Every morning I walk around the farm checking the animals and just generally enjoying the walk with the dog.
I can hear the cows calling me. The bales are behind this machinery shed.
Tuck in girls…
Now to check the sheep…
How the lambs have grown. (remember this? The day one was born) They follow me into the shed for their morning feed. The lambs are eating the pellets now.
Through to the next paddock to check on the old ram and his 6 girl friends.
A favourite place on a hot day is under this old shelter. It used to be used for milling the logs many years ago, but all the machinery has gone now. Can you see the sheep? Come over and look closer.
Seldon leads the way as I walk toward the dam.
He sits and waits for me as I take photos.
Dams are a necessity in this area as it is very low rainfall. Notice the windmill?
Seldon has found a shady spot to wait for me. “Come on” I can hear him saying…
I carefully skirt around this big ants nest. Millions of them busy scurrying about. They can give a very nasty bite.
I can hear you saying, “but what about snakes?” Believe me I keep a wary eye open for them. Suddenly along this track there was a flash of black and before I could point my camera a snake disappeared into the undergrowth. He had seen me before I saw him and was not going to hang around. Most snakes will slither away so they are not a real danger.
Past the second dam, and yes that is water under the weed. It is Salvinia a very noxious weed and hard to control. It spread from the neighbours property and Kim is trialling an insect that eats it. I think it may be working as the centre of the dam looks quite brown compared with the outside area.
In the paddock next to this dam is the last flock of 9 sheep. These are the hoggets and destined to be going into the freezer. Maybe I could call this a “gathering” of sheep…
Time to head back for morning tea. Next time I will walk around the native flower plantation.
Maybe I will bring my cuppa out here.
Or sit and smell the roses…
Or best of all as the weather gets hotter, and today it is forecast to be 39c (102f), go for a swim later on…
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Well Jo here is some sunshine for you. I hope your winter is not too cold.
I’m joining Restless Jo’s walking group this week with a last walk before Christmas.
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Inspiring… 🙂
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Thanks Drake
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Life is a journey not a destination 👌 Such a lovely post! Happy to connect 😄 Do check out my writings too, will appreciate your reviews 💕
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Thank you for dropping by.
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You’re welcome 🙂
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So nice to be able to amble round the farm with you and Seldon Pauline 🙂 Close to melting temp for me that would be .. but ah all the brightness around .. such a tonic . Those weed eating insects would have to have a voracious appetite I feel 😀
Good heavens look at the time … your day is done … take a dip ( I’m no water baby ) I’ll fix up a sharpener for us both then we’ll sit on the verandah and chat ’til the cows come home 🙂
I know Pauline really … it must be morning and you’re probably just about see to the animals !
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Lovely to hear from you Poppy. I’m definitely not a water baby either, but that swim was the best antidote to the hot weather. You can fetch me a nice cold white wine and yes let’s chat till the cows come home and on into the evening… btw it has been raining all yesterday and it is still raining this morning, a beautiful steady mana from heaven…The weather is so changeable Have a happy Christmas, stoke the fires and hang the holly!!! We are having a non-Christmas this year and I am loving it, no cards, no shopping, no stress…As a concession I have bought a turkey leg with LOTS of veggies for Christmas day
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What magnificent alternative homes you find. It was a treat to walk with you. I’d forgotten that 39C was 102F. Makes it seem hotter. I really enjoy your photographic eye, in case I haven’t said that before.
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Yes it does seem so much hotter in Fahrenheit. I looked it up on Google. But the next day it was down to mid 20’s and a lovely steady rain and today it is still raining. Freezing bean day today…
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Thanks for link Jo
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Well that was lovely thank you! The tree seats are in a nice spot, a bit of shade for you. The buddleia is glorious I can’t wait for ours to return. Silly question, what about the livestock and snakes?
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I have heard of dogs and cats being bitten by snakes, but then the snakes are probably acting in self defence. The snakes seem to co-habit with all the bigger animals ok. The scent of the buddleia is glorious and it is covered in bees.
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Great farm walk P- and so calming for us with our chilly weather and bustle of the holidays – so nice to see the animals too / the cow looking and seldon waiting are favs – but the sheep too – and ending with the cuppa mention and pool shot- it all had ice flow – cheers to a great Monday – xxoo
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Weather is so up and down, gone from 39+ heatwave to coolish 28c and RAIN, well at least showers but hope for more…
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Thanks again for update and photos…enough to make me homesick. We went to a family “-do” of Natalies boyfriends cousins, and the elderly matriarch was exceptionally interested in the garden, amd has visited Aus in her younger days, so it was brilliant to be able to take her on yours/our morning walk.
No more snow, probably not til we leave. This, at least, enables us to drive to Niagara safely.
d.
