KOALA CAPERS

In earlier posts I have mentioned that we have the privilege of living in a rural setting, surrounded by tall gum trees. These gums are a great attraction to the local koalas, and we often see them or hear them growling nearby. When this happens I race out with my camera and try to capture them, as in these pictures.

However, over the last month we have come across them in a few different locations, and I managed to catch these on camera too.

ENCOUNTER 1
We were driving up our track (which is 1km long) to get to the public road.  Suddenly, ahead of us a koala appeared and ran across the track. Martin stopped the car and I followed the little chap, who wasn't terribly cooperative about having his picture taken, but nonetheless I got this one.

ENCOUNTER 2
We started on our way again, but only about 20 metres further up the track on the left bank sat another koala.

This koala was one of the prettiest I have seen, beautifully marked, and with no visible battle scars, and he/she was very happy to pose for me.

About 2 hours later, on our return home, this koala was still in the same area, but this time was not so sociable and climbed up the nearest tree to escape this nosy human.

ENCOUNTER 3

 Our third koala encounter was last weekend, when I was heading down to our vegie patch. Imagine my surprise when I came across this little fellow - a juvenile - on the ground near our house fence.


He was intent on getting over the fence but was thwarted by the barbed wire on the top.

Martin took charge of the camera, and I tried to guide him to a safe area without success. I even tried to lean logs against the fence so that he could climb to safety, but to no avail. He was not impressed with my attempts to help.

Finally he decided to give up this method of escape, and climbed one of our trees. Thankfully, when I checked later he was nowhere to be found, so obviously he had worked something out!

HELLO - LONG TIME NO SEE!

Hello again - it's been so long since my last post that you must have thought I'd left cyberspace for  good -apologies for my long absence to friends and visitors to this blog. Much has happened to prevent my fingers dancing across the laptop keyboard, but by far the most significant is the sudden loss of my dear brother Steve Robinson.

When we lose someone we love, other priorities in our lives lose their importance. But it was a blessing that Martin and I were in Victoria for the Woodend Teddy Bear Show at the time of Steve's death. We were able to drive from Woodend to Morwell that day to be with his daughter, Alma, and to grieve with her and Steve's friends.

Steve in his younger days

Steve will be sorely missed by all who knew him - he was a beautiful man.

Our last photo of Steve

I want to thank my 'beary' friends at the Woodend Teddy Bear Show for their support and kindness, especially our dear friends, Claire and John Evans, who looked after my critters until we were able to return to the show.

This was another blessing - to have the comfort of friends around us, and to enjoy the opportunity of sharing our mutual love of teddy bears with visitors to this special show, before returning to Morwell.

Some of my critters found new homes at the show, and say farewell here.

BARE BEAR

MANNING

RODNEY

BENJI