skip to main |
skip to sidebar
I photographed this darling Maltese in the doorway of Cafe Racer in St Kilda on Sunday morning. 
She is beautifully clipped and coated for the winter weather but she appears to be wondering why she is there. And no wonder. In the weekend Cafe Racer is the hang-out of all the Lycra clad cyclists who ride the beach road.
She didn't arrive on a bike and she is being stepped over by many of the people who did.
She may be a regular visitor although I haven't seen her before. Her presence would seem unremarkable during the week when the clientele becomes more varied and it is quieter. The locals wander in and sit for hours often with their laptops or reading the papers.
Deliah, her Mum and I joined many other dogs at Gasworks Park last weekend. Melbourne is a dog friendly city and Gasworks Park is an ideal place to see just how dog-friendly it is.
At 11am Sunday morning large dogs race around while their owners stand and talk.
There are smaller dogs at that time, too, but the big dogs bound over most of the open space while the smaller dogs potter around the edges.
It never ceases to surprise me how so many dogs can enjoy each other’s company without any agro. If there is any agro it usually between dogs that are still on their lease. Do those dogs need to prove something? A sort of “I know I’m tethered but I can still beat you!” I can only guess but it does appear to change their attitude to their doggy mates.
Dede, as she is known to her family, is 12 and a half years old and lives in Port Melbourne. She rides around Melbourne as a pillion passenger and obviously loves sitting behind her ‘Mum’ with the wind blowing her ears and hair.
Her ‘Mum’ says she weighs 7 to 8 kilos so she gets a good workout with Dede on the back. When I met them they had stopped at the Peanut Farm in St Kilda for a run around on the grass.
Dede
Olivia is a Daschund and Jack Russell cross and everyday she trots beside her Mum’s bike as they set off to the park in Brunswick. She’s often out in front and looks as if she is pulling the bike.
She’s eleven years old and her Mum says she is very fit because she gets so much exercise. She’s full of life and is interested in everything around her. She used to have a running mate but her friend died last year so she now trots off alone.
We saw the bike first.
Then we noticed the Labrador dog lying beside it.
I used to ride a bike just like this one, to school. I even had the lamp and the bell in the front as well as a carrier on the back.
The beautiful silver/white Labrador was sleeping when we stopped but as we chatted about the bike he opened his eyes and lifted his head. He didn’t make any effort to stand up and he didn’t show any interest in us. He didn’t appear to care whether we patted him or not.
But he had noticed us because when we moved away he flopped back into a sleeping position.
Labradors are said to be the most popular dog in the world – certainly in the Western world. If this is the case it is surprising that I don’t see many more in Melbourne.
Labradors are usually black, brown or a rich gold colour so it was unexpected to see this beautiful silvery/white one. 
She may be a regular visitor although I haven't seen her before. 
It was a clear cold winter morning and Dede was well rugged up for the bike ride.
