Rabbits

We have rabbits. We had hares, which are no problem. And we saw rabbits about a year ago down at the railway line about a kilometre away. But now there are *some* underneath Kid's shelter. Noticed when Panda had spent the whole day in the shelter waiting for a rabbit to come out. When none did and Panda took a comfort break back out the house out it came. Hoppity hop. Then back in before Panda could get back! Nasty.

New Dog!

Happy Christmas O! Granny got you what you always wanted. A toy Chihuahua! Cross actually, 3 months old male. Cross with Maltese Terrier to it's toy sized Chihuahua with hair! And floppy ears. But tiny/. And cute as his toys friends in his basket. But he cuts it with the big dogs and swims in the dam with them. And digs in the mud. And chases the cats!

His name is Tucker.

Micky to the Rescue

Popeye the baby bull calf somehow got herded across the waterpipeline from mum Curly and aunt Toffee by a pair of runaway Malamute dogs two weeks ago. He ran away from them and the dogs failed to corner Popeye because he ran through the fence into the horse paddock where Mickey ran up between calf and dogs and reared at them screaming, attracting M's attention. Also Cedar and Sunny's attention who were in the same paddock who also rushed up to the dogs who wisely stayed on the other side of the fence. The standoff enabled the dog's very embarrassed owner to catch up to them and grab them scoldingly and drag them away back to the road 300 metres away. Good on you Mickey.

RIP Lolly

Only a few weeks old. Happy and vibrant to the end. Snakebite this afternoon. Toffy is crazy trying to find you. Eternal pastures.

Louise!

 
Is a good girl after her bath.

New concrete slab

 
Out the back door.

Cedar her good self

 
watching the calvings

Mother and son

 
Curley and Popeye

See the rain?

 

It was raining

 
...when Lolly was born so Toffee covered her with straw. Awwww...

Lolly the baby heifer

 
Three days old in this photo.

Popeye the new bull

 
Popeye, our bull calf, joins Lolly only three days older. Welcome to Cedars Fields!

A calf is born

This afternoon as the rain set in. M spotted Toffee in the far paddock with her tail in the air, indicating possible contractions. So we herded Toffee and Curly over to the house paddock, where Toffee got down to sitting and standing and checking out the shed, where her calf was born about two hours later. In the heavy rain. M called the calf "Lolly". Photos soon.

New Agistees

With us for a little while. Sugar and Roxy (left and right).

Panda the Cat

Sunny and dogs swimming

 

Sunny at Sunday Lunch

 
over the back fence

Cows are Pregnant!

So excited. Visited the girls in the seven acre paddock on Saturday. Straight away we could see their udders were down. O reckons they should only by 5-6 weeks away from calving.

Wash Bays built

Nice one O. You spent two weekends to build two washbays for your horsies.

Swine Flu

It was Equine Flu two years ago. Seems mean to call it Swine Flu when I've got it. H1N1. Poor A had it first over the weekend and he looked bad. Then on Monday O and me got the first taste of what could have been a chest cold, with that metallic infection taste like it's building into bronchitis. By the late afternoon we started getting the chills and headaches. Felt pretty bad. Off to the doctor on Tue morning. Panadol and Sudafed, strong cough mixture, throat lozenges and plenty of rest. The rest of the week off work. Tuesday evening fever intensifies with all the aches and pains. If you dont move it doesnt hurt. Hard to read when your eyes are constantly watering. Listless channel surf. Worst sleep ever that night, headaches too bad. Felt truly horrible on Wednesday. Wondering if it could possibly get worse - if it does I'd be calling an ambulance. Thankfully that night fever broke - sweat everywhere - and I slept like a baby without waking for two four hour stretches. Probably nap through the rest of Thursday. to be continued ...

Keisha leaves

We said goodbye, at least for now, to our hornless unicorn, Keisha last Saturday. Her owner L is busy with new bub, so to save money, back to Dad's farm in Dungog. The herd is a little unbalanced without her exuberance. Sunny is looking a little sad about it.

Peaceful Dove

We were sitting indoors by the fire on a cold but sunny weekend morning. The distinctive call of the Peaceful Dove (Geopelia placida) made us both look up from our books. The day was otherwise silent but for the dove's brief call. Noteworthy and rather nice. (click on title for link)

Swans are breeding

The beautiful Black Swan, Cygnus atratus, is breeding in the pools of the wetlands below our place. Hundreds of breeding pairs, black necks poking above the grass. So much rain.

Quirindi ODE

 
O and Evie getting warmed up on a very windy day for dressage.

There they go!

 
Camden ODE 17 May 2009

After Showjumping

 
O and Evie just after Showjumping, Camden ODE 16 May 2009

Camden ODE

 
O and Evie in full gallop on the X-country course. They did well.

Flood Warnings

...for the Hunter, Williams and Paterson rivers. Big low off the coast. Coffs Harbour area is being hammered we're just on the edge.

Eastern Whip Snake

O found Tinsel in a state with what seemed to be a Brown Snake under A's Volvo. She called the snake catcher who for a $25 fee (reasonable) caught it and said it is an Eastern Whip Snake, poisonous, but way way less than a Brown. Like a bee sting.

By incredible coincidence, 450 kms away, I was bitten on the hand by wasp. Incredibly painful for about ten minutes. This happened about the same time that O discovered the snake.
[click on title for link to Aust Museum article]

In the Wild pt 2

 
Panda then joins in the chase. (Dogs a blur in the background - they move that fast - indeed so does Panda's back legs).

In the Wild

 
Working dogs racing. Win and Billie pull g's in a tight left turn with Panda doing the big cat stalk from the side.

Evie and O Cross Country

 
Just before an alarming fall - head first into a tree - Evie and O were looking great. Just a scratch and a scratching was the result. Evie didnt work for a week. Going to Scone this coming weekend and Hidden Valley ODEs the following.

SIEC slideshow

C, M and V all had fun helping O and Evie compete.

SIEC Feb 2009

O and Evie at SIEC last Saturday. Should have a slide show movie of more of this once I get to a broadband connection.

It was wet out

 
Yesterday, M and me standing in B's place below our place surveying the back of the flood. Luckily our place (background past water)rises up to the ridge quickly.

Alexander Park Dressage

 
O at AP Dressage T-Shirt Day last Sunday. Check the t-shirt eh? My own design.

New Dam is Full

 
After a record low rainfall January, last night we had about 120mm of rain. It's full now.

Victorian Bushfires

This week marked the worst natural disaster in Australia's history. To those affected, rural people like us, our most sincere condolences. Words cannot express the enormity of this. So sorry.

New Bull

We have borrowed a black Angus bull called Michael from a neighbour to try and get our girls into calf. He's a little short. But we're hoping!

Cedar now a mature lady

 

Teddy

 
Seems to have grown in the year and a half we've had him.

Cedar Sharing a joke

 
Whispering in C's ear