I just need a hand, he said

Ah the infamous words…I just need a hand. We all know how that goes. So I packed lunch and smoko, and the kids and headed off to the prickle farm to help The Husband put up a fence around a tank.  Well, not so much put up, but pull down the old one so a new improved model could be installed.

This may sound a simple task, but much machinery and equipment was required. Firstly we had to wait for Dad to arrive with the bulldozer.  Dad (I should have known better) vastly over estimated the speed of his machine and so we had a bit of a wait. This allowed me to catch up on some reading, and the kids to catch up on some sword stick fighting and generally do their best to maim each other before smoko.

(is this a case of I HAVE ALL OF THESE BOYS TOYS SO I’M GOING TO USE ALL OF THEM TODAY?!)

First job of the day, after feeding the troops, was to roll up the barbed wire fence that was sort of still standing.

Clearly my gloves have seen better days and this little chore did not do them any favours. Whilst I was rolling the bulldozer did its thing VERY closely behind me, removing trees that could drop limbs on the new solar panels that are to be installed beside this tank. Speaking of Boys Toys, there were two boys in that bulldozer with big dusty smiles on their faces as they inhaled dieseline fumes and did lots of brooooming as they made an unholy dusty mess.

I also discovered – well I had a fair inkling – that I lack the skills to create anything more artistic than this out of barbed wire.

Then came the super fun part (please read that in sarcasm font). Digging holes with the post hole digger on the tractor. There’s about 3 feet of super fine sand and then a big old flat hard rock after that. A three foot deep hole isn’t ideal however is not so bad if one has to bale out the super fine sand by hand after the post hole digger has finished.

(I wasn’t just taking photos! sheesh. That’s my shovel sticking out of a hole there in front of me).

Once holes were close enough is good enough, in went the frame for the solar panels and cement to hold it in place.

At this point in time, after putting the frame in place and putting in two strainer posts for the fence that was to go around this structure, it was discovered that we were out of both vital materials and day. So all toys were parked up or packed up and homewards we went. The kids were delighted that I managed to get sand bogged in the ute (however nothing that the application of hubs in and 4WD didn’t fix…which reminds me, I always forget the HUBS OUT part. Wonder how many kilometres before The Husband realises and takes the hubs out again….)

Anyhow. I digress. We got home just on dark – and in time for some golden light that enabled me to take this photo.

Great end to a good days work.

Grubby faced,  bare footed children and sharp toothed pups make the best photos do they not?

the show must go on

We might be still drought declared, along with around 80% of Queensland, who knows how much of New South Wales, and South Australia too (but they apparently don’t believe in drought in SA, leaving their farmers high and very dry!) but the show, as they say, must still go on. What rain we did get over the “wet season” did amazing things all things considered, and finally a break in the market allowed us to move on anything that was of marketable weight.

Plucked from navel gazing, knee deep in never ending laundry (how does that happen, I am sure they are dumping their clean clothes straight back into the dirty laundry basket) and book work I ignore for as long as possible,I was pressed into service to help muster.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Such a contrast to previous years. The skies are still blue and the country is still big…just a lot dryer and grass is a lot shorter. But still, these little fellas didn’t do so badly, having reasonable feed back in the hills, and the last storms running some water meaning their distance to water was substantially less for a little while.

And then we moved on; another day, another place, another paddock, another mob, moving on what we can. In the lingo, its called “lightning off”. We had an offsider, who was quite happy to combine her patterns – florals and camo are just the thing for paddock wear didn’t you know!!

In this case it wasn’t steers we were sending to south, but empty (non-pregnant) heifers. These heifers are the replacement heifers that normally would go into the main breeding herd, having been nursed along and looked after like royalty in the past 12 months. However the decision had to be made to reduce numbers any way possibly, and these were in a marketable state. Sadly they aren’t sold on to someone else needing breeders – very few people in the state are in that position – so will grace your supermarket shelf in the very near future.

Such is life, and as they say…the show must go on.

Of poddies

Feeling quite momentous – or not – that blessed day came, after six months – that we became Poddy Free. Perhaps only a brief respite, as Lord knows conditions have not improved drought wise,  but poddy free we are indeed are.

We dispatched the Big Kids one weekend morning, after they’d spent the past weeks breaking into feed sheds, and helping themselves, despite all manner of obstacles put in their way. To send them to the poddy calf boarding school, we took them on a little wander down the street to the neighbours loading ramp. There they were persuaded that it really was required of them to hop up into the truck despite initial reluctance. And off they went, to join their other weaner mates and haunt all who went to feed them by meeting them at the gate and being first at the feed trough every time.

