hard work to restore indigenous vegetation

Two days ago Penny and I walked at a local reserve, along the Yarra River. We stopped to look at one spot where there was a great difference between two types of vegetation. On the left, native grasses. On the right, ubiquitous wandering trad.

I've heard from many people that dogs can have an allergic reaction to wandering trad, and it's possible Penny does, but I've never been sure. (She does have frequent skin issues.)

I don't usually mind seeing non-native plants around the place, because it seems to me it's inevitable that garden escapees will grow amongst our indigenous plants, but I must say I hate to see this plant, because it seems to have no natural enemies in Australia and smothers every other plant. Here's a photo of it that I wrote about in a previous post, on a day when I walked past literally kilometres of nothing but trad, with only trees able to resist its smothering embrace.

But how lovely to see the native grasses given a chance to succeed against it, with the help of the wonderful volunteers who put so much effort into maintaining Wilson Reserve.

Penny swims in the Yarra

I gritted my teeth and let Penny swim in the Yarra today. The last time she did so was the day before she ended up in hospital with what was eventually diagnosed as gastroenteritis.

It has rained a lot over the last few days and I think any bad stuff will have been swept out into Port Phillip Bay by now. Also, Penny really feels the heat and has swum in the Yarra for more than ten years. With the predicted hot, dry summer coming, I'd like to know she can swim. Otherwise we can only walk at dawn, and that's quite a struggle to do. (For me. I'm sure Penny is more resilient than I am.)

She didn't swim for long. After fetching the stick I threw, she was very pleased with herself and content to carry it back to the car.

Penny stayed home today

Penny didn't come with me today when I walked in one of our favourite spots, near the confluence of the Merri Creek and the Yarra River.

Long ago, I sort of complained that we had been banned from entering our number one top-favorite, most loved swimming spot. I'm glad that a short time later I wrote about our acceptance of the new restrictions, because today I found out what a special spot this is and why it should be protected and allowed to regenerate as natural bushland.

This week is Wurundjeri Week. The Wurundjeri are the indigenous people whose home is this region of Victoria, and they are conducting walking tours to teach the public about their culture. It seems the places where there is a confluence of streams or a crossing place have special significance, and our old swimming spot is the meeting of the Merri Creek and the Yarra River.

It was lovely to be made welcome in this special place. I've often noticed the sign at the start of the off-lead area, and enjoyed trying to read the language on the sign, but it was even better to hear a speaker of the language welcome us.

having heaps of fun on a hot morning

So, it's still hot in Melbourne. But that doesn't mean Penny can't have fun, as long as we go out early.
The shadows are long and the grass is burnt brown, but there are still patches of green to investigate. I wonder why this nice-smelling spot is green?

We hurry along to the swimming spot and Penny fetches her Whirl Wheels. The river's brown, but here's hoping it's not polluted. (The Yarra is always brown; that's why some people call it the upside-down river.)

But wait! Someone's coming. Penny is aware of the newcomers before her human notices.

So now she's not going to swim. She will sit at the top of the embankment and guard her toys.

But that doesn't mean the others can't have fun.

 We went for a walk and Penny raced around on the grass chasing her toys - who'd have thought, all those years ago when she had her cruciate repaired, that one day she'd be running free once again?

Then we headed back for a last swim. A lovely morning that her human would have spent lazing in bed if she didn't have a dog to get her out on a hot summer's morning.

Thank Dog for dogs!

a post not about dogs

This post is for Mitch and Molly. Their humans have black swans, way over on the other side of the world from Australia, and after I read their comment on my previous post, that their 'lady swan' is playing around at nesting, I thought I'd post these two photos of black swans nesting a few weeks ago right in the middle of the city of Melbourne, on the Yarra.

dogs not allowed in the river

We're disappointed to see a new fence around our favourite swimming spot at Yarra Bend Park, the place that is generally wonderfully dog friendly.

Penny headed straight for her usual swim as soon as we took her off lead when we had walked under the freeway, and what did she see? This:

Not a sign saying 'dogs on lead' - but a brutal 'NO DOGS'.

How sad for us. It's a safe place to enter the water and there are rocks for tired humans to sit on while dogs have fun.

I have faith in those who run the park, so I assume there is some need to protect this part of the environment. Perhaps water birds will nest there.

Time will tell.

midwinter walk along the Yarra river

Our usual swimming spot on the Yarra looked lovely today, even if it is midwinter, just past the shortest day here in Melbourne. Of course, even though the sun was shining, it was too cold for a dip.

Or was it? Penny didn't think so.

Then it was time to dry off with a run around.

Even though we were walking at noon, the shadows were long, a reminder of the time of year.

It's so great to know Penny has recovered from her recent surgery!

dogs learn to swim the natural way

Hot days mean early walks, in a Melbourne summer. So we were out at Warringal Park by 8 am today. (That's the crack of dawn for us!) But it was already too hot - we stick to the rule that if it's over 26 celcius, it's unhealthy for Penny to walk. So, not too reluctantly, we abandoned exercise and headed down to the bend in the Yarra that has a nice little beach now that the water level is so low (probably because of the works down at the fish weir at Dights Falls).

It was peaceful.



And then two gorgeous young labs arrived with their humans. They were having great fun just along from us, wading into the river and fetching sticks.

Was it naughty of us to be having a little smile about the fact that they wouldn't go past their knees? Labrador retrievers, we said to ourselves - dogs who were bred to go out on the boats and help the humans with the fishing?

When we got talking to the humans, we discovered it was the dogs' second ever time near water, so that cast a different light on it. They were doing very well for their second visit.

And then they spotted Penny swimming for her lovely Whirl Wheel. (I haven't met a dog who didn't love this toy.)

And so they learned to swim!

First they walked deeper.



And then they bravely took the plunge. Their first swim!



Penny wasn't too impressed, because they were determined to get the toy, there were two of them, and their swimming technique involved lots of splashing!







Once Penny got back to shore, it was time for the humans to intervene to restore peace, and the newly-qualified swimmers headed for home, no doubt proud of themselves for this great step in their lives.

And Penny continued her swim.