Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Lambs are loose
We have just moved our four pet lambs back from the main paddock with the rest of the flock into the orchard, where we kept them when we were bottle feeding them. The picture shows them in the orchard when they were younger.
They have been out with the main flock for a couple of months now but have never really assimilated. They spend all their time in the area of that paddock closest to the house, never venturing more than about 20 metres into the paddock. When the rest of the flock disappears to the paddocks on the far side, the four pet lambs stay stubbornly near the house.
I wonder if they really know that their sheep. They baa excitedly whenever they see any of us and while the other sheep run off in the opposite direction, the pet lambs usually run towards us.
We’ve put them back in the orchard as the grass has gone crazy everywhere and we want them to eat it down a bit. They seemed quite happy to return and ran up the garden path to the orchard gate, just like they used to when they were little lambs. D
Sunday, September 11, 2005
The frogs are celebrating
The small creek that runs through our place almost burst its banks yesterday. Not that we’d had that much rain, but about 50 millimetres had fallen upstream overnight. We watched as the water slowly rose even though the day was all sunshine.
A small pond on the property that’s fed by a channel off the creek has water in it for the first time in more than five years. And the frogs are celebrating. Their joyous chorus hasn’t stopped since water flowed started flowing into the pond yesterday afternoon.
I’m not sure where the frogs hide most of the time. In the summer if it rained and it was warm, frogs would be all over the road late at night chasing the abundant insect life such conditions seemed to foster. We’d also occasionally dig one out of the garden, buried far enough down to be in moist clay soil.
But now they have a decent water source they are unable to hide their exuberance. I guess after 10 years of drought or dry conditions, a bit of rain is enough to make any frog happy. D
Friday, September 09, 2005
Cycle of life and death
The cycle of life and death is much more apparent in the country. But as I am still adjusting to it, it is sometimes hard to handle. Lambing time a few months ago was especially hard and the daily chore of picking up dead lambs in the paddock was tough.
And it doesn’t really make it any easier to deal with death among your friends. One of my old work colleagues (and a friend) from the city is dying of cancer. It’s so unfair. D
And it doesn’t really make it any easier to deal with death among your friends. One of my old work colleagues (and a friend) from the city is dying of cancer. It’s so unfair. D
I know nothing...
One of the truly delightful things about country life is the way in which people are prepared to bend the rules and protect their own from bureaucratic meddling. One of our local groups runs a lucky number competition that was apparently not properly registered. Not that anyone around here knew or really cared. We all knew who ran it and knew the money went where it was supposed to be going.
Some inspectors recently stumbled across evidence of the operation and tried to find out who was running it. They were met with bewildered expressions, shoulder shrugs and wide-eyed denials of any knowledge of the culprits. How very frustrating for them but how very reassuring for all of us. D
Some inspectors recently stumbled across evidence of the operation and tried to find out who was running it. They were met with bewildered expressions, shoulder shrugs and wide-eyed denials of any knowledge of the culprits. How very frustrating for them but how very reassuring for all of us. D
Golden trail
The wattles are really beautiful this year. As you drive along, flashes of gold erupt from the bush. At times it's almost dazzling. The wattles join together into golden ribbons that weave among the dull grey green of the gum and ironbark forests.
This year is the best I have ever seen them. Maybe the good rain in the past couple of months and the milder conditions of the past couple of weeks have created perfect conditions for them.
Even the wind storm last week could not dent their proud display - the wattle blossoms seemed more resilient to the buffeting than the gum trees, which left limbs and leaves scattered about everywhere. D
This year is the best I have ever seen them. Maybe the good rain in the past couple of months and the milder conditions of the past couple of weeks have created perfect conditions for them.
Even the wind storm last week could not dent their proud display - the wattle blossoms seemed more resilient to the buffeting than the gum trees, which left limbs and leaves scattered about everywhere. D
