And so that was Christmas

It seemed to roll around far too quickly this year! The kids were super excited, notes were left for Santa (beer in the fridge) and children were hunted back to bed well before daylight Christmas morning. 

We spent the morning at home, with my parents coming in for awhile and neighbours popping over. Then off to thein laws  place for another round of presents and food....and more food.

Pants selection has been of the stretchy comfy sort; Boxing Day being spent doing very little full stop (apart from eat some more, watch a movie and read a book dusty from being untouched)  at home, as the kids played with their haul (Santa bringing an iPod, a last minute decision of a small sewing machine, and an infernal remote controlled helicopter).

Sadly Santa missed my letter with the bit about RAIN, but perhaps the requests for the same were overwhelming?!

Funnily enough, all of this eating and doing nothing has been totally exhausting. 

So that's Christmas for another year, done and dusted. 

** this post brought to you totally by lazy over fed person on couch using iPhone, including new collage making app that has been downloaded. 

Socialising

As if the end of the school year wasn't exciting and exhausting enough, straight away we had a social engagement - my sister in law Chelsea's baby shower (how much has changed in a few short years - weren't any baby showers when I was having babies!).

Wore navy and white and orange. A favourite combination of mine you might have noticed.

   Day started well with the boy bawling over something in the car....

And the view on the way to the venue at the other local small school in the district (where in fact I went to school) was pretty stark.

The decorations were of course pretty, and the food and drink plentiful...oh the food. One thing country ladies can do well is "bring a plate". yum yum yum.

        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The usual assortment of baby shower games were played, including the ever popular squished up chocolate inside a nappy game (the nappies were taken home and carefully placed for my hungover-from-the-night-before and poo-allergic brother to discover)

                It was a lovely day, with her mum and two sisters coming along as well as local friends. And like anyone who has been pregnant over summer, Chelsea is counting down the days - but isn't due until mid January!

We've predicted a baby boy called Heston ;-) (continuing with our H theme of course!)

now, where was I?

A random assortment of images from the past few weeks

  We put up the Christmas Tree (the new giant Christmas tree!) . I tried to take a decent photo. Quite unsuccessful.

Tried to take another photo, with the SLR. I've barely used it since I dropped it back in August, and this is why. I have been pretending it hasn't been broken but I think the time has come to face the music (and the repair bill)...

After some editing work, it came up not so bad, but the focus on the camera is so not well.

IT RAINED!! 2 lovely inches (feels so long ago now!) Kids were very excited.

School breakup concert was held, Santa visited and a musical/dance performance was presented by the kids. Was so good. They've all done music lessons one day a week at school and from kids that could not play ANY instruments to date, they have really learnt so much. A four player rendition of Heart and Soul was just brilliant.

   The last week of school saw me in the cattle yards with the husband, pulling off weaners and bringing home a wedge of poddies in an assortment of Dad and Dave style enclosures in the back of the ute....

We adopted an H theme for the Class of 2014.This was the little settling-in pen we set up under the mango tree for them.

Second last day of school was celebrated with a fun swimming day in town, and photo bombing boy child.

Phew....and that's only til the end of the school year. I am not terribly good at summarising am I!

Merry and Manic

Drawing breath - slightly - in between chasing weaners about, and questioning my sanity for even contemplating heading to the city and the shops at this stage (why do people who have access to the shops 24/7 leave their shopping until the last minute, why oh why?!!)

Black Gold

And just like that, the weeks have passed without a blog post again. What a slacker I am. There's been some movement at the station, and all parts between of late, and even a little bit of most marvellous precipitation! But we'll start where I left off - dry dry dry.

Was summonsed to bring molasses towing vehicle to the prickle farm; cows had hit the wall and The Husband decided he needed to start feeding M8U (molasses + 8% urea) ASAP. So I did as I was told  (I always do!) and with trailer attached to ute, off we went.

The molasses mixer is mounted onto a home made gooseneck trailer; at the back there is mounted an engine which drives paddles inside the mixer tank to keep the contents mixed up (so the urea and any other additive doesn't just settle at the bottom, we want the mix to be even). When stationary and the engine running, the trailer vibrates around, quite like a boat rocking on waves.

  Hi tech tube getting the molasses from the mixer into the trough (a bit of poly belting rolled up and wired!).

First mob of old dears pulled up to have a lick and slurp en route to water (we place the troughs away from the main waters so they don't just sit in the water square gutsing themselves). The skinnier cows are the wet ones, ie have a calf.

All was going well until we arrived at the next drop point. Filled the trough, discovered the water trough was empty (much swearing and scratching of head on husbands part). Drove off to continue our delivery - and found WHY no water was getting to the trough. Busted water pipe - being in sandy country and buried underground (and after recent showers) it was not visible. But the 8 tonne mixer found the wet spot.

Again, insert much cursing and grumbling. Unhook the trailer, and go back to the shed...

  

Where the collection of vehicles (yes COLLECTION) revealed some issues. The main farm ute, flat tyres and no spares, as they were all in at the tyre shop getting new tyres put on the rims, and the old girl (retired to fencing duties only) had a cracked head and leaking radiator that required top ups at every trough.

Chain was applied, and the old girl stepped up to the plate and successfully managed to get the trailer pulled out. (husband had visions of another shower of rain and the whole thing toppling over).

We continued on our merry way.

I had a wander through the cows at the main water, checking out who was who and what babies where there.

Found this teeny tiny black baby and his mama (her condition a bit light, but I am happy to report that in the few weeks since, with rain and molasses, she has picked up).

Love walking through the mob; with the exception of one cow who had just calved (and is a snot head at any time) no cows were terribly bothered by my aimless wander. I had one old quiet dear follow me around three steps behind me (why? I cannot tell you!) and calves come skipping up to check me out. They are funny creatures.

And that ended my day out, delivering molasses. The day started the molasses delivery regime for The Husband - remixing and refilling every 3-4 days. And ordering of replacement for the bulk tanks. (and open slather on the cheque book).

I am pleased to report, that since these photos were taken, a good 2" of rain fell pretty much all over the property, with other isolated showers in spots before and after. Sadly, this rain wasn't widespread over the region, although on a different night we got the same here at home. My garden is thankful, the kids were over excited and rolling around in the mud (first proper mud in the back yard since early 2012!). Its not drought breaking rain, but takes the pressure off, and gives the country its first good drink in a while. Amazing how quickly things respond!

I'll be back soon with more adventures, I promise. Its a bit like riding a bike, one doesn't ever forget but I feel a bit wobbly on the wheels. Perhaps that bit of rain has done more than just given the ground a drink....