Blog for Friday 5th December 2025

I am delighted to tell you all that today was a quiet day with pretty much nothing too much happening! How wonderful!

I woke up late - my fault for going to sleep so late last night. So, I only tumbled out of bed at five o 'clock this morning into a day already promising to turn warm!

It did.

But first - at nine o'clock Craig from Mount Seaview arrived here on the farm to fetch his boss's cattle that had been on our farm for forever and a day - two cows, one steer and one little calf that insisted on escaping constantly!

Poor Paddy had to try and muster these animals and get them into the 'yards. All went fairly well, bar a few breaks to escape, but at the end - right in the 'yards - the little calf just ran straight through fences or gates - nothing stopped it on its way to freedom!

Eventually, Paddy herded said calf plus a few cows back into the 'yards and we could begin to load them onto Craig's trailer. But ... (there is always a but in farming!) the stupid steer decided he could fit through the gap between the loading ramp and the trailer and he got stuck, hanging halfway out, too round about his girth to drop to the ground and too far out to reverse!

So, Paddy pushed the two cows who were endeavouring to run up the loading roam, back into the crush, and Craig rolled the trailer forward enough for said stupid steer to jump down, and the men herded him back into the crush. The only obedient one in the trailer first was the calf! At last, all of them were safely in the trailer and we waved a farewell to Crag, Jo and Matilda. (Jo being Craig's partner, and Matilda their little daughter), I was so surprised at how big Matilda had grown as I have not seen her for years. She is now four years old! Incredible. She loves farm animals but is a shy little girl. She so enjoyed watching what was going on with the loading of the cattle.

Whew! That loading of our neighbor's cattle was good to have behind us.

Ken popped out to say "Hi!" to our visitors, but he was soon back lying on the bed as he is very sore today. His ribs in particular were giving him hassles.

Paddy worked like a Trojan again - trying desperately to plant as many of his plants as he could. The others he has put near the tap so I can water them and keep them alive for when he is back here again in two weeks.

He also moved two bulls - a seriously tricky exercise - as bulls are notoriously known for not wanting to do what you want them to do! I watched poor Paddy chase these two testosterones on four legs test Paddy's patience to its very limit! But ... Paddy won in the end.

Score: One to man; zero to bovines!

This morning, I spent three hours ironing and am so happy to have that done and dusted. I also washed and hung out our towels, and one of Raafie's fluffy beds.

At about three o'clock I had not seen Paddy for a while and his working out in this heat doing all that physical planting concerned me. I thought he may have heat stroke - so I armed myself with a can of icy cold coke - remedy cure for all things needing a sudden shot of sugar, hopped into the ute' and went out to find our son. I found him swimming in the river trying to get cool after having dug and planted several more trees and loaded some containers of water and some gravel.

We came up to the top shed for Paddy to cool down and read for a bit. He was meant to be travelling down to Seal Rocks to meet up with his family there for the weekend, but there is a fire travelling through Bulahdelah, so Ren' and the kids could not get through and nor could Paddy get down from this side, so they have had to cancel that weekend.

That meant that Paddy need not try and rush off but will spend another night here with us and rather leave tomorrow some time. Yahee!

When Paddy got up the sky around us was packed with smoke - a sign of fire fairly close by somewhere. Not an exciting thought. Both Paddy and I were onto our phones to check out just where it was. Paddy found it - Pappinbarra, and they had the fire under control again, and there was another in Paddock Road just on the edge of Wauchope, and that too was under control thankfully.

That caused Paddy to be prepared should a fire break out closer to us. He got the water on the tractor for just such a happening.

What lesson did I learn today? To totally enjoy the quieter moments in life.

What am I grateful for today? That although Ken is really sore, he is mending well.

My saying for today is ...