Between 8am and 230pm

That’s the hours that The Husband has me available on a school day at the moment. So he booked me in to give him a hand the other day, to get some fresh air in the searing heat and dust that is “spring” in north west Queensland (I think we had two days of spring like weather in mid August!).  Of course I got to do my favourite thing in the world, drive the tractor.

Apparently I was driving said tractor like it was an off road rally car, however one doesn’t have all day to muck around.

Task of the day was to add aprons around troughs so that calves could get a drink, and so that the cows didn’t continually gouge out the soil around the troughs, making a big depression around each and making getting a drink impossible for small calves.

These heifers – which were trucked to LC in January (robbing Peter to pay Paul so to speak) as it had more grass. As it pans out, where they came from still hasn’t grown any grass (it hasn’t rained of course) and the grass is getting in short supply here as well. They are bright and strong and shiny but on the lean side, and have started calving.  We are helping them out as much as we can nutritionally, with lick and molasses that has a high level of protein included in the mix.

After the aprons are laid into place, dirt is backfilled around them and the trough for the cows to pack down nice and tight. This of course involved a bit of a boys-and-their-toys moment, requiring the digging of a hole to get sufficient dirt. (I kept my mouth shut about that hole being a smidge close to the trough, he had to do a few three point turns to deposit the dirt correctly).

We then repeated the process at two more troughs. 

This one I was quite happy to empty and clean out.  The Husband told me it wasn’t necessary for me to remove my boots and get IN the trough in order to do so. But it was hot and I was quite happy to splash around sweeping out the rubbish.

And then we went home where these two little fellows were not so patiently waiting for their lunch. On the left is Megsie and on the right is Monty. Both are a bit cheeky.   On the far right of the image is some fantastic creation of the kids, built over a small water trough. You may be mistaken in thinking that its part of the rubbish tip, however NO, apparently is a SPA.

I haven’t the mental energy to argue with them.

Actually an outdoor spa sounds quite nice. Bring me a cocktail please?!