Septic Mended
Mum and Dad went home on Sunday after a week of visiting and helping on the farm. Dad toiled every day on fixing our broken septic pipe and blocked drainage pipe. It was a lot of hard work but it saved us lots of money. Steven has also been helping with filling in the trench. During the week Steve and Dad (and me a bit) also fixed two short fences broken by Star (the troublesome heifer), we moved the chickens to another area, Dad fixed the sagging shed gutter, built a set of metal shelves for the shed and mowed. We also had another attempt at getting the pump pumping up to the tank on the top of the hill, but that problem still hasn't been resolved. We did have the float fixed so that the valve now sits properly, effectively stopping water. Dad thinks our problem is air locks, so I'll have to work on that over the next week or so. I have also been very spoilt with Mum cooking some lovely dinners over the week and generally cleaning up.
The picture shows the path of the drainage agriculture pipe with a white bucket and broken clay pipes at the end for extra drainage. I have bought some little shrubs to plant near the new pipe to protect it from being driven over, which is how we think this problem started.

My Hands
I don't know how many of my friends I have told about my hands, I suspect not very many. In about May I started getting pain and stiffness in my elbows and knees. Then in July my hands and wrists developed pain and stiffness. I thought it was due to the extra workload after having started working 35 hours which involved extra work using the computer mouse. Then my ankles started swelling, and I knew there was something else involved and decided to see the doctor. By this time both my hands were swollen and extremely painful. My GP initially diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis and sent me to have blood tests. The indicator for rheumatoid didn't show in my blood tests and my thyroid blood test was also not right, so after taking an increased does of Oroxine and also taking Mobic, Glucosamine, fish oil and Caltrate and Panamax for six weeks I returned for a second blood test. In the meantime my doctor made an appointment with a rheumatologist. Although the indicator for rheumatoid arthritis didn't show up again the rheumatologist said it was obvious that I had an inflammatory arthritis (or rheumatoid arthritis) and prescribed me Prednisone (together with a few base line tests to monitor for side effects).
Now, before I started taking Prednisone I was in constant pain and I found it difficult and painful to do even the most normal things, such as washing and drying my hands, as my fingers were permanently bent. Not to mention washing up, driving, using cooking and eating utensils, even putting on shoes. Of course the list was endless. I also developed carpal tunnel syndrome because the swelling was restricting nerves to my fingers. Plus it was really upsetting me that it was so painful to knit and spin. Steven was having to help me more and more with farm things. Although with pain killers and just putting up with pain, I was able to manage. But the pain was getting me down.
Prednisone has taken all the swelling away, and although I do have pain occasionally, it is nothing like before. The problem is I can only be on Prednisone for six months, as it is a strong medication with side effects, and then I have to be weaned onto another medication called Methotrexate. I sure hope it does as good a job as Prednisone, and that I don't develop any of the long list of side effects, because apparently I will have to take this medication for ever and I guess my hands will never be the same again.
You just never know when things like this will come along. Although they don't know what causes rheumatoid arthritis, stress combined with my thyroid being out of whack may have contributed. I realise this isn't strictly related to farm news or my craft activities, but it has consumed me for four months. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now, I just hope I don't have to go back there again.

Bales of Wool
I sold our wool the other day and received the grand sum of $159.49. That is from 13 sheep - we have 16 sheep but one was shorn in July because of flystrike and I kept two fleeces, Ebony's and one merino to have a go at spinning raw (if I don't get around to it, I will sell it next year). It worked out at around $25 per merino fleece and $7 per cross bred fleece, plus the pieces.
I have come to the realisation that it doesn't really pay to have cross bred sheep for wool, merino wool is worth so much more. I haven't yet had the experience of selling cross bred lambs, I may change my mind when I see their worth for meat.
I have applied through the MLA for a LPA number, so I can obtain NDVs, so I can sell sheep and cattle. There's lots of lingo involved and even more know how to learn, but I guess once I have sold the two Murray Greys it will become easier each time, once I know what to do. And again that will be a whole other story.
In the photograph the large bale is full of cross bred wool, plus one of the green bags that I couldn't fit in. The merino fleeces are on the table. The two white bags are belly wool and skirted wool (which I also sold) and of course the front green bag is Ebony's wool. (I will eventually send that away to be washed and carded for spinning.)

