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.