Fox on the run...

I've just found these shots on my camera, taken back in July.

A fox coming so close to the house at 9am in the morning;

it must have been hungry

and knew there'd be left-over doggy bones on the grass.

In great condition

but, on closer inspection,

it had a badly damaged and bleeding front paw.

Seconds later it was gone.

Recovering ...

We arrived home on Tuesday after a two day flight from Italy.  It was a wonderful three week whirlwind, taking in three days in Norway and then Milan, Bologna, Venice, Rimini, Sansepolcro, Anghiari and back to Milan for three days.  When I eventually get to view the photos, I'll share some of these places with you.

Now, to get to the story of 'Lady' the kangaroo, above.  The picture above shows her relaxing in her bed at Kilmore's Wildlife Rescue Centre.  The following story, by Grace Taylor, was in yesterday's Melbourne Herald Sun.

Helping roos to bounce back
Lisa Milligan has worked as a nurse for nearly six years but she says nothing compares to the rewards of nursing injured kangaroos back to health.

"Kangaroos are very loyal.  They're a lot like dogs," she said.  "They look at you and know you're helping them.  "When I release them back into the wild I often stand there and cry.  It's like losing a best friend."
Opened to help cope with the horrific results of Black Saturday, the Kilmore Rescue Centre is financed out of Lisa and her husband Duane's own pockets.

"It's hard work but it's rewarding, the animals know you're helping them," Ms Milligan said.

Her most recent admission to the centre was Lady, an eastern grey kangaroo who came in paralysed from the waist down.  After eight weeks of care in the centre, physiotherapy has Lady standing on her own and she has regained feeling in her legs and tail.

Picture:  Ellen Smith
Source:  Herald Sun 

The outdoor setting gets a lot of use.......

National Parks

Pronghorn Antelope (Atilocapra americana)

Yesterday I watched three remarkable episodes of a BBC production, "Yellowstone". I was in awe all the way through. The camera work was fantastic capturing the wildlife and their habits and the scenery; breathtaking! I'd never heard of the Pronghorn Antelope, or Prong Buck, nor the Pika, a cousin of the rabbit. The Pronghorn is said to be the fastest land mammal in the world, second only to the cheetah. I loved learning about the bison and the grizzly bears and the way the mothers cared for their young but my favourite was the otter.

American Pika (Ochotona princeps)

Another program that started this week is The National Parks: America's Best Idea. I've watched one episode and look forward to the rest.

Sam the Koala Immortalised

Sam at the Museum
Pic: Melbourne Herald Sun

You might remember my stories about Sam the Koala who became a symbol of hope to so many when she was rescued on Black Saturday back in February this year. With a lot of special care, Sam recovered from her ordeal but sadly died from the disease that affects up to 50% of the Koala population, Chlamydia (R.I.P. Sam the Koala). Sam has been immortalised and her new home is up a gum tree at Museum Victoria in Melbourne.

Another feel good story is about Old Cocky who has lived with Bessie & Jim McMahon at Kinglake (ravaged by the fires) for about ten years.

Old Cocky

"Mrs McMahon (84) and her husband Jim, 89, sheltered 35 terrified neighbours, relatives and strangers at her 80ha property on Black Saturday while she fought spot fires with her bare hands.

They put buckets of water around Old Cocky's cage in the carport to help him brave the February 7 firestorm.

He first turned up in Kinglake about a decade ago when he flew into their neighbours' garden and they asked if Bessie would look after him.

'When we first got him he had feathers on him but he stresses out a little bit and loses them,' she said. 'He used to swear like a trooper in those days but he's got a few manners now.'" - Source: Melbourne Herald Sun

Old Cocky playing with Jack Russell terrier, Leo

A WALK ON THE BRRRR SIDE!

I remembered to take my camera last Saturday. It was a bleak morning, 3C at 8:30am when we started out. The pondage had been empty all week except for the old river bed but was slowly filling up after the water company had finished its annual maintenance.

