“We’ve had a trip over during the year...two of our members went over, and our main project has been supporting the medical centre,” she said.
“In 2023 we met with them and got a priority list of things they needed because we’re really cautious not to dump unwanted Australian stuff over there.”
The aim of the Friends of Lacluta Open Gardens is to showcase local sustainable gardens featuring native biodiversity all while raising money to support education in Timor Leste.
“We supply vocational scholarships for people to learn a trade so they can come back to Lacluta and practise their trade and set up their own business,” Ms Redmond said.
◆ ECLECTIC GARDEN: Heather and Glen Miles created their garden through experimentation.
PHOTO: Kurt Hickling
VET CORNER Pyometra: serious and potentially life threatening
PYOMETRA is an infection of the lining of the uterus.
It is a serious and potentially life threatening condition that can affect any non-spayed female dog or cat.
Pyometra is established as a result of hormonal changes.
If a pregnancy doesn’t occur after many heat cycles, the lining of the uterus continues to thicken until cysts form within.
The thicken, cystic lining secretes fluids that create the ideal environment for bacteria to grow.
The cervix is the gateway to the uterus.
It remains tightly closed except when a dog is ‘on heat’ or ‘in season’.
When the cervix is open, bacteria that is usually found in the vagina can find their way into the uterus.
If the uterus is normal, bacteria’s chance of survival is extremely low.
However, when the uterine wall is thickened and cystic the walls provide a great environment for bacteria to flourish.
Due to the changes, the muscles of the uterus cannot contract properly and the bacteria cannot be expelled.
with nurse Alyssa Allan Ovens and Kiewa Veterinary Hospital
This condition can occur to any entire female cat or dog.
However, middle aged and older people have a higher risk of developing this illness.
After many years of ‘seasons’ or being ‘in heat’ the uterus wall undergoes the changes that promote this disease.
The typical time for a pyometra to occur is one to three months after the animals’ most recent ‘heat’ and/or ‘season’.
There are two types of pyometra, open and closed, this depends on whether the cervix is opened or closed.
Symptoms can include:
Open: Visual pus from the uterus draining from the vagina; yellow, brown or red discharge from vagina; fever; lethargic; loss of appetite; depression; increase in drinking and urination; weakness.
Closed: No discharge from vagina; swelling of abdomen; severely ill; minimal to no eating; vomiting; diar-
rhoea; increase in urination and drinking; weakness.
These cases of a closed pyometra are even more critical than the open pyometra.
As the infection that is brewing in the uterus can not escape out of the cervix it makes its way into the bloodstream causing the pet to become critically unwell.
As the infection travels through the blood steam the bacteria affects the kidneys, causing them to lose the ability to retain fluids.
Therefore you find your animals drinking and urinating more than normal.
Surgery is used to treat a pyometra - an ovariohysterectomy commonly known as a spay.
However, when a pyometra is present, what was usually a ‘routine desexing’ procedure is no longer ‘routine’ as animals with this condition are severely unwell.
The uterus is in a very fragile state and great care must be taken when performing this procedure.
After completion of the surgery, many medications are administered to ensure we can help control the remainder of the infection.
This Day in History, 1840
FIRST WHITE GIRL
MANY consider this to be the date of the birth of the first white girl in the North East.
A daughter was delivered of Mrs. A.A.Huon of the Upper Murray district.
The first white child is believed to have been born one year earlier, to Mr and Mrs Robert Mason, who had the Beggarie Station near the head-waters of the Murray.
The child was named Robert James, but died when only young and was buried on the station.
The Masons later sold the Beggarie, and eventually moved to the Greta area.
Upcoming Features
GONE FISHING
Yellowbelly still slow going, but optimistic action will warm up
THE fishing in North East Victoria is very hot and cold at the moment.
It is hot for Murray cod (which are currently in their closed season) and carp, while it is cold for trout, yellowbelly and redfin.
In last week’s report I mentioned that I was hoping to head over to Lake Nillahcootie last week.
Well, I made it on Wednesday afternoon.
I trolled small to medium sized lures around the edges of the lake for five hours, and for my effort I was rewarded with just two small yellowbelly.
I did not see any Murray cod, and the two yellowbelly that I caught were right on sunset.
So I paddled and trolled for over four hours before I caught my first fish.
Most people would have gone home!
It’s not all bad though.
Catching those two fish was encouraging and I think that perhaps we still need more warm weather to really fire them up ay Lake Nillahcootie.
The temperature is usually a few degrees cooler up there than it is here where I live in Wangaratta, and we didn’t have the warmest start to spring this year.
I will be trying Lake Nillahcootie again in a few weeks.
I have been bait fishing in the Ovens River.
