PossumCorner

Special film. I feel deprived that we don't have Apostle Birds here, never seen them. And aren't they hard on one another from the start - it's like toughen up kid, this is the real world.

The geese live in a little fenced orchard, and the magpies are always on watch for food scraps, eggs that they find before I do, and especially any chickens or goslings in the open. It's good parent geese are vigilant and protective - but they can't defend against eagles. And the funny thing is that magpies hate eagles so generally chase them off: if only they didn't return to orchard-watching. (Edit to add: Nashi Pears just starting to flower). 35/52

The White Chinese geese hatched sixteen goslings. Quite a lovely surprise as they were co-nesting and squabbling over 22 eggs, so it's a wonder any hatched. Now if they can just stay safe from foxes, magpies, crows and eagles while they are growing up I'll be happy-as. 34/52

And mind your eyes with jack-in-the-box, spring loaded, even just leverage powered ball throwing. Aldis had a power ball thrower maybe something like the petstock link - it was for ball games with a small baseball bat. Force and direction a bit hit and miss but it was a softer ball.

You little ripper!!

Waiting waiting Scottsmum, where are you now, home again? I've seen a few rabbits out the window, so will rug up/go out and see if I can get a bunny to sit up and look at the birdy.

Amazing blue sky Persephone, maybe not what we want all day, but super colour. Been so cold here, dragons and snakes haven't ventured out yet.

Early morning, galahs have a drink at the dam before they go find someone's newly sown wheatfield to play in. (Hey getting there, only 4 weeks behind). 33/52

Mulling it over in a "what would I do" sort of way, started to wonder why it is at this stage a need for her to go, or be taken, for walks. Given the walkies purpose aside from mild exercise is a boredom-buster, enrichment, socialising experience. If Gypsy has always been an outside dog, isn't just the challenge/experience/enrichment of learning "inside" as good as a walk from her doggie viewpoint? I'm not saying maintain her indoors for a lifetime, but for now it seems to offer enough of new experiences and learning curves to keep her happy and secure without being bored witless for the time being. If she was happy to meet the dog-washer and accept a bath from a stranger, she doesn't sound needy to get out and about just now to meet people.

Doesn't sound like dementia - there are usually earlier signs hard to miss - spaced out, dislike crossing threshholds, any un-usual behaviour not part of sight and/or hearing fading. I agree it's basically a family emotional issue as you say, might be a pain management need - along with general management. And I don't like the age of parents made a part of the problem, with the crate being ditched long ago it sounds like they have always had their fixed ideas, nothing to do with age. (I'm in my late seventies, and get snotty when people, anyone, plays the 'age card' - it's no reason or excuse for being inflexible or bloody minded - people are what they are). Hope you can sort it with least stress all round Natashja, glad you thought of Steve right away.

Must be Springtime 3a and 3b - magpie decides only 18 gauge wire suits nest building. Dozen matta it's attached to a roll of wire, gotta have it. 32/52

Must be Springtime No. 2 - hormone driven Toulouse goose stirs himself into a rage before defensively attacking everything within reach. (Sweet as pie for the rest of the year). 31/52

Must be Springtime - the swallows have returned and raised their first chicks - had to rebuild their mud nests on the silo as a hawk wrecked them looking for a meal.

I don't have a problem with the planned crossbreds asking and getting higher prices than registered purebreds do. If they were cheaper the demand would be higher and there would be more of them. If the public can buy a purebred for a lower price, surely that's to the advantage of everyone of us wishing to promote breeding and ownership of purebreds. But I do not like to read or hear the term "mongrel" - it is used to insult or degrade a dog which is not responsible - at least save the cheap insults for where the blame lies.

Thought this had all been covered when you asked it in your other thread klw.

No replies. If you go to the 'Breeders Community" section and just enter 'merle' in the search button it brings up some older threads on the subject. Probably the answers you need would be there. A lot of dirty work at the crossroads has been/is involved, no wonder some 'breeders' say umm and look at their feet. Glad you opted Shetland Sheepdog though. People have mentioned the spitz and crosses tendency to bark. Yes to that, and so incessant with some it creates neighbour problems. etc.

Did you go to the first session Thistle? Dog CPR was part of the content of the slightly weird but fairly useful short course I did years ago on running a pet-care business. Included lots of anecdotal 'evidence' of the number of dogs saved - or lost that could have been saved. I didn't know it was a thing until I did the course (sheltered life).

Just gorgeous!

My prejudice is more to the Shetland Sheepdog having owned one ages ago. Only a very few of them in Australia then, and it was the time when Brit breeders were on a roll exporting a lot of sub-standard dogs to Australia. Our Skipper was one of those, only one testicle and over nervy even for a Sheltie. So the Australian importer/breeder glad to find a home for him, we were glad to take on a fairly soft little dog that would fit in with other pets, no aggression or attitude. I think a Keeshond would take a lot more patience, they have a different focus on what is important. Our current dog is part-spitz, and very spitz in attitude and temperament. Chalk and cheese compared with pure Shelties. (His other half is probably Shetland Sheepdog though, so yes he is at times very conflicted about himself - that's Rheneas, my little avatar boy to the left: 16 with health issues, but hanging in like a little gem).

And damaging, because their lunacy of course then calls all other criticism of the organisation into question. Wrong, but that's how people think, one basket. Mind you, I am totally rapt that the live sheep trade has had another spike in its coffin today, and if the ship owners had just complied they wouldn't have lost out. Only a matter of time, but still too long.

There must be a few around Rascal - Frodo had a near-death reaction - convulsions etc - to a P. tick bite in Belgrave, that was a bit over 10 years ago. Vet who was onto it was at the Ferntree Gully clinic, and said then that they'd definitely been found down in Gippsland on possums but very few dogs had presented with them at that stage. We had plenty of bush ticks around Sherbrooke Forest, but Frodo's was the only case of Paralysis Tick I knew of in the area. They'd have to be spreading wider and increasing since that time though, given that possums foxes and feral cats host them.

We lost big-time on two of our rentals due to bad tenants. Started off lovely then everything turned to dross, alcohol wrecks lives - tenants and landlords, jeeze I hate it and everything about it. Disgressing: dogs were involved in both houses, not the prime cause of things going bad, but the agents were lucky (or I was) that the tenants were able to be evicted, I never did get back the overdue rent amounts, let alone redress for the damage the dogs caused. Not the young untrained large dog's fault for wrecking the ducted heating system: not the white fluffies' faults for climbing the walls and curtains with (I assume) separation anxiety at best, dog knows what at worst. Have to say it put me off allowing dogs in a rental, but we sold both properties and didn't do the landlord thing again. It's sad all round, doesn't seem to be an answer to the problem for either party. In my ideal world there would be full employment, no drugs of dependence or destruction, and everyone who wished to own their home could do so.

DD, do you mean the old pts brigade? I don't see them here as much now, not sure whether they have all gone or mellowed a bit (or both).

Not so much flooring as not spilling water - bit heavy to lift but can be worked around, empty into bucket and wipe with cloth or paper towel between lift-and-clean times: cast iron saucepans/pots from Aldis - spill proof because too heavy to nudge around, enamel coated so very easy to clean. Mine are on slate floor, no spills - maybe just a few drips as they walk away.

Another little hand on the right! Did I not get the memo about a challenge?