Waters are rising

So now it is just a waiting game. We have done all we can. We are just watching the dams and creek rise and rise. We managed to get Veg last night and have moved her to a safe place for the next few days. I don't want to lose any wombats if we can help it to drowning. We had a female we released a while ago turn up last night, this tends to happen when they are flooded out of their burrows. It still amazes me as to where they in fact go. Keeping puppies entertained along with Madam J in a house is not much fun I might add. It makes one want to go and play in the rain just to get away *lol*. Madam J loves water so the rain doesn't bother her at all. She was on the deck earlier with the dogs, screaming and shouting away as she does at their antics. Thankfully she doesn't get as muddy:). I'm thinking a good team exercise for my work collegues will be sandbagging for the next warning - must make mental note to speak to boss:).

oh boy, floods mean trouble

So the weather forecast is NOT looking good for us. Last time we had flooding, we lost numerous wombats to drowning, we lost our causeway partially which meant no access - it was just a nightmare. And it has been forecast again. We have been doing what we can in the last 24 hours to safeguard the animals we have in care and of course will help them in any way we can but it doesn't sound like fun for the next 72 hours to say the least. Last time we only managed to save 2 wombats from drowning but at least it was 2 that got to survive. Mother nature is not something that you can argue with when she unleashes, that is for sure. I do hope what the forecasts are do not actually eventuate. Here is hoping.....

Unbelievable

And just when I thought I had seen most of what can occur while doing wombats - I have just discovered, at 4:30pm that Boney Bum is in fact IN the enclosure and burrow with Mr Bean. Mr Bean needs to be moved tonight or asap so that is what we are off to do. Just as the rain starts to fall, lovely!

Veg is back.....and in the studio

I still cannot figure her behaviour out but that is one of the beauties being able to raise and release and monitor these gorgeous creatures. Veg is currently in the studio again, where she grew up as a baby after being found, attacked and half dead. They have got to remember certain things. She doesn't want a bar of us which is of course how she is raised and rehabilitated but her tolerance of us around her is bizarre to say the least. And when wombats behave like this, it should always get you thinking - WHY? This is what we have got to figure out.

Whoooohooo, tomatoes finally

Well, finally we have tomatoes. Almost the end of February. Unbelievable. Wonder if its going to be a really cold winter or a mild one, who would know. I also wonder whether the weather man reads off a cereal packet or actual predictions. The prediction yesterday was 1-3mls - we got in excess of 30mls! Boggy Burrows it is now, mud bats for wombats and very little activity last night as a result. When I was up at 4am taking Indy for a piddle, it was dead quiet outside. Will see what happens tonight.

Hmmmm

Well, I had an interesting morning between the hours of 2-4am. Around 2am I got woken up with banging from Bean's enclosure. Now, I didn't open up his gate for last night into the extension. I open it up for a few hours, then close it due to Boney Bum visiting and harassing him late at night. BUT, last night was different. At 10pm I closed up for Bean, who hadn't even gotten up yet. He was awake as I checked on him in his burrow. All was good, so went off to bed.
2am, heard banging and screaming. I figured that Boney Bum had jumped into the extension and was 'talking' to Bean through the fencing. How wrong was I. I eventually got up to have a look at BB had somehow managed to open the door to Bean's enclosure and was chasing Bean all over. Bean was exhausted. Got him back in which wasn't hard, then got BB out who promptly lay down in the wet grass and rested. Still not a sound from him which is just bizarre.

So sorted that out and went back to bed. 4am, Madam J woke up, required a bottle. Then of course Indy required a piddle. Upon coming back up the stairs, there was Veg, demanding more food. Quite bizarre. Got Indy inside, then went back out to the studio to get Veg some food. She followed me into the studio, she has never done that before. Then I couldn't get her out of the studio!! Eventually I coaxed her out with some food in a bucket. Its funny but when the weather is really bad, sometimes they just like to know you are 'around'. We don't have anything to do with them but they in turn left us know they are around while the weather is unsatisfactory. So eventually got back to bed after 5am. And this morning when I went back out, I could see that Veg had tried to go back into the studio after I'd closed it up by her muddy paw prints on the door. Will see what she is like this morning as sometimes this is also an indication that they are not well. So might have to check her over. Wonder what storms we will get tonight, those have been awesome over the last few days. Took our phone out on Friday night but thankfully that was all. Glad in a way we don't have solar panels as otherwise those would have been fried!

