We knew it would be cold when awakening - and indeed it was. Astutely waiting a couple of hours after sunrise until the weak warming rays flickered over the hilltops and filtered into the depths of the valley where the kennel is situated in order to take sting out of the air, it was still an effort for the humans to roll out from underneath their copious layers of the aforementioned blankets in order to brace the elements to effect their first pee of the day in those blocky things that they all congregate to when everyone is watching. When they're not, they just go where I do ( I observe but don't comprehend - I'm a kelpie). The early morning sun was reflecting off the rushing waters below casting a complex pattern of glittering lights on the curtain of green leaves which up until now was blocking the view of the frisbee field below. Now they were putting on their own show which Dad tried to capture on the GoPro. I shake my head sadly at his pitiful attempts at cinematography - whilst I appreciate being there (what the heck - it gets me out and about) - I generally totally ignore them when he plays them back in the home kennel. Now if he did something seriously interesting - like (say) sheep running amok, then I'd be fully onboard.
He left me and Mum in the kennel and returned with coffee for her and acquiescenced to giving me breakfast (same old dried pellets - but who am I to complain? - at least I'm not overweight like some of my peers..... I can smell it in their pee on the posts - one of those many factors I was referring to in that earlier entry) and then we all jumped into the car and headed off along a long winding road, up over a mountain that manged to make both of us passengers fairly queasy. Not saying anything about his driving technique mind you (I'd never be so crass, being a passenger as such) but still....
And so with tumultuous insides we descended into the Kiewa valley, turned right and rolled into the township of mountainous beauty which resides at the end of the flat lands that used to be covered in tobacco. Nowadays it all just looks green and very picturesque. Dad was born here and spent his puppy years here. He showed us the building he was born in (since replaced), the house he tried to drown the cat in (points for that as far as I'm concerned - reckons he wanted to just give it a bath - yeah right) - the kinder and school which are still there and apparently the squeals coming out of the grounds today are still the same as he emits to this day (good one Mum!).
They do some weird arty things here, here's a pic of me hanging around under a really big bird of which I had no idea of what was about to happen to me if it was actually a real bird this big. But is it art? I'm a kelpie - it's not within my remit to answer these questions - simply to pose them.
The Cafe in which we stopped to try and settle the stomachs was really appreciated by me at least as I have now perfected the art of putting my ears back when people look at me and they say things like "he's so cute" and then I sit when they suggest it. And then I shake their hand when prompted and then they say "I'll go get him a treat" and they do. Too easy. Settled tummy. Free snacks. Far better than those boring dried pellets...
We then did something Dad said he never did in his puppy years - we walked the entire circumference of the pondage (~5,000 steps apparently) and got to take in the whole panoramic position of the place - with the majestic mountains in the background (with still a hint of snow on the upper reaches), The Hyrdo infrastructure still in place, the old huge galvanised tin sheds that used to dry the tobacco (long gone) and the trees that 60 years ago adorned the streets are now creating canopies above them. One can see why it's called the mount of beauty - Dad reckons only beautiful people are born here. Mum and I reckon he's full of it.
And so we headed back over the pass into the next valley to which we came from and spent the rest of the afternoon hangin' around the kennel on wheels. Dad dragged me up the creek on the pretense that being a kelpie I like to run along beside him whilst he takes it easy on his bike. I was really feeling like I'd prefer to be back in the kennel with Mum, sleeping off the stress of a few hours sitting idly in a car, however I'm a good dog so I did what I was strongly suggested to do that I should do.
It was fun - I especially liked it when we stopped by the water and he threw sticks in for me to catch. Now this is weird.... I'd put them down and they'd disappear. Dad was pointing and yelling at me that it was downstream "over there" but I'd seen the ducks floating upstream, so surely sticks would do the same thing..... we went though a few sticks. Then we ran/rode downstream back to the kennel where I got to dry off laying in the warm sun on the luxurious lounge on the patio deck whist the parents sorted out their finances in the office.
The original dinner plan was to drive into town and leave me in the car whilst they went inside a fancy pancy restaurant. I'm OK with this notion (basically I'll do whatever - especially if I'm so exhausted from chasing sticks floating upstream all afternoon), however they did their research and apparently the menu was carp.
I think that's what Mum said. Anyway, instead we all walked back down beside the stream (not paying any attention to the plethora of sticks floating by) and into town where I hung around next to bean bags (not on, which would've been awesome) whilst they had beer, taco's and wine surrounded by a bunch of happy youths pretty much doing the same thing. I kept doing my ears back thing and everyone wants me to lick their hands - even though Dad keeps telling me not to. Jeebers that's confusing.
We walked back up by the creek to the kennel - me off lead and basically having a great time. Once there, Dad did what I fully expected him to do and herded me off (bike again) up the hill, over the bridge and into the frisbee field down across the creek from the kennel and we did the catch/return thing until I was totally pooped...making very sure that there is absolutely no way I am ever going to willingly actually hand him the frisbee. I'm doing all this work - he has to put in at least some effort. There may be a huge power imbalance in this relationship but I'm always going to do my darnedest to make sure I have some control and therefore I'm going to drop it here.
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