The plan was to go to Jorgensen Park in Kalamunda. A short hike aimed at dog walkers to allow them free roam and short enough for the ones with short legs to manage. The plan didn’t go so well. We decided we’d walk the course in reverse to avoid all the dogs that arrived at the same time as us, keeping distraction to a minimum, but believe it or not, we managed to get lost after just one kilometre. Saw another dog walker, followed her thinking she’d get us back on the track and then realised we’d managed to walk straight back to the start. Considering we’ve started doing bush walks off the beaten track, this one was a little bit of a failure.
On a bizarre note – I fed some bread to a magpie and it became my friend. Progress has been made. Soon there will be a Peace Treaty.
After our failed hike, we jumped in the car and drove down the road to Lesmurdie, just a 10 min drive away. It wasn’t so much a hike but letting the sausages run wild whilst I tried to take photos of them. The trick is, don’t bother trying. They clearly dictate the terms, but a squeaky ball helps!
We settled on a small bridge and took some photos of the dogs splashing around. Goober wasn’t fond of the water. Mia was more interested in the plants and Millie kept dropping her ball in the water and staring at it. Millie has an obsession with creating puzzles with her ball. Putting it or burying it in places for her to then fetch, except sometimes she goes too far and then she becomes sad and disappointed, until her human has to fetch it for her.
We were eyeing a better spot upstream from where we were but a couple of folks had settled there beforehand, so we decided on a quick loop, hoping they’d be gone by the time we returned. Everyone was full of energy, although Millie had to be carried for a short while (most of it).
We returned and they were still there. So we did what anyone would and sat close enough to be a little bit awkward and waited until they left. It didn’t take long.
The area had a little makeshift dam and a few large rocks to sit on. Great for a few photos, except sporting my 70-200mm lens, Goober and Mia were always too close – they’re just too sociable. In the meantime Millie was pushing her ball off the cliff edge and throwing herself off kamikaze style just to get the ball. There were a few interventions.
Sadly, Millie passed away in early 2018 after receiving an injury she couldn't recover from. She's missed lots, glad I got these photos though, great memories. R.I.P Millie xx
