Header Photo: Rasmus (Photo: Graham Tourney)
Doc Mike Holmes, Mavis and Rasmus – Dave Rowley
Mavis and Rasmus are dogs that stick in my mind. As a newcomer to the land of dogs, shit buckets, seal piles, scrub outs, dog feeds of rancid seal on the dog spans, gash runs to the jetty, seal culls, Saturday scrubouts et al,
I can’ t believe how easily I took to the Fid way of life. I was never a dog lover however, and although happy to throw a putrid Seal head to the favourite on the dog spans, I was nevertheless impressed with the reverence bestowed on the beasts!
Mavis didn’t warm me to the darlings after collecting her from sledge (?), to take her to Base T to be spayed. En route, she broke loose and wrecked the Twotter cabin, leaving bloody
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scratches all over the place. Not a heartless person, I felt for her distress and did give her a hug and shaggy stroke at T.
The next day Mavis was spayed on the dining table. We all gathered round as Doc Holmes prepared for the op. Someone dripped the ether while we tied her down on her back and doc shaved her abdomen. Doc had a bottle of whisky for antiseptic that was generously passed around as he made the first incision. The bits were removed, probably with a few that should have remained, and then the stitching began!
By this time, Doc had consumed most of the whisky and couldn’t thread the needle, so after that , we took turns to sew up the wound. At the end of the procedure, the incision was out of Line, so a rather unsightly ” tuck ” had to be stitched up. It was touch and go for a week as Mavis recovered in Rymill hut, but eventually rejoined the team .
My other favourite dog was Rasmus. He retired to Fossil Bluff where I was forced to spend the end of the season while we did an engine change on the Twotter. Old Rasmus seemed to take a liking to me, and when not sleeping, would follow me all over the place. One day the Base Webley revolver was discovered and on my instigation, we got it out with a box of cartridges and along with Dave Brown and one of the glacio’s, set up a line of bottles to take pot shots at it. As the last few rounds were being expended, attentions drew to Rasmus! I’m happy that it didn’t happen then. He died naturally.
Dave Rowley – Pilot – Adelaide Air Unit – 1968-1973