PossumCorner

Whose birthday? Good to see them back.

I don't think anyone missed it, but what can one say? Beyond heart breaking, little girl lost, how does a family ever recover, poor dog dragged off in fear to its death, family pet in the kitchen and something went terribly wrong, little country town community devastated.

Total moon eclipse, quality one in a hundred years or more, only chance to see it (photograph it), all that. But it happens at 4.30 in the morning, so a lot of us will miss it. I'll make a brave attempt, no promises. Edit to add. Quite disappointing, too much cloud, so only had a few glimpses as it progressed. Mars was quite clear now and then, but a bit miffed the eclipse didn't happen for us.

Second that last line Sars.

Roova that is so Australia, and wonderful blues. Had to be a Nikon? I did say I didn't buy anything at the Sheep Show. That was a white lie (see ot thread re people who fib) because these two actually followed me home. 29/52 Their back-story is unreal, they are now six weeks old. As newborn/one-day old they came off a drought property in central NSW, travelled all the way to Victorian saleyards in the dog-boxes under a semi trailer. Only because the driver knew someone who just might try to save them: and taking at that age with sheep to the yards not legal etc. So a pretty fabulous person met the truck out from Melbourne, and took (not saying how many) lambs to bottle-raise. Harley and Rose are two of them, so they've had a pretty adventurous little life so far. I maybe chose them because they'd been named for a song I used to like, about love drifted apart, love re-found (… This time they said it was for real …. Like static on the dial, a look comes back in style Harley and Rose, they just lost it for a while) - Black Sorrows, good stuff.

Bird - tick. Cat - tick. Dust storm - thud! Never seen it like this here in winter, often windy/dusty but sheesh that is horrendous. Will you get some of the rain out of this lot, we have only had the odd spit for weeks now, and a dump of hail - but the hailstorm smashed the rain-gauge apart so no stats. I still have baby lambs in the house because the wind is like frozen knives even in the sheds.

Bowie is lovely - and I like in the other thread he is looking just slightly in awe of Bella looking so elegant - not demoralised, just aware. This is not cute - consternation in the early morning as a small eagle/large hawk settled on the high corner post of the orchard. Looking out for goose or duck eggs, or a rabbit by the dam, or a chicken out and about when it shouldn't be. What I didn't notice til I looked at the shot on computer was how a Noisy Miner had chosen a little fruit tree with yellow stems for camouflage to lie low til the hawk had gone. Cleverness. Brief return to cuteness as Arnold sees the commotion and hurries up in case there's food. While three boy-geese set up a line to watch the intruder til it flies off.

We're in the same situation with young Rheneas - he has lost much sight and hearing, and has just had a dreadful vestibular episode "all good now, and still taking the tablets". But the difference - when we took Rheneas on from the RSPCA as a youngster he was a total stress-head, and this took a long long time to sort and improve but he did normalise, I think mainly from observing Piper and Frodo being normal dogs. Now as the only dog, and in fairly old age, he has regressed to his young nervous self, jumps at noise, runs and hides from anything that stresses him, no trust or confidence and has put funny little barriers up. Vet said without any guarantees that there have been improvements in some oldies like this with slightly high blood pressure readings when put on blood pressure tabs (Fortec). He's on a half-tab a day and I can say there is a positive improvement in the stressing out after four days on tabs, truly different dog. One swallow does not a summer make, so I am not saying that blood pressure tabs are a benefit to stressy behaviours, but as an anecdotal observation ….

The first workshop filled up. Applications opened today for the next one in October, OH has signed up, I'll be looking over his shoulder.

Scottsmum, Persephone, Roova - what a page of sweet little faces (although George is trying to hide his just a little).

Maybe it's been mentioned on DOL and gone over my head - I hadn't realised that Steve Parish isn't 'doing what he always done' until a today DOL link to recent greyhound news items led me to this link: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-14/renowned-photographer-steve-parish-has-new-focus-on-life/9985356 so I looked for the Griffiths Uni item for more information - this would be magic to do, I just thought I'd put it here because it fits a place a lot of Dolers (photographers and otherwise) are at, and I think it is extraordinary the way he has come through it and gained rather than lost. https://plhub.griffith.edu.au/upcoming-events/event/eve-430/steve-parish-online-masterclass-photography-apathway-to-purpose

Kira was always a special DOL dog - so sorry we have lost her Malamum.

