First Fire of 2012
Anzac Day was a cold windy day, so I thought it was the perfect day for the first real fire of the season.  I had lit the stove once for cooking pizza a few weeks earlier, but this was the first fire in the sitting room.  I had forgotten how lovely the warmth from a fire can be.

Ready for Winter
My new load of wood arrived on 20 March. I didn't even get a chance to load it into the shed this time, Steve and Dad did it all for me. Russell and I have started splitting it for the fuel stove, with the larger pieces for the inside fire, but we haven't actually had a fire yet. Maybe next weekend. Or I might even light one just for myself if it gets too cold.
Also, while Mum and Dad were visiting, Dad mowed the centre tree run, so the little trees could see the sun. Plus he mowed some paths. One path in particular was for the car, all the way from the back gate. Steve was asking about taking the chicken coop to his house and to do that we would need to bring in the trailer, so Dad mowed a path. But we will need quite a few people to help lift the chicken coop over the fence and that hasn't been organised yet, let alone the initial inspection. All in good time.

A Colourful Addition
About five months ago I heard that someone was looking for a home for a black lamb. As I would eventually like to own a collection of coloured sheep and I don't believe a lamb should be eaten just because it is coloured, I offered my little farm as his new home. Also, Coco had died only a week or so before this. Back in October, I had noticed that two sheep were missing about a week before but didn't find them until I had moved the sheep to the next paddock. I hate not being able to walk amongst them now that I have 'Arnie the Charging Ram'.
Anyway, with one thing and another I had not been able to collect this black lamb, now a sheep, called 'Blackie' until 13 March. With any new additions to the flock, they have to be introduced by degrees, so as to escape the wrath of both Arnie and Bobbie, and even the other sheep. (I remember Coco had a hard time for weeks.) I put Blackie into the small paddock around the yards and encouraged some sheep down to join him. This proved difficult and I only managed to entice two sheep into the yard paddock. This would have to do, as I didn't want either Arnie or Bobbie to come in too. So Blackie spent the next three days with two ewes. I was surprised, though, because Spotty Nose gave him a bit of a hard time and I didn't think she would, especially as I had thought she would be a good introductory companion being the oldest ewe and my lead sheep.
On the Sunday we managed to separate Arnie into the laneway and Bobbie in the cattle yards and brought all the sheep into the yard paddock. I left the sheep to sort themselves out with both Arnie and Bobbie watching on the sidelines. Very late in the afternoon I reintroduced Arnie and Bobbie and everyone was one big happy family. Arnie nudged him a bit but Bobbie didn't bother him at all. So, all in all I think it all went fairly smoothly and I now have another black merino sheep for spinning wool. He is a fine black sheep with only a little bit of white on his face. Steve helped him into the trailer and said his fleece was very soft, so I am looking forward to the first shearing.

Early Lambs and Early Crutching
There was a new lamb on 24 January (not sure who the mum is) and Original Mum had a lamb on 12 February. I think there was also another lamb but it was lost. Because of Arnie, I can't get close enough to the new lambs and mums to figure out who is who. Arnie is certainly doing his job. I just hope he doesn't wear out the ewes giving them lambs seven months after they lambed last time.
On 4 March when moving the sheep I noticed that one had flystrike near the front leg (Rosie, I think). Also, Original Mum was very weak and I suspected she had worms (or maybe just old and worn out feeding her lamb). So, we had the sheep crutched the following Friday. We marked the boy lamb and ringed both lamb's tails. I haven't purchased this year's coloured tags, so I will tag them at shearing. Also when shearing I will ask the shearer's advice on which lambs from last year can be classed as merino. Some of them are 7/8 merino by birth but their wool may be good enough to be classed as merino. I will then identify them with a blue tag for ease of sorting fleeces at shearing in future, and also to help decide which ones to sell or eat.
I didn't remember to take photos at crutching time. Steve took a good close up of Arnie, so I have included that.

Socks Finally Finished
On 9 January I finally finished the socks that I started last year. I spun 100g of merino and silk and then started knitting. I soon realised that I didn't have enough wool to finish the socks, so I had to match the colour as closely as I could and spin some more. There are lots of variations in colour throughout the socks, so the colour change to the newly spun slightly different colour is not as noticeable. I actually finished them late last year but had to finish off the loose threads. I entered them in the show and managed a second in the handspun garment section. Now the winter can bring on the cold and my ankles will be cosy.

The Fence that Linda Built
Up until now I have been using a netting fence originally used with solar power as an electric fence to funnel the sheep into the yard near the shed, which I call the corral because it is round. The sheep sometimes got caught in the netting and had to be rescued, so I wanted a more permanent and less problematic solution. I made a fence using star pickets and hingejoint with two makeshift gates of hingejoint. It is strong enough for the purpose for which it is intended. I used this laneway to get the sheep into the shed for crutching and it worked just fine. I am pretty proud of my efforts and have included two photos.