Comment

Can I just make the comment that negative people truly do my head in. Is it really so hard to be on the planet and do positive things for yourself or others? There is so much negativity in the world alone, I think some people just find an excuse regardless of the situation because they just like making excuses to do nothing about any situation. What a waste of time spent on being unhappy but hey, you can either go with them or above them, I'll take the latter thank you:).

Plumbing still there and functioning

Well, I am surprised that I didn't find all the plumbing under the house rearranged this morning or a 20,000 gallon tank busy emptying itself around the house. I have no idea what Veg gets up to but at 4am, all hell broke loose under the house. I got up eventually to go and see what she was doing as you can hear her scratching her bum on the pipes but what else she does, who knows. It sounded like two hippos trying to defy osmosis and get into a space for one, truly. I went outside, shone the torch under the house, only to be looked at with an expression of 'what?' After that she seemed to settle down wherever it is she settles for the night. Who needs an alarm clock here but 4am, that is pushing it a bit. Then of course, Madam J woke up so bottle for her, then Indy wanted to go out for piddles being a puppy so eventually 5am it was back to bed. Love this lot, I truly do:)

Lesson learnt

Ha, lesson for Indy this evening. Never squat to pee on a bull ants nest - you will not finish comfortably *lol*!!!!!

Harry senior has left the building

Well, tonight should be interesting. Not only do we have Boney Bum, a male jumping into the enclosure area to visit another male and I mean just 'visit', no fighting - we now have Harry senior who decided to leave the main enclosure area this morning and go and start his life in the bush. I am unsure if he is still under the house at present but will see what happens on dusk tonight. Harry is clearly ready to go out into the bush but he has done this before, maybe this time he will find his own burrow and stay out. Veg is under the house too so this will ensure a lot of screaming later I've no doubt. And lots of rain forecast - Harry has picked his time although he is not afraid of getting wet or muddy so he is not a fair weather wombat. You can rescue and rehabilitate wombats for eternity and I reckon never be able to learn enough or to stop learning about these creatures.

Indy is going to turn out well. She barked at 4am this morning. Went to have a look and there was a young fox at the feed station in the shadows. Nothing passes her, just like Bella. Fox didn't last long needless to say which is good. She has settled in very well with Bella and adores Madam J. I think I have reached my limit though - although somebody remind me that I said that 3 months down the line *lol*. Our new recruit Winnie is also going very well. Didn't bother her that her flooded burrow has turned to mush. She was hardly recognisable yesterday morning but appeared quite happy. You can hear the mud balls clink clink as she ran:). 

Always expect the unexpected

I've just had a week off to sort heaps of stuff out and not sure where it has gone. I need at least a month I reckon. Now last night was a bit bizarre. Apparently we have a wombat that jumps BACK into the enclosure area. Never ever had this before. Normally if they jump out and can work this out for themselves, they by this stage deserve their freedom. But to have one jump in??? We have moved Mr Bean down to the new enclosure area. Apparently meeting him on the outside of the fence was not enough for Boney Bum. Around 2am this morning, Phil got woken up by a wombat continually screaming and discovered Boney Bum having a meet and greet with Bean IN the enclosure. When Phil arrived, Boney Bum simply walked out and left over the fence. Like I said, never had this before.

There is always somebody worse off than you

Last night after a hectic day, dug two wombats out to move them, friends dog bitten multiple times by snake, we don't know whether tiger or brown, the other dog major blood infection, not sure if it will live, business has gone mad - when do I sleep? But as above, when you think things are bad for you or tough, there is always something or someone that comes along that needs help or a helping hand to get you out of that state and realise how damn luck you actually are and that all the 'worries' can be dealt with. Life is good to me that way, its always a friend or animal that brings me out of that place in life. Off to vet, then back to do wombats, then up to Ns to see how she is doing and how her dogs are. Hope it is good news for her. Hold thumbs....