The Big Four O...

After much organisation and a lot of help from neighbours, family and friends (and the drought...in that the lack of rain meant we didn't have to hire a marquee) we made sure that James had a 40th Birthday party that would take away the need to have any sort of midlife crisis. We had such a brilliant night that most people forgot to take photos - and those that were taken are a touch on the blurry side. At last count we had about 70 people and 20 kids running around madly. Felix needed a day off on Monday to recover. We had fire buckets around the house for warmth, a pig on the spit and of course the Goducken... although actually it was partridge, inside guinea fowl, inside a duck, inside a chicken and finally a goose. Expertly boned and stuffed with sausage meat by James. James' parents were here for the party as part of a 3 week stay that meant our fencing up the drive is well underway and the paddocks have had their yearly slashing with thanks to Peter. Woody has been very lonely as Coco has gone off to learn the meaning of life with a very nice Springer Spaniel called Ash. She pined for her pig dog friends for a while but apparently gave in after it seemed apparent they were not coming to rescue her. We pick her up tomorrow and now wait to see whether or not she will be pregnant with crossed fingers.

We are aiming to open our farm shop by end of June or July at the latest and are madly growing up our 'smallgoods' pigs for salami and bacon which there seems an endless demand for. Last but not least it seems this seems like a good place to announce that we have booked our trip back to the UK for Christmas this year. We will be flying out on December the 21st exhausted after ham sales and very much looking forward to coming back and seeing everyone. Felix and Emi are very excited, firstly about seeing their cousins, secondly the Queen and an equal second is the possibility of snow....their words not mine. I thought I would share a conversation that Emi and Felix had between themselves last week whilst eating their dinner:

Emi: "Who was born first"
Felix: (chewing on his food and thinking about it pauses) "Jesus" (he has started scripture lessons at school which seem to have had a big impact..hmm)
Emi: "No..I don't think so"
Felix: "Yes, I am telling you it is true"
Emi: "Um..no, you were born first, then me...it definitely wasn't Jesus"

Geese and Guardians

Fantastic Mr Fox is still busy at work up here. Margie, the original goose, who had lived through almost everything was finally taken. This left my Embden goose Patricia to wander around honking tragically. Luckily one of our good friends and the local Agriculture teacher found me a flock that needed a new home and showed up with them in the back of a stock trailer some days later. Initially we thought we might take the numbers down by filling the freezer with 6 of the young ones. I kept the whole lot in the stable with a pathetically grateful Patricia for a week to get used to me and fed them every day in preparation for being locked up at night. They are very big geese but thankfully seem pretty friendly. James and his Dad (more on that later) chose one as a five bird roast (or as they are known her a 'Goduckhen' (very unsure of spelling). 2 hours later they emerged covered in feathers with tweezers, a blowtorch and god knows what else. The rest of the geese have had a reprieve as James has sworn never again. They are happily floating around on the very low damn with the ducks. I am sure the fox is very grateful we have stocked his winter larder. Two days ago James did an impressive vault over the fence and sprint down to the damn on hearing a commotion and literally scared Mr F running off with one of the females clutched in his jaws. He came up to the house with her looking very dead however we put her on some straw and twenty minutes later she was up and around...albeit walking in tentative circles with some pretty serious bruising. She has had antibitotics and much TLC and subsequently all geese now sleep up next to their night house unless they really have to go down to the dam and get a drink. I really really don't like foxes any more.

In acknowledgment of our fox issue we have been joined by Pharoah, who looks more like a large teddy and less like a scary fox killer to me. He enjoys eating horse stud nuts, carrots and makes a funny camel like sound when he sees me. He likes a scratch along his neck but not on top of his head. He looks like he can spit a long way.... I am yet to find out but he seems to like people very much. I am hoping he likes our sheep very much too. He is one of James' alpaca breeders old stud bulls who has been retired and castrated. He even has a cute head collar and walks along quietly enough that Emily announced that she would like to ride him instead of a pony. Apparently they are fearsome flock guarders who round up the sheep and then attack the fox by striking with front legs. He doesn't seem to like the dogs which is a good sign, however this morning I let him out with the sheep and after walking off and looking very protective (above), I have just found him waiting for me by the gate calling for his morning tea. Lucky for him he is very cute and I guess will join the rest of the cute yet hopeless pets that we seem to keep around here (see diabetic ferret posting for more on this).

