July 7, 2024

Icy morning dog walks

This is a subtitle for your new post

Dog walking when there's frost on the ground, and the need is to pile on multiple layers before stepping outside is OK once or twice, but I'm rapidly getting rather over the novelty with the exceptional run of frosty mornings that are characterising northern Tasmania this winter. 


Needless to say Badger couldn't give a toss about the weather. He's raring to go regardless and his internal clock is well tuned to the time we normally set off, so it's a rare morning when he's not waiting patiently outside the back door - and if he considers I'm later than I should be he'll let me know!


For a breed that largely navigates the world with his nose (beagles have around 220 million sensors in their noses, compared to around 5 million in humans. Who knew?!), you'd think the frosty chill would kill some of those interesting scents that have him exercised and excited. Not so. He has his nose to the ground regardless, sniffing his way along the road, stopping only to lift his leg occasionally. Of course being only part beagle he might be a little lighter on with those nose sensors. Perhaps a mere 110 million . . . ?!


Regardless, he sets a cracking pace, so I have no trouble keeping warm. But I'll be relieved to see this unusual and very chilly weather pattern stubbornly hanging over the southern part of the country, move on. And I doubt I'm alone in that.



Share this post on socials

Magni

Fiona's gift

By Anne Layton-Bennett • June 14, 2026
It’s taken far too many months for this marvellous model to grace the dedicated desk space in my office. When Fiona comes to visit next she will be very surprised, and hopefully gratified, that her amazing creative talent is finally on display. We’ve known each other for a very long time, and during the insanely busy time when I was helping to run the flower farm, working part-time in a school library, doing a spot of journalism on the side, and fighting the proposed pulp mill that is the subject of the manuscript I’m hoping to get published, Fiona cleaned my house each week. There’s only so much a person can do after all, and it has to be said cleaning our house during those manic years was fairly low down on the list of my priorities. But Fiona is a woman of many talents and she certainly possesses one that I so don’t have: sewing and dressmaking. So over the years she’s also made a few garments based on the pattern of a favourite garment that I was particularly fond of, and she’s also done some clothing alterations for both of us. My skills with needles and thread are limited to sewing on buttons, and taking up hems on John’s too-long pairs of jeans. Anything else is beyond me. But this fabulous model is the pièce de résistance – along with the beautiful crocheted knee warmer she gave me last year. This was when winter was approaching and so determined was I to finish writing the book, I decided to get out of bed at the insane hour of 5am and get in a solid hour’s writing in before dog walking and the demands of the day took over. Fiona was also one of many Tasmanians who needed to be circumspect about her opinion of the pulp mill. It was a project that polarised people, including families and friendships. She was one of several who passed on snippets of useful information, but on the basis of anonymity so it couldn’t be sheeted home to her.  Needless to say Fiona will be one of those whose contribution will be acknowledged – when this book is finally accepted by a publisher.

Signs of spring - when winter's only just arrived

By Anne Layton-Bennett • June 8, 2026
Early lambing season a sign of changing seasons? Or economic reality?

An amazing autumn

By Anne Layton-Bennett • May 18, 2026
Changing climate is affecting plants, and they are increasingly confused by a warming world. Yet despite the warnings by scientists about the risks of more frequent weather extremes, governments are still failing to act quickly enough.

Latest from my blog...