That left with just four – The incredibly naughty Harley and mate Heather (who both found themselves locked up for a few days due to their escapades) and new arrivals Averil and Bette. Due to the untrustworthy nature of their Angus heritage (and fence crawling tendencies) these four were restrained to the back yard and nightly feeds instead of going out with the horses. But given little outings out the back street every evening as we went to feed the horses, for a bit of longer grass.

And then, unceremoniously at 530am one morning, they were rattled into the horse float and off they went, to join the rest of the gang.

We find our afternoons suddenly a little more free at feed time, the lawn a little less hazardous to walk on but looking a lot less flea bitten; the blood pressure a little lower.

And the feed shed is looking a loss less like Fort Knox as well.

Farmers Holiday (Mark II)

Husband was excited to tell me he was taking me on another holiday, as we finally gathered up the cattle to send on their own holiday Yaraka way. I did consider taking the kids with us as well, but saw reason when I considered 1. six hour drive 2. the swag and bag packing 3. the food quantities that would be needed and 4. the six hour drive. The kids, in their part, were pleased to instead spread themselves out having sleepovers at Grannies and Granmas for the duration.

Trucks were loaded in an orchestrated movement, two decks being collected from one place, before the remaining eight were loaded at the prickle farm. A very dusty endeavour, the back yards being quite powdered up from the bovine traffic, I am told I was quite a sight by the time we finished. My job was to keep feeding (and counting) the right amount of cattle towards the loading ramp. 17 to a pen or 34 to the full deck with the ramp (the top layer, the cattle are split up once the ramp on which they are standing is winched up)

We had smoko with the truckies, I showered off several layers of dust and made myself respectable and around midday we headed off behind the trucks. Didn’t take long for us to catch up to them, and then we drove and drove and drove (via Aramac this time) and drove some more. Seemed to take MUCH longer to get to Yaraka this trip, am sure they shifted it further away.

Our hosts had thankfully teed up the local watering hole that we would be there for dinner, although that must have confused them as Trevor had to take his away, they had forgotten his order. At around 11pm the trucks arrived at the loading ramp, and ever so neatly they all stepped off the truck.  Afterwards the truckies had to talk and talk and talk and talk, I was so tired I went and napped in the ute for this blokefest of tale retelling to be over. Rolled out our swags in the shearing quarters and asleep FINALLY around 1am. My swag was on a shearers stretcher, one that was quite defined in its shape and I woke in the morning wedged into the same position that I’d gone to sleep in!)

Daylight seemed to arrive far too soon, and having forgotten to pack the kettle for the gas stove, our breakfast was alfresco and coffee less then into the yards.

The country and the feed was beautiful. The steers and heifers did not take much controlling, I had to drive them along the laneway so we would get to their paddock at least sometime before dark!

I had time to study the rock formations in the area.

 

Finally, after around 6km of walking and eating….

and a small moment of adventure crossing some small steep creek channels, which one had to ride carefully through lest one disappeared into a small deep hole hidden in the long grass (I actually dismounted at one point and let husband get my bike across, beyond my skills or desires to try such feats. Our host, mounted on two wheeled bike, looked on cheerfully with interest, having crossed without incident, only to get himself in a tangled heap just metres away afterwards when he hit a big tussock of grass that lept out in front of him).

We arrived!!

Thirsty kiddies were pleased to see the dam, and check out their new digs. Remember TeaLeaf and Mabel the poddies? they are somewhere in this mob.

We settled them in at the dam, many quite happy to sit and camp after their trip of the day before, and big walk that morning. I almost felt a bit sad riding away from them…

Especially as they all stood on the bank (forlornly in my mind) and watched us ride away. Somewhat like leaving kids at boarding school, someone said!

And as we drove homewards that afternoon, somewhat weary and deciding five minutes after we’d left that staying in a motel in Longreach that night sounded AWESOME, I finally got to have a closer look at the post office in Illfracombe. On closer inspection it is indeed built on the same specs as our house but with slightly different building techniques being employed.

And I tell you, that motel in Longreach was indeed comfortable. As was the delicious meal that was delivered to our room (clothing fit for restaurant consumption not packed). Husband said, see I told you we were going on a little holiday…..

I hope the next “holiday” is a little more relaxing?!

Weather Report

Ah, Cyclone Dylan...we had such high hopes for you. Us, and the greater part of NW Qld (and the rest of the state no doubt!). Of course if you have been watching the news, you would be aware that a small cyclone bore down on and crossed the North Qld coast this morning. As cyclones go this one was a fizzer.

Anyhow, its been the closest thing to a rainy day in close to 2 years here, being overcast and mizzly all day (misty stuff you could optimistically call drizzle!), and apparently we have measured around 7mm. LC, being closer to the firing line, has measured around 19mm at the remote monitoring point although who knows how far that has extended. Not a drought breaker, just enough to keep things j u s t ticking along.

