Fifty and over it

Xena Warrior Princess

2011-06-03T22:31:00.003+10:00

Fourteen and a half years ago I was told by my then husband and two daughters that we were getting a new pet ( a dog). My response was a resounding NOOOOOOO. For all my protest she still arrived. She visited for one night to see if she liked us and we liked her. She stayed for fourteen and a half years.

Her first week I slept with her downstairs and then took a week off work to try and settle her into some routine. (That was a joke she made up her routine as she went along.) After two weeks she got sick with kennel cough,I still remember her snuggled up on my chest fast asleep. As much as I said no she became a very big part of my life.

I remember spending several hours looking for her one day only to find she had chewed the mesh under an old lounge chair and made a hammock for herself and fell asleep.

Her first couple of years were a nightmare she tried to escape from every nook and cranny in the back yard. I spent a fortune on mesh and wood to stop her squeezing through fences and digging under them.

I have so many memories of her digging, chewing and escaping. She became a part of our family and my life. She saved my sanity and my life when my marriage fell apart. She became my best friend, she gave me comfort and healing, she never judged, yelled, cried or talked back, she just gave me lots of love and cuddles.

This week the time came for me to repay all her love and companionship in a way that I hated having to do, I made the decision to have her put to sleep.

She had stopped eating on Monday so we took her to the vet on Tuesday the results came in on Tuesday night saying her kidneys were failing and I needed to get a urine sample. What fun job that was standing around waiting for her to pee and then getting a bottle under her when she did. She didn't mind though because I think she knew or maybe by then she didn't really care.
What followed will be etched in my memory forever. The vet saying this is not curable and we could make her comfortable for the next 4-6 weeks. How do you make them comfortable by sticking needles into them and shoving pills down their throat and putting them on drips because they are not eating because their gums are swollen and their teeth are sore and they feel sick. How I ask you HOW???
So on the 01/06/2011 at 10.15am I made one of the hardest decisions I have made in my life to have my best friend put to sleep. Rest in Peace my baby girl because I won't for a while to come. Guilt is not an easy friend to live with even though I feel I did right by her I still fell guilty. Did I make the right the decision or not, there was no going back, when the vet brought her back into to me after it was done I thought NOOOOO again. (Come back for one last cuddle and smile).
She will be sadly missed.

Xena warrior princess beagle born the 10/12/96 died the 01/06/11.

Now two days later I look at her empty bowl, her blanket, her toys and her photo and wonder what if I had changed my mind. I could have had 4-6 weeks with her But would that have been fair on her?

Love you baby. R.I.P.

My daughters wedding day

2010-03-21T21:03:00.011+10:00

Here are some pics of my daughters wedding day even though it rained you could not wipe the smiles from the happy bride and grooms face. In the above picture is my ex to the left Brett, Jess, Myself and Steve.

Sarah, Brett, Jess, Me and Steve

The Bridal Party and yes one of the groomsmen was a female

My two lovely daughters Sarah and Jessica.

All the grandparents that are still alive were there to see the day.

Even though it rained it was a lovely day.

The happy couple.

My Jess. She is so beautiful.

The team trying to get the mud off the dress before the reception.

All The Guests

The twists in life

2010-03-10T23:35:00.002+10:00

Today is not a happy day but a day to remember my lovely Aunt passed away she was a woman that in today's world would rarely been seen, she was a woman of character and principal she was an artist in her dressmaking and paintings. She would make you laugh just by talking to her. My regret is I did not visit her in her final days, I was always to busy (no excuse). Beating myself up will accomplish nothing. May she rest in peace. May her children and grand children and great children see what she was made of and move forward and be as great as she was.

Wedding

2010-03-03T22:09:00.002+10:00

Two and a half days to go and the wedding is upon us so looking forward to seeing my beautiful daughter get married. Rock on Saturday. Will post lots of photos after the day. :)

Our wildlife over the past twelve months

2010-02-19T21:25:00.012+10:00

Some of our ringtails in care at the moment. In the front is Prue and the eyes you can see are Basil's our third is called Manny.

This is Ruby one of our girls that we had for a short time she is still alive and thriving with a new creche.

My biggest animal and baby in care my hubby Steve.

Our Tawnies day time shot. They are all in a don't care mood as they are not hungry.

Night time shot. All alert and hungry or full.

This is Bertie one of our Brushies due for release soon he now weighs about 1.5kg.

One of our tawnies.

I Am Back

2010-02-18T21:05:00.002+10:00

It has been a while since I last posted, not long, nearly a year. Have spent most of the past year working and doing more work. We are still into our wildlife caring but we will be taking a small break of three weeks in April which I think I am in desperate need of, my last break from all the daily routine was in April 2008. We have had many new and varied species in our lives and have been enjoying all the knowledge and the company of our wildlife. I am thinking of changing my blog title to my wildlife, either that or Life in my fifties but as I enjoy writing more about my animals I think that maybe the better option.

At the moment we have some great new little friends to care for five cute ringtails. I have two creches one with 2 males and a female and the other two females. I have made the difficult decision not to do brushtails any more they are cute, cuddly, tenacious and very hard to move on hence my reasoning for not doing them any more. Working nearly full time and caring tends to be a bit difficult at the best of times.

On a different note my eldest daughter gets married in three weeks so there are lots of preparations going on and I am looking forward to the big event. (Even though it means seeing all the ex in laws and out laws). Seriously though even that I don't think will be to bad. I think maybe I am growing.

As each day passes I feel more confident in myself and my relationship with my husband it has taken me a long time to get to where I am. I have started to learn that with time and love comes healing.

Back to Life in my Forties

2009-03-14T20:24:00.005+10:00

Have gone off on a tangent lately with the animals but will try to get back on track for a little bit any way.

My eldest daughter Jess has announced that her and her partner are getting married and hope to be having a child soon, given her health history of late, I am over the moon and am hoping things go right for them both for a change. On another side I am working part time and so is Steve, so the question arises how on earth are we going to help pay for the wedding. I am already working six days a week and finances are starting to get tight, with the economic climate as it stands at the moment I am worried.

I thought that when I reached my forties I would be at least be moderately well off considering I have worked most of my life but (Life) sometimes throws you some curve balls. For example divorce, bankruptcy, redundancy, bills etc.

Just hope it all works out. But my ex husband has informed our daughters that he is retiring next year so hopefully he will pay for a change. O My God how bad does that sound (bitter and twisted) . Sorry.

Maybe I should return to writing about my animals at least I get enjoyment from them with their antics and won't come across as getting just plain old and a whiner.

Oh to be happy, young and CAREFREE like my baby animals, they get cleaned and fed and will be released back out into the wild, maybe I should come back as one of them. God that sounds good. No bills, no work, no housework, no stress and no worries.

Do people really care.

2009-03-08T21:12:00.008+10:00

I have not written much lately, Life in my forties has had a lot of side tracks. I have come to realise that there are some important things happening aside from being forty. Apart from being tired all the time from working 6 days a week. Many of the wildlife we are getting into care are dying which is not healthy for the environment and I have come to the realisation that progress in the human sense is killing them. My last blog entry was about Hamish a baby brushtail a dog attack since then we have had a female ringtail with baby twins in her pouch all died also due to domestic dog attack. Another brushtail unknown reasons but found with dogs. Several birds some dog and some cat attacks. But one of our latest was human, a snare causing a broken front leg and major damage to his upper front leg resulting in gangrene and having to be put down.

He is in so much pain and scared.

You can see the snare marks around his ankles.

The vet we got him from said he just needed some care for a couple of weeks and could be released. They did not tell us he had a broken leg or give us medication for his wound.

On a brighter note we have little Terry who we have had since Christmas Eve. His injuries were his front leg unknown cause. He is growing and is a pig loves his food and lots of attention. He should be ready for release in a couple of months.

He likes to sit on peoples head just like mum's back only our skulls are not as tough so can be quite painful. Head massage with needles would be an apt description.

His claws are very sharp. But he is oh so adorable.

Hamish R.I.P.

