Indigo has been looking over my shoulder while I Google alesis qs8 synthesizers. There was a great music party held here in our community tonight with big bands playing and topped off by fireworks.
Surprisingly fireworks do not greatly concern our Indigo, she was quite happy sitting back with us enjoying the music.  It was the Australia Day celebrations and what is a party without music.

I find it hard to comprehend what a powerful instrument the alesis qs8 is as I am not a musician nor technically minded but I was impressed by its performance. I can best describe it as an incredibly responsive keyboard combined with its huge library of sounds and extensive interfacing capabilities make it the choice of any serious musician desiring a powerful synthesizer with the sound and feel of a fine acoustic piano.  I don't know how but apparently you can connect it via a  serial data port to a Macintosh or PC - unbelievable for somone like me who can remember the old gramophone days. 

Do you remember the 'His Master's Voice Label?"  I remember them in fact my own family member musicians made recordings in the old 78 format. It was considered as big an advance in its day.

His Master's Voice in abbreviation HMV , is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone. In the photograph on which the painting was based, the dog was listening to a phonograph cylinder.  Gosh I remember playing old 78 records and I am amazed at the progress in the music industry during my lifetime.

One of the first songs I can remember is "How Much is the Doggie in the Window.

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How Much is the Doggie in the Window.

The history behind this popular golden oldie.  I would have been six years old when this song hit the Australian music charts and it would have increased my yearning for a dog and nagging my mother to get us one.  The nagging worked and I have had a dog in my life ever since. This is a popular novelty song written by Bob Merrill and Ingrid Reuterskiöld in 1952.
The best-known version of the song was recorded by Patti Page on December 18, 1952 and released by Mercury Records
Patti Page later released another version that said, Have you looked at that puppy in the animal shelter? That was an effort to  undo what had been seen as the advertising of pet shops and puppy farms in the title of the song. The song was considered a novelty but it made top of the charts in the US, England and Australia for many weeks.


How much is that doggie in the window? (arf! arf!)
The one with the waggley tail
How much is that doggie in the window? (arf! arf!)
I do hope that doggie's for sale

I must take a trip to California
And leave my poor sweetheart alone
If he has a dog, he won't be lonesome
And the doggie will have a good home

How much is that doggie in the window? (arf! arf!)
The one with the waggley tail
How much is that doggie in the window? (arf! arf!)
I do hope that doggie's for sale

I read in the paper there are robbers (roof! roof!)
With flashlights that shine in the dark
My love needs a doggie to protect him
And scare them away with one bark

I don't want a bunny or a kitty
I don't want a parrot that talks
I don't want a bowl of little fishies
He can't take a goldfish for a walk

How much is that doggie in the window? (arf! arf!)
The one with the waggley tail
How much is that doggie in the window? (arf! arf!)
I do hope that doggie's for sale
I do hope that doggie's for sale

Note:
Arf! Arf! sounds like a small dog.
Roof! Roof! sounds like a bigger dog.

Indigo loves laying on my shoulder and appearing to read books with me. She knows there is no point trying to get me to play when I'm on the computer or reading.  What does your pet read with you?

There is actually a program in some countries to allow dogs to come into libraries and allow children to read to them.

A DOG in the Library Program.

Children reading storybooks to dogs—what could be cuter?

But every day we’re learning there’s more than just cuteness when this happens. The smiles on a child’s face, the wagging tail of the dog, the excitement of doing something different (even forbidden in some public places) proves there’s anticipation when it comes to reading in this particular setting. And that’s what it’s all about. Youngsters of all ages are not only learning to read, they’re looking forward to it. They’re learning to love to read!

I remember how terrifying it was to stand up in class in primary school and even in secondary school and read out loud from a reader and I do believe that encouraging children to read to the loving and understanding family pet would be a wonderful way to integrate them into reading out loud.

Click here to watch "Kids reading to dogs."

_I have a friend in South Africa who took up walking. Then she took up running now she runs though the great wild life parks in South Africa and I have photos of her running with giraffes  watching her. These make fantastic images. I think every one loves the giraffe and a good giraffe story.  As well as showing me photos of the most amazing scenery and wildlife in the locations she runs I am fascinated by the shoes many of the runners in South Africa wear.  Where as here in Australia we have specialist shoe stores that stock regular, wide and narrow shoes for women, there they stock bare food running shoes.  Now in my wildest imagination lol, I just cannot picture what a bare food running shoe would be.

Here is a gorgeous picture of the famous 'kissing' giraffe becomes a mum again

A giraffe that found fame after being captured kissing her first-born calf has given birth for the seventh time.

Misha's three-day-old calf weighs in at a heavier-than-average 72 kilograms and was born as part of Perth Zoo's regional breeding program.

The giraffes are Rothchild's Giraffe species, which are the most endangered of all giraffe species.

