By Judy Barnet, Ag Columnist
And the rain keeps coming down. After four glorious days the predicted change in the weather arrived and I am not game to go to work lest I get stuck there! Much better, not to mention safer, to stay home and write about this week on the farm and catch up on all the other jobs I need to do.
Tom, Lottie and family returned to Sydney yesterday and Charlie headed off on the Northern Rivers Express to catch some waves at Byron Bay.
Dora is on the chain looking very forlorn indeed, probably daydreaming about games of cricket and frisbee.
It was great to catch up with Peter and Jack on Sunday when they came to crutch the Merinos.
I think I have talked Jack into helping to clean the Sheep Shed before the Stanthorpe Show and giving a hand on the day! I know I probably sound like a broken record but we desperately need young people to participate in our shows and preparing for them.
I also believe they have a place on the committees, possessing the ability to contribute new ideas and ways to attract people to our shows.
After the rain it will be time to yard the sheep again, vaccinate the lambs and most likely drench again. I will get some poo samples sent away beforehand to get a worm egg count which will guide my decision.
I will also take samples of the cow dung to make sure they don’t need worming.
Appearance is one guide to assessing the need for worming. The cows are all fat and shiny so I would be surprised if they had a significant worm count.
I haven’t been able to get to work for the last two days and although I can work from home it is a bit painful on my small laptop, I did what I had to.
I had a lot of catching up to do for the Rare Breeds Trust including a report and financials for our upcoming AGM.
This took me the best part of the day but as the weather had taken a turn for the worse I didn’t mind staying inside.
It was a good chance to clean up my office as well.
On Wednesday, I was finished by lunchtime so I took Dora down to the dam.
You could clearly see the fresh coming in.
The water was over Dora’s Rock and despite the cold she jumped in anyway.
What was incredible were the waves. Pushed by the strong wind they were creating little breakers, just like surf at the beach!
A couple of pelicans were braving the choppy conditions but I don’t know if they were having much luck fishing.
After Dora’s swim we rode around to check on the goats.
They were half way up the hill standing on the rocks so I told Dora to stay, which she did, and went off on foot to check the goats.
It was sheltered and the sun was out so I sat down on a rock for about ten minutes.
A few of the quieter goats came up to say hello – Uni Goat, Sadie and Candy. I think that is the longest Dora has stayed on the bike as she was told, however, she was getting restless towards the end.
Friday saw me head into town for a much needed haircut.
I had been meaning to get it cut for months and months but just never seemed to find the time. It was starting to get me down.
Everytime I looked in the mirror I hated it and every time I went to town I would just tie it up and wear a hat.
It seems I picked a good time and place.
Not only was it Stanum Studio’s third birthday, it was the day a lovely young lady was booked in to have a “creative” hair do and I was able to watch it
taking shape.
It truly was a work of art – art and patience I reckon. When asked how I wanted my hair I was sooo tempted to say, “I’ll have the same as her please!” It was my first time at Stanum Studio and it was a fantastic experience.
I walked out feeling like a million dollars and a new person.
Jo and Angela were incredibly caring and talented. How much more confident I feel with my new hair!
I am very much looking forward to going back to Stanum Studio, who knows, maybe I might add some colour.
I have always wanted to be a redhead – just like Angel in Escape to the Chateau!
Marnie and Alex arrived at the cottage yesterday to celebrate Marnie’s birthday and it was fantastic to catch up with them.
They have just headed off for a walk to see Marnie the Hereford heifer (Marnie, Monica and the three Fresian steers, Alex, Arnie and Alistair, appeared in this week on the farm about this time last year.
The steers went earlier this year but Marnie and Monica are celebrating their first birthday along with the human Marnie).
I was sad to hear of the passing of Peter Cavendish Harvey on 18 October, only a few weeks before his ninety-third birthday.
Peter, a shearer and Merino Stud Man, had also been a member and volunteer of the Highfields Pioneer Village since the early 1990s and back then, he used to do the shearing demonstrations on the back of an old 1948 Bedford truck painted with the logo “Harvey and Harmon Shearing Contractors.”
The old truck is still used occasionally to ferry the sheep around.
Peter was employed as a jackaroo on the famous Terrick Merino Stud at Blackall and worked his way up to Manager.
He was a very humble man and always happy to help everybody at the village.
He never complained – Ever.
After leaving Terrick, Peter and his wife Ruth bought a dairy farm at Westbrook but he couldn’t get Merino sheep out of his blood so he started the very successful “Pepperina” Merino Stud.
Peter demonstrated blade shearing as well as machine shearing at the Pioneer Village until in his late 80s and even after this he continued to help out at the village.
He was always a true gentleman. Rest in peace, Peter.