2009-02-17T21:22:00.002+10:00

After such a good start my baby Hamish had a rupture in is bladder from the dog attack. After the Vet examined him and Hamish my little boy took a swipe at him (for examining him) I had to leave him to be sedated and checked and hopefully drained so he did not get renal problems. My last visual contact of the little tyke was him looking up at me with his big brown eyes and giving me a lick on the chin and cuddling into my chest. He died on the operating table. Very sad and lots of tears but a least he did not suffer. (God life is hard and unforgiving sometimes)

May my little boy rest in peace.

I love being a wildlife carer but some times it can be very emotionally draining. My next one will hopefully have a better start in this world and a better future. I live in hope of all the animals we get into care.

A day in the life of young Hamish the Brushtail Possum

2009-02-12T21:59:00.006+10:00

My Name is Hamish am I cute or what.

Hi my name is Hamish I weigh 300 grams. What a day and night I fell off Mums back and I don't know where she is, she has lost me. After wandering around on the ground for a while these two things which were much bigger than me, huge actually decided they wanted to have a game with me as their toy, I was shaken, stirred and thrown. They had big teeth which I am still wearing the marks of and healing from, then this huge creature even bigger than the two furry four legged creatures picked me up (Oh my god I was so scared). They wrapped me up in a nice soft fluffy thing and took me in this big metal contraption that made lots of noise to a place even further away from my Mum (will she ever find me again, I doubt it?). The new place had lots of new smells, nothing like what I was used to, then after being handled by many of these two legged creatures I was put in a cage so I could finally sleep. When I woke up some new two legged things took me in another metal contraption (Oh boy when is this nightmare going to end?).

This is me thinking about what to write next. Boy is it hard.

Since then which seems ages ago but has only been three days I have lived in a small square basket and have been given lots of milk and some yummy fruit like grated apple and watermelon and strawberries and this horrible foul tasting stuff which I have heard this two legged creatures refer to as medicine and all it does is make me poop lots. But I am feeling so much better my holes in my back are getting better and I don't feel so stiff and I am getting lots of sleep in this nice warm bed.

This is my bed till I get bigger.

I still miss my Mum but I don't think I will ever see her again but my new Foster Mum and Dad are great. They are looking after me.

Painful Weekend

2009-01-18T20:47:00.002+10:00

This weekend has been interesting and painful, a friend of Steve's is doing Myopractic (Myopractic is deep muscle techniques and structural integration of the muscles). He visited us on Saturday as I had mentioned to him I was having problems with my neck and sleeping etc. So after a couple of coffees he checked out my aches and pains. He started on the neck and shoulders and found my problem to be a bit more than anticipated, several years ago I was getting out of our car and got my foot hooked in my handbag and fell onto my knee quite heavily bruising the top of my thigh and knee and twisting my back. I had to wait for everyone to stop laughing before they helped me up and even in my pain everyone still thought it was hilarious bottom line I did do some major damage (hence this entry) Tony found so many muscles that I have stopped using that I was nearly in tears with every one that he touched. So for a neck ache he found the muscles in my gluteus maximus (the bum) were tense and sore causing my neck problems.

So after and hour of working on all my muscles (front and back) I have been in pain all weekend and am looking forward (not) to his next visit. (All done for the price of a coffee). What are friends for???

Seriously I am looking forward to his next visit so I can get a full nights sleep with no pain.

So beware what you think is just a minor fall can cause some major issues later. Oh to be getting old and what to look forward to. :)

Native Animal Bus

2009-01-05T21:20:00.004+10:00

Being a carer for our native animals I am finding at the moment is very tiring and daunting, but also would not swap it for anything.

On the weekend we became a wildlife bus picking up at different spots and dropping off and getting assessed different animals in our care, in total our car had 12 boxes with 18 animals ready to be moved and assessed. Our co-ordinator Natasja is just wonderful, as we started unpacking our car she just took it in her stride, but on saying that I have seen bigger loads of animals being brought into care at her place. I take my hat off to her ( I think I would go stir crazy) her house is an open house for carers and animals. I can't remember the last time I visited her that it was quiet.

Today we got the delivery of three new ringtails and three bantams (they are so cute) for a short stay while their carer moves house. We also did a fodder run. Not far from where we live is a park where the council has set aside some land for wildlife carers to grow trees, so that you can feed the animals in care. It is a great idea and better than stripping your neighbours trees and all up the street and parkland in order to feed your animals. Not that we do that we usually visit relies and strip their trees. :)

Feelings

2008-12-28T21:30:00.004+10:00

Everyone has them, feelings that is but how many people appreciate that, not many I think. They are ignored, trampled on, put on the back burner etc. Why is that, is it because so many people are so busy they forget about them or what. People everywhere have feelings, how many people take the time to think of others and their feelings????? My post is not about bitching as such but it has made me realise just how little people regard other people lately. Christmas is always a time of thought for me and what the year has been like, this year I am totally over being trampled on and ignored, sad thing is I don't know how to fix the problem. (Because I find it hard to speak my mind).

I work in the retail industry and I have so many customers that I have seen for years, stoping for a short hello and how are you is not a problem I love the interaction but I have found on a personal level that a lot of friends and family don't have the same respect.

On a different level of feelings tonight I made the cut with my baby it was sad.

Golum when he first came into care weighing in at 110grams.

Golum at 1.3 kg and ready for release.

I have mixed emotions with every animal that comes into care, some are easy and some not so, but I will never say never. I wish people were easier to deal with sometimes.

Almost Christmas

2008-12-03T21:05:00.004+10:00

Almost Christmas, this time last year Steve and I were getting ready for our big holiday in England and Europe. No such luck this year or any time soon for any holiday anywhere. At this point in time my life revolves around work, bills and animals and keeping Steve's temper in check refer to Steve's Blog and laptop (He really needs to get out there and do some house work or gardening. ) :)

On a brighter note my eldest daughter has just bought her first home and my youngest is moving back home for a short time. (She is living with druggos who love to smash windows and punch walls etc.) So thank god she has had the sense to move home and find a better environment later on.

Am really hoping that 2009 brings a few more happier moments in our lives as well as everyone else out there in blogger land. I think that at the end of every year everyone thinks back on the good and the bad and hopes for better in the following year.

My new year wishes are for a better job and a better body :) (mine not Steve's)

Hope everyone out there has a great Christmas and a very safe New Year.

Home Alone and Then Not

2008-11-14T20:57:00.003+10:00

After months of Steve and I being on our own apart from our animals. Well what can I say MY PARENTS ARE COMING TO STAY THE NIGHT. Don't get me wrong I love my parents my dads one request was though was that he didn't have to sleep with a possum, so apart from doing a major overall on the cleaning we have had to find new rooms for many of our animals as they take up a huge part of our lives so having a possum per room etc you can get the drift. Lots of shuffling and not many happy campers. Just hope the dog and cat don't scratch on our bedroom door where my parents are sleeping wanting to come in.

Tawny Frogmouths

2008-11-11T20:44:00.009+10:00

The last couple of months have been pretty full on with work and wildlife. We have had so many birds come in and out of our care it is scary. At the moment it is the bird season or what we call the silly season. Steve and I are very involved with the wildlife and the organisation that we are affiliated with which is called BARN (Brisbane Area Rescue Network). It takes up a huge chunk of our lives but I feel it is worth it and we get great satisfaction out of releasing an injured or baby animal that has come into care, back into its native environment. I have previewed many animals in my blog that we have had in care and that have been successfully released back out into the wild. This coming weekend we are going to release one of our long term possums, he is a big boy and is very healthy now.

Our latest birds in care people often mistake for owls but they are Tawny Frogmouths. I feel it will be a big leaning experience for both Steve and myself as we have to teach them to hunt for wild game such as mice etc. should be fun (I think).

Tawny Frogmouths

As well as caring and rehabilating baby and injured animals we take the rescue phone over once a month and have recently published a calendar of some of the animals that have come into care to help raise money for our organisation to help carers buy cages and necessary equipment and food for the care of the animals.

I am just starting to grasp the enormity of how many of our wildlife is brought into care due to human development of our native wildlife habitate areas and the impact it holds over our future generations and our survival. It is quite scary, I fear for future generations and what they will face due to the impacts of urban developers who are encroaching and destroying the natural environment of so many animals.