Using only worms for bait, and targeting yellowbelly and carp it is hard to not catch an out of season Murray cod at the moment.
And it’s not just me, other people are reporting the same thing too.
Remember that it is illegal to knowingly target Murray cod during the spring time.
I like to leave my lures at home until December and just fish with worms and light line for other species.
That does not mean that you won’t catch a Murray cod on worms though, and if you do, you should unhook it and return it to the water as quickly as possible.
◆ PADDLE TIME: I paddled around Lake Nillahcootie for five hours last week and found the yellowbelly fishing slow at moment, but I suspect it’s only a matter of time before the fishing picks up a bit.
with Rob Alexander WANGARATTA W
Creating memorable experiences at Beechworth Bakery, celebrating 40 years
AT Beechworth Bakery, it’s all about creating memorable experiences that bring joy and a sense of togetherness to the community.
As we celebrate our 40th birthday, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the journey that has brought us here and the special moments we’ve shared with you–our loyal customers.
Whether it’s the first bite of our famous vanilla slice, a comforting family breakfast, or a stopover during a road trip, Beechworth Bakery has been a part of countless special memories over the past four decades.
In honour of this milestone, we invite you to share your most memorable Beechworth Bakery moment.
Maybe it was a rainy afternoon spent with a warm pie and a cup of coffee, or perhaps a family celebration
marked by a towering stack of lamingtons.
Whatever your story, we want to hear it.
Share your experience with us for a chance to win the ultimate Beechworth Bakery Getaway Package.
This incredible prize includes a night’s stay at the charming Armour Motor Inn, where you can relax and unwind in the heart of Beechworth.
To make your visit even more special, enjoy dinner at the renowned Bridge Road Brewery, where local flavours and craft beers come to life.
Start your morning right with a delicious breakfast at Beechworth Bakery, followed by an exclusive Beechworth Bakery Cooking Experience–learn from the experts and
take a little piece of Beechworth’s baking magic home with you.
Plus, you’ll receive a Coca-Cola esky packed with Beechworth Bakery treats and local produce to enjoy after your getaway.
As we look back on 40 years of serving up smiles, we are reminded that Beechworth Bakery is more than just a place to grab a bite–it’s a place where memories are made.
Whether it’s a casual catchup with friends, a family tradition, or a quick stop on the road, we take pride in being part of your story.
So, let’s celebrate together.
Share your most memorable moment with Beechworth Bakery, and you could be off on an unforgettable getaway.
Enter via the Beechworth Bakery website before midnight Thursday 17th October www.beechworthbakery.com. au
Wholefoods expands: bringing organic goodness to Wodonga
with Kacey O’Callaghan WHOLEFOODS
OWNERS of Wholefoods Wangaratta, Kacey and Jerry O’Callaghan, are thrilled to announce they are expanding to Wodonga.
Growing up in Wangaratta, Kacey and Jerry had typical diets filled with packaged foods, unaware of the long-term health impacts.
Their journey began at university in Bendigo when a simple organic pineapple opened their eyes to the importance of food quality.
They soon learned about the harmful effects of pesticides and food processing on health, igniting a passion for organic living.
What started as a small garage operation in Bendigo quickly evolved.
They delivered organic groceries to customers from Bendigo to Bright, waking up at midnight to source fresh produce and packing orders with love.
Though it wasn’t profitable at first, their dedication to sharing quality food fuelled their growth.
After outgrowing their initial location in Ford Street and then moving to Baker Street in Wangaratta, their family has since welcomed four children, and now, with the kids getting older, they feel it’s the perfect time to reach out to the Wodonga community.
Many local families already travel to Wangaratta for groceries, and Kacey and Jerry are excited to provide them with a more convenient option.
Join them in making
better food choices and supporting local, Australian products that benefit people’s health and the environment.
Taste the difference.
Feel the difference.
◆ CELEBRATING 40 YEARS: Share your most memorable moment with Beechworth Bakery, and you could be off on an unforgettable getaway.
with Danielle Fry BEECHWORTH BAKERY
◆ MAKING MOVES: Jerry, Kacey, Remy, Arlo, Eva and Luca O’Callaghan are excited to be expanding their family business to Wodonga.
Discover unique local gardens
■ From page 1
“We also offer a bit of disability support because the disabled students don’t go to school or have any access to education.”
“Our focus in education is on building people’s skills rather than supplying stuff, although we do some of that too.”
Heather and Glen Miles created one the of gardens which they started 20 years ago when they came to Wangaratta.
According to Glen, they started the garden from scratch and built it up to what it is today.
“We started out with absolutely bare ground and there were very few trees, and it was just large open paddocks so now about 50 per cent of the block is planted with trees,” he said.
