Farm things

At the moment we are supplementing feed to our steers.

Cotton seed will help to fatten them before we finish them on oats.

Normally we don't need to do this, but we haven't had rain for a while and this is another alternative to many of the other supplements, like Anipro and other licks, we have used in the past.

But the tractor we use to scoop up the seed and put into the bins around the paddocks broke down.

Well dad trashed it!

50 tonnes of seed may have to be shovelled!

Off to town we went to buy 2 grain shovels. 

One for hubby and one for the daughter. Not me- it was mother's day!

Appendectamy boy is still recovering- I wouldn't allow him to shovel!

He just gave directions and told everyone what to do!!

The cattle still have this feed in this paddock to work through.

There's not much feed near the yards and watering points where they were hanging out.

These are much smaller little paddocks that the cattle come into to get a drink.

And that green tub had some cotton seed in it. They had eaten it all.

They love it.

There's 6 of these tubs spread around the traps.

The patient was given the job of driving the car and trailer.

A bit of a crunch.

He hit the post.

Whoops.

No real harm done.

Cos kids drive very steadily around here!

But there's some hurt pride.

So dad backed it up and drove it through.

These guys will enjoy their seed.

Until these and other oats are up and ready.

That will be late as we waited for rain before sowing.

Surprising to see these slithering guys now that the weather has cooled off a bit, but it had been 26 degrees the day before.

I have to say these are THE BEST curry mixes I have ever had.

I bought 3 last year at the Sydney show and have been extremely impressed.

At $20 each they are very cost effective for 400g. 

Plus I only use half the recommended amount due to the kid factor.

Well rather I double all the other ingredients as I rarely eat the carby Rice!

There was free shipping over $100 and they threw in a freebie chutney as well.

Get yourself some Mudgeeraba Spices and curry blends here.

You won't regret it!

This was the Thai Green chicken Curry.

I have quite a variety now, Indian, Thai, Malaysian, Indonesian.

I took this shot a couple of weeks ago as I was leaving for work.

I like to lock the little ones in the yards when I am at work.

My Cairn Terriers prefer to sit up on top of the Kennels instead of inside them!

Perhaps it is an inferiority complex, or short dog syndrome!

Hhhmn they need a grooming session!

Appendectamy and other renovations

Our little fella had his appendix out last Monday.

I think it's called an appendectamy. One medico called it a appendasectamy.

I had been telling him to go to the toilet and fart.

He had complained of a "really bad gut ache" at 9.45 pm on Sunday night.

He'd made himself a little bed in front of the fireplace in the family room.

I slept on the couch with him until 3am, then I went to bed.

At 4.30 am he came in and said he was having trouble getting his breath and wanted to go to the hospital.

This kid always knows his health better than the rest of us.

So off we went. But not before dad made him drink a litre of water.

Which he then vomited up in the driveway on the way to the car.

So out dad comes with another litre of water.

Down the hatch on the way to town!

This picture was taken in the emergency department just after the initial diagnosis.

I was then in a state of shock.

Blood tests.

Surgeon consultation.

Anaesthetist consultation.

Canula for the drip.

hair nets and sleeve thingies.

Then off he went. We walked with him up to the doors of the theatre.

I heard him say he was a bit scared.

I reminded him that he had never been scared of anything before.

 I was more scared.

None of my children have ever had any operations.

I have never had an operation. I've never been anaesthetised.

I didn't even have any epidurals having my kiddos. 

I focused on this sign and how it could ever be hung like that!

 

Theatre is spelt theatre in Australia.

It took about 2 hours until he was back in the ward.

Afterwards he was a bit bleary eyed.

His pain was pretty strong.

He was very brave.

He charmed all the doctors and nurses in theatre.

He tells everyone how he counted back from 10, got to seven and fell asleep then as he was waking up he remembered to keep counting and continued the countdown.

They all asked him why he was counting in recovery, he didn't realise it was over.

I bought camera apps, and played.

Every challenge they gave him, he tackled.

Aunty told him to hold a towel over his stitches.

He got more mobile.

And determined to get home.

Even though there seemed to be 24 hour cleaning and mopping going on, his feet got a bit grotty.

But he just couldn't shuffle along in shoes.

 I played with Hipstamatic in the middle of the night.

It's a pretty groovy App.

There was no one else in the kid's ward from the 2nd and 3rd night.

When we left I said that was the way it should always be- no sick kids, ever.

This was the morning we were leaving.

I was very glad to see the end of that fold out bed.

Things are so good at our hospital.

I was able to sleep right next to him and make sure he was all good. 

He was never alone. We were with him all the time.

I feel very lucky that I have such good entitlements and plenty of leave so that I can take care of him both in the hospital and for the 2 weeks he now needs off to recover.

I was so pleased to see the back of that fold out sofa bed.

On my last day of work before little mate's illness I did this.

 

I turned on the dishwasher after morning tea and closed the door behind me.

It must have been faulty and just kept overflowing and overflowing.

It was 2 hours before anyone noticed.

I fessed up straight away.

I went and had a look.

There was an amazing amount of water.

The water was running down the outside walls of the building.

Everything is going to be replaced, the carpet and the kitchenette.

And the dishwasher!

I've been forgiven.

I was never really in any trouble.

But wow I felt bad.

They call me the wrecker.

Anyone need any renovating? 