Gloria the Cockatoo

2008-10-22T22:07:00.005+10:00

Last week we took into care a cockatoo that had been clipped by a car. No major damage to the car I have been told and no major damage to the cockatoo which we have named Gloria. She is a beautiful bird but she has a beak which can crack walnuts and fingers so I found out on my first encounter with this beauty. I silly me was very game and decided to remove her from the vets cage and put her into ours with just a pair of gloves and a towel. Not a good idea I think to even go near a cockatoo and their beak without a suit of armour is a stupid move. Gloria came close to totally deadening any nerves I have in my finger. She got hold and was not going to let go. The swelling and bruising is now starting to ease after a week.

Steve and I have decided big parrots are not our calling. We have had to get Gloria out every day to treat her wing and let her have some exercise and we have learnt how to do this with out ever touching her. Never again will I handle a cockatoo with out welding gloves and a sheet of metal between us.

Gloria telling and showing us who is boss. She is.

Oh What A Day

2008-09-23T18:17:00.010+10:00

Today I had a moment when I wished the ground would have opened up and swallowed me. Have you ever had a day when you have things go from hectic to stupid.

All my life I have been brought up around cars and the mechanics of them. My Dad is an ex cabbie who did all the maintenance on his cabs for the 25 years he was an owner driver and I used to love hanging out in the garage watching and helping when I could and Dad taught me well. I knew just about everything to look for when something happened to one of my cars and how to fix it.

Well today after a an extremely hectic day at work I went down to the car I am borrowing at the moment as Steve is away and has ours and it wouldn't start, all thought process went out the window, I presumed I had a flat battery as that was the symbol on the dash, so I rang my daughters partner who is part owner of the car with her I am borrowing and checked a few details and found they were part of the RACQ our road service here and they were. So I called and a lovely man from RACQ came out and checked the battery which he said was fine, then he got into the car and turned to me and said it would normally start if you put into park. At that moment I wished for the ground to open and swallow me.

I then came home to find my tilt-a-door wire broken and not being able to open it.

Oh what a day.

Home Alone

2008-09-15T19:06:00.014+10:00

For many years now there has always been someone living at home and now the house is bare. I think the old saying empty nest is coming into play for me at the moment. My youngest has left home and now there is just Steve and I (and Steve is in Armidale for UNI residential so there is just me) god it is lonely. But I still have our five possums, four lorikeets, four chickens, a dog and cat to keep me company and busy (but none of them can hold a decent conversation). I have listened to music (Steve took all the good stuff to Armidale) so even that is running low with what is left and TV is so boring. So after a long time of not writing in my blog because I have been so busy I now find I have time.

I have taken some pictures of our little darlings. Below is a picture of Pinky who weighed 100 grams on entering this home and is now well over 200 grams ( and no is she not eating a worm it is a part of a leaf as she is vegetarian) and the little head is Yoda who came into care weighing 50 grams there is another photo below of him and he now weighs over 160 grams.

Gollum above is my problem possum not wanting to eat but not wanting to give up and neither will I.

This is Yoda was 50 grams now budda. Previous photos in my blog show just how little he was. He is doing really well.

I have had so many ups and downs lately I look to the future and pray that it is brighter. Who ever said that life in your forties is great needs to be ArGGGGGhhhhh, ( shot) maybe some days are good and some not. I suppose that is life whether it is your forties or when ever.

Our Freezer is full

2008-08-11T21:54:00.003+10:00

Sad to say but our freezer is full. Why you might ask is that sad, usually people have food in their freezer so if it full it is usually a good thing but sad to say our freezer is filled with dead birds waiting for burial. Our past weekend was not good on the wildlife front we did a couple of rescues and the fate of the ones up for rescue was not a happy one.

Steve and I take the good with the bad and try to deal with it as best we can. But never the less our freezer at this point is full.

Dreaming

2008-08-08T20:10:00.031+10:00

I feel like I never had six months off to study. I am back to working in my locked office with no windows. I enjoy the work the days fly by but I would ultimately love to be working in the environment and with animals, maybe that day will come. I am sure everyone has dreams of their dream job but reality is you need to earn the almighty dollar to survive and the job you have is better than none.

As wildlife carers I get to dabble in my dreams. Our babies and some of our rescues.

Gollum brushtail 100grams in our care.

Pelican rescue

Duckling rescue

Our ringtails in our care.

All our animals in care hopefully will survive and be returned to the wild.

Three new babies

2008-07-17T21:15:00.004+10:00

This week Steve and I have become the proud foster parents of three new little ringtails. One is a little boy that weighs in at 60grams and two little girls. The little boy we have called Yoda and the two little girls are called Pinky and Perky. The girls weigh in at 80grams and 100grams.

This is Yoda he is very adventurous and so tiny . He is also butt ugly but we love him. Once he gets bigger he will look like the little girls he just needs more hair and to fill out .

This is Pinky who is very shy and bites like crazy and is always pulling her blanket over her head.

Acute Pancreatitis

2008-07-12T19:40:00.005+10:00

Well the last couple of days have not been much fun. On Thursday night after dinner with my eldest daughter, her boyfriend and Steve, I was sitting on our back patio talking to my daughter when I started to get this pain, within about 10 minutes I was in extreme agony I could not get comfortable and the pain wasn't showing any sign of easing. So after trying every possible position to get comfortable and the pain getting worse my family decided to call an ambulance. The ambulance guys were wonderful and gave me this green tube to suck on so by the time we got to the hospital the pain had eased.

Emergency was really busy so I was there for some time before I saw a doctor but the bottom line is after three blood tests and a CT scan it was shown that I had acute pancreatitis which they said can be quite serious. The blood test shows a thing called the lipase, for a normal lipase it should be under 70 my reading was 1750 so they were quite worried. When I was discharged today my reading was 84 so they said I was improving and was right to come home.

I am extremely grateful to my family as I was in so much pain I could not think straight let alone get myself to the hospital.

When I got home today I did a google search on acute pancreatitis and below is what I found.

Acute pancreatitis usually begins with pain in the upper abdomen that may last for a few days. The pain may be severe and may become constant—just in the abdomen—or it may reach to the back and other areas. It may be sudden and intense or begin as a mild pain that gets worse when food is eaten. Someone with acute pancreatitis often looks and feels very sick. Other symptoms may include

swollen and tender abdomen
nausea
vomiting
fever
rapid pulse

Severe cases may cause dehydration and low blood pressure. The heart, lungs, or kidneys may fail. If bleeding occurs in the pancreas, shock and sometimes even death follow.

I don't particularly like the last two sentences.

I have passed

2008-07-05T21:18:00.007+10:00

May not be able to read this but I did pass J is for Joy and a pass, M is for Misery and a fail I have no m's

I received my results for my Certificate 111 in conservation and land management and I have passed all my subjects I am so thrilled I have achieved something that I didn't think I was going to be able to do. I just need to move forward in the job arena. Yahooooo!!!!!!!! Thirty years out of school and so many new things and I have successfully completed my course.

Back to Work

2008-06-30T12:30:00.005+10:00

After six months of enjoying the outside I now have to return to my old job for at least the next six months. Steve finishes his job on Wednesday. What will happen with him after that is anyone's guess, hopefully he will find a new job in the not to distance future.

I am hoping once everything settles down I may go back to study and get a job in the environmental field. Will just have to wait and see. Meanwhile my old job back in the office starts this week. I am working nearly everyday either in the office or on checkouts which will make a change.

On a different note we soft released our two ringtails on Friday night and they are having a ball in the trees around our house but one of them still comes home every morning and sleeps in their drey.

He has had a busy night and is very tired.

Not happy about being woken in the middle of the day.

Almost at the finishing line

2008-06-17T20:04:00.003+10:00

I have one more day or I should say half a day at Tafe to go and I will be all finished. It has been fun and I have passed everything so far just a couple of more assignments and I will have my cert 111 in Conservation and Land Management. One month ago I was ready to throw it all in but I have now almost completed the course and am quietly confident that I have passed. Yahoo.

On a different note I have gone back to working for my old company to help the finances along but the only thing available at the moment is check out chick. I feel I have stepped back in time. It has been seven years since I worked on checkouts and so many of my old customers have come through my register and said where have you been and so help me, now we have our name displayed on the register if another person says oh look its Madonna and makes some smart comment I will scream.