Destructive Cows
The cows have been fine in the back paddock, that is until Star decided that the grass in our neighbour's place looked better or greener or something. So she would just lift her front legs and half jump, half walk over the fence. The fence is ancient and really only good for sheep. I hadn't realised it was that bad before. Then we were told that our neighbour had planted tree seedlings in this paddock and had kept his sheep out until they grew. Star had weakened the posts with her frequent visits next door and the fence was floppy and laying down. So we had to mend this fence and in a hurry. I bought a post mounted solar energiser that was supposed to be good for 2km and we used the star pickets I had ready to use for another fence on the other side. Steve was the labourer and I was the supervisor and at the suggestion of our neighbour we threaded the star pickets through the old fence and pulled it upright. Because of this Steve had to turn the fence post driver upside down to bang the post in. At the end of the day his arms were mighty tired. But I kept telling him that I was doing him a favour and helping him build his muscles. We threaded through three lengths of wires, one of them through black plastic insulators for the live wire. Our neighbour said he will also add a row of barbed wire on the top as an extra deterrent. We rigged the energiser up, together with three galvanised star pickets for earthing rods, although at this stage Steve's arms were unable to bang the star pickets in any further than about a foot (and they needed to go in 1.5m). Needless to say, the energiser didn't work. I thought it could have been because it wasn't charged enough and left it all connected and on, hoping it would be working the next day. I went up on the Monday morning to find that the cows had chewed right through the green wire and damaged the red wire. I think the fence is adequate even without the electric fence but I would like to get it working. So I will need to do some more work on it or find someone who knows about electric fences. But that's for another day.

Summer Coats
Bobbie was shorn last Thursday and the sheep were shorn last Friday. Steven and I managed to get Bobbie into the trailer by ourselves. I couldn't have done it without Steve though, he was a wonderful help. I pulled Bobbie and Steven pushed. Then I had to get out of the trailer without Bobbie following me. Anyway, it's over for another year - and I have a beautiful bag of chocolate brown fleece.

I have so many garbage bags of sheep fleece that I think I will buy a proper wool bale from the wool buyers to put all the crossbreed fleeces together. This year I am keeping one of the merino fleeces (or part of one) to have a play spinning it raw - it is just so white and fine. This year I also bought some sample sheep covers of different sizes and put one on Ebony and one on her mum, Original Mum. Although, at crutching time I may have to put a bigger size on both of them as the fit seems a bit neat.
The shearers were making jokes about how fat our sheep are compared to the merinos they usually shear. I thought the wool was making them look fat but it was also their big tummies. I think I will have to go easy on the sheep pellets next winter. The lamb on the left in the picture is the one shorn in July when she was flystruck. I also have a large bag of lovely black fleece too. So much wool, so little time.

Welcome Harry
On Monday morning Brownie had her little calf, probably not long before I got there at about 6.30am. I even got to see him before the rest of the cows and witnessed them sniffing and licking him. He seems to be feeding well and Brownie certainly has plenty of milk for him. I don't think I will be milking her or buying another poddy to share her milk. If the new poddy didn't take to Brownie or vice versa I would be left mixing milk twice a day and I don't fancy that.
The cows seem to be happy down the back but Star has been venturing into the neighbour's place, so over the next few days I will have to raise the height of the fence where she jumps over with extra star pickets. Star was going to be the next in the freezer but we aren't eating meat all that fast and so I might have to consider selling her, as she seems to be more trouble than she is worth.

Happy Cows
With a new batch of batteries the camera is working again, thank goodness. I have included a photo of Brownie, showing off her full udder. According to the dates, Brownie is due to calf at the beginning of October. Although I don't think her girth has increased substantially, her udder is starting to take shape. So, I'm pretty excited that we may be getting a birth on our farm this year after all.