Overrun with Piglets

Nobody breathed a bigger sigh of relief than me that young Dorothy (pictured right with me bottle feeding her as a baby) has come up with the goods and given birth to our cutest litter yet. As can be seen nest building is not one of her strong points (didn't actually attempt to spread the biscuit of hay just put it next to her) and she decided a ditch looked about right. They are so cute with their mottled colours and Dennis shaped ears and heads. We are on day 2 and although I had to shoo her out of the wallow this morning in case her babies drowned whilst trying to feed so far (touch wood) everyone seems to be doing well. Clearly the mothering instinct in pigs is hereditary as her mother Debra farrowed last night by just lying down under a tree, there were 3 straw filled huts for her to choose from however again..dirt won. We found two of her piglets this morning attempting to join other litters - one with Britney who is in with Maguire the boar but who babysat very competently until we could put him back. I spent last night with one of Lucy's little ones feeding every 2 hours until she was strong enough to go back this morning, much to Emi and Felix's disgust (they named her Layla and thought she would be perfect for show and tell) and as I type we have had 12 from Rosie, 6 from Molly (first litter), Beverly has built a beautiful straw nest and is about to farrow and Harriet is lying in water and thinking about where she will pop hers out.. Maureen is due as well and all in all we are happy because the girls that are on their 2nd and 3rd litters are pretty reliably birthing about 11 - 14 babies, which is fantastic.

James' new business venture

Well, here it is - James' soon to be patented lettuce garden. This is prototype one obviously - the ducks are delighted and since this photo was taken have enjoyed the opportunity to nibble fresh greens at leisure on the pond. Prototype no. 2 will obviously have a duck guard. The idea is that it uses up the nitrogen rich water (provided by duck and pig droppings), reduces evaporation (when we have enough of them) and grows huge amounts of lettuce. It is a win-win situation. Watch this space...

Fantastic Mr Fox

It has taken me a few days to be able to write this without choking back the tears (of frustration). My lovely (and expensive) Emden geese settled in beautifully. I loved to watch them on the dam...they had all bonded and Margie was very grateful. Unfortunately for her life must be a little like living in a war zone. Apparently our fox was also very grateful and took my new gander in broad daylight on Saturday. This meant I had to admit to James how much I actually paid for it ($50). Margie and Patricia (newly named left over goose) are now refusing to go down to the dam and spend their days in the goat stable or up at the shed. Clearly they are traumatised (and actually quite sensible).

In that same day we also had a litter of piglets born without skin.... James had gone to Orange market and I was left attempting to do the pigs with Emily telling me "that isn't how Dad does it". Just when we thought she would surely explode, Charlotte our gilt waited for James to be away before farrowing. I went up to check her and couldn't figure out what I was seeing. Thank god for technology - I sent a phone photo to Fiona for clarification and after some research it turned out the piglets had a congenital problem that I can neither pronounce nor spell. Needless to say it is rare and considering the odds suggests that Charlotte had known her brother in a way that is neither right or decent before we bought her. The ones that were badly affected were taken away and we are left with five that seem to be okay.

Close Encounters..

No, it isn't a stick - it is a snake - and no, James hasn't turned into Steve Irwin - its dead. Not by our hands - it was run over at our gate. As it was probably heading into the property I can't say I'm very sorry. It is actually the first time that we have seen one close up (apart from the black snake last year). It seems that everyone else has seen brown snakes on our place except us. Even dead I must admit I kept expecting it to snap out of it and lunge at someone. I'm sure we all fleetingly thought maybe we should move to New Zealand... but its okay, we are over it...

On a sadder note we are holding vigil next to Jessie's bed as she was looking very much worse for wear when Vanessa went to check on her today. Initial test results suggest she is diabetic which has been workshopped by the vets and I suspect a complicated and never-seen-in-Mudgee surgery will follow, although not actually being a vet I have no idea what is in store for her. It is quite sad as she is a likeable little ferret so I am hoping that she is going to stick around.

We would also very much like some rain now....please...

School Days

Here I was thinking that when Felix and Emi went to school/pre-school life would be so much easier. Well it is sort of, but nobody told me about how organised I had to be to make this happen. I have had to buy one of those calendars that have a space for each member of the family. I have to unpack their school bags every afternoon... not only to clean out the lunchboxes but to keep up with the notes/requests/homework...yes really. I have to try and remember sports day, library day, art day. Pick up and drop off is okay since Felix prefers the school bus...but still. I write on the back of my hand quite a lot. The kids are very understanding and seem more organised than I am to be honest. Thank god.