I think I may have been remiss in never once posting to the Dog Blog the most iconic of all Australian animals – the Koala.
So here’s one.
There are no Koalas in Tasmania, except for those in Wildlife Parks, which is where I photographed this fellow.
Koalas eat eucalyptus leaves, which are extremely tough and very low in nutritional value. In order to get any food value out of them Koalas’ stomachs are basically a big fermentation vat. And the rest of the Koala is basically a slow moving and slow thinking (brains eat up lots of energy) transport mechanism for that vat. But, they are very cute.
Oh, and Happy Birthday Andi. What did the dogs get you?
(I’m not saying which end of the rope)
Here’s Luna on our walk this evening. The sun had just dipped below Big Tom (the hill west of us).
We saw two wallabies, and lots of birds. And, from the “drumming” sound Luna makes when she’s onto a good scent trail, the smells were fantastic.
Oh, and I meant to draw your attention to the “monster feet” noted by Second Nature at Happy Hour.
Thanks for the b’day wishes.
I thought it was a bit early, even for you.
Still, it’s your birthday and you may as well milk it for all it’s worth.
(Imogen’s still deciding about which postage option she wants to use.)
So, what can we send you from Tasmania?
You really don’t have to send anything but if you’re going to anyway, how about a trail map from some place you know we’d love to hike.
That’s gorgeous. How much snow would there be in August and would the tarn be ice-covered?
Imogen says that there is snow in Augest in a normal year, but that the tarn is rarely full ice covered.
We have a close friend who may be working with one of the companies that take people on Cradle Mountain walks. They carry all the food for their hikers and even set up hot showers at the camping huts.
Imogen also recommends the Bay of Fires walk.
Here’s a site on “great walks of Tasmania.”
Here’s an even better site to look at.
You’ve got my hiking juices flowing. Those are great sites.
That yellow thing in the distance is our house. It only takes a few switch backs to get here (the back of our property). Luna will even pull you up the hills if you let her.
Oops. Here is the image.
are some of the “exotic” animals you just might see in the distance (as in the distance between you and your outsretched hand holding the feed bucket) while walking my favorite track.
You’re very good at being tempting. Believe me, if it weren’t for the really significant time, money, and distance hurdles, I’d already be on your doorstep.
Sorry I missed your Birthday Andi. Have many more good ones!
Good morning/evening keres.
Great pictures as usual. I’m wondering with those giant feet if Luna and I aren’t related in some way. 🙂
Imogen wants to know if you have double dew claws and fur between your toes.
Tell Imogen thank you and the dew claws are a no, the fur between the toes is a maybe. 🙂
Not that you can tell it’s green.
One of the birds we saw on our evening walk.
Green bird or not, that is a very evocative photo.
two ewes.
Hippo birdie two ewes
hippo birdie two ew-ewes
hippo birdie two ewes
And many more. 🙂
Lori says to tell you that if you come to Tasmania, even if you hate the walking, you’ll get to cuddle Albert, which will be a)life-fufilling ans b)make you the envy of the rest of his vast fanclub.
if the %^&*!!#@! dog keeps barking, scratching (as in pounding with her snow-shoes) at the glass door, scraping her metal bowl over concerete and generally being the largets pest you can….
you may get to take Luna home with you. really. I’ll pay.
When are you coming?
I know I would love the walking and petting Albert and having Luna for company. (Not bringing Luna back as it’s bad enough picking burrs and everything else out of the malamutt’s coat — no way I’m taking on a Pyr.)
When are you coming?
Well it took me 5 years to talk Jim into the 9 hour flight to Hawaii so I figure there’s a good chance I can talk him into this by the time our social security kicks in.
Very envious … 🙂
Hi there Imogen!
hope the day is treating you kindly.
Lori and I are just getting ready for bed.
I’m happy but rather strung out between full-time public servant duties & clandestine political duties, and those that are imminent (I am a delegate for my state to the upcoming australian green national policy conference, and the national conference proper just 3 weeks after). Luckily I’ve booked myself some leave that will start at the end of this upcoming week, so I’m hanging on like grim death for that. 😉
Been planting some veggies and reworking my veggie garden in the meantime – keres helped me put up an electric fence (or rather I helped her) to keep the darn hoppies out -last year they stripped every last thing except the sage, the little buggers. :p
As I head off to work.
Sounds like you have been – and continue to be – very busy … I hope the time speeds by until your leave starts and then slows to a snails pace. 🙂
Some of you may know that in July I had to say goodbye to my buddy Henry the beagle. I still have Libby, my beautiful Springer Spaniel. She is in good health, but is 16 years old. I’ve felt this impending doom because I know she is living the end of her days, so a few weeks ago I decided it was time to add a new member to our little family.
Last week I put a deposit down on a tiny shih tzu puppy. Should be ready to come home the first part of November. So I’m pretty excited. This will be my first experience with a puppy (I got Henry and Libby when they were about 2 from the Humane Society) so I might need some support and advice from all of you dog-lovers soon. I have a picture of the puppy (no name yet), but I can’t get it to download. But boy, is he a cutie-patootie. I thought I’d go with a small one this time and plan to take him with me most everywhere I go.
I just saw yesterday that the newest thing in California is ‘dog purses’ which is a sling that you, um, sling over your shoulder to carry tiny dogs around. That would be great for your new puppy! It has a handle so you can carry the dog around like a purse! I’m not sure it would work with my puppy who is already 40 lbs.
My sister-in-law has one of those for her chihuahua puppy (a whole 2 lbs now) and she takes it with her to go out to eat, to the movies, to the mall. No one ever knows she has a dog with her. I think they have a name for this now – pocket-book puppies.
Sometimes I worry about myself though – I just see this old spinster lady carrying her dog with her everywhere in her “pocket-book.” But I mostly think about taking him to work with me so he doesn’t have to be alone all day.
Can’t wait to see the pic.
We have a shih tzu, and she is sweet, smart, and funny.
Here’s Trigger reaching for a snack. I actually take him by the nose and kiss him on those huge fuzzy lips. His lips quiver and his eyes half close… he’s a riot. It’s probably not the best thing to teach a 1300lb. animal to kiss the humans on the lips. Ah what the hell, I like to live dangerously.
This is their REAL reaction to the humans giving kissies on the lips.
Great pictures Nag.
Thanks, FM. The tongue pic has already seen a bit of flight time… it’s good for so many occasions. 🙂
I love that pic.
What wonderful, beautiful horses Nag! 🙂
Your horses have that tongue-tip-out “Where’s the food?” look I’ve seen so many times from our cat herd.
Of course, now I want !!MORE!!
Thanks, Andi. I’ll have you know that pic was taken yesterday and hoarded (I almost posted it in yesterday’s cafe) just for you.
but very greedy.