The second photo is of Jemma (left) and Freda (right) down near the southern fence of our property. The green grass in the background just above Freda is the next door neighbour's. I just hope it's not too tempting and that quantity is more important than quality for the cows. All the little trees seem to be okay so far.

Cows in back paddock (water everywhere but no grass to eat)
I finally gave in and let the cows into the back paddock. The original idea was to keep them in the top quarter by putting up the electric netting. I was going to mow a strip to allow the netting to sit right but the ride-on wouldn't start, Steve and I did our best following rabbit hollows. I also attached a solar energiser, although one energiser for five lengths of netting wasn't enough. All our work was wasted because the cows just walked straight over the netting on the first night.
The reason for this unprecedented move was that there was hardly any grass left for them in the front half and the price of bales of lucerne hay is $24. The Murray Greys were pushing their way through any fence they could to try and get to better grass, each time finding that the next paddock wasn't any better than the last. I have been checking them each morning and they haven't eaten the little gum trees we planted, yet. It looks like they think they're in grass heaven, hardly lifting their heads to say hello. As long as they don't eat the trees, I guess they can stay there for a while. Of course I will have to retrieve the netting next weekend.
The week before last we received over 100ml of rain (spread out over the week). So the tanks were full and the front dam has 4 foot of water (according to my Dad's new measuring post). Of course the shed tank has lost almost all of its water (because I haven't had the leak fixed yet) but the house tanks are still almost full.

Odd Jobs

On Sunday I was inspecting the sheep run to see how operational it was and discovered that the sheep hadn't been able to get into the inner most section because the gate couldn't open because of a poplar sapling. After I sawed it off at ground level (thank goodness poplar is soft wood) and opened the gate the sheep practically pushed me out of the way and rushed in to eat the grass inside. There is a sappy broadleafed weed growing in the run that I don't think the sheep eat, so I'm going to have to learn to use the whipper snipper to clear the run of this weed as well as some blackberries.

On Sunday I also made a hook to suspend the chicken's water. The twine suspending the water container allowed the bottom of the dish to touch the ground and the chickens were kicking dirt into the water. Now it's a couple of inches off the ground and has been clean for two days.

On Sunday I also started preparing the hinge joint for tying around a post (you have to cut and jiggle the end 4-5 vertical wires off). It's a fiddly job, so I've only just started. Our next door neighbour is preparing to plant grapes so I have to make our adjoining fence sheep proof. Paul put hinge joint on the first section while he was home and the next section is probably just as straight forward. I will have to replace the bottom wire and then attach the hinge joint as the fence is made of five or six wires, two of which are barbed. However, there is a final third of the fence that looks like the original fence and possibly 80+ years old. It has been mended in places but will require total removal and replacement. And with this being an external fence will need a solid post every fourth star picket like the previous section to stop the cows from pushing it over. Our neighbour said he will work with me on this section. First I need to do the 'easy' section. Finding the time may prove to be the hardest part, now that I'm working 35 hours a week. I'll be looking forward to longer days even more now and making the most of weekends.

Mending Gates
When Mum and Dad visited for my birthday the weekend before last, Dad mended four gates for me. Where Paul and I have been adding wires in fences and making the fences stronger the gates attached to these fences have also moved and this sometimes makes the latch harder to open. Dad went around adjusting hinge bolts and repositioning chain bolts and now the four most awkward gates open effortlessly. Dad and I also worked together to reposition a troublesome stay and added extra long bolts to the gate on the 'Triangle Paddock' and that's now good as new. There are some other stays that need this attention but that will have to be on another visit. Dad and I also chopped, sawed and split all the remaining wood in the wood shed in preparation for buying another load of wood. That was also productive and satisfying work.

More Snow
On Thursday, 28 June, we received more snow - not enough to make a snowman but a fair covering. I only got to see the best of it because I was at home until 10am waiting for the NRMA man to bring a new car battery. By that time, though, the snow had turned to sleet and melted most of the snow on the ground.

In other news, I have borrowed an 8-shaft loom from a friend at spinning. I'll have to buy some heddles and a shuttle, but it won't be long before I'm weaving some more tea towels. I'm also about 3/4 through knitting my home spun jumper (purchased carded wool). Although I am enjoying the process, I'll be glad when I can get onto something else.

