Claude, the dalmation in the the picture, is not a young dog. He is also a very disobedient dog and is not allowed to run in the yard off lead anymore as he runs away on adventures and wont come when called. My mother lives in a rural area and one of her neighbours previously threatened to shoot Claude after he escaped on one of his adventures as he was suspected of chasing and injuring a sheep or some lambs. Since then he is kept in a large fenced kennel during the day, taken for walks on lead around the paddock and kept inside at night. All the walking keeps mum fit.

While I was there for the night i took Claude for several walks so he could water the bushes and see to his business, but it didn’t stop him from stinking up the place in the evening enough to make your eyes smart, amazing how such smells seem really get up your nose.

Mums other dog, Bella, is a big white Maremma (Italian sheep dog) she is a big softy and is no trouble. We can leave the gate open and she just hangs around and keeps watch over the yard. She has a tendancy to bark at the lights of cars that pass by way in the distance at night and although she is really quite timid, her size and her bark makes strangers think twice about coming close.

My mothers place is set on 40 acres in the country about a 20 min drive out of the suburbs. It is set up on a hill and has a great view south towards the mountains. The night I stayed I woke at a bout 4 in the morning and couldn’t get back to sleep. I think it was because it was so quiet and dark there compared to home. I got up at about 6.30 am to take Claude out again and could see the sun coming up on the horizon. All about in the lower hollows there were patches of mist hanging aver the ground, especially over the small dams on neighbouring properties, cockatoos were squawking and the magpies were chirruping in the early morning. It is a lovely spot to be.

I can see why my mother doesn’t want to leave there, even though the place is a bit much for her on her own. I have contemplated whether perhaps I should go and live out there for a while and rent out my house (to the kids maybe) so that mum can stay there as long as possible.

While there on my own i didn’t feel at all concerned or worried about not being close to others, I always feel quite safe with the dogs there. Not that Claude would be much use…he loves people and would probably lick an intruder to death….and Bella would make a lot of noise and I think she could be fierce if she felt that she or I were in danger.