Tons and Tons More Needed
On 18 December I (with a lot of help from my son) shovelled 750kg (1 cubic metre) of 20mm aggregate into the hollows of the driveway. Then some time in January or February (I didn't record in diary) I shovelled another 750kg load of 20mm aggregate myself into more hollows. Previously the driveway was like a roller coaster. It is better now, but I can see from the puddles after rain that I will probably need at least one or two more loads. I have included the photos taken after rain to better identify the worse hollows.

Yard Fences
I forgot to mention the new fence and gates around the cattle yards. They were built around the middle of November and are invaluable in getting the cows into the yards. I have included a few photographs from each end. You may also be able to see some AI heat patches too. I have been getting the cows into the routine of coming into the yards by putting a half bucket of pellets in a trough and a little bit of lucerne into the yards. I call them and Brownie usually starts coming first and the rest follow. Of course they don't all go in at first but I can usually get them all in with a bit of encouragement. They are much easier to handle now that Star and Freda and their calves have gone.

Artificial Insemination
In early December I had the cows AI'd. The photograph is of Tawnie, as she was the first to cycle. After they had all been done over the next few days we put heat/pressure patches on them again just before Christmas and waited to see if any didn't take. I had Jemma and Sandy done again in early January. I will observe them over the next three weeks, but I think I will just leave it now and see what happens. The AI girl has a few other commitments over the next month and may not be able to fit me in. Initially the cows were very reluctant to go through the race but they are getting better at it now. Today I got them all through by myself and removed the heat patches, leaving Jemma and Sandy in ready for the final AI.

Cows to Market
Before I started the AI process I wanted to sell the cows that I didn't want to breed from because of their behaviour. Star continually pushed through or jumped over fences breaking them in the process and Freda fiercely protected her calves, which in turn made them scared of me and difficult to handle. I would prefer calm well-behaved cows. So in late November I sold Star and her calf Twinkle and Freda and her calf Anna.
They brought a sum total of just over $3,200 after deducting the costs of selling them, including carting. It was sort of sad to see them go, as I had raised both Star and Freda from poddy calves. But I hope that the cows I have left are less trouble now with the trouble makers gone.

Gum Seedlings
After buying tube stock from the markets I planted some Bendemeer Gums and Orange Gums down the middle of the paddocks in the tree run on 25 September. After a few weeks I was very pleased with the growth, so on 3 November I planted an extra two Yellowbox in the eastern tree run all the while keeping an eye on the swooping magpies. Although I have watered them on several occasions, we have had lots of rain in between to keep them alive. Over Christmas we will have to mow the grass around them, as I won't let animals in the tree run until they are established.

Shearing & Drenching
The sheep were shorn on 30 October. Steven and Russell both helped. On the Monday prior I drenched the sheep with drench from a neighbour, as I had lost three sheep in the two weeks prior and I suspected it was from worms. I sold the wool the very next Monday for $291.88 (shearing $106.03 and crutching in March 2011 $97.70). I have since lost one lamb, so I now have 20 sheep (including ten ewes, one ram and nine lambs - five boys and four girls).

Headbail Installed
In August we went to Agquip, which is a huge agricultural show (probably larger than the Sydney Easter Show).  There were some really huge big ticket items such as machinery and cars and silos and caravans, plus tools and clothes and hundreds of other things.  You could even choose your lunch steak sandwich by the breed of steer.  I tried five headbails, with varying degrees of ease of use.  I have to take into account my arthritis, plus the fact that I'm a 'girl'.  I found the perfect action, which was made with ratchets, plus I think it was actually the cheapest.  I had the attaching brackets placed where I needed them to link up with my existing yards and it was delivered in no time.  Total cost $1,240. 
We had to remove the existing sliding gate and fit in the headbail, which was 6cm wider than the sliding gate.  With the use of a crowbar and a round of wood as a fulcrum we inched the panels and gates along and fitted it in.  (Of course I use the term 'we' loosely here, but I did help.)  I have included two photos, one with the gate closed and one with the headbail and chin bar in action (not with cows yet).  I still need to get yet another fence built to help me get the cows into the yards, but that's another story.

Raining Trees
At the end of July I was out filling a trough with a bucket in the morning in the paddock at the top of the vegie 'garden' and the trees in the forest were raining. The poplars near the shed were not only raining but 'hailing' tiny icicles. The forest trees were probably doing the same thing. I wish you could hear this photograph. It had been an icy night and the sun was melting the ice that had formed on the leaves. I actually went back inside to get the camera because it was so amazing.

The Ewes have Lambed
After selling a few lambs and sheep, I now have 14 sheep in all, including one ram and one wether. That leaves 12 ewes. The first lamb was born on 15 June and the last was born on 11 August. Of the 12 lambs only two died and we didn't have any twins. I have 10 lovely little lambs, all jumping and running around together. Actually, there are a few who still stick closely to their mums but most are social. Even Spotty Nose, my oldest ewe, had a lamb, who's father was Arnie. I think that was the only lamb that he fathered, as Spotty Nose was the last to lamb on 11 August. I have included a few photographs below.