Glen describes their garden as “rambling” with no uniting theme.
Instead, they plant all natives with the goals of experimentation and creating habitat for local wildlife.
“We’ve got a garden that’s gives us a lot of pleasure seeing the wildlife coming through and taking up residence here and nesting in some of our areas, the occasional goannas and echidnas,” he said.
“We have rather random plantings, there’s only a few areas that would be considered to be formal but mainly its rambling.
“As a plant dies, we replace them, we develop it as we see fit.
“We’re fortunate that we have well drained hill country and we’ve been able to put in quite a few Western Austral-
ian style plants and quite a lot of Kangaroo Paw.”
“We borrow cuttings from local plants and plants we think look nice and we just keep experimenting and some grow well and some don’t.”
Glen also encourages people to come along to the open gardens to support Friends of Lacluta.
“It’s a worthy cause to support a less developed country that do not have the advantages that we have,” he said.
You can find Heather and Glen’s garden at 310 Sessions Road Killawarra on October 20 from 10am to 4pm.
Other gardens that will be included are John and Joyce Podudinski’s garden at 6 Arlington Park Wangaratta and Pam Procter’s garden at 286 Warby Tower Road Killawarra.
On the day, there will also
be live music by INISHER Band, coffee and cake and a plant and garden book sale.
Tickets are $20 for all three gardens or $10 for one garden.
Ms Redmond said people should not only come along to support the cause but also to see some locally created gardens.
“Our open gardens are local people potting up their own plants with their own vision of how to set things out and due to their hard work and talent that the garden look spectacular,” she said.
“The two Killawarra gardens have fabulous views.”
For more information or to book your tickets to Friends of Lacluta’s biggest fundraiser of the year, visit https:// www.trybooking.com/CVRCI.
Friends of Lacluta are always looking for members to help their cause and Ms
Celebrating 40 Years
WILDLIFE HABITAT: Glen Miles’ garden
Performing Arts (Full-time/ongoing)
Please refer to our website, www.cathedralcollege.vic.edu.au for position descriptions and application closing dates.
◆ INDUSTRY STANDARD: Kincrome sprayers are built to last.
High quality sprayers
SPRING is the perfect time to care for your garden and North East Fasteners has the perfect tools to make your garden look perfect.
We carry a range of Kincrome sprayers to help make your lawn lush and green.
Kincrome’s range of 12V sprayers offer agriculture users a high-quality sprayer for professional use which include innovative components and engineering for spot on broadcast spraying performance.
With Kincrome sprayers, there is no cool down period thanks to the premium components used throughout the pump allowing for a 100 per cent continuous duty rating allowing for consistent spraying over large areas.
They are also packed with components designed to reduce wear and keep working as well as a unique automatic power switch to help conserve the battery power.
As well as the agricultural grade sprayer
Is hearing a problem for me?
HEARING loss and its accompanying communication difficulties can sneak up on you.
We have often heard people say, “I don’t think my hearing is bad enough to do anything about it yet”.
assist people with hearing loss include many different types of devices.
with Rodney Dean NORTH EAST FASTENERS
N
pumps, there are also Kincrome products suitable for the backyard including backpack sprayers and power sprayers.
These also contain the same industry standard in quality and usability while also being smaller and compact, making them perfect for smaller jobs while standing the test of time.
SPRAYER SOLUTIONS
◆ Scan here to learn more about Kincrome sprayers that are now stocked at North East Fasteners:
Hearing loss can be an invisible and gradually increasing problem.
It is therefore quite easy to put off doing something about it.
Research has shown that the earlier you act on hearing loss, the better the long-term outcomes are.
These outcomes include improving your overall ability to get the message and remain engaged in activities you enjoy, as well as being important for your mental health.
Our clients frequently complain about problems such as the following, which we consider early signs of hearing loss:
• Difficulty hearing someone on the other side of the room or behind you.
• TV or radio turned up a little louder than for other family members.
• Difficulty getting the message in large groups, although you might hear fine when having a one-to-one conversation.
• Struggling to hear in the presence of background noise, for example when trying to have a conversation while the TV or radio is on.
• Mishearing occasionally, so you might answer the wrong question.
Current developments to
The list is not limited to hearing aids but includes personal listening headsets, devices to assist you hear the television, telephone and alarm clocks better and assistive listening devices in public places.
Some devices may even offer benefits for people with only minimal hearing loss.
If any of the above sounds familiar, this is a good time to get your hearing checked.
This can be easily arranged through Wangaratta Audiology, your local independent, familyowned audiology clinic.
If you don’t feel your hearing is “bad” enough to need hearing aids, it is still a good idea to get it checked.
We can use these results as a baseline and then monitor your hearing with regular hearing reviews.