Governments

2008-06-12T19:59:00.004+10:00

I don't have much time for politics but when it came to my back door I sat up and took notice. The State Government has decided (against our council) to secure 300 hectares of land in our shire for low cost housing. As the Redlands has one of the largest (although dying out) koala populations you have to ask why. There is not much land available for the koalas to actually call home anymore so again I ask why?

The infrastructure in the area they wish to do this is also not great, the transport, schools and facilities available are not the best. Does the Government want to create the slums of the future if so why here?

I know people need housing but surely the Government could knock down Anna Blighs home and the surrounding area and build there. Instead of signing the death warrant for hundreds of koalas and other animals that live in the area.

Bionic Beagle

2008-06-07T20:59:00.009+10:00

Two blogs in one day I am doing well.

Steve and I own an 11 year old beagle. Two years ago she was chasing a cat around the shed and tore her back left ligament resulting in her having a pin put in. Guess what she did her right ligament two weeks ago, so she has had a pin put in her right leg now. We now fondly call her the bionic beagle. She nearly costs as much as the bionic man now as well.

She hates us at the moment except when she needs to go to the toilet as we have 15 steps she needs to be carried up and down stairs, by the way she ways 17kgs so this is not much fun at the moment for her or us. Steve and I are going to end up with biceps on our biceps or bad backs (I think it will be the bad backs).

Our girl Xena

She has eight stitches

Steve is a softy

2008-06-07T16:03:00.004+10:00

I haven't had much time lately to do any blog entries because of tafe but I am nearly finished and so far have passed all my assignments only about 5 to go thank God.

The reason for my title is because several weeks ago we released our long term inmate Lucky the brush tail possum and Steve is always saying don't get to friendly to them as they have to be feral to be released but Lucky was with us for so long that even Steve had a big soft spot for him because of all his issues. So I couldn't resist posting this photo of Steve's farewell to our beautiful boy.

Not long to go

2008-05-03T21:38:00.005+10:00

There is not long to go and tafe will be finished and I have to go back to working in my old job. I am going to miss all the people I have encountered in the last couple of months. I don't think I will miss the assignments which I still have about 7 to do and five weeks to do them but I am determined to get them done.

A week at tafe at the moment consists of Monday we had chalk and talk in the morning an a mapping exam all afternoon. Tuesday start 11am chalk and talk and then planting trees all afternoon besides a creek in the Redlands. Wednesday off and Thursday an all day first aid course. Friday a new module was introduced in the morning and we then spent the afternoon setting quadrants out in the field counting plants. One of the nicest things about Friday was sitting under a tree outside the classroom having lunch with a koala just above us. Koalas are becoming an extinct animal in the Redlands so it was nice to see one for a change.

The latest research shows that in ten to fifteen years there will be no koalas left in the Redlands one of its main habitats.

Work Experience Week Two

2008-04-19T21:30:00.007+10:00

Day one lush green weeds.

Day two looking a bit barer.

Day three almost cleared our small patch.Day four not much left.

We finally reached the river that runs beside the property. Yahoo.

What a week. The place that we did work experience needs to be napalmed. It was full of weeds, there were hardly any natives if any, it was dreadful. Our first day most of us wished that we could breath, the pollen, spores and dust were awful. It was like working in a jungle, the heat and humidity were intense. We all left on the Friday feeling very disheartened, the Trust that owns the land are not going revegetate as the land is cleared, consequently the weeds we just removed will be back in 6 months time.

Needless to say I have not had a very educational or moving experience in the field I thought was for me.

I have decided that working with animals and their habitats is where I want to be. I will finish my course and hopefully pass then I will move on.

Work Experience

2008-04-11T18:57:00.004+10:00

This week I had the experience of working in the environmental industry. Oh what a shock I spent the week mulching a park full of hundred of year old fig trees. It was back breaking work. We had 19 trees to mulch around the park, the first day was pretty easy as we had the assistance from a posy cat (it was like a small bobcat) then it broke down, after that we had to do every thing by hand. In the photos it shows the park and just one of the mounds of mulch (we had seven like that). We had to pitch fork the mulch into wheelbarrows and spread and rake it around the trees and the surrounding area (most days we had 6 people). It was hot and sweaty work but I did enjoy it, I just don't know whether I am capable of doing that sort of work on a full time basis. I am still trying to grasp what I actually learnt from this experience though, I already have learnt through age and time hard work, humility, working as a team etc. and I already know about mulching, I have done that for years so maybe I have learnt that the council gets lots of free labour from volunteers and work experience idiots like me.

Pain

2008-03-28T21:17:00.002+10:00

Last night I decided to silly me, weigh our new ringtail possums even though we have had them for several weeks, now I understand why we have not tried this before. I walked away with a bleeding finger to the point I have not been able to move it for most of today and bruises and scratches all up my arm.(Oh and it peed all over me). Next time I try this I will wear full body armour. Although there won't be a next time real soon unless Steve does it and I don' think that will happen.

On a sadder note we have a few local possums that visit our yard and tonight we had one come onto our patio (not a usual thing)it had an eye that was red and inflamed, it needed attention but it moved on before we could look at it properly. I am quite worried about the implications of this as we have several baby possums in care, if it has a disease it could spread to them.

On a brighter note I have spent the week in the field weeding and revegetating and I have had so much fun. Today though was animal day so we went out to some migratory bird watching shelters and observed the birds, some of which will leave our shores in the next couple of weeks and move onto Alaska via Japan to breed then back here. What a journey to just have some kids (we as humans don't realise how easy our lives are). Imagine flying thousands of kilometres to give birth leave your babies and fly back and then a couple of weeks later the babies fly all the way to find you. The mind boggles.

Oh what a time

2008-03-16T19:50:00.002+10:00

I have had the day from hell trying to get my assessments done I understand the questions but putting them in my own words ohhh boy. Give me a cheque book and a pile of receipts no problem ask me about a laboratory analysis on QA,QC,accuracy,blanks and control and I am lost. I know what they do but to put that in my words is proving to be difficult to say the least.
I said to my husband why did I give up my job I am starting to wish for the mind numbing boredom (not really) but it does go through your head when you have to do assessments. Bottom line is I am enjoying what I am learning and I am still just hoping I pass everything.

Getting past that our new possums are doing well. We still have Lucky but hopefully for not much longer he is well over due to be released and I mean well overdue. I worry about him going out into the wild because he has been with us for so long and he is such a big boy now and he so horny (I feel for the boy he can smell the females that come into our yard and he calls for them) he won't be successful though because he is in a cage. (I think it would be hard to have sex through a mesh of wire "don't you").

Hopefully he will move on soon, we need more release sites around where we live. But we also need more people to take these poor orphans on or become members so that we have the finances to help.

It has been awhile

2008-03-05T21:01:00.000+10:00

Well where can I start I have had such a full on four weeks since I started tafe. I have learn't so much I don't whether I have taken much in but it has been fun. Apart from all the riparian zones and the benthic zones and lots more I have done, ( how should I put this) I have met an interesting other side of me. That is how I am feeling. The first day I met a fellow student, we found we have so much in common it is scary. Now I think we could be really connected some how. She is around my age hasn't studied for the same amount of time, has two sons the same age as my two girls, has been separated and divorced the same amount of time, is living with a guy just like my Steve and so so many other little things, don't laugh but even our teeth have a similar story. Apart from all that she is she is a lovely lady and I am enjoying getting to know her and what else we may have in common. Funny thing is I have yet to ask her when her birthday is.

Getting away from that, the other day we had our first of many field trips where we got to rip out weeds etc. This trip consisted of us walking out to a small island off Wellington Point and digging up prickly pear. It is a 20minute walk (take into account we had wheel barrows, digging equipment, a roll of fencing wire, buckets, bags for rubbish and black plastic) and we were set. There was no water (except what you bought with you and no toilets). Did I mention it was in the middle of the day. Apart from all that when we finished I felt we had done something significant for the environment. We are all still picking out prickles out of our clothes, gloves etc one guy said he found one in his beard.