Light Sprinkling of Snow
For those who may want to know, yes we did get snow, but only a light sprinkling. It was bitterly cold though. But nothing three or four layers of clothes, a beanie, scarf, gloves and a hooded Driza-Bone can't fix while feeding the animals in the morning. (Although, I did have breakfast first, as it is too dark at 6.30am these days.) And cold as it was the sheep still didn't spend the night in the shed, even though they had access to it. The wind was blowing a gale for what seemed all night and I was lying there thinking that anything in the shed not tied down would be all over the paddocks by the morning. But miraculously that didn't happen - all that worry for nothing. I have included a photo of our wood chopping block with a light covering of snow.

First Tea Towels Finished
I have finally finished my waffle weave tea towels (plus one plain weave). I eventually wove three tea towels in waffle and one in plain weave. Actually, my favourite is the plain one. I'm pretty proud of them and I feel it is just the beginning of many more tea towels and assorted linen. Although, every time I see Margaret or Judy wearing something made from material they have woven I think that one day I'd like to do that too.

Sheep and Wool
On farm matters, last weekend I asked the vet out to look at 'Cross', as she hadn't been able to put weight on one of her front legs for a day or so. The vet couldn't find anything obviously wrong and said she could have pulled a muscle higher up. She gave her a dose of anti-inflammatory and pain killer and I kept her in the small area behind the shearing stand and fed her and kept an eye on her. In two days she was standing again, thank goodness, and I let her go out with the rest of them.
Last week I also sold the rest of the wool we had in plastic bags in the shed from 2005 and 2006, just to clear the area before we shear again. Most of it was cross breed wool and not worth very much but we received about $54. So I guess that will go towards the vet bill.
This weekend I let the sheep into the area around the new little fruit trees (no leaves at the moment, so hopefully safe from destruction) and behind the shed, just to eat the grass down to save me mowing. Of course they made short work of the grass, even in two days. Then this afternoon I opened the gate to the dam paddock and cleaned and filled the water trough. They hadn't discovered the open gate while I was there but they will have by tomorrow I'm sure. They can stay in the dam paddock for a month before I get them shorn.

Fly Strike
Today I had the sheep crutched again and one sheep totally shorn. I had noticed some black patches of wool and suspected fly strike. It appears I was very lucky and caught it in time to save the two sheep - hopefully. I also spoke to the shearing contractor (a friendly and knowledgeable neighbour) about getting the sheep shorn in August. They are pretty booked up and I may have to be on standby and wait and see if they get a cancellation or if it rains and, because of our small number of sheep, I can shed the sheep and they'll be dry to shear, when others can't always do that. I wanted to leave the wool for as long as possible, as I would really like to spin Ebony's black wool, so the longer the better. If I leave it any longer than August there is a possibility of them getting fly struck again, so there is a fine line to tread.
After talking to the shearing contractor, I may change my mind and keep the little black faced girls and only kill/eat the boys (3 including the wether from last year). He commented that crossbreds are very good breeders. But if all 13 girls had lambs, that's 26+ sheep (including twins) - that's a lot of sheep!

Tea Towels Off Loom
I finished weaving today! I managed to squeeze in a 10cm sample at the end of the fourth tea towel. So this weekend I will cut them apart, finish the ends and wash them. I've measured them, so I can see how much they shrink, for future projects. I'll include a photograph of the finish products after that.

PS I just walked past the loom. It looked so empty. Just like empty spinning bobbins or empty knitting needles, the empty loom beckons you, doesn't it? I have already decided on my next project but it won't be on this loom, as I am only borrowing it and have to give it back. So now I have to find another loom - and make more towels. All these tea towels aren't for me, mind you. Of the four I have almost finished I am giving one to my Mum and one to my Mother-in-Law as belated Mother's Day presents.

The Beginning of the Eggs
My Australorps have finally started laying little eggs! This morning I collected one large and one small egg (from yesterday - I came home late and Steven put them to bed). The large egg is from one of the Isa Browns. And again this afternoon I collected one large and one small egg. So one little black chicken has finally got the idea. I wonder how long it will be until we get six little eggs (and one large egg) each day. Then I'll have to get serious about using eggs for dinner (and lunch and breakfast).

