December 2012 – Turtles Toby and Ian

Frank and I both headed north to Sandy Cape in early December as volunteers helping out with the annual Turtle Census. There were nowhere near as many turtles this year as there were last year (turns out the numbers go in a two year cycle). Frank still managed to see Loggerheads, Greens and one Hawksbill. It also gave us the opportunity to catch up with Rachel AD, Xavier Alexander and Darby. Frank and I got this year’s record for Loggerhead clutch size with a grand 174 eggs relocated. We had two very interesting housemates. Huw from Armidale in NSW who was about to start a PhD on wild dog communication and Matt Wildlife Cinematographer from Humblebee Films in the UK. Matt was the last of the film crew left behind to try and capture photos of dingoes digging up Green turtle eggs.

 

	Defiant Fiddler crab – caught in our headlights on the beach.

 

I had been saying for ages that I wasn’t getting another dog until after I had retired and/or we had done some more travelling but I saw this little dog on the Pet Rescue site and kept going back to have yet another look. He was described as house-trained, good with children and other dogs and a bit “sooky”. Well it was mostly right but when excited he does forget where he is sometimes and cocks his leg inappropriately – we’re hoping he’ll get over that. The description said he’d had a car accident but one of his vet visits says he was attacked by another dog. Whatever the cause he had a broken jaw and not many teeth down one side. The Sunraysia Animal Rescue Group thought he might have to be put to sleep but a very kind vet fixed him up free of charge – so they asked if he could be named after the vet – hence the name Ian. Matt very kindly offered to collect him as he was going to Mildura for work and could take a pet carrier. So we have now had Ian living with us for nearly two weeks. He loves his walks, especially the beach. Loves sleeping on his back, playing ball, gets on well with Daphne and Evie and Toby and adores strokes, tummy rubs etc.

 

This year the van der Peet Christmas get together was at Jason, Yafen and Agnes’s place in Blackburn, which was great as it was a VERY hot day and they have a pool :-)