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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“Chook (now her name) was wild when I first came here. Now, if I’m a bit slow feeding her, she walks up the veranda steps and looks through the glass front door.”

(c) Andrew Calder

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 ”This was the first and only attempt I’ve had at photographing fireworks. I used a tripod. It was in Traralgon and the fireworks were put on by the Lion’s Club – I don’t know what their reason was, most likely to raise money. I remember, as usual, Ella my whippet was with me. I was so focussed on the photography that I didn’t realise she was in distress from the explosions of the fireworks. A good person who was behind me and noticed her, held her close and covered her ears. She was the sort of dog who could bring out compassion and caring in most peopleJ; she would use this skill to her advantage in her everyday life usually to improve her comfort, or to get a dog chocolate or shame you into playing with her or taking her for a walk. It was taken 26th November , 2004.”

(c) Andrew Calder

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“I’ve more or less decided to be friends with Floss, we have stuff in common. She’s a funny girl. I was trying to take photos of the poor chook today, and I think floss was jealous, she kept chasing the chook away. She was quite happy for me to take pictures of her though.”

(c) Andrew Calder

Excerpt from email sent late February.

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“I have no idea where the chook lives. She shows up when she is hungry, and is often  looking in through the bathroom window. Her and the cat lived here for two months  with nobody looking after them, until I moved in. I’m amazed the cat didn’t eat her. She is pretty bossy when she wants to be fed.”

(c) Andrew Calder

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(c) Andrew Calder

When Andy moved into his new home, there was already an inhabitant. He named her ‘dirty fairy floss’, owing to her colour, which I shortened to ‘floss’. Despite not being a cat person, he grew fond of ‘floss’ and related many of her adventures to me. Andy loves animals and I wasn’t surprised! She has now returned to her owner.

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