Blog for Sunday 21st May 2023
Oh, I had to smile when I came out of our bedroom as just after four this morning, as there lay Sheesa (our retired matriarch kelpie) in Raafie’s fluffy bed! She had decided that as he is always taking over her bed, it was now her time to do the same to him! I covered her up and she snuggled down further into Raafie’s bed. It did not disturb Raafie as he was warmly ensconced in our bed, sleeping there with Ken!
I prepared the fire but did not light it as no one was awake and I had my little heater on in my studio.
When Paddy woke up he lit the fire for me
This morning, as early as everyone could, it was to be “All Hands on Deck” for cattle work out in our ‘yards today!
It began with a bit of a brouhaha as Ken radioed in (he was out mustering the cattle on the one quad bike – the other one needed a new tyre, as the puncture was a tear and not a hole) to ask for assistance as the cattle were misbehaving and had skedaddled left, right and centre.
Not a good beginning to our day!
Paddy, Tamryn Ash’ and Matt’ headed out to lend a helping hand using the ute’ to do so. In the meantime, I finished up carrying stuff out to the ‘yards where I waited for the bovines and beings to arrive.
Working out in the ‘yards – (especially our one, as it is threatening to fall down as one looks at it), can be testing on the bet of days! But not long from now and we will have nice, new ’yards.
There were moments of g-r-e-a-t testing today out in the ‘yards. For example, when weaners leapt over fences and disappeared into the blue yonder. Where one cow got its head stuck in the gate bars. NO, not one, but two cows did the same trick but with different gates. My goodness this was a creative lot today – we had weaners squirting three quarters of the way through the end of the crush and Paddy grabbing and pushing said weaner back in, while Matt’ quickly whipped open the front of the crush and got the escaping bovine back into the crush. The cattle also managed to push over two of the fences which had to be All these happenings can lead to severely frayed nerve ends in the humans involved!
Throughout all this, Raafie thoroughly enjoyed himself barking at each weaner, cow or bull that exited the crush. The cattle were discombobulated, bleating and bellowing and the noise was deafening at times. One’s sanity is often threatened at times when yelling instructions and the other person cannot hear you above the noise around you!
Good test of one’s level of patience! (By the end of the day there is not a drop of patience evident!)
Ken, Paddy, Matt’, Ash’ and mwah worked together out in the ‘yards – Tamryn is not good out in there as she cannot stand watching things like de-horning et cetera – she is good at fencing and all other things around the farm. So Tamryn snuck off to read her book and rest. Good for her.
At long last all the weaners were selected and sorted out, the other cattle and mums were moved out, and all that was left was to get the weaners out of the ‘yards and into their Home Camp, to separate them from their mums.
At last, that exercise was completed after much yelling, many instructions and canines doing their own thing! The last shreds of patience are normally shredded to bits by then!
It was then just before three o’clock so Matt’, Tamryn and Ash’ decided it was time for them to return home, so Paddy took them across the river to their vehicle and we waved them a fond farewell.
Ken came up to the top shed and heated up a meal for himself and was busy enjoying it when Paddy came up in the ute', skidded to a stop and yelled out, “Dad, you left the one gate open, and all the weaners are now out into the Bass Camp area!”
Not the news one likes to hear, but … it happens on the farm with so many gates to open and close and to remember to do so!
Shoo! That caused galvanized and immediate action from Ken! Then I watched as for almost two hours Ken and Paddy zooted around at pace as they tried to herd these wretched weaners – who were very determined NOT to be herded away from their bellowing mums! It was like nailing jelly to a tree – or herding cats, pretty darn impossible!
While Ken and Paddy were busy trying to herd these animals evading every thought of that happening, I walked up and down the hill several times to open or close gates, but … eventually all things come to an end, and they did. Ken and Paddy won eventually, getting the weaners back into the Home Camp area. Hallelujah!
Paddy had thought of returning home to Terrigal too as he had some work to do, but Ren’ phoned to say his vehicle was out of rego' and he needed to get the pink slip! Ah! How these moments seem to collide at the wrong times, not so!
Well, that put any thought of driving off, which may have been a good thing as Paddy, I am sure, was whacked after a full day of dosing, injecting, de-horning and castrating many, many bovines.
The three of us, plus Raafie went to bed nice and early.
What lesson did I learn today? A lot of patience.
What am I grateful for today? Many hands make light work, and that was true of today.
My saying for today is …
