Pepper and Folly

Friday, November 26, 2010

Trip to Brisbane

Holiday pics from my trip to Brisbane, in Australia last week (Ben's living over there for his job for a while so I went over to visit)

Best part was going riding on Noosa beach with my friend Chloe. We hooned around on a gorgeous beach on some cool wee stock horses and it was so fun. Payed for it though 'cause I haven't ridden for a long time and so could barely walk (or go from sitting to standing without pained looks on my face) for the rest of the trip.

We also went to Australia Zoo (thats the one that was run by the Crocodile Hunter) It was a lovely Zoo but soooooo much merchandise! A gift shop at each different area of the park and the faces of the two children of the Crocodile Hunter slapped onto everything imaginable. Steve Irwin was famous for his conservation message but it really seems like it was very "forced" and that the Zoo is really just a revenue gaining venture now that he has died.

I have to say though, they put on a Free Flight bird display - it was amazing! Birds flying into the open air auditorium, landing, grabbing a fish or treat and then flying (or walking in the storks case) out again - they have Gala's, Rosella's, macaws, water birds, stork-y things and more. It was cool, most were a bit too fast to photograph though.

And of course the crocodiles

And the kangaroos were really tame too

I like the old looking ones with the sad faces best (I think they were the grey kangaroos)

And miscellaneous other creatures

And I got to meet Hsin-Yi and Honey to deliver a collar custom by Helen, which must have had some kind of special zoomy magical powers if Honeys dancing the next night was anything to go by!

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Fireworks

This is what we think of them

Pepper has been a nervous wreck this fireworks season, poor thing. We had fireworks shot over the fence beside us in bright sunlight while on a walk on Wednesday and since then she's not been herself, just spending heaps of time sulking on her mat. Our neighbour spent 4 hours setting them off on Friday night. Totally ridiculous. We're supposed to be in a "recession" and yet people can still manage to spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on glorified sparklers.

So many animals get injured at this time of the year. A live blackbird had four firecrackers strapped to his chest. Worse, a horse at the pony club next to our dog club broke both his front legs when some kids snuck into the reserve beside his paddock and starting letting the stupid bloody things off. He spent the entire night lying in the paddock in agony, was found in the morning in huge distress and was obviously euthanised. So sad and such a horrible way to die. Makes me sick and my blood boil.

And then to make matters worse I have to deal with all these idiots at work, patching up their drunken firework induced burns, Grrrrr!

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Kakamatua

Its a 3 day weekend here this weekend with Monday being a stat holiday. Of course being a nurse, we don't get holidays like everyone else and I'm again on stinking night shift the entire weekend and on into Monday. And of course the weathers gorgeous, meaning every man child and dog is out and about, mowing their lawns, trimming hedges, being noisy. I mean come on, I'm trying to sleep! So yesterday instead of wasting my time trying to sleep I went out to Kakamatua beach/inlet with Helen, her husband Noel-John, Leilei, and our dogs:

Pepper

Snoopy

Arrow

and Kaha

It was the first time I'd been out there and it truly is awesome. A wee foresty walk that opens up onto a streamy sandy bit that leads to a big inlet with is a huge sand flat at low tide. The dogs had a blast, running, chasing and being chased, getting wet, getting sandy, going loopy. It was really great. Much better than sleeping, although it made for a rather long night at work last night!

Within moments of getting off the leash:

Oh, look! Water!