A Freezer Full of Lamb
Last Sunday a mobile butcher came and killed six of our sheep (3 boys and 3 girls) and three of a neighbour's sheep, skinned & gutted them and hung them in a mobile coolroom left on our property until today.
(I decided to only kill six sheep because Boots was given a reprieve and I have decided not to name lambs ever again - unless they are girls and I intend to keep them.)
Today at six o'clock (yes 6am) the butcher returned and started sawing up our lambs. Steve took the meat from the butcher and put in on a little table, I packed it in plastic bags and Lucy (Steve's girlfriend) tied on the wire ties. I then took the packed meat on a large metal tray up to the freezer in the shed. That went on for almost three hours. Then our neighbour came and I helped him pack his three sheep for almost two hours. Then we watched with fascination as the butcher made sausages from the offcuts and then we packed the sausages into plastic bags. It was all over (including the cleaning) by about 12pm. So for $344 we now have a freezer full of lamb (including 12 lamb roasts!). We still have some beef left, so we can mix it up a bit. I have included a photo of one of our sheep hanging before it went into the coolroom (apologies for the blurry focus). I was going to take a photo of chopping and packing the meat but we were so busy I didn't even think of photos until it was all over ... oh, well.

There is another part of the story I almost forgot to tell. Before the butcher killed the sheep Steve and I had to actually use the sheep yards and separate the lambs from the ewes. After chasing them and Bobby around the paddock for way too long we put up an electric netting to funnel them into the yards. Then came the fun job of getting them into the run. We allowed only a few in at a time and closed the gate, so we could make sure we separated the right ones. Originally I had Steve manning the gate to separate them and I was going to 'shoo' them down the end but once the end gate was closed they all put their heads down facing away from the separating gate at the other end and stubbornly refused to move. So I had to man the gate (at least I knew which ones I wanted to get butchered) and Steve had the job of pushing them towards the gate. After we had done this a few times Steve said, 'Hey, this is fun.' That made all the effort worthwhile - he was away from his computer and he was actually enjoying himself - and helping as well! We separated five lambs born last year plus a whether from the year before and they stayed in the small yard until the following day for the butcher. After we let the ewes (including a few girl 'lambs') back into the paddock we went to open the gate for Bobby and to our amazement from standing he leaped gazelle-like over the sheep yard fence, clearing it by at least 10cm, to join the ewes. Steve and I looked at each other, 'Did you see that?' We won't have to separate the sheep or get them butchered again for a while, but we know we can do it now.

In other news, I bought a second hand car yesterday. I took out a personal loan and bought a white 1994 Commodore VR Series II though a private sale. Our old Cressida will sit in the garage until I can organise (summon up the courage) to sell it. Why do I get so attached to cars when other people can sell their cars every two years or so? Hopefully I'll be able to sell it to a mechanic or someone who can fix it for less than I was quoted. It is a shame, it is such a lovely car.

New Fence & Harry
I have included a photograph of the new fence. As I said I think it's wonderful. I got the fence guy back to have a look at the yards fence and he said it wasn't worth him building a new fence and gave me some instructions on how to fix it myself. However, I found out that he also makes cattle and sheep yards, so who knows down the track ...
So, today I restrained the top wire with a ratchet strainer and added five recycled star pickets from the old neighbours fence and attached the top wire and the top of the hingejoint. Tomorrow I will add another wire between the top wire and hingejoint and I think it will be secure enough for the sheep. I rang the butcher and confirmed that he is coming next Sunday. Two other local small farmers will also be bringing a few sheep for butchering too.
I have included a photograph of Harry. He is now two and a half months old and thriving on Brownie's jersey milk.

New Fence, Snake & Cows
Last weekend we dismantled a portion of the fence between us and the neighbours. I spent four hours on Friday afternoon, two hours on Saturday morning and then on Sunday our neighbours and Steven helped remove the last of the wire and posts.
On Sunday when Steve and I were removing the last of the fence Steve picked up an old piece of squashed metal and threw it on the pile of old wire. We think a snake was hiding in there because Steve later said the metal was heavy and the snake suddenly appeared rearing up at Steve. Then, just as quickly, it decided to retreat and slithered away. The snake was about a metre long and brown. It was pretty scary, but we got over it and finished off taking out the posts and wire.
Then on Tuesday a fencing guy came and built a new fence for us. The new fence is excellent - there is nothing quite as impressive as a new drum tight fence. I have a photo here of the old fence (I had already removed most of the old rotted wooden posts and some barbed wire before I took the photo). I will take a photo of the new fence and add it later.
Today I had decided that Steve and I would get little Harry into the sheep run/yards and put on his ear tag and put a rubber ring around his 'bits'. Well, after a lot of running around the paddock we eventually got Harry in the yards, although Jemma was also in there because we couldn't get her out (we got all the others out). But I think Harry is going to be a difficult one when he gets older because he tried to get through any fence available. He actually jumped over the sheep yards inner fence. We got him back in there again and this time both he and Jemma pushed down and jumped over the outer fence. I thought the fence was higher and stronger than that but I was mistaken. So then we had to chase Jemma right around the clothes line and back around and back through the gate to where they started from. (All that took an hour and nothing was achieved except a broken fence!)
So now I have to get this fence fixed or rebuilt before we get the sheep butchered next month, because we have to use the yards to separate the lambs and then keep them in there overnight and contained for the butcher to do his thing.
Life wasn't meant to be easy ...

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.