Wood Shed Water
Way back at Easter my Dad and Russell connected an old piece of guttering to the wood shed directing the water to an old metal tank. It worked wonderfully until we discovered that the outlet has a dripping leak. But when it rains this water can be directed via an underground pipe, installed by the previous owners, down to troughs in either the Triangle Paddock or the Dam Paddock, which has been very useful at times.

Fruit Harvest
I forgot to mention that I had a bumper crop of apples earlier this year. They were fairly free of fly but had odd bumps on the skin. Once peeled they were fine and made lots of stewed apples for the freezer. Although I didn't take a photograph of the apples, I did take a photograph of the plums on a tree planted way back in 2004. These made beautiful jam and some stewed plums too.

Swapping Rams
Late December I separated my small flock, keeping the older and productive ewes with Bobby and keeping the granddaughters, crossbred wethers, Boots (unproductive) and Ebony (to look after her young ones) in a separate paddock. Russell had spotted a ram being offered for free on a local 'Buy, Swap and Sell' website. After contacting them they indicated that they would also be interested in swapping rams. Initially, I brought home Arnie on 9 January. I kept him with the rag tag bunch that I had separated previously.
In the mean time I had to figure out a way of getting Rambo onto the trailer by myself, using the yards and ramp of course. I thought there would be an issue with him trying to escape out the open half of the back of the trailer, so I rigged up some metal mesh. In the end it didn't really pose a problem. What did end up being a problem was getting him onto the trailer up the ramp. When alone in the yards he became very aggressive, not like him at all (except the first day he arrived when he was ramming into the fence). I think he gets stressed by himself. Consequently, there was no way I was getting into the yard race with him to encourage him up the ramp. I eventually got him in the trailer with a lot of difficulty. This all happened late February.
In early March I yarded the rag tag bunch and separated 7 wethers and crossbred ewes to sell at the markets. Arnie, Coco, Ebony and Emily went in with Bobby and the rest of the girls. Emily was Flystrike's daughter, Flystrike died shortly after shearing and Emily had been keeping to herself away from the mob ever since. She had probably been sick for a while and died about a week later. Then we had the issue of Arnie and Bobby sparring, but unlike Rambo, Arnie stood up for himself, so instead of fearing for the ram I was worried about Bobby. They still have little goes at each other but generally they have settled down and neither have been hurt. Arnie also tries to spar with me but his handle horns are very useful in grabbing hold and putting him where he is out of the way, either in the shed for crutching or just to keep him at bay to stop him butting. He is small in stature too, which also helps.

Other End of Year News
On 14 December I eventually sold the wool for $347 (shearing cost $106, plus crutching).
With all the rain we have been having the grass is very high and very dense, so there's plenty of food for the animals. This has meant that the driveway is also very wet. I managed to get bogged in the alternate driveway around the back of the house, thinking this was a better option. I have also had to park the car for days at a time at the front of the house, avoiding the driveway altogether. I guess the driveway will be needing an upgrade soon.
Before Christmas Dad also made me a little trailer to pull behind the ride-on to carry tools and heavy things around the farm. I haven't really had a specific use for it as yet but I'm sure it will come in handy.
With the family here at Christmas we managed to get the sheep into the yards again. This time we used the netting in a different configuration and it worked well. I separated the youngest lambs, some of which are Rambo's granddaughters, and some ewes into a small group of ten to stay in the dam paddock. I then took Bobby, Rambo and 11 ewes to the top eastern paddock. This was just so Rambo didn't mate with his granddaughters. I am hoping that the 11 ewes with Rambo could get pregnant one more time before I sell or give away Rambo. (We now have a new ram, but that's another story.)

Nova to the Butchers
On Monday 6 December Nova was taken to the next town and then on his way to the abattoir and then to the butchers. Steven and Lucy visited on the Sunday to help get him into the yards. He was in there overnight with Star to keep him company. I collected him all packaged up on Friday 17 December. The sausages, mince and corned beef weren't ready, so I had to come back on the next Monday.
When I had the cows in the yards to single out Nova, I also separated the cows from the heifers and calves in an attempt to wean them. This wasn't very successful, with Sandy jumping three fences to get into the back paddock where her two young ones were. I eventually got her two calves down with the other calves, so now I have five young ones in the front paddocks and the cows, plus Star's calf, Twinkle (who also jumped two fences), in the back paddock. I visited them the other day and with the exception of Star they have all gained a lot more padding.
The next thing I plan to do is sell Star and Twinkle, my fence jumpers. With that money I aim to buy a head bail and with that get the cows and heifers AI'd. I don't think I'm quite ready to handle a bull.