Me Day
I had a 'Me' Day today. I had worked extra hours at the beginning of the week and took today off. This was primarily because Paul left again yesterday and I needed some time to myself. He is starting a new job in Sydney next week and is going to stay with his mother until he finds a place of his own. So, today I wanted to do stuff just for me. Of course I did some other things such as washing, changing the registration sticker on the car, changing the straw in the chicken's nesting boxes, refilling the cows' water, bringing in some wood for the evening's fire and the inevitable taxiing of children, but for the majority of the day I caught up on my weaving. I finished the third waffle weave tea towel and decided to also weave a plain weave tea towel with the same colour pattern. I'm not sure why I had so much warp left over. I could have miscalculated the loom wastage or take-up. I certainly hope I haven't made a mistake and made short tea towels. I guess time will tell and all will be revealed when I finally take them off the loom. Of course, I may get close to the end of the final tea towel and find I don't really have enough for a full tea towel but I'm going to try anyway. I'm over half way and the end is in sight but I have typing I need to finish, so the weaving will have to wait for another day.

Waffle Weave Tea Towels
I have started my next weaving project and have decided upon tea towels in a waffle weave. The pattern I am adapting is very multi-coloured, so I toned it down a bit and used roughly the same colour count to tie in with the waffle weave pattern. Although, I think the pattern is more clearly seen on the reverse of my weaving. So next tea towel I think I'll do the pattern in reverse. I'll include a photo of the next tea towel when I'm up to it to show the difference.

New Chickens
On Thursday we bought six Australorp/New Hampshire point of lay pullets. They're still timid and flock together. The other two chickens and Ericson are giving them a hard time but I'm sure they will stand up for themselves when they've grown a bit. One of the photographs below is the new chickens venturing into the grass jungle of the chicken's new area.


New Weaving Project
After hours of dreaming and planning, pouring over books and purchasing my cottolin, I finally started winding a warp for my first attempt at weaving tea towels. I have chosen a waffle weave pattern and my tea towels will have 469 ends! So, as I said, I have only just started winding the warp. I'll have to do it in a few stages, and I've done about a third so far. I'll include a photograph once I have set up the loom and I've woven the start of the pattern.

Mending Fences
Star, one of our Murray Greys, forced herself through yet another fence and so Paul and I were out there this afternoon adding another wire to the Dam Paddock fence. There is plenty of grass in the Dam Paddock, so I don't know why she pushed through the fence. Last week Paul and I rethreaded the wires in the fence at the top of the hill on the eastern side (Unslashed Paddock) through the star pickets and added another two wires for good measure. Paul also reinforced the small fence at the top of the hill near the gate with extra star pickets and rethreading the wires through the holes. All this was because Star pushed through this fence too.

Cows Resting
Paul pumped water to the tank at the top of the hill from the front dam. There were about three rungs already in the tank and we pumped until the tank was almost full with seven rungs. Even though the dam only had about a foot and a half of water in it to start with, this pumping only made the level go down by a few inches. That's pretty amazing. That water in the tank will be enough for the animals for about 7-8 weeks, and perhaps more now that Lady is not here. I have included a photo of our beautiful cows sitting down resting after a busy morning eating.

Another New Fence
Last weekend we put up the top half of the middle fence and moved the sheep into the top half. Paul finished off some extra tying of the hinge joint today. I have included a photo to compare with the photo in the previous blog about the fence.

Lots of Rain
I have included the rain gauge readings for the last eight days below:
22 February - 30.0
23 February -
24 February - 5.5
25 February - 4.0
26 February - 19.0
27 February - 8.0
28 February - 16.0
1 March - 30.0
After the first lot of rain the front dam just looked damp but by the end there is now 1 foot (as measured by Dad's depth gauge).
The shed tank hit a peak after 1/3 (seen by debris on walls) but today I took a photo showing how much water we have lost (due to leakage) since then, in only two days.