Roo meets Roo

When we were in West Virginia we learned that, while many people get a rush from spotting a deer, others do not. Others realize how many deer there are in their forests and what they are doing to crops or lawns or car accident rates. In some areas deer are not a joy but a nuisance. I imagine the same is true here with kangaroo. There are apparently a LOT of kangaroo in Australia. In some parts of the country they are such a nuisance that people get paid to kill them to cull their numbers. I am sure they are the bane of some farmer's existence. Thankfully that is not the case for us and they still fill us with awe.

The fact that Canberra is swarming with roos is really one of the advantages of being here. Yesterday I ran through a mob of kangaroos on my urban trail run. Kangaroo three feet from me with little heads peeping out of pouches cheering me on as I run up the mountain.  Aurora is smitten with marsupials and was happy to get out to a reserve this weekend and frolick in a field of roos. We got to contemplate all sorts of minutiae of the lives of kangaroos - the physics of their bounce, purposes of head down versus head up in the pouch, their innermost thoughts.  And we got to take some photos so here they are to either fill you with joy or depress you.

We also got to experience firsthand what an arboretum is like in its early stages - not so impressive. Somehow walking through a forest of tress that comes up to your knees just isn't appealing. One day when we are old and grey we will come back to Canberra and walk among the giant glorious and diverse trees, waggle our fingers at them and say we knew you when you were barely as tall as a baby and they will flutter their leaves in embarrassment.

Arboretum: No trees to obstruct the views!

Mob

Not too bad looking ourselves

Head down feet out approach