Its been a while since I last wrote, and rather than bore you with complicated stories of happenings over the last week I thought you might like to look at some photos of our picnic today in one of the far paddocks. We are looking after a little pony called Joker for 6 weeks and despite coming with a bag of tricks that include: turning on taps (making me think Alzheimers had hit early after the yard was flooded 2 days running until I caught him at it); closing his eyes and running through the electric fence when he knows it is off (not beeping) and nipping me when my back is turned and I am trying to pick out his feet - he is absolutely lovely with the kids and they adore him. We have been going out on a track that James cut with the tractor every day with either one or both childen and Emily declared last week she would like a picnic under a tree that is on top of the hill. It was a good idea and we packed a bag and took dogs, children and horse up there today. We are so caught up in the day to day running of the place that we forget how beautiful it is.
Just to update you however the last weeks have included the following:
- Orange markets (very successful but a long way and we managed to knacker the automatic transmission in our car on the way back - 200 km in 2nd gear takes a long time. It is still at the garage and we await the bill nervously)
- My phone has been 'played with' by a paddock full of pigs. It no longer works for anyone trying to send me messages.... the phone shop found the whole thing very funny and are attempting to salvage it.. I am trying to be optomistic.
- Our silky chicken hatched out a single chick - Brad seems to be the father and I am not sure how the hell the egg got in there...a Bantam Isa Brown Rooster I bet.
- We are getting ready for Sydney markets this weekend - 8 pigs and a clear out of anything not growing well to make sausages (I regret that Dale and Delores 2 the handraised piglets had to go...I was very sad but got to keep Dorothy. She has repaid me by getting out of the adult paddock 4 times and running about trying her best to make James take back his promise to let me keep her).
Enjoy the photos!