Our virtual visit to Australia continues... We said goodbye to the Acfords and we left northern Queensland. We flew straight to Brisbane to spend Christmas holidays with Pat Kingham and Glen Beech. I had met Pat through the Great Dane Mail List. Pat and I had been corresponding for several months, but of course we'd never met in person. She lives in a beautiful rural area west of Brisbane. Pat and Glen don't have kangaroos hopping through the house there -- in fact there aren't any kangaroos around at all. Too bad. But they do have Great Danes. Lots of them! We spent several pleasant days at the homestead. We counted 10 adult Great Danes, 12 Great Dane puppies, one Miniature Pinscher, one Bouvier des Flandres, six cats (or was it 7? 8? 9?), 2 pet birds, 11 horses, and innumerable chickens (which the Aussies call chooks). Only the horses and the chickens were denied full access to the house! With so many giant dogs on the loose, there was never a dull moment, especially at feeding time. How do Pat and Glen feed 10 hungry adult Great Danes? Carefully. Their large wraparound porch is full of yellow chairs. At dinner time, 10 big bowls are placed on 10 big chairs; the 10 big dogs find the 10 big chairs; they each eat a big meal out of a big bowl on a big chair. Do I wish I had videotaped dinner time? You bet -- but there's always next year. |