Anzac Day

Anzac Day is pretty special in this family.

My Father in law is a returned service man who is 89 years old next month.

My children have rarely known an Anzac Day where they haven't been involved in some way.

One year we were lucky enough to have their RAAF aunty come for the march.

The little bloke walked with her that year.

Our sons have always marched with either their school or the Scouts.

Our Daughter was a Girl Guide and in this town they have always provided the Anzac Biccie morning tea after the march and ceremony. This year she marched with her school.

There was a huuge roll up for the children in the march and I believe this is because it wasn't in school holidays. Schools had services on Tuesday which reminded the students and encouraged their involvement.

Pa rode in an old car with some other Returned servicemen.

Our little bloke had the special honour of laying the wreath for the scouts.

I remember a few years ago there was a great concern that Anzac Day would diminish as the years wore on and there were fewer diggers to participate.

I see no signs of this.

Until I met my husband I had no real reason to participate as we did not have any family medals to march with. It was a great extra day off for me. 

My mother and I used to watch most of it on the Television.

It was also a long trip into the centre of Sydney to watch the diggers go by.

It is a lot easier in a small town.

I am so pleased to see all the crowds come out to support the Anzac ceremony and honouring those who have served.

2012 Australian Whipcracking titles

We had a big day yesterday.
All the hard work practicing and maintaining whips paid off.
Our daughter retained her
Juvenile Australian Whipcracking Title.
Yay.



Her little brother is now in the same age grouping and so is competing against kids who could be almost 4 years older and stronger than he is. He placed 4th in the Juveniles.



Our eldest son bravely competed in an extremely tough field of Juniors.



Well done kids!
I'm so proud of the way they will sit the whole day, not want to go off in the show ground and are really happy to catch up and talk with the other competitors who have come from all over the country.



They are always keen to talk about the history of the sport with the older, over 45 whipcrackers.
I'm so pleased they are keen to learn as much as they can.
And of course they are obsessed with checking out and drooling over everyone else's whips. There are some magnificent, finely crafted whips out there.
I have no technical knowledge in Whipcracking.
The only input I have is the ironing of the clothes.
And the gathering of all the gear and packing.




And organizing accommodation
And feeding us
And getting them there on time.
-Well, their dad is so much better at that than I am!
I'm always late.




I shouldn't be with this being the arm party yesterday-
Plus we had some fancy boot watching on my behalf




They did a couple of media bits, you may have seen them on the channel seven and nine news.













Good day all round!
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Xoxo j

Fame and 'The old grey mare, she ain't what she used to be!'

Yesterday we had a nice brush with fame, we participated at a fundraiser here in town to help the Salvation Army raise funds to help support people after the major flooding in February.

We had an area for Whipcracking. We positioned ourselves right in the middle of the oval. All afternoon there was a constant stream of kids and adults trying their hand at Whipcracking.
I had a few nice surprises from the children that I teach, some are quite good!

I am so sore today after all of the crouching, kneeling, lungeing and of course the upper arm workout from the actual cracking. I guess it helps with the weight loss regime(10 kgs/22 pounds lost since January!)

Then towards the end of the evening some stars from a very popular TV show had a lesson from the kids. The poor girl was terrified! Probably as she didn't have any sleeves on.

The boys were quietly confident.

All three got the whips to crack in the end, so success!

It was very good of them to come and support our community.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2 weeks ago, straight after my colour job, I decided that I am going to go my natural colour!

Grey!

And grow this highly processed, thinning at the crown, chestnutty colour out.

The kinks are from it being tied in a bun of sorts at the back of my neck all day!

Mostly it just has a nice wave.

I'm always telling the hairdresser to turn the old grey mare into a chestnut or bay filly!

But its the other way now!

Except I don't want to have anymore bleach or dye on my hair to transition to grey, for a while.

So I am now sporting a shoulder length, straight across the bottom, non layered bob.

So to assist in this transition to grey, I have been sourcing some hats and berets, mostly from eBay.

So cheap!

Helen Kaminski has some great woollen styles.

I am quite comfortable in a hat, so through winter, grey hair growth will be a breeze.

I wore the grey one yesterday and did not feel the need to take it off at all.

I've knitted 3 hats/ beanies/ caps as well this last week to add to the supply.

 

I may get sick of the grey hair, but am hoping that stopping the coloring will help with my fine hair breaking off and/or falling out. I have also changed shampoos to redken intra force which apparently helps eliminate the build up of calcium in the scalp causing the follicles to push the hairs out, and also, grow thin weak hairs, highly likely in my case as I have bore water with a high mineral content. People travel from all over the world to bathe in the mineral waters here. So I'm also doing a final rinse with distilled water. It is so soft already!

I also have an appointment with the doctor to have my thyroid and bloods tested.

I believe, surely, I have all the bases covered!

Perhaps I will grow hair like Sarah Harris from UK vogue, but more likely it will be like Lauren Ezersky all wirey and scary.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We had a visitor the other night.

He was sitting on the Whipcracking accuracy stand right outside the window. It's not to be confused with an owl, its a shy Tawny Frogmouth or mopoke.

I love them, they catch mice and probably snakes too at night time. I'm pretty sure that we have a whole family of them here at our house.

Yay!

And then these guys are taking over the place like the Adams family live here

Morticia Adams has left the house!