Last night as I was cooking dinner, I realised I had been yelling at Seven to stop barking for an awfully long time. Strangely enough, she was barking near the house, normally all barking occurs at the property line as she protects us from strange people trying to post letters or answer mobile phones.
So, I did what anyone would do. I yelled some more and then headed outside to investigate. Lo and behold, what did I find but an echidna! Quite common in Tassie, not so common on my actual property.
The poor little thing was terrified and had buried itself in the hay up against the house.
I called the dog inside figuring that the echidna would trundle away once s/he wasn’t scared anymore.
However, 17 hours later? The echidna has done nothing but burrow into the hay more, creating itself a little tunnel and hidey hole.
Now I have NO problems with an echinda taking up residence in my backyard. God knows that we have enough ants about the place to feed an army of echidnas and Amy thinks it’s fantastic. The cat and Seven however? Are less than impressed.
Seven seems to think that she needs to protect us from the spikey burrowing thing and the cat isn’t sure whether to ignore it, or to spend all it’s time wandering around eyeing the moving hay uneasily whilst puffing up to 3x her normal size.
[An impressive feat when you consider that the cat is due to have kittens any day now and is therefore as big as a basketball]
So to the disgust of my domestic pets, we have an echidna living in our yard now. Ner ner.
Unfortunately Seven can’t seem to stop barking at it. I wonder how long until my ears start to bleed?
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Also last night, [not while I was cooking dinner] Nathan discovered why Seven barks at apparently nothing.
There is a possum, living in the giant pine tree nearby.
This possum likes to come into our yard and run in circles taunting Seven to chase it. When Seven obliges, the possum darts away up the nearest tree where Seven can’t get to it.
Sort of like how your younger siblings used to taunt you when you were a kid, only as soon as you went and told on them, they promptly looked all angelic and you got into trouble for making things up? Or as soon as you went to chase and hurt them, they ran behind your mothers knees to hide?
Yeah, the possum has been doing that to Seven.
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So an echinda making a home in the backyard and a possum that has learnt to tease the dog.
What will be next?
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Also, what is the world coming to when spellcheck doesn’t recognise the word ‘echidna’? It’s not like I am talking about some kind of exotic animal here. Sheesh!
I’ve collected an assortment of cats recently. I have the 2 that are mine and I think I told you about the one that was hiding in my kitchen. Well, that one has decided that I’m ok now and has made himself quite at home in my house. I can’t seem to find him a home, no one wants cats but me apparently.
And now a neighborhood cat has decided that he likes me too and keeps trying to get in my house when I open the front door. He hangs out on my porch just waiting for me to open the door. Thankfully, the dogs keep him from entering.
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sounds interesting
poor Seven
wow i wonder how many kittens the cat will pop..
how are you?
I’m sure I ordered one of those from a taco bell once.
That’s very cool. What does Amy think of the echidna?
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Um, I’ve never heard of an echidna. However, I went to Wikipedia and now understand more than I ever cared to know about the spiney little buggers. I’ve lived a sheltered life, clearly.
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I haven’t ever heard of them either. But, I can sympathize with you and the wild animals. They drive me crazy too.
Aw, but it looks so cuuute. Wildlife always does when it’s at someone ELSE’s house.
My FIL had one at the farm but we left it well alone – too damn prickly for a cuddle. Very cute though
I came by to ask about the camera …???
if I didn’t already wish you …
I wish you a wonderful 2009 , an abundance of love, laughter, good health and happiness – sleep filled dreams and of course many blogable moments –
Ps what day are you due to pop ?
Oh wow that is so cool!
Wishing you a very Happy New Year – and a safe and not too painful birth (when it occurs) 🙂
yes, you are talking about an exotic animal.
but on another note, it’s nice to know that your dog is not mentally ill… on that count.
Um…yeah… the only reason I know what an echidna is, is because Frog Ponds (I think it was?) mentioned one and I Googled it. Cute little critters. But exotic, definitely.
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We don’t want our dogs to meet. My dogs would teach Seven that blowing leaves are a huge threat, and Seven would teach Mojo and Abe to notice wild things.
Mojo and Abe didn’t see the fox run past their backyard, and ignored the bears, the rocky mountain sheep, the goats, the moose, when we were driving up through Canada…the only thing Abe barked at were the Bison. Bison that were pretty much just standing there. One of them would occasionally move its jaw, chewing cud, maybe, but other than that, they were statues. That made Abe completely lose his shit.
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Spellcheck is geared towards American spelling and they don’t have echidnas there. (or do they?)
The water pistol training method should help with Seven’s barking. Keep a loaded water pistol handy, as soon as she barks unnecessarily squirt her. Takes a few days, but it usually works. Same method works for cats who continually do something you don’t want them to, like getting on the kitchen bench for instance. Not that yours do, but you get my meaning.
Your poor ears! What a shame… the silly lil pup just doesn’t know what to do does he?
Hope the echidna finds somewhere new to live soon, for your sanity if nothing else! 🙂
Oh, and… Happy New Year!! ((hugs))
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Ummm, sorry, but I’ve never heard of an echidna…?? Glad you put up a photo or I would have thought you were making it up.
🙂
Pias last blog post..Happy Happy Happy
No echidnas in North America – I only know what they are because Bill Bryson talks about them in his book about travelling in Australia. Very cute. And any animal that eats bugs is a good one!
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I want an echidna! (Said in my best Veruca Salt from Willie Wonka voice).
Rees last blog post..The one in which I actually managed to keep my blogolutions. So there.
I’m not from round your way and I know what an echidna is! I hope it and Seven manage to find some sort of peaceful existence together but failing that I think the water pistol trick should work. Good luck with the possum as well. Oh, and good luck to the cat.
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Dude I feel ya. I have bunnies, deer, opossums and raccoons frequenting my yard. AND the damn neighbors cat pissing on my front porch.
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Wow, I had no idea what one was, living in Oklahoma we do not have those. So I googled it. I now know more than I cared to know about them especially the males….sheesh! But they are cute!!
Totally understand the annoying animals, have a Great Dane that barks whenever you open the door and wants to be pet all day and a cat that attacks my feet at night while I am trying to sleep.
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Um…that’s pretty darn exotic. We have opossums here, too. Fun times when the dog spots one…
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On of my dogs had been barking at the back door all morning. I let him out, he comes back in. I let him out, he comes back in. A little bit ago, I was upstairs and looked out to see a fox walking down the street. I’m guessing the dog wants to get ahold of the fox…but can’t get past the fence to get it. Crazy animals. Maybe the echidna is nesting to have babies? THAT would be fun.
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