On my days off from tafe I have been working in my old job. Such a day was today, I honestly don't miss my old job and am looking to the future in the hope I get a job in what I am learning. I was quite down after today and really look forward to my days at tafe at the moment. I think I was never destined to be in a cage.

On a brighter note we have new babies, we have three new possums two ringtails and a brushtail (don't tell Steve but Sarah and I just got Clive our brushtail out and he escaped SSSHHHHHHH.) We caught him again but still we were very bad to get him in the first place but he is just sooooo cute. Hopefully I will get some pics soon. I promise I won't get him out again. That was for Steve as he will read this. Love you babe.

First Week in Tafe

2008-02-16T20:20:00.000+10:00

This week was my first week back in the scary world of studying and learning. I have five assignments and I don't know where to start. My first day I was terrified about who would be in my class and what the teachers would be like now I am just worried I won't be able to pass. I just hope I can take it all in and walk away with a certificate.

My class is a good mixture of ages and sexes which is great. I have met some really nice people. The teachers though all seem to be stale so to speak I think they are wishing they were some place else. Given what they are teaching it is understandable. I think they want to be out in the field doing the revegetating instead of teaching it.

My first assignment I have decided to do Lyngbya an algae that smothers the vegetation in Moreton Bay thus killing off the food supply to some of our native wildlife in the bay. I have to really get my head around it all. But on an up note I get lots of day trips around the Redlands and we have to assess and revegetate a few plots in the area so that in years to come we can go back and say we did that.

I can't believe that two weeks ago I was in England and now I am back to reality with a bump. I even went to work today for 3 hours and I have to work next week. Oh God to be on holidays again.

Our Trip

2008-02-14T20:28:00.000+10:00

Steve and Terry (Steve's cousin) who picked us up from the airport and showed us the sites around Dorset.

Steve in a heated room (doesn't he look happy). The start of our holiday.

Steve and I at Swanage (it was freezing)

Steve with his apendage (his camera never a long distance away).

Our Chickens

2008-02-14T11:11:00.000+10:00

We decided to move our girls to a new spot in the backyard on the weekend because they had been in the same spot for months. What fun that turned out to be, each of the girls got really lost come bed time as their roost had been moved, so Steve and I for the first time in ages had to round them up and put them into their new position (as quick as we caught one and put her into the pen she would escape while we were catching the others, talk about running around like chooks with their heads cut off, sorry about the pun couldn't resist but that was what we would have looked like).

While doing this one of the girls decided to roost under some lemon grass that we have growing, when I moved the grass aside and picked her up much to my surprise we found that she had been using that site for quite some time because we found 12 eggs two broken and the rest we are going to check for freshness. So while we have been complaining that one of the girls has not been laying, she has in fact been laying outside of the nest.

So I now have to check out all their little hiding spots that they disappear to and see if there are any more eggs in the backyard.

Back in Aussie

2008-02-05T23:33:00.000+10:00

We are back from the United Kingdom and Europe. What can I say, it was fantastic. Enjoying all the sites and the people was an eye opener. The welcome home was great. I am really looking forward to sleeping at this point (in my own bed). Have spent 48 hours travelling but I don't feel tired. I have to go to tafe tomorrow to register for my course I hope I don't fall asleep. I now have the bug to explore more countries but don't have the money so will have to save like crazy to explore more of our great world out there.

If you are into travel and have the money lucky you.

Overseas

2008-01-18T02:18:00.000+10:00

Well we are overseas and a lot of fun it has been. I have seen so many different places and it has been great, but it has been really cold. We have had some fine days which has been good, the bad weather seems to be a couple of days behind us (thank god). I have seen so many places that I have only previously seen in movies or on the news. There is so much history over here it is amazing. Listing everything I have seen would take pages and pages so I won't bore you hopefully when I get back I will post some photos. (And bore you then)

We are in Rome at the moment and have free internet hence the blog entry. Went on a bus tour today costing 15 Euro ($23 Aus) each and saw most of Rome, the ticket is valid until tomorrow lunch time so we are hoping to see the Trevi Fountain (one thing I want to see from all the old movies I used to watch).

We are here until Saturday in the hope Steve will be feeling better as he has head cold. I am over mine his seems to be hanging on and on and on.

Ciao from Rome

Trust

2007-12-24T21:52:00.000+10:00

A couple of years ago Steve and I went to a place called Watt's Bridge just outside of Brisbane. There was a get together of fellow pilots for something I can't remember what. Steve was going to do his 210 endorsement meaning retractable under carriage. On take off out of Archerfield his instructor said I can smell smoke and then turned to me and asked if I could see smoke. On picking up my tummy from the floor and my heart from the ceiling of the plane I looked to Steve and saw his calmness and just knew we would be alright why I don't know I just did.

We landed safely and loaded up another plane and flew out to Watt's Bridge for a great night. The next day we flew back to Archerfield in the worst turbulence I have ever experienced to the point where when we landed Steve said he had hit his head and he was the the pilot. Another fellow pilot flew back in a smaller aircraft and the turbulence turned him upside down.

During all this I felt safe. Why because of the trust I have in Steve as a pilot. I thank him for keeping me safe.

The reason behind this blog entry is because in a couple of days we will be flying to England and I don't know the pilots they had better be safe. I don't know them but on flying with Steve on lots of occasions I hope they will be good, steadfast and reliable like my hubby.

Christmas Time

2007-12-23T20:47:00.000+10:00

Almost Christmas how tired am I, in answer to that question lots and lots. These last couple of days have been so full on and I still have to go to work tomorrow OH BOY. I have not felt the Christmas spirit for a long time I wonder if it is an age thing or what. How bah humbug do I sound. I love this time of year but it has become so commercial. It comes down to time and money these days instead of family time and the other supposedly true meaning of Christmas the birth of Jesus. Don't get me wrong with a name like mine you have to realise I am Catholic (just not a practising one).

The best thing about Christmas is the light that comes on in a childs eye when they open a present or you tell them a story about Christmas. Maybe I need some grand kids to get my spirit back. But heaven help me if I say that to my girls.

The other day I was saying to my youngest daughter who just turned 21 that at 20 I was married and that at 22 I had my first child. Her response well I can't print that but it was not very complimentary. Times have changed so much.

Oh well.

I hope everyone out there has an excellent Christmas and a very safe New year. Drive carefully.

Not long now

2007-12-17T20:45:00.000+10:00

The count down is on, only 11 days to go and we fly out to Singapore then onto England. I just checked the weather in England and Scotland very cold, we will be going from 27 - 30 degrees Celsius to 3 degrees in England and 1 and minus1 in Scotland. The winter woolies will definitely be coming out. I am getting really excited.

Lucky

2007-12-16T09:39:00.000+10:00

Here are some new photos of lucky in his drey. He is looking so much better and he now weighs 940grams. He is just waking up for his dinner. He has nearly destroyed his drey there is not much left of it but he loves his blanket and gets most upset when he loses it.

Nearly all of his fur has grown back.

He has made a skylight above and below he now loves licking and kissing instead of hissing.

No time to do everything

2007-12-12T20:00:00.000+10:00

The days are racing past and soon Steve and I go on our trip to England and through Europe. Can't wait but before that happens we have my parents 55th wedding anniversary, my youngest daughter Sarah's 21st birthday and Christmas. Three days after Christmas we leave.

So next week on the 20th my parents celebrate 55 years of marriage. Congratulations and all my love to them both.

Then on the 21st Sarah turns 21 and her present is a swim with the dolphins at Seaworld with five friends. We are hoping it will be a fine day.

I still have not done any Christmas shopping or sent any Christmas cards, I am finding it hard to get motivated in that direction with so much else to think about. Also next week I am handing in my resignation at the vet surgery (which I am dreading) as when Steve and I get back from our trip I start full time at Tafe. I don't know where to start first shopping, packing,writing out my letter of resignation etc. I need to get myself organised and soon. Oh for a magic wand. I am getting tired just thinking about it all.

Also before we leave we have to release our possum Lucky and our injured Lorikeet. We tried him out this morning but his wing is still injured and he cannot fly yet, at least he is over his concussion.

To much to do and not enough time.

Breast Screening

2007-11-28T18:19:00.000+10:00

Maybe not a good subject but yesterday I underwent my two yearly mammogram.

