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Archives for March 2013

Good for the soul

March 27, 2013 by Jen

Morning sun on gum tree

I went away over the weekend. It is an annual get-together with a bunch of girlfriends and this year was our 9th year. It’s a two-nighter but not everybody goes for the two nights so Friday night was fairly quiet with only eight of us. Saturday night was somewhat busier with ten new arrivals to make a total of 18.

I find these weekends to be really good for the soul as there are no men and no children to contend with. We’ve all known each other for a reasonable amount of time and there’s  a huge level of trust amongst us that the Park Ranger noticed and mentioned when he and his colleague came to check us out.

We camped, hence the appearance of the Park Ranger, and there are camping fees involved which I guess was his excuse for intruding.

During our nine years doing this we encounter people – usually men – who don’t quite understand the concept of a largish group of women away without their menfolk and children. They always want to know how we met and why we are there.

We’re usually polite but don’t encourage them to hang around because our circle of women is broken by these intruders.

Normally we go to the same camping ground and it’s a beautiful, sheltered spot where as soon as you arrive you just forget about the life you’ve momentarily left behind.

For the last two years we’ve our getaway has managed to coincide with buck’s weekends (or men’s weekend trips). Last year’s group didn’t really intrude but this year the ‘buck’ came over more than once to find out what we were up to. I think his party must have been a bit boring, or he was looking for some female action (or cougars as my mum nicely mentioned) before he gets married.

I wish the two nights was longer as I’m just settling in by the second day and have to pack up to go home, but it’s a really fun weekend full of chatting to good friends and laughing. So much laughing.

As I said, good for the soul.

And then, back to reality.

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Remembering

March 26, 2013 by Jen

Relaxing. Day 355/366.

I left for work this morning and my dog wasn’t waiting at the gate watching me go and making me feel guilty for leaving her at home by herself.

When  I get home from work she won’t be there waiting for me either. Her internal clock was really good at knowing roughly when I’d be getting home especially during the last few years of her life when she couldn’t hear the door to the house open, or the car turn into the driveway.

We had the day off school and work yesterday. I’m glad, as my eyes were so puffy from crying the day before that I’m sure I looked a bit funny.

So many of my friends knew and loved Monty so I think I’ve let everyone know that she’s gone now.

I vacuumed and mopped but I know that I’ll still find bits and pieces of her fur around the place for a while to come – especially outside. And I won’t need to sweep the back room and kitchen quite so often.

I emptied the dog bowls as there’s no point in having water sitting there attracting mosquitos. The bird bath will still get its water and if any dogs come over for a visit their mum or dad will need to put some water out for them.

I put Monty’s bed outside on top of the shed as it took up a lot of room in the back room. It can come back down when we get another dog.

JJ was a lot better yesterday. He hardly cried at all. He still misses his ‘Queen of Love’ though.

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RIP Monty: 1998? – 24 March 2013

March 25, 2013 by Jen

Monty

I knew the day was going to come when I’d have to make that decision and that day was yesterday when we had to get Monty put down.

For the last few months she’d become noticeably skinnier and we couldn’t take her for walks any more because she didn’t have the stamina.

On Friday, The Surfer took her back to his place for the weekend because I was going away camping for the weekend with some great friends of mine.

I picked her up yesterday and he told me that she hadn’t moved since the previous night. When I went to say hallo she was just lying there and didn’t get up, excited to see me like she normally did. We picked her up and put her in the car and brought her home, and carried her into the lounge.

Jules and Monty

I made the call to the vet who came around to have a look and agreed that it was her time to go. She could tell by her the smell of her breath that her kidneys had failed.

We sat there patting Monty while the final injection was administered and went through quite a few tissues to wipe away the tears and the runny noses.

JJ was very upset as Monty has been there for his whole life and he absolutely loved her. He called her the Queen of Love. JJ cried himself to sleep last night and every time he starts crying he sets me off as well.

Monty at the beach. Day 36/365.

She’s gone now and I keep looking up expecting her to stumble into the lounge like she has been for the last few months because her arthritis meant it was harder for her to get around.

I know it’s going to take some time to get over her. It’s amazing how an animal becomes a huge part of your life.

I’m going to miss filling in the holes she used to dig. I’m going to miss taking her for walks. I’m going to miss her waiting at the gate for us to come home. I’m going to miss her loyalness. I’m even going to miss picking up her poo. I’m going to miss her.

Here’s some other posts I’ve written about her.

This is just for Monty

My Monty girl

Geriatric Monty

Feeding an aging dog.

Best friends

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That’s nature for you

March 13, 2013 by Jen

When we were in Kangaroo Island down at Admiral’s Arch in Flinders Chase National Park there were heaps of seals. They were quite entertaining for various reasons.

I started photographing this baby seal.

Baby seal

Then I saw that it was making its way to a larger seal. Mum perhaps?

Enroute to mum

It makes it to mum, but she’s not really interested.

Mum turns around and tells the little one to go away. Perhaps she’s not its mum?

Baby seal is not to be deterred. Mum is not going to budge.

Baby seal trying to connect with mum

It does appear from these photos that they did indeed connect and it was all happy family, but it wasn’t. You can’t see what was really going on in these photos. The adult seal was not having a bar of the baby.

Was the baby hers? I don’t know.

That’s nature for you.

Linking up with Trish for Wordless Wednesday. She’s got baby meerkats over there.

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