There are only a few hundred found in Kenya and Uganda.

Zookeeper Bec Wood says the past 16 years have seen Perth contribute to the species' numbers.

"We've been part of the regional breeding program for quite a few years now," she said.

"The calf is Misha's seventh and we've had eight here born over the years as well.

"It's quite important for the region and for conservation as well."

The calf is yet to be named.

It is great news dfor dog lovers that Queensland has joined the Victorian governments push to wipe out puppy farms, time is running out for unscrupulous dog farmers.

Regional Economies Minister Tim Mulherin says proposed new registration requirements will eliminate cruel and brutal dog breeders, making it very difficult for them to run inhumane and secluded operations away from scrutiny.

The new system, developed with the help of animal welfare groups, will mean dog breeders must comply with very high standards for canine management, breeding, rearing, health, housing and record-keeping.

Mr Mulherin says every dog will have a micro chip so it can be traced back to the breeder.

"The registration system involves mandatory registration for intensive dog breeders [and] regular monitoring," he said.

"In addition, all microchips will include the breeder's information and the dog's mother's micro chip number. This will allow authorities to more easily identify puppy farms and trace the origins of the puppies.

"These notorious operations generally have very poor conditions, sometimes with hundreds of dogs, and fail to meet any of the dogs' behavioural social needs.

"With the proposed new breeder registration system, these unscrupulous puppy farms will be squeezed out of the market."

Topics: animal-welfare, law-crime-and-justice, qld, australia
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Related Story: Victoria cracks down on illegal puppy farms Related Story: Claim tougher breeding controls would stop 'puppy farms'
Related Story: Puppy farm raids lead to push for tougher laws Map: QLD
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_Would you like to interact with me on facebook? Click here:-Kathy Shell I am thrilled that my http://www.gray-nomad.com/ travel blog has hit over 2,000 regular readers a month.

If there is any part of Australia you would like me to visit and write about, let me know. I am currently featuring the Dandenong and the Goulburn Ranges and Yarra and Goulburn Valleys plus seniors fitness information and planning the winter get away to far north Queensland.

'Gone Bush' Blog www.gray-nomad.com
Gray with an a for active, ageing well, fitness, exercise, motivated, nomad, seniors, travelling Australia in caravan, travelling with a dog and downsizing.

How to get web traffic to your blog.
Aim to become ranked on the first page of any Google Seearch. : If you are not on the first page of search results, over 60% of Internet users will not find you!  
Do this by using good headings for your blog and updating it frequently with quality posts.

Write articles about products that are being searched for.  Write about the things your readers are interested in.
Let me know what you would like to see here in Indigo's Doggie Blog. I write this blog as a service for dog and wildlife lovers like myself.

I have had a lovely relaxing evening blogging with Indigo sitting beside me keeping me company. I am feeling inspired after the cartoon writing seminar I attended on Wednesday and I am eager to begin creating ideas I got from the seminar and Personal Creations website.

I watched images that had been created using Adobe Photoshop at the cartooning website and it reminded me of my love for the old Microsoft ware program Picture It.  I Goggled to find out if there was any way to try to get it to work on a Windows 7 computer and apparently if I spend $100. upgrading this to a Windows 7 professional program I could ten download a Windows XP onto my Windows 7 Pro to run the old Microsoft Program and then create those personal image creations I want to make.  lol - do I know what I am talking about? No - Not really.  I just loved Picture It and it was so much easier to use than Adobe Photo Shop. I long to have access to it again. 


It is amazing the fun you can have creating if you have the right tools for the job.

I just arrived back at our summer retreat in the country after attending a seminar in Melbourne with the creator of the 'First Dog on the Moon' cartoons as my tutor.  Indigo went to melbourne with us and stayed with our daughter and her two golden retrievers. As she always watched whatever I do creatively with great interest I am sure she is going to enjoy my animal cartoons I plan to do for her blog. Right now I am a bit of a HickingArtist fan as you can see.

I won the seminar so that made it a special treat.
Thank you to Writers Victoria I had an excellent time at the seminar. I learned heaps from an excellent tutor and loved meeting and talk with other writers/artists. A most worthwhile trip to the city from country Victoria and I will be reopening my page on facebook as a result of the PR talk at the end. 

Who are Writer's Victoria?
writersvictoria.org.au
Writers Victoria is a non-profit organization that assists writers through all stages of their development. We provide high-quality information and professional development for aspiring and established writers, and special benefits for members.

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It was a GREAT Seminar.
Theory beginning, Practical drawing and punch line creating of cartoons afternoon then some networking PR talk.Great talking to other writers.

Summer School: Cartoon Writing Wednesday 18 January 2012, 10:00AM - 4:00PM Presented by: Andrew Marlton

Type: Workshop

Cartoons capture and entertain audiences by combining the written word with the powerful impact of images and humour. Cartoons are an effective medium for social commentary, inciting political awareness or for simply creating a story.

