Weaving Workshop
I finished a weaving workshop a few weekends ago. It was four days in total, spread over three weekends with some weekends in between. I had completed a weaving workshop in 2006 with another instructor and I also wove my tea towels after that, but I had purchased a secondhand loom that I was a bit unsure of and had lost a bit of confidence in warping the loom in the mean time. We were given a warp that the instructor had wound previously, so there was no working out to do just warping the loom. Then we worked through some set examples to give us a variety of weaving experiences. Some of these were different and new to me. I have included a photo of my sampler. I particularly enjoyed the hem stitching effect and leno, Spanish lace, Brooks bouquet at the end of the sampler (apricot colour).
We then planned another project. I chose a simple scarf using some novelty yard and a variety of matching yarns to create a striped effect. I also skipped some dents in the reed to create an open look. While I'm weaving I am also not beating as hard also to create an open, loose fabric. I will include a photo of the completed scarf when I've finished. We are to finish our projects before the end of October and then all participants will come together for a show and tell.

Shearing
A shearer came to shear the sheep on Tuesday 9 September (that was last week, time got away from me a bit). We also put in ear tags (that's the royal we, actually the shearing contractor put in the ear tags). I had to buy the regulation pink tags to indicate which sheep were not born on our property prior to ear tagging. They are printed with our PIC number, which is our property identification. I decided to put a blue tag on our merinos and a red tag for our cross breeds, so I could identify them at a glance. So the six sheep we had before ended up getting two tags. Plus we put rings on the lamb's tails and wethered our one little boy (which is a merino, so I'll keep him).

Twin Lambs
I went to check the sheep on Friday 12 September and perhaps try and milk Ebony. The shearers said that she had lost her lamb, even though we didn't actually see it. Perhaps it was born dead and Bobbie let a fox take it or something. But even though she didn't have a lamb her udder seemed to be getting larger and I didn't want her to get mastitis. But when I arrived I saw that "Spotty Ears" had had a tiny lamb and there was another one sticking out the back of her and she seemed to be having trouble. There was a head and one hoof out but not two hooves, as lambs were supposed to present. She stood still and let me try and find the other leg but I couldn't find it (everything in there was just slippery and smooth, nothing that felt like another hoof). And I didn't want to try and pull just one leg and the head. Well, I did try a little bit but didn't know how hard I could pull. The lamb was still alive and I didn't want to loose either of them, so I rang our next door neighbour, who came straight away. He acted very quickly, got her on the ground (of course she wasn't going to just stand still and let him help get her lamb out like she did for me), and with both hands reached in and pulled the lamb out. It appeared to be easy but I'm sure it was more difficult than that. Poor "Spotty Ears" was in a lot of pain judging by the noises she was making and was exhausted when it was over. Our neighbour rubbed some of the mucus surrounding the lamb onto her nose (so she wouldn't reject the lamb) and put the lamb up near her neck, while she lay there recovering. I stayed with them a while because there were crows circling. I hate crows. It didn't take long for "Spotty Ears" to get up and start licking her lambs and in no time they were dry, standing and feeding. Thank goodness for neighbours who know what they're doing! After a bit I picked up the lambs and with mother in tow I took them to the shed and set them down on a feed bag and left some food and water for mum while I went off to town and then to work. "Spotty Ears" is a wonderful mum. The other day it was cold and windy and sprinkling and all the other sheep and lambs were outside but she was in the shed with her twins keeping warm. By the way, Ebony's udder seems to be reduced in size today, so I may not have to milk her now. That's sad about her lamb, I was looking forward to a little black lamb.

Other News
I finished my weaving workshop this weekend. It was over four days spread over a month or more. We wove a sample, which included a few things I had never tried before. Then we wound a warp and threaded the loom for a project of our own. When I get a chance in the daylight, I'll photograph both my sampler and the weaving in progress of my project, which is a multi-coloured (maroon, grey, olive green and yellow) open weave scarf that I chose mainly to use the yarn I already had. Once I have finished this I'm sure I'll have the confidence to weave another set of tea towels. Then I can try something more challenging using a different technique.

Random Comment
Don't you just love the full moon. I came home late tonight after collecting my son from Kung Fu and I didn't need a torch when walking back from the shed after 8.30pm. It is such a surreal feeling being able to see at night.

