Thanks Guys

Two of my new online friends, Jo and Anita (I have no idea how to link their names to their blogs! sorry!) have given me a blog award! Thanks girls - I know that at least two of you read my random blatherings!

Here it is:

"These blogs believe and invest in PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers, who must choose eight more and include this cleverly written text into the body of their awards".

I haven't enough blogging friends to pass this onto, but still thank you very much!

And just to change the subject, this is what faces me next week, and considering the weather has changed back to stinkin' hot, its going to be so much fun (inelegant snort). There will be far less people, because school will have started by then, so that means no willing slaves...sorry WORKERS to assist (this photo was taken in 2007, when we ended up with a whole tribe of pre-teen and teenage kids helping out. The place was crowded! and I was done out of a job, so I went home and made lots and lots and lots of food for those teenage tummies)...

There will be me, and my husband, my brother in law (who shares my husband's even and sunny temperament when they are both hot and dirty...insert another inelegant snort!), and our main offsider from the business, who has been graciously given time away from his real job to look at stinky calves bums. And believe you me, they will be stinky. I have the job of "penning up", which means staying away from the action end of things (thankfully) and involves yarding the little dears into the race. Our main man from town then has to keep the calves flowing down the race, to the Happy Pair at the cradle, where each calf is caught, earmarked, castrated (if required) and branded. And then, released to the care of their mumma's, who will be anxiously awating the return of their babies. Usually each calf is processed in about 40 seconds, but times that by a couple of hundred, it makes for a long hot few hours...

I would post more images of more details "close-up" but not sure if you really want to see it... let me know!