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Enjoy your family Christmas. As I write it has just started to rain… I’m planning to do a photo shoot of the native flowers. They are looking good.
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Pingback: WPC: Gathering (Cows) | Chris Breebaart Photography / What's (in) the picture?
Well that was a nice walk. I enjoyed seeing the sheep, though couldn’t help thinking of them being turned into lamb chops. I’m thinking of turning veggie (again) in the new year, or at least not eating red meat. for a while. We’ve already cut down a lot. I think I’ll take a nice glass of cold white NZ wine and sit under those trees with you and have a good old chin-wag with you now PP. Then maybe a swim later. Stay cool!
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We do not eat red meat and are mainly vegetarian, very easy here!!! But we do eat occasional chicken and fish. It would be so fantastic to sit and chat over a glass of wine. After a 39.2c temp yesterday we really enjoyed our evening swim.
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I couldn’t give up fish. I love fish and seafood. Must admit that having a good butcher makes eating red meat that much more enjoyable.
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I love fish too.
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The lambs are growing like weeds! Or maybe I should say growing like Salvinia (a pretty nasty patch they have there). Lovely farm, but it looks like a lot of work.
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It is just maintenance mode for us, so busy but controllable. I can imagine how busy Kim and Deidre will get when it is flower harvest time.
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Such an interesting wander… I know that some of those chores are onerous though, thinking back to your mention of weeding! Stayiing cool is not our problem but a nice snowfall would still be welcome:-)
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Actually weeding is hard work but very satisfying as I can see where I have been.I believe the Northern hemisphere is having a mild winter, so far…
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You really make this farm look like paradise.
Well it is pretty good but not every body would enjoy the challengers.
Reality is a bit different to what you see in a travel brochure.
Still the swim in the pool with you this afternoon made the maintaining it all worth while.
great post you should be in the advertising business…
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Haha… so true Jack. I well remember maintaining a swimming pool, it doesn’t stay crystal clear on its own 😉
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Now we know the decision to not have a swimming pool in the house we bought on the GC was a good one, But we do appreciate swimming in it at the end of a very hot day… Jack fiddles with it EVERY day
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Have to say I did enjoy having the pool despite the work it entailed, and the kids were never out of it! Cheapest Christmas ever was buying them pool toys!
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I agree, very good for the youngsters to keep them cool.
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Thanks Jack that swim was so refreshing you are doing a great job maintaining the pool, it is hard work
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I love the way Seldon waits so patiently, Pauline, instead of trying to ’round you up’. 🙂 That weed on the dam is pretty thick, isn’t it? It was joyful to finally get to that pool, then I sat back and smelt the roses. 🙂 Thank you for all your kind support with the walks, darlin’. Have a beautiful Christmas!
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Seldon does like to round up the sheep I have to keep him behind me when we walk through the sheep paddocks. He is frightened of the ewes with their lambs though. They confront him… The swim was lovely after a 39.2c temp
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Well you are in heaven itself. And trust you to describe it, and photograph it, so amazingly. I am guessing this might be one of your most favorite house sits in awhile. It is mine!
All the very best to you Amazing Pauline.
Oh, and Happy Holidays too~
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It is a challenge, but it keeps us on our toes and yes it would be up there with the best. But I think my very favourite was the sit when we looked after 6 cats on a small farm. https://pommepal.wordpress.com/2013/07/28/gday-from-the-feline-family/
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What a beautiful farm! I hope you don’t get too close to that ram (I’ve been butted by one and it’s not a fun experience, especially when you end up in the stinging nettles!)
I’m glad that snake saw you coming and decided to slither away. Most of them are pretty good like that 😉
Stay cool! 😀
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Ow I can feel those nettles, our ram is a very friendly chappie Dianne, it is the ewe that was a pet lamb once and is veery pushy trying to get to the pellets first. Had a lovely swim last night. Have you got a pool?
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No pool here, but it’s been very cool the last few days (now that I’ve said that, it’ll probably become really hot!) lol 😉
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Will the predicted cyclone affect you?
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Oh no – what predicted cyclone? Heading off now to check BOM….
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I check BOM every morning I am a bit paranoid about storms…
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Me too. I check BOM and NullEarth live wind map (have you heard of it? I might have already sent you a link before)
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Not heard of NullEarth am going over now to have a look…
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That is interesting not much wind around us at the moment.
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It’s great for checking cyclones because it updates much faster than BOM 😉
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I shall keep an eye on it…
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Just had a look. I don’t think it will initially, it depends if it crosses the land and goes East and ends up in the Coral Sea – then it might…
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Who knows, so unpredictable. But it looks like a wet Christmas
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It’s been wet here already which is great because it’s keeping the temp down 😉
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2 days of lovely rain here too. Making the weeds grow though!!!
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Fingers crossed…
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