Six Naughty Cows (including Harry)

I walked around the perimeter of the fence down the back paddock today and discovered that the back fence seems fine but my cows were no where to be seen. However, in the distance on our neighbour's place I could see two white cows and their friends. So I climbed through the gaping hole in the gully fence and went over to retrieve them (all of them this time, not just "Harry"). I had a minor hiccup when "Star" jumped another fence but I got her back through two gates. But other than that they behaved themselves and walked back through the hole in the gully fence. I then proceeded to herd them up the hill and through the gate into the front 'half' of the property. They are now in all three western paddocks, hopefully eating the long brown grass that I was thinking of mowing down before spring arrives. The problem of the back side fence and the gully will have to wait for a while, but it will have to be solved soon.

Today I purchased the sheep tags I ordered a few weeks ago. I had to order pink tags for the sheep that weren't born on our property but still needed identification. I also purchased red and blue tags. I (or the shearer) will put blue tags on the merinos and red tags on the cross breeds. That way I can identify them at a glance. Especially "Fluffy" and "Pinkie" who are cross breeds but look very much like merinos. Plus with this new generation coming along I may run out of identifying features. So far I have only named and identified "Floppy", the others may prove more difficult.

We didn't have any new arrivals today. We did get more rain, though, although with wet wool that means shearing will be delayed. I haven't yet set a day or even a week for the shearing, as we still have two sheep to lamb. I was thinking of going ahead despite that but now they are wet from the rain, but at least they're not cold and wet with lovely woollen jumpers.

New Fences & Pregnant Cows
I recently organised for a fencing contractor to finish the fences Paul started to divide up the large eastern paddock and create two wind breaks in which to plant trees for protection and shade for animals. The strainer posts were already in place and so the fencing contractor put in the star pickets and some in between posts for extra strength and a total of four gates with associated short mesh fences, and of course the wire and hinge joint. It took him less than a week in total time but cost me two months wages. It was necessary to be done, though, and he did a really good job. I now have three paddocks where I only had one. That means that the sheep can stay a month in each paddock and eat down the grass more effectively. It also means that I can move them around more frequently so there is less chance of getting worms.

A while ago I borrowed and read a book about a city lady who married and moved to the country. In the book she tells of her adventures and experiences. She also explained a quaint idea of how they named their paddocks after countries. So I had the idea that I would call the new paddocks Far East, Middle East and South East Asia (even though South East is actually north east but it is down the bottom). I think it's fun to take a light hearted approach.

Lately I have been having problems with keeping "Harry" in our back paddock, but now I hear this morning that "Star" has taken to going through yet another fence, the very back fence into the neighbours. I can't afford any new fences at the moment so I hope the neighbours can mend the part "Star" is getting through. I went down the back on Monday morning (after my pumping success) to visit the cows and check the hole in the fence over the gully. I discovered "Harry" on the other side of the fence by himself. I got him back through the hole and patched it yet again with bits of wood and bits of wire. Now I will have to go down there again on Friday to inspect the back fence to see how bad it is. While I was down the back on Monday I took a photograph of the cows to show how round and pregnant they look. By my calculations we should have calves in late November or December.

Veggie Tank is Full
I did it all by myself! I cut and connected the poly pipe to get the water out of the shed tank and to the pump and I started the pump and filled the veggie tank with no help and nothing went wrong! Yesterday we had 25mm of rain and the cement shed tank was half full. Yesterday afternoon while it was raining I made the intake pipe with the connectors I bought with the tank and put it all together. As you can see from the photographs the pipe had to go up and over the edge of the tank. Then I had to collect Steve and Lucy from town so I didn't get to pump yesterday. But that meant we had more water this morning, so that was okay. I took this morning off work to pump the water because there was no other time, unless I wanted to do it at dusk or in the dark. If I didn't do it today it would have leaked out in a few days and I would have nothing. I filled the veggie tank to a half rung from the top before the water in the cement shed tank ran out, so that was pretty good, and all before 9.30am. So now there is no stopping me, it's full speed ahead with the garden, there are no excuses now. And when I do have plants and I use the water and it rains again, I have the ways and means to fill the veggie tank again. I'm pretty pleased with myself.