silver lace who was only half broody as she and the white hen started fighting and trampling the chicks.

Corindi SES in Woolgoolga 125th anniversary parade

 We are on a recruiting drive so handed out both storm safe and recruiting brochures.

The bullocks really did not want to be there - just as well chained between two tractors. This is the end of parade and the crowd moved to the park.

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!).

Neighbour burning off

 Neighbour asked if he could burn off the bottom part of my block near his dam - I said ok but keep it below the house - of course it got away, missed the house and shed just but went through the vegetable patch. Probably lost half of my fruit trees.

Luck his wife came over - while we were trying to save the garden a bit burnt up close to my car.

RFS fun day at Shannon Creek Dam

 The annual Rural Fire Service fun day - four different stands, as well as boot throwing, and tug of war. The standpipe event - Matt (blue shirt) is about to bowl out a hose. Since I'm not official yet I couldn't compete but got to watch.

Halfway Creek Brigade (Ton and Jeanette (live near me on Parker Road), me, Kevin and Laura, Matt). Matt has just started the basic course unfortunately my application hasn't been processed so I have to wait till the Mar/April course before I can get my gear and actually help with fires. We didn't win any prizes but didn't get any penalties either.

Coffs Community Garden

 Spent a couple of hours at the Community garden - making new plots including one which will be Cathy's.

The centre plot is Cathy's.

Vet check

Minnie had her first vet check, vaccination and microchip inserted. She weighs a whopping 1.55 kg. Vet found no problems, and she barely whined during needles (that microchip needle is huge) despite a big build up by vet how most puppies scream. Back in 4 weeks for next vaccination and start heartworm treatment. Might join up for 3 week puppy classes starting 8 Aug. Left her at the vets for a few hours while I went to Tursa and shopped (mainly puppy stuff). Still not sure about final size, even though she has blue heeler colours the vet said her blue heeler pups were three times her size at that age. Need to work out a tick treatment - have already found one on her, but frontline/advantage seems very expensive and you still have to check them daily (takes 2 days attached to cause paralysis).  Pig ears are a big win, ok for now when a small bit is enough but don't want to be buying one every day at nearly $3. Have to do more research on feeding to balance nutrients and economy, the vet pushes Advance dry food "all she needs".

Mad Minnie

 

In this unselected video within 20 secs Minnie chases her tail, falls backward off path, tears around and runs straight into the stairs.

More Minnie

I keep forgetting to take a camera out with me. Already getting messy in the bathroom so I set up a pen on the verandah for day times. I am trying to take her out regularly (as soon as she first makes noise) but takes a few calls before I really wake up. She managed to fall/jump off the verandah (<1m) and growled at me and stayed away for 5 mins despite me being a couple of metres away at the time.  Definitely an alpha pup which could be difficult. In the video you see my sock toy - she likes to bite/shake it.

Minnie the Tenterfield Terrier

Nine weeks old - neighbour Lisa has her brother. Booked in Wed for vaccinations and microchip - had her first worming treatment. She complains every time I leave her but according to the puppy websites that should calm down after three days if I totally ignore it. Not going to be an indoor dog (so Cathy can visit without calling an ambulance) but since it's cold keeping her in bathroom for now.