The position you have to get into to have this done is quite comical. You stand in front of this big machine (topless), place your breast on a large plate and then the fun begins. You have to lean forward put your arm in a chicken wing position, tilt your head to one side, push out your butt, lean your shoulder in, and get your breast clamped and then they tell you not to breathe.
Needless to say describing this to Steve, he suggested that I put a link to the chicken dance.

Despite the discomfort it is worthwhile having it done for peace of mind. It is very well published that women over the age of fifty can have this done for free but what is not advertised is that women over the age of forty can also have the same thing done for free. If not for my doctor I would not have known this.

Election Day

2007-11-23T21:44:00.000+10:00

I forgot to mention tomorrow is election day. How can I put this, great fantastic, if and only if people actually have taken into account the last five years, I don't normally take party sides I am usually very closed mouth on the political front but I can but hope there is a change in the government one I think that will be for the better of all the Australian people.

Money

2007-11-23T20:48:00.000+10:00

Who out there does not worry about finances. How are we going to pay the bills? Will we be able to survive in our retirement and so on and so on. Since I was born my family has never had much money but we have always been happy and survived on what we have had. The reasoning behind this entry is because I have always wanted to be an ordinary mother and housewife taking care of the family. But I have found lately that since I have given up my steady part-time position of 32 hours a week that I am looking for hours to work because of my fear of not having enough money to pay the bills. I ask myself why. I know we can survive. So why am I working five days a week at two jobs?

I have found I can not sit at home and not earn a wage. I worry constantly about how we will meet our debts again I ask myself why, Steve assures me we are fine financially. But the nagging in my mind says find work to help out.

I wish I could relax and take each day as it comes but I can't. I feel if I am not helping in the money side of things I will lose some part of me. I have to contribute.

From the early age of I think I was 11 I started my work life. My first job was mowing my neighbours lawn to pay for my dogs food. My second job was peeling prawns in a factory (smelly and very sore cut hands) third job newsagent, fourth job travel agent, fifth job government, sixth job mother and wife. I had six years off to have my two girls then when my youngest turned two I went back into the work force as a night filler in a supermarket very tiring. I always made sure the girls were bathed and fed and my husbands dinner was ready before he came home. I have spent the last eighteen and a half years with the same company working my way up in the positions now to find myself in need of a life jacket as I now have no permanent position.

I have self doubt as to whether I can survive in the academic world learning new things I hope I can and maybe get a better job, one that I will truly enjoy waking up to go to.

Meanwhile I will still get as many possible hours working so I feel I am contributing to the everyday running of the house.

Generations put at risk

2007-11-16T20:34:00.000+10:00

Several weeks ago in the news and in some magazine articles there was an issue raised about the use of sun beds as in solarium treatment where you go in and get a tan with out going out into the sun. It was a story about getting a tan that was to suppose to be safe. Wrong a young person has died as the result of this and this week another a young woman died. She was the mother of a very young child (under one year) she was the daughter of a fellow worker and friend. For her family I feel great sorrow, and for her child that will never know her mother and her mother's love.

I question society as it is now. I have two daughters who I worry about all the time. My youngest daughter is always dying, tinting and having foils put in her hair maybe this will not cause great harm but I am thinking when she is my age she will probably be bald.

I look back on the things that have been supposedly great things like diethylstilboestrol (Des) which in the 1950's was a drug many doctors gave to women to prevent miscarriage. But years down the track the daughters of these women have an increased risk of breast, vaginal and cervical cancer. I don't know if it has any risk in the male generation.

There have been many new drugs and new things put out there for people to use and I ask how safe are they. So yes I worry when my children have children what will they be offered. I will say try natural before prescription drugs. Don't get me wrong I don't not take medication but I am starting to question the necessity.

So what new drug or treatment out now are the professionals going to sell and the not so professionals going to push and what harm are they going to cause in future generations.

Men and Sickness

2007-11-14T20:07:00.000+10:00

When I first met Steve I had glandular fever I was feeling pretty low, he said and "I Quote" if you are sick the worst thing you can do is lie around feeling sorry for yourself. You just feel worse. I agree when you get moving you get better quicker, it seems to take your mind off how bad you are actually feeling.

I love my husband very much, but at the moment he is sick, " O my god". I know he is sick and so does Sarah and the dog and the cat and the chooks and the possum. I rest my case. He is not complaining, (not much) he is just sick. Instead of going to bed he is in the living room, again I rest my case. You really can't do much when you have a sick husband who is in the living room, for example watch T.V. , listen to music, laugh and please don't talk loudly if at all. I know he is sick. BUT GO TO BED. Love you baby I hope you feel better real soon and I mean real soon.

P.S I know he feels the same way. He would love to be better and back at work.

Baby Mogwai

2007-11-10T21:44:00.000+10:00

My farewell to Mogwai

2007-11-10T21:12:00.000+10:00

Mogwai My Boy

My big boy is moving on tomorrow he moves on to his next stage, I honestly didn't think I would be very affected by this I have lost lots of little ones lately but he is my first success baby even though we didn't have him from day dot. He has to have been the most affectionate little creature to have to care for. I will miss him heaps. Farewell my big boy give the ladies heaps at Mount Tamborine.

Another Week Gone By

2007-11-07T20:33:00.000+10:00

This week is going so quick I seriously think that as you get older time passes so much faster. I have one more day of work this week and then I have a three day weekend YAHOO. But on saying that I have five days next week juggling my two jobs and that is tiring in itself. You finish one and then head on to the next. On Sunday just past we had a little baby pee wee (a bird) come into our care (our success rate on animals has not been great lately) so I thought after assessing its injuries that it would be dead pretty quickly I was wrong it is hanging in there sadly though I think it will have to put down because it has had it eyes pecked out by other birds. So we have a blind bird that is surviving maybe because it can't see us and can't be frightened to death (by us). How ironic is that.

On a brighter note we leave for overseas in seven weeks and am counting down in both days and money. Since becoming casual I am not earning what I used to and am hunting down all the work I can so we can actually afford our trip without coming home with nothing in the bank. I have been saying what if I hadn't quit my part-time job, but if I hadn't we wouldn't be going away because I think they would have taken me away in a straight jacket months ago sad to say.

Lucky Update

Lucky has been moved into his teenage room and I received pay back in full on Sunday night, (stupid stupid) me decided to spend some time with him in his new environment bad move on my part he cornered me, he jumped on my shoulder and peed all down my back then he proceeded to mark his territory not once but three times consequently I have two bite marks on my arm and back (he made me bleed) and three huge bruises and a couple of big scratches. He actually scared me at the time but I have had time to assess what he did and why (what a learning experience).

So my advice for all new carers if you have a possum that suffers from stress and you are mad enough to bath them and put cream on them (basically care for them as some people will tell you to do I am talking about the bathing etc.) DON'T. They will seek their revenge when you least expect it and scare you into having nightmares. Don't get me wrong maybe I am just a glutton for punishment but I have got back in his cage to feed and care for him because bottom line I care and I think that is what caring for our wildlife needs someone who is maybe hurt proof or just plain stupid whatever I won't stop what I am doing I love it. On the same note you really have to assess each animal and gauge what is right for them that will only come with experience.

Mogwai Update

My Boy is just getting bigger and bigger he will move on soon sad to say. I again was pretty stupid the other night thinking he has gone from having lots of exercise to hardly none at all so I got him out to have a bit of exercise on the clothes line (and he had jumped on my head leaving extra holes again) WRONG he had his run and when I went to put him in his cage he jumped onto the top of his cage and proceeded to run up the side of our house (we have a high set house). So I have this teenage possum twenty feet from the ground and wondering how on earth I was going to get him down my immediate thought was his favourite thing of course (food). It worked but I will not do it again.

I know I rave on about my animals but I do get a lot of enjoyment out of what we do and am hoping when we return from England we will have lots more. Our co-ordinator would like us to take a few adult possums before we go to fatten them up for release but I don't want to. Who ever we get to house sit will basically be lumbered with animals they don't know how to care for and or don't want to care for.

