2nd October 2010 Maria Island

There were young geese and wallabies all over the place. The young geese seemed to do everything in unison, with the mother watching over them and the father standing guard. They’d even eat together while sitting down.

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12th November 2010 Swansea, and (below) 6th November 2010 Parliament Square Salamanca

You probably can’t see in the photo above because the sparrow is in silhouette; he has launched with his wings still closed.

Happy birthday Joh. I think these are appropriate themes for your new directions in life and they are also qualities you already have. Goodluck.

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Goose family

2nd October 2010 Maria Island

I have some photos of Maria Island left that I like. While we were on Maria, geese and wallabies all had young.

Goose youth

These are Cape Barren Geese. In the 1950′s there was a fear that these geese would become exinct. Some geese were introduced to Maria Island in 1968. Now you can see them wherever there is green grass to be eaten on the island. There is so much competition for grazing on Maria by various forms of wildlife that the grassy areas look like bowling greens.

Goose legs

Forrester kangaroos were also introduced to Maria Island because of their dwindling numbers on mainland Tasmania. These are often culled so that the island can support the remaining wildlife.

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22nd May 2010, Coles Bay

I lived for a while on the beaches between Cape Tribulation and Cooktown. This area is famous for the water coming right up to the trees at high tide – there are no beaches. But, at low tide there are huge expanses of muddy sand flats. The whole of the north of Australia seems like this; because the water is so shallow when the tide goes out, it goes out a long way.

At low tide on these beaches you would see a patchwork of blue and pink; two different types of soldier crab. There were so many, it was hard to walk without stepping on them. They moved together in large groups of hundreds, big patches of pink and blue moving across the sand.

This crab was at Swanwick beach in Coles Bay. Not as colourful or in the numbers of the Cape York Peninsula crabs, but otherwise similar. I started taking photos of them at about quarter to four; by four they had all buried themselves.

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25th April 2010 Coles Bay

Father of The Muppet, partner in crime to Chai. Zed tries to relax, but gets harassed by Chai. Zed and Chai share a house with Vanessa.

His sexuality is often questioned, or worse some people just assume he is more of a girl. He greets you at the door with a big fluffy dice or some other sort of stuffed toy in his mouth – a pink panther is one of his favorites.

If I look outside I see a plush bedraggled teddy sprawled on a garden bench, and another one at the head of the track we take when we head off on an exploratory walk.

Sometimes the floor is covered with all his toys in contorted positions, little ones and big ones, some with torn limbs and their innards spilling out. It is like the aftermath of a deadly battle between cuddly and squeaky toys.

For other comic relief, Zed is the master of sleeping positions. One of the funniest is when he is on his back with his paws hanging in the air.

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25th April 2010 Coles Bay

Chai is mother of The Muppet. She is a ball dog. Anything can be used for a ball, things like sheoak cones and stuffed toys.

She is really good at finding balls, especially tennis balls, anywhere. Although she appears quiet and reserved, it is Chai who starts up the play fights. She picks fights with The Muppet, me,  and Zed the big male labrador. You can see Zed standing in the background above.

While I’m sitting in a chair, writing this post, Chai deposits toys on the arm of the chair, then lies on the floor in wait. I’m supposed to throw the toy for her to chase. She is so delicate though, that I usually don’t notice until I get off the chair and see all the toys accumulated there.

Another of Chai’s peculiarities is that she stares at you; it is as though she is trying to communicate something.

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The Muppet starting a new day

24th April 2010, Coles Bay

Also known as The Grub or The Slug; it’s real name is China.

The Muppet walks like a bear; a bear walking kind of looks like it has poohed its pants. Although walking isn’t really The Muppet’s strong point. It has legs like little tree stumps to support the disproportionate weight. The Muppet might lose its legs as it evolves into something that just lies and eats.

The Muppet contemplates attack

The mum is golden, the father brown. The Muppet is black. Both parents are labradors; The Muppet is still metamorphosing into something, probably a walrus.

It is an only child, which could account for its size.

The Muppet exercises

The Muppet’s father, Zed, is an athletic monster, approaching the size of a great dane. Zed doesn’t really approve of The Muppet, and often barks a deep bass bark centimetres from The Muppet’s schnozzle (it’s not quite a nose yet). The blast from the bark sends the curtains flying. The Muppet closes it’s eyes and weathers the storm, its ears blowing back from the blast. It then leaps a few millimetres in the air and playfully yips back at Zed, totally at ease.

The Muppet has Zed’s number.

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