But in other news....

We continued to tail out the poddies, including an afternoon session along the edge of the railway tracks which whilst provided some great fresh green pick, didn't go so well when a sneaky train came along (damn those new fangled quiet engines) and on time to boot (NEVER happens). No danger, no injury but a VERY cranky mum. (idiot children felt the need to get out rain coat during a 3 minute shower of rain that didn't even rate measuring)

We juggled some cattle around, (robbing Peter to pay Paul) in a fairly expensive move, taking cattle from one place (the in laws', half of which we lease) to LC. Not because its still not dry and short of feed there, but because its got a smidge more feed than the other place.

The girls were totally fascinated....I didn't realise it but they have rarely seen a double deck truck load (always at school)  and particularly had never seen one UNLOAD. Normally double deck trailers are carting stock to sale and we don't see them once they leave home either!

We trucked away 8 loose decks of cows and calves, plus a four bulls. One of which didn't want to come off the truck (don't blame him really, I would have been hanging on for that beach holiday myself too mate!)

Australia Day was spent in dropping off hay and collecting horses....and then enjoying a brief afternoon shower of rain (it keeps trying so hard, and just not delivering?!) as we introduced the Lucky Eleven to some electric fence tape. (with great success and much hilarity).

   

Unfortunately, Wally the Wonderdog's little wet nose also made contact with the electric fence tape. He took umbrage to this and took quite some coaxing to come back to us, blaming us for the whole thing. He has since also refused to go back anywhere near the paddock, fearing another attack by electric fence tape perhaps? Or was it that we all laughed hysterically at him that he has taken such offence to? Small dog, big ego?

And that wraps up the Summer School Holidays of 2013/14.  We're an optimistic bunch aren't we? are now looking to the next weather influence to break the season. Living on hope.

A pictorial catch up

There's been plenty to occupy us around these parts of late, and each activity is worthy of a blog post of its own, but because I can't be bovvered, I'm going to do the edited version :-)

The stars aligned and lick run day fell on the weekend for once at the prickle farm. The cows are now out in what we call our "bush country" which until recently was unfenced on the northern boundary. I'd never been out there before (no tracks) so after putting out lick and chatting to the cows, we headed out to check out the new fence and The Gorge.

 

Our back boundary is The Great Dividing Range/ Burra Range.  The high point along the new fence affords a view that stretches for many many miles to the north.  I was also excited to find some little outcrops of slate like sandstone rock - GARDEN PAVING ANYONE?! Loaded into the ute with some coercion required ;-)

An updated shed photo...

Moving right along, this was meant to be a summary of events wasn't it!!

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We went for a little horse-play-day at a nearby friends place. Being short on horses that weren't too light on in condition, Angus had to entertain himself. Girls had a great time, despite Georgie's pony having his naughty pants on. BBQ followed. Late night. All tired!

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Yes, time for the third edition of Dogdy Birthday Cakes for the year! Boy mumbled something about rainbow, which I interpreted into decoration (and badly done at that!).

He is now SEVEN. My word, how did that come about so quickly....

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We went to a wedding at the Atherton Tablelands, which involved a little bit of touristy tripping about and a lot of soaking in of the green stuff. And checking out the farming things happening, as you do. ;-)

     

Wedding was in a glorious location and was just lovely, and marquee set up beautifully with all of the little touches. Loved it. Bride collected bottle after bottle and spent hours hot gluing hessian string, which turned out brilliantly!

I went with a black and white dress and black jacket ensemble as you can see. With a pop of orange. The little boy clown was an extra surprise accessory ;-)

We also took the chance to have a mini holiday, loathe to leave the green. Visited some local attractions and waterfalls.

(Lake Euramoo, a volcanic crater). Climbed a million steep steps in our water fall viewing quest. Nearly needed to take out second mortgage to eat at Lake Barrine fine dining establishment (however we were STARVING and indeed the food was good). Did not see a platypus (not surprising) but did feed several well fed ducks and a not so smart but very round eel. Climbed a few more thousand steps. (Ellinjaa Falls below, one of the ones that one can see from the bottom)

Headed home taking in The Crater, Dinner Falls and Millstream Falls on the way (more uphill downhill walking! ye gads my aching calf muscles, but at least NO STEPS) and stopping to let the kids frolic in the popular swimming/camping spot Archers Creek (near Innot Hot Springs). Not a bad way to spend some time, sitting by a running creek in the nicer temperatures of the high lands!

And then home James....Where the temperature is NOT nice, the skies hazy with dust (we home, rather than smoke) and more washing than I can poke a stick at.

Need a holiday to get over the holiday!