No More Complaining

2007-11-01T10:17:00.000+10:00

Last night I posted a blog entry and this morning I deleted it. I was not happy with how it sounded. I have had a sad week and my entry last night showed that and I don't want my entries to either be sad or full of complaints all the time (and my last couple have been). So I am going to attempt a more up beat one. How I am not sure. Especially as this is my day off and I get to do the ironing. But I am one of those people who actually enjoys ironing (once I get started that is, getting started is the hard thing). I sort all the clothes put on some nice music and switch off.

On a happier note Steve and I leave for England in eight and a half weeks I am so excited. We have to go to the travel agents this weekend and book our two tours that we are going to do. One tour is up through Scotland and the other one is down through Paris and on to Rome after that we have Eurorail passes so we will be doing our own thing from then on. We have to make the most of it because I doubt we will be able to afford to do it again. Steve was told yesterday that he may only have about nine more months of work and then there maybe redundancy packages offered. Scary but he has not been happy in his job for a long time hence the fact he is doing a science degree in the hope of finding a job he will enjoy. The future is definitely looking different. But I am feeling positive about everything.

Lucky Update

Lucky has actually started to partly trust us again. He is licking and sniffing us again with only little hisses now and then. He came out of his cage the other night for a little cuddle and a hiss so we took the opportunity to weigh him. He now weighs 800 grams which is good but he is still feels under weight. Maybe because he doesn't have much fur but I can feel a lot of his bones which is not good. We will be moving him into his teenage room hopefully this weekend and that will be a telling point because we have to watch him and see if his stress and rash reappear.

Mogwai Update

What can I say he is getting bigger and will be moved onto his next stage in the next couple of weeks which is called a soft release. He will be moved out on to an acreage that a couple of carers own and they will release him slowly. He will still have his drey to sleep in during the day but at night he will be let do his own thing on their acreage like find his own food. We would love to do it but he is to close to us. Steve won't get in his cage anymore because Mogwai has a habit of jumping on his head and running up and down his back and legs and when you wear shorts this can be very painful.
So I have to get in the cage to change his water and foliage. Mogwai loves that because I let him groom my hair (he thinks I am his mum). I got lots of licks last night and a hair full of knots.

Rufus Update

Sadly Rufus died on Monday morning we introduced two mates for him on Sunday night and he was so overwhelmed he died from stress during the night. Sadly the two we introduced also died. Our luck with ringtails has not been good. If one gets sick because of their closeness they will both die. But they are a communal animal so they have to have family around them. We just have to learn how to do it without them all dying from stress and sickness.

Better get back to the ironing.

My Animals and the departed

2007-10-27T19:29:00.000+10:00

A picture of Rusty who has left us. It was hard disposing of his remains. I was so careful. God he was cute.

Rufus after feeding.

Lucky in his poodle costume. Doesn't he look cute with his gloves and face mask. His hair is growing back. He is still one angry possum. Never Never bath a possum they have long long memories. He has issues poor thing but he is still adorable.

I love all my animals I will take photos of my actual house pets to post next time. I think they might be feeling a little bit put out at the moment. Not really they know they are loved. (They get fed and brushed and cuddled.) They are definitely not forgotten they are too noisy.

Household Chores

2007-10-27T18:17:00.000+10:00

Seriously who out there enjoys cooking and cleaning. I don't but I seem to spend most of time doing it. I have an issue at the moment. Nobody in my house can cook or clean. I come home from job number one and do the dishes from the night before and then when I return from job number two I get to feed all the animals and clean their cages, then I get to dry and put away all the dishes and cook for everyone and the next day is the same, and I swear nobody in my house showers or uses the bathroom except me because I am the only one who will clean it. I am really over it. Enough of my complaining.

This week has been a busy and sad week ringtail number two Rusty died on the 24th Oct at 6.06am in my hands I tried everything to save him but he just gave up. Our other ringtail Rufus got drowned in tears. I have yet to learn to harden my heart a bit but not to much. (if you can) I doubt it will ever get easy. But as I have said before I won't give up. I have a very stubborn nature. Don't give up unless you absoultely have to. I learn't that through my first marriage. If I wasn't so stubborn our marriage would have ended ten years earlier.

Lucky Update

Well lucky seems to be improving touch wood we will see. I have hopes for him but he still has problems. I don't think he will ever be released but he could become a stud somewhere. Keep the fingers crossed.

Mogwai Update

Mogwai what can you say he is going from strength to strength and I hope he continues down that path. He is eating everything in sight. We may have to move him on soon. ( I can see more tears from me).

Rufus Update

What a cutie loves his milk but he has UTI at the moment have to give him oranges and mandarin to get rid of it and it seems to be working. He is starting to pee normally so we can but hope. I get up to feed him at five and or six in the morning and he is great depends when he starts to cry so to speak possums have their own language . He will move into his next cage soon the preschool room and hopefully he will do well. He will also get a new mate to play with tomorrow. (I hope it survives our rate is not to good at the moment).

Rufus and Steve

2007-10-19T18:33:00.000+10:00

Steve with our new addition. Rufus is so tiny. By the way Steve is the one with the grey beard.
Rufus is the brown haired one.

Steve feeding our new addition Rufus.

Henry and Mumma ringtail

2007-10-19T14:54:00.000+10:00

It has been a sad week, yesterday we lost Henry and Mumma Ringtail. Life as a carer is harder than what you think. You tend to hope for the best, but it doesn't always work out the way you want. I am having doubts as to my ability and tend to wonder was there something else I could have done. I know there wasn't but it still makes you have doubts. Not that I am going to stop I know there will be a lot more losses but there will be a lot we hopefully will give the chance of survival in their natural environment's.

Mumma Ringtail

The night before she died she got her baby out so that we knew she had a baby and that it was alive. Her baby Rufus is so far doing well he had his milk before and is now asleep in his basket. He weighs 60grams and fits into the palm of my hand. He will be moving on tomorrow as they are an animal that should be kept with his kind so he is off to join another 60gram baby that is with another carer. The picture below is another one of Henry he was pretty tiny as well. My daughter Sarah named them by the way.

Mogwai

2007-10-19T14:09:00.000+10:00

Mogwai in his new teenage room. See the cheeky look in his eyes.

Mogwai determined to not let go while he eats. I am trying to tie some new access sticks in his cage. This one lasted about an hour before he knocked it down. He really is a bit of a hooligan.

Mogwai doing what he does best eating.

Animals Everywhere

2007-10-17T13:39:00.001+10:00

Well this week I have worked at the vets for three shifts. Last night Steve got home before me and he had cleaned out Lucky's cage and got all of the feed bowls ready, he had fed the cat and the dog and was just about to get some native branches when I arrived home. And guess what I had an injured ringtail possum (a mum with a joey) a car had ran over her tail (we think), it isn't broken but very bloody and sore and she is in shock. So by the time Steve and I had settled her and finished all the other animals we were happy to sit and have a drink.

But today I went to work at the vets again and I have just bought home an abandoned noisy minor baby. So I now have to go and get a cage for it as all the ones we have are to big. I am going to have to try to restrain myself from taking all the injured native animals home as I don't think our house will be big enough. Our menagerie at the moment consists of a dog, cat, cockatiel, four chooks, a pond full of fish, snake, blue tongue, two baby brushtail possums, a ringtail and her joey and a noisy minor.

Lucky Update

Lucky is doing better but still has a long road ahead of him, his scabs are nearly all gone and he really looks like a poodle. He is also getting out of his drey more which means he is feeling better so I hope he keeps improving but the next hurdle will be when he has to moved into his teenage room (the big bird aviary). That can be stressful and that is not what he needs. We will have to keep our fingers crossed it all goes smoothly.

Mogwai Update

On the other hand mogwai is doing really well and making lots of noise in his teenage room. He has a habit now of when you go near the cage at night of launching himself on to the mesh in front of your face and scaring the hell out of you. I think he quiet enjoys scaring us. He most probably sits in his drey the next day and has a good laugh. He is missing the attention though, we are weaning him off us but we have to get in his cage to clean it and feed him and he just has to get out of his drey for a cuddle, he got me again the other night but this time on the cheek (roughly a two inch scratch) which he tried to make up for by grooming my hair. He is one cheeky possum.

