King's Graduation

Cute doggy photos, but a different dog! This is King.

He's just completed an 8 week Beginners Obedience Course and today they had their graduation test.

( These are for sister, but anyone can look! )

More dog photos

I went down to watch King's graduation test today, but I didn't want to leave Jaz at home. So I thought I'd take her with us, thinking I could leave her in the car to sleep.

When we got there, she wanted to get out. So I took her over with me, thinking she'd just lie near my feet. Last night she couldn't stand up by herself.

But no, she had to walk around. More of a lop-sided stagger around, but she had her legs under and she wanted to move around. There didn't seem a lot of purpose to her walks though. Some of them were targetted at the water bowls, but some just seemed to be wandering, because she could. Which is a typical JR trait -- doing things because they can. She got a lot more steadier during the day too. I think she's been frustrated because she wasn't able to walk or go where she wanted to. But now she can. Mostly. Sometimes she even heads towards the right. She's also much more alert today and generally happier, but still not eating.

Of course, since we got home, she's slept. Not stopping when you get tired is also a typical JR trait. Although she had to climb back up the stairs when we went out for a toilet break too. She just took off into the other room, headed for the water bowl, and I couldn't find her until she started throwing up. Then she collapsed and looked a bit dazed. Poor puppy.

I took some photos today. She was keen to pose for the later one, on the grass, even if she couldn't manage a sit. Unfortunately, the sun is in a bad position.

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Taroona Shot Tower,

Taroona Shot Tower, built 1870 and closed in the 1900s. It's 48-60 m high and has about 300 steps in it. At the time it was built, it was apparently the tallest building in Australia, I think it was the first shot tower built in Australia & one of the oldest surviving ones in the world. They're used to manufacture lead shot. Off-hand, I think there are three left in Australia. The one in Melbourne Central, built in the 1880s, is probably the best known.


The Parks and Wildlife Site has a history of the tower, and the best description I've come across of the shot making process. So you go there for the details.

The basic process though: the ingots of lead, arsenic & antimony are melted in a cauldron, this is poured through a sieve and the droplets fall down the tower into a barrel of water. The distance they have to fall depends on the size of the drop, so there are two cauldrons -- one at the top of the tower, and one on the top floor of the factory.

( 20 photos )