First Dog on the Moon (Andrew Marlton) is the senior editorial cartoonist at Crikey.com.au where he mercilessly lampoons anyone who gets his goat. By all accounts a lovely fellow and quite approachable, his cartoons are in wide demand and are available on t-shirts but not yet underpants. Andrew illustrated The Wombat and the Grand Poohjam, written by Jackie French. His most recent book First Dog on the Moon’s The Story of the Christmas Story, which he wrote and illustrated, was released in 2010 (Text).

One of the best and worst events of our life was "The Buskers Festival."  I will always remember my pleasure at seeing three elegantly dressed geese being herded along by an Australian Cattledog.
It had been recommended to me as a retail venue by someone with no comprehension of the 'right' venue for fine art.  For starters I was promised an undercover prestige venue to mount a fine art display from an award winning art gallery and I found myself being given a trestle table by the roadside alongside trash and treasure on one side and cheap Asian imports on the other.  I would have been happier at a field day event exhibiting beside jeep parts.  At least that would have brought out a lot of country men who love the Australian landscape paintings.

Now that was the second time that happened to me - there is a lesson there - qualify your prospects before you waste valuable time with them.

Added to the insult of being brought out on a 'bum-steer,' it poured with rain ith one of the worst storms in the century. It was however - WONDERFUL weather for  - DUCKS.  Well geese anyhow. and what geese. While my art exhibition was dismal failure hidden away under tarpaulins, these geese were the outright star attraction of an otherwise doomed buskers festival.

_There has been another incident of Hendra virus in north Queensland on a rural property in the Townsville region and Biosecurity Queensland is investigating.  The last Hendra case in Townsville was in December 2004. Queensland's Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young says staff will travel to the site to determine if any people were exposed to the infected horse that died last week.

She says the department is ready to provide any testing or treatment if required.

This is the first incident of Hendra virus, this year. last year was the worst with more than 20 horses and one dog being affected or put down due to the virus which appears to be spread though bat droppings.  So far the outbreaks have mostly been across Queensland as well as northern New South Wales.

Australia has always have strict quarantine regulations and so far we have been protected against Rabies. However this disease has spread close to Australia and is now on islands within 600 kilometers of our mainland.  I think the main risk would come from an infected dog having an assisted entry as a passenger on a boat and then getting into the huge wild dog population within Indidginous Australian communities. 

This is something I hope will not happen

Vets in the Top End warn an epidemic of rabies in Indonesia could have disastrous consequences if it reaches Australia, because of the large dog population in remote Indigenous communities.

The disease is highly infectious, has been a killer in parts of the developing world for decades, and is spreading quickly across the Indonesian archipelago.

It arrived on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali four years ago and is now on an island 600 kilometres north of Darwin.

"They tracked it back to a fisherman who brought his dog on a boat, and that dog had been incubating rabies," said Janice Girardi, director of the Bali Animal Welfare Association.

Ms Girardi says eliminating rabies is tough because it is so contagious and the most effective way of preventing the disease is through vaccinating all dogs.

Her organisation has already vaccinated close to 300,000 canines across Bali.

"Extensive studies have come up with the R0 number, the infectious number, to be under two, so one rabid dog will infect one and a half other dogs," she said.

"You put an unvaccinated population of dogs, you will see how quickly it spreads because every dog is infecting one and a half other dogs.

"If you vaccinate above 70 per cent of those dogs, the disease will die out."

She says rabies has spread beyond Bali and Australia is not immune.

"You have very good quarantine controls, which is excellent," she said.

"But people are still brought in to Australia and still get through, so the chance of a dog coming in on those boats is likely.

"If it's undetected and you have a population of dogs that are not vaccinated then those dogs will get rabies and it will start spreading, as it did in Bali."


In Australia, most dogs are not vaccinated because there has never been a case of rabies in the country.

Vet Dr Jan Allen says an oral vaccination against rabies is now being developed in Australia but there's still a long way before it's ready for use.

Dr Allen works with AMMRIC, an independent group that helps Indigenous communities in the Top End to improve the health and welfare of companion animals.

"There's only been early work happening in oral vaccines, and that would certainly be the way to go in Indigenous communities because of the numbers of the dogs, because the dogs aren't used to being handled so it's actually quite difficult to catch the dogs, but it's a long way down the track," she said.

Dr Allen says that rabies could have disastrous implications if it reaches the Territory's remote Indigenous communities.

"If it did get in to the communities it could be an absolute disaster because there are so many dogs, and the problem with rabies is that the incubation period is several months. So once an animal starts showing signs it's almost too late because it's been in contact with so many other animals," she said.

"So it could rapidly get out of control."

The Department for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, which is responsible for the Northern Territory's quarantine strategy, was not available for an interview.