This is the long walk along Riverside Drive

Fishful thinking?
Poor chap didn't know that the Pondage
had been empty for days and the fish
had escaped into the river.
We wished him luck.

On the other side of Riverside Drive, Kangaroos!

Isn't he/she magnificent!

They come down out of the bush and graze
in front of this house every morning.

Pelicans, waiting, waiting.


We came from over there.

It's a shady walk in Summer.

Further along the track.

What we call a 'drop toilet'
with a beautiful Acacia Cognata the Landcare group planted.

The car's over there.

The Pontoon
rises and falls with the Pondage level.

Track to Bridge

Fishing with Dad.

Rotunda and Ramp from Bridge.

Geese.

The road home.

Four days later, looking South from Bridge.

R.I.P. SAM THE KOALA

Sam, the Koala, who was rescued on that dreadful day of fire, 7th February this year, has died. She was put to sleep this afternoon, as vets could not save her from the life-threatening disease, Urogenital chlamydiosis, that had overtaken her. This disease affects 50% of the Koala population. I posted about Sam in pictures on 13th February.

Country Fire Authority volunteer David Tree comforts Sam

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said that "Sam was a symbol of Victoria's resilience after the bushfires and her death is tragic".

SPIRITUAL

We arrived home last night after an idyllic two-week holiday in our 'Apple Isle', Tasmania. We were really looking forward to it after the previous trip was cancelled when the bushfires were heading our way. We had a great trip over on The Spirit of Tasmania; a delightful meal at Seasons Restaurant and then lulled to sleep in our two-bed cabin with winds of 50 knots and 3 to 4 metre swells! The next day I was still feeling those waves!

My new header pic is one I took of the first view I had of Lake Pedder at Strathgordon in the South West. This exquisite sight knocked me for a six and I returned to the car with tears in my eyes. This was the first but not the last strong reaction I was to experience in this beautiful State, where the mountains reach heaven, I'm convinced. Around every corner there is a breathtaking view!

Here are a few more shots of the beautiful beaches on the East coast. I hadn't been to a beach for many years but sat on the rocks at Bicheno and splashed around, then walked the beautiful, white sand, the tide finding my feet, followed the seagulls and collected shells. DMJ said I was being a little girl again and it felt wonderful!

FRESH TODAY

It is fresh today, time to put on socks instead of going barefoot.  Crazy weather; we were sweltering in top 30s last week.  These roses I've just picked - Mr. Lincoln, Camp David and Iceberg - they're on their third and final flush.  The anniversary card stays up one week.

I was woken up at 2:30am with thump, thump, thump and thud.  I presumed it was the kangaroos down for a feed of our green, grassy areas the bore sprinklers have created.  Everything else around us is crispy gold.  We had the sprinklers trained on the house when we were under threat.  One of the kangaroos must have misjudged and crashed into a verandah post!  Unfortunately, there's a sad ending; when I drove out of the gates this morning, a huge, beautiful grey was dead on the side of our driveway.  Whoever hit it had pulled it off the road.  Being a long weekend, that will lie there now until next Tuesday when the council man picks it up.  It is big and would have done a lot of damage to that person's car.

NATURE'S EPITAPH

NATURE'S EPITAPH - William Herbert Carruth (1859-1924)

Who knows where the graveyard is
Where the fox and the eagle lie?
Who has seen the obsequies
Of the red deer when they die?

With death they steal away
Out of the sight of the sun;
Out of the sight of the living, they
Pay the debt and are done.

No marble marks the place;
The common forest brown
Covers them over with Quaker grace
Just where they laid them down.

But a few years, if you see
In summer a deeper green
Here and there, it is like to be
The spot where their bones have been.

Thus, not more, to the poor dead year;
No grave, nor ghostly stone,
But a greener life and a warmer cheer
Be the only sign that he's gone.

Victorian Bushfire Appeal
www.redcross.org.au

SAM THE KOALA

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