Another Week

Another week has flown by. Gibbo went to CQ for 4 days and left me in charge. As often happens on my watch, there were deaths. The white turkey was taken by a fox and I found the black faced ewe dead under the sheep shelter on Thursday morning. As Mother Nature decreed that one should die, another took it's place - a lamb was born Wednesday night - that's 11 in total now. This was the same morning that I watched as a ewe and 8 lambs walked up the driveway lane on a mission - they were about to head out the front gate, searching for greener pastures, so I called them back with a promise of more pellets. However, they didn't return until after I'd run back to lock the dog and goats up, changed my boots, grabbed my phone (and sent a rather terse message to Gibbo about a certain fence that has needed fixing for quite some time), and raced back, expecting to have to run through the paddock and cut them off at the pass. It was a rather stressful morning at home so I went to work for some relief (!). That's a joke by the way - if I have to go to work to get away from stress at home then that means things are tough at home!!!

I checked the water, no dramas there but the cows were looking for their lick! The lick trough was bone dry. The charolais cow is the leader of the pack. It pays to be different.

We're slowly getting used to not having Poofy around but still look for him when we drive in. I say good morning to him each day when I go up to feed my chooks; he would be horrified to see me throwing old eggs away over the fence.

We are beginning to get into the breeding season with the wyandottes. The silver pencilled and the partridge bantams are down at my compound; they have a special breeder mix and I move the roosters between the hens every second day. Gibbo has the large and bantam whites, the large blacks and the large silver laced up at his compound. The 100th anniversary national show is on next June at Mudgee so we're trying to breed a winner for that.

The little goats are really hitting their straps now; they climb, jump and bounce off everything they see, including us. They race around the L shaped verandah and have started sampling the garden plants. It causes me great stress to look out the kitchen window to see them going along nipping the tops off all the plants in the row. In fact, I become quite fishwife like and scream like a banshee. Very attractive behaviour; lucky the neighbours aren't closer.

Today I rode 60km; Gibbo and I rode 33km together and I continued on for another 27. We talked as we rode about how much I love to ride and how much he doesn't. Being out there in the weather - hot or cold - the wind, the view, the feeling of movement, the roadkill - it's the best form of exercise and pick-me-up for me; not so for him. Our big ride is only two weeks away; he wouldn't be out riding at all if it wasn't for the loss of PD, the reason the Company team is riding. However, I'm feeling it now; my legs are sore but it still feels good - I know I've been out there, doing something! Makes me wish I had the bath hooked up; a long soak in a hot bath is just what I need. Hoping for 100km tomorrow.

I have just been discussing with Chloe that it's difficult for me to type when she sits on the computer. From the look on her face I'd say she doesn't actually care....

The fire is lit; the pumpkin soup is cooking. It's going to be a good night.