I'd have read that, if I'd overheard it, as a gentle sideswipe at people who needlessly shave dog's whiskers. Many believe it a barbarism, that dogs absolutely need their whiskers, for identification of touched objects, for the comfort of that extra bit of sensory ability. There are breeds of horses that have their whiskers shaved for cosmetic show-ring purposes, and it is an extremely cruel thing to do to a horse - they absolutely rely on whiskers which 'wire through' direct to the brain and are very important in contact and identification needs.

I think it is happening now, about to check. Just a reminder for anyone with a welder's helmet or the like to see through/shoot through. (We only have one, so about to fight over it).

Feed bags for water proof, topped with old blanket (op shop). "Food miles" for a dog's muddy sandy feet? Says she who just did an eye roll at finicking round with newspaper for bin liners. I just push some sheets of paper in the bin, it comes up round the sides, it keeps shape til it's put out in the wheelie bin. Mostly.

My uninformed opinion not based on any studies is that some long term effects are a small price to pay for the wider public having the benefit of better dental health: because the long term effects of early tooth decay causing gum disease and a lifetime of misery from that is something horrific. Wish I had better teeth, wish we had had the benefit of town water with the additives instead of raised in the country on tank water: some health benefits there too, but I'd trade a lot for being dentally sound, which I am not.

The orphan lambs are so far so good from such rocky starts. On the left the new one, 5 days old - on the right the 'original' at three weeks.

Pugmanic welcome, wish you came to the forum under less sad circumstances. So sorry you have lost your loved little dog. Yes you are right, toothpaste is quite toxic at times, most outer packaging does clearly warn even us (in the small print of course) to rinse mouth and not to swallow it. Many people put out cut toothpaste tubes in sheds as rat poison - but many are unaware of its possible danger and your warning does make this clear.

They are lovely - For a couple of years I worked in Switzerland, and thought they were just a short-haired version of the Bernese. Hadn't realised they were a separate breed.

I'm guilty, I showed a bitch with wry mouth through to Champion, yes I knew it was a fault but she still blew others away with classy movement and generally very correct. Not that I'd advise anyone to do the same, but the world didn't come to an end, I only bred one litter from her, all had good mouths, two males went to show homes, they did okay but weren't bred from.

Also look at Flyball. There are some good teams in Queensland and some staffies have excelled, fast and athletic. The furthest north one is Maryborough. It's still necessary to do at least basic obedience as a lead-up (as with agility) before flyball training.

Yeah Grizabella, I know, I know. One of my most favourite books here is Innocent Killers (Hugo and Jane van Lawick-Goodall) - her studies and photography of them just marvellous. I was lucky enough to work for 2-3 years in Kenya/Tanzania/Nigeria and spent every moment I could in the bush it was living the dream in every sense. Unfortunately the downside is that it's given me a horror of zoos, I realise it is irrational and I know all the plusses and logic and arguments and benefits: but if I go to a zoo I have to leave in a mess, and I can't even much look at zoo photography which is my loss but how it is.

Ha ha, good grief, wash your mouth (or keyboard). Hunting Dogs are everything beautiful, flowing action. Hyaenas are a touch ugly, something like an imaginary cross between a small bear and one of the gone-in-the-hocks badly bred German Shepherds. They are just grotesquely ungainly but super strong. They can bite an adult person's arm off at the shoulder. No saving graces in appearance or habits. Ren that's a lovely shot of the pups.

Risk of offending I know, but the first image of the Alpine Shepherds, then the ones on the table in the link, all they make me think of is African Hunting Dogs (and if anyone uses that contrived painted name I will scream offence myself). And yes they are total gorgeous dogs.

Isn't it like poo eating - some do and some don't. Mostly when they either young and stupid, or very old and slightly senile. Or in-between. I don't think it is deficiency related, more habit.