Benji, Birds and still Fires

Sometimes, you just can’t take a trick. Yesterday we’re burning, today we’re flooded.  It was said that heavy rain could cause flooding in the fire areas due to the soil being compromised and that seems to be what’s been

happening. This morning  (Monday) when I took Benji out for his walk, the temperature was 9c and I was cold. If I hadn’t been so lazy I would have gone back for  a heavier jacket. During the night it bucketed down but by morning it was so dry that  there was almost no trace of the  heavy rain in the wee small hours.  I took a slight detour and went to the  water pit and was surprised by how little water there was in there. I  thought there would have been more given that the downpour lasted for the best part of an hour. Some areas in NSW had over 300 mm of rain in a day—- Two years worth of rain in a single day!  Canberra was hit by hailstones that  damaged cars and  property. Wednesday 22nd.  It rained here this morning. I had just come back from our walk ( 06:35) when I heard the noise on the carport. Went outside and it had gone – that was it – almost a whole  45 seconds! Didn’t even wet the ground.

When I first started feeding the Geese at the Wetlands, they were altogether. Now they seem to have broken up into little groups. I fed the Geese at the usual place but there were only four of them. I walked on and came across another group – four really big birds and two smaller ones. I started to feed them but I noticed that the bigger birds were deliberately keeping the two smaller birds away. I  threw some seed to where the smaller birds were and two of the larger birds moved over to where the seeds were and, using their much larger beaks, chased the smaller birds away. So, bullies, even in the bird world  :o)

Benji, as some may know, is my dog, or at least we thought he was until very recently. Generally he is around me, but not lately.  These last four or five weeks he has been going into Annabell’s room and lays down on the floor beside her bed. During the day he goes into her room and lays down behind her chair. With all this attention Annabell was getting worried — “does he know something we don”? Am I on my way out and this is a long farewell?” I can tell you right now he is not here with me.. I have a different theory about this new Annabell attention. When I have to go out and it’s too hot to take him with me I tell him he “has to stay and look after mummy” Even  if I am just going to the shops for Annabell, or heading off to Mount Gambier,  I still tell him  “to stay and look after mummy.” There are a few other instances where the word “mummy”is used so my theory is simply this – ” Dogs understand more than we give them credit for, thus Benji is going into her room to be near her and doing what he has been asked to do – “Looking after Mummy!” Ok, perhaps it is crazy but I would like to hear a better solution.

The Kangaroo Island Fire has largely been brought under control, but we now have a new  problem. The fire has destroyed the food sources of the wildlife so the State government and the KI Council together with the RSPCA are asking for 120 volunteers – all expenses, travel to KI, food and accommodation paid for – to assist in the rescue of  starving and injured animals. The volunteers will assist in the distribution of food  and fresh water where required and the rescue of any injured animals – particularly Koala Bears. It wont be an easy job but it is one that needs to be done.

Beside the news that more firefighters from the United States have come to assist our worn out firefighters here, there is the tragic news that one of the large fire bombers has crashed killing all crew. We don’t know what happened and we wont know until after an investigation. However, the bodies of the  three crew members have been recovered.