All our animals are great, I have one more shift this week at the vets I hope no injured wildlife comes in because if I say yes again I think Steve might lose it. Not really he loves them all to.

New Second Job

2007-10-12T18:57:00.001+10:00

Well it has been an interesting couple of weeks I have now a second job at a vet's so trying to juggle two jobs and a home and our wildlife and our domestic animals is great.

This week I did three shifts at the vets, talk about full on trying to learn everything and deal with all the clients pretty mind boggling. My first shift I got to bring home a baby pee wee abandoned by it parents (being a wildlife carer has it advantages for both me and the vet). Second shift they had an injured snake but it was pretty badly injured so the best thing for it was to put it into a deep sleep (which was sad). My next shift was so busy and heaps of animals I am so loving it (even the smells Maybe) one poor dog had a tick anybody dealing with an animal with a tick you have to keep it quiet but the poor thing had lost its bodily functions due to paralysis but hopefully he will make a full recovery ( I got to clean his cage boy did it smell). At one stage this week I went to the vet's and then on to my other job and the adrenalin was pumping (stuff getting high etc who needs that when you enjoy what you are doing). Maybe if some of the young people of today went out of their way to find something they enjoy doing we wouldn't have the problem with the young society they could get high on their jobs or their hobbies. I could say Ha Ha, but it is no laughing matter.

I have obviously made some sort of impression on the vet job as after only two and half shifts they want me to fly solo (scary).

On a different note I am so looking forward to our trip to England, Steve and I have been looking at all the brochures and on the net lots to see and not much time but I think it will be great. We were going to book big tours like 12 day ones but all our trips that we have taken recently we have flown by the seat of our pants so to speak just see where we land next and hope for the best. We have had some great holidays like that, arrive in a town and find somewhere to sleep and then explore so I think that is what we will do again (too much planning and you have no freedom to explore what you want to do).

Lucky Update

Lucky is not doing well. We will see. I don't think he will survive in the wild but I am not giving up yet he is still eating but he looks like he has done 10 rounds in a boxing ring poor baby. He still hates us.

Mogwai update

I may not have mentioned our other little brushtail but he is doing so well to the point he has moved into his teenage room. Boy is he enjoying the freedom. I got into the big cage last night with him to make sure he was settling in (and because he is so cute) I shouldn't say that though as a carer, and got a face full of a brushtail. I now have an extra hole in my nose (very painfull) and tonight while changing his water etc he got out of his drey and started to groom my hair all things we have to make him not do as now he needs to become feral for the wild.

Life in my Forties just fantastic.

Back To Work

2007-09-27T20:32:00.000+10:00

Well I have gone back to work on a casual basis and it has been quite tiring and sore I am not used to being on my feet for eight hours at a time so all in all it has been a bloody tiring week and trying to remember all I was taught in such a short period of time (yeah I am over it). My first day back I had just reached almost knock off time and I had a code blue ( the place I work that means someone is hurt or something) so if you have a senior first aid certificate, which I have you go running. There in the aisle was an elderly woman who was determined to continue what she started and wanting no help but on further investigation we found out she had chemo that morning and had no help. She has six months to live and was so frail, makes you appreciate life. She still bought her ciggies though. I suppose she thinks I have nothing to lose I am already dying. I feel for her, she was one feisty lady given her condition.

On a happier note this week was my wedding anniversary. I often ask Steve when does the honeymoon stage finish maybe because we have only been married for three years it might take a while. It was a good day and an even better night. Being married to Steve has taught me so much and it gets better each day I look forward to every day being with him. He is my husband and partner something you don't always find in this day and age.

Lucky Update

Well our little fellow is doing better so far we just have to try to alleviate his stress a bit more so we need to move him into a quiet area hopefully that will help him. He still hisses and carries on but he is showing improvement.

Other news on the wildlife front was we went and had our one on one with our wildlife co-ordinator and that was very informative, she is a very educated person when it comes to wildlife. While there I got to hold a baby magpie and see all her animals that she has in care. On arriving we pulled up out front and in her front yard was a baby kangaroo not something you see in the suburbs very often (we knew we were in the right place). While there she had another baby kangaroo in the living room a smaller version of the one outside. I am loving looking after the animals and am now looking at doing maybe a course in animal husbandry next year. I may also have another job as receptionist at the local vet which will help my career if that is what I am looking to doing.

I am starting to realise you never know what is around the corner. Hopefully something even more exciting.

Up Up and Away

2007-09-22T14:36:00.001+10:00

One thing I have done in my forties that I have never done before was go overseas. Last year we went to the south island of New Zealand and this year we went to Hanoi Vietnam. Just lately I have been saying to Steve I would love to go to England in the next couple of years so what did he do today he went and booked us on flights to England on the 28th December this year so we will see the new year in in England. Which is interesting because not long after I met Steve I was talked into going to have my cards read tarot cards that is (I don't usually believe that sort of thing) but I was told the person I met recently would take me traveling and that he would be my partner for the rest of my life. As I had just separated and was going through my divorce and I had never been out of Australia I thought that unlikely as I was a bit anti men and commitment at that time. I was proven wrong we got married and have traveled. Doesn't mean it made me a believer though just less skeptical.

So now I have to get as much casual work as I can to save up some money for spending which won't be to hard at this time of year. Work has offered me about 7 weeks work starting next week which will bring me to mid November. Then it will be Christmas and then we leave and I still have four weeks long service leave up my sleeve so I might take them. I think it will all come around pretty quickly. At least I won't be bored.

Update on Lucky

Well two days ago we took lucky the possum to the vet with his rash and he is now on a new cream instead of bathing him (thank god) as he was becoming quite distressed not that the cream is any better he still hates us. He proved that by climbing up on my shoulder after putting the cream on him and reversing up to my neck and peed all down my shoulder and in my hair and then he poohed all down my back ( he is just a charming little fellow). The cream must be starting to work on him though as the third dose he laid on his back in my lap and went to sleep (now that was cute). I would just like our healthy happy little possum back and not the one at the moment that hisses, scratches, bites, pees and poohs all over us. (I am sure he would like to be back to).

By the way anyone know of someone who would like to house and animal sit for 5 weeks while we are overseas???

Getting Started

2007-09-20T13:05:00.000+10:00

Where to start hopefully this will be the hardest bit and the rest will get easier. I am in my forties hence the heading. I decided to start a blog because my husband has one (the desk in the corner) and I have found it interesting watching his take shape so I thought I would give it a go. I doubt anyone but him will read it so I should be fine.

They say life begins in your forties. I know mine has diffidently changed.

So far in my forties I have gotten divorced, remarried, flown in a light aircraft, ridden on a motorbike and I have quit my job of 18 years and am now wondering what to do with my life. Although work has let me stay working casually so I will have a little bit of work in the next couple of months.

I am looking at going back to study which should prove interesting as I haven't been in a classroom for a long long time. What appeals at this point is something outside. The courses I am looking at doing are land management and conservation or animal husbandry. I have spent the last seven years not knowing if it was raining, cold or sunny outside. I have been stuck in an office with no windows (It was starting to feel like a prison) not a nice feeling at all. I am now sitting at home wondering what to do with myself as the courses I wish to do don't start till February.

One thing I have recently become is a wildlife carer and have two baby brush tails possums, a snake (Carpet Python) and a blue tongue all of which except the blue tongue will hopefully survive and be returned to their natural habitat. The blue tongue as she is to tame can not go back into the wild but hopefully will go to a good home. Hopefully they will keep me busy for a while but I can't see that happening as they sleep all day so all I have to do is clean their cages and feed them. I also have a 10 year old beagle named Xena, a cat named Dizzy, a bird named Samson and four chickens named after the four divas.

Today though one of the possums is sick his name is Lucky (He is named lucky because his mum was hit by a car and she was so mangled they didn't know she had baby at first) he was in the care of my eldest daughter but she has had to give up caring for a short time as she is in between homes. He is suffering from possum mange/dermatitus which can kill him if not treated only thing is the treatment is so stressful for him he wont come out of his dray (his bed) we have to bath him, possums hate to be bathed and my husband and myself have the scratches to prove it. So Lucky is off to the vets tonight yet again to hopefully get something to make him better.