Australian Talk.

[wbvs58]

Dale, sounds like it is going to be mostly timber floors. I guess you are going to be pretty busy moving in to the house and getting the kids ready for school, a bit of a bummer having to repack the containers.
I thought I better do something today to make it rain so I started on some speed bumps on my driveway. I need a few bumps on the sloping part so it doesn't wash out with heavy rain. I had a few hiccups along the way but got one in with the rest to follow tomorrow and then we will be all ready for rain.
Ken

 

[melking]

Hey everyone, Just back from the weekend. Finally got internet at the ranch but didn't get it hooked up until late last night. Here is a photo of my dog "red" and his pals.

 

[wbvs58]

Big Red looks like he wants to work the cattle Mel, what sort of dog is he?
Is your internet sattelite?
Dale your dog selection should be a good one. A border collie will be real good for the kids and no slouch with the cattle either. That book I have on training was first publish in 1987, I reckon it is pretty good and takes you through step by step. I would lend you my copy but I will still be using it when you need it, I refer to it almost daily, amazing how much extra you pick up when you go back to a section and reread it.
Jed is in the middle of teething now, when we go out on the lead to do some obedience work, some days are good some days it is hard to keep his mind on the job, he looks for things to pick up and not concentrate, I just have to be patient and make the most of the good days and not push too hard on the bad days, the teething has got about another 4 weeks to go.
Ken

 

[melking]

hey Ken, Red is a coon hound and he loves to run. It is fun to watch him "work" the cows, especially when he lets them eat his food. They of course are just pets, not part of the real cows,

 

[burglar]

Ken, no worries on the book, I will definitely grab a copy.

Container is delivered tomorrow and the official move in date from the builders is Feb 8th. Cant come soon enough.

 

[wbvs58]

Jilleroo and Suzie seem to be missing in action.
I got the water hooked up to the trough in the bulls feedlot yard today. I gotta keep moving in that direction as won't be that long until they move in.
When I was walking along my drive this morning I noticed the ants are not building high dams around their hole, just wide flat ones. I don't think this is a good sign for rain in the short to medium term. I have been waiting for some decent rain before I go chasing some hay to put in the shed. I did not want to go shopping while things are bad, you feel like a desperado and they think they have got you by the short and curlies. This arvo I went around to a fellow that trades a bit of hay, he reckons that the grassy stuff that appears at this time of the year is just not showing up, I was hoping to pick up some hay at the lower end of horse hay. He only had one line there which was pretty good quality at $12.50/ bale. I am getting 200 bales tomorrow at $10 /bale. I thought that was pretty good, a bit higher price will be compensated by better quality and it locks in my hay if things don't improve. I will keep my eye out for some cheaper hay before winter and if something crops up that is worthwhile I will pick up another couple hundred or some round bales.
Ken

 

[Suzie Q]

I am home from staying at Mum's for the funeral for our friend. It was very sad.

Staying at Mum's is great. It is just like being on Holiday. It is not far from Dalson Park so I had my normal lesson on Sunday last week, a lesson before going tot he job interview on Thursday. Normal lesson on Sunday, a lesson at 7pm Monday night after the funeral and a lesson at 9.30 am Tuesday morning.

Other than that we went to the spa and swimming pool a couple of days, had lunch for $5.00 which included dessert and spent one afternoon playing hand and foot canasta, which I had to learn as I haven't played it before.

Yesterday was garden club and I brought home and planted some hippiastrums, (sp?), day lillies and watsonias.

This morning we fed out a few round bales to the cattle and I have walked down to pilates next door and back. Not to mention watching Fedderer playing with Tsonga and haven't finished watching it so will go and do that.

A notice in the letterbox this morning from the Beaudesert Council. Get rid of all the water hyacinth or pay $88,000.00 penalty. There was no water hyacinth on this place when I started work and hubby said if I started work he would take over the farm work. That didn't work well, the place is covered in it since we flooded last Christmas and he has let it grow since then. I think this time we will have to spray it as it is too much for me to pull out now.

 

[melking]

Yikes Suzie, an 88,000 fine? That is either a whole lot of hyacinth or a government gone wild. Glad to see you back on.

 

[Suzie Q]

Thanks Melking.

During the flood last Christmas it was worse than ever. A 'hundred year flood' and water hyacinth from upstream just kept pulling down our fences every time we flooded over 3 months. So our property down the bottom is now covered in it!!

I have let it grow as when we have all the holes filled with water we are vulnerable to the next flood. The water hyacinth will drop water levels, until it dies because of no water. A lot of it is dead now with summer having started and the water holes having dropped. There is a time limit on the warning so it has to be done by then and not let nature get rid of it instead.

I plan to spend the rest of the day in my garden instead and will confer with hubby when he gets home with what do do about the water hyacinth.

 

[wbvs58]

Suzie, I take it you are finished work now?
I picked up my hay today. It was good loading it, Barry has a hay lifter and puts on 15 bales in a layer at the one time, it packs it very tight and you get very little movement in it. Getting it off was a different matter though the bales were very heavy, I reckon about 35 to the ton. Anyhow I took my time and got it nice and high in the corner of the shed. If this rain materialises and some cheaper grassy stuff becomes available I will get another 200, there is plenty of room for it.
I went down Dalcouth road this morning and saw a container sitting on a dog trailer parked out the front. I hope there weren't any issues getting into your place Dale.
Ken

 

[burglar]

Ken, all went well with the containers. They brought up 2 x 20ft section containers and brought one up to the house to unload while leaving the other down near the road. It was a long day but everything arrived in good shape. Just waiting now for the floor guys to do there thing and the builders have some clean up. Some good rain over the weekend will be helpful in many ways, not too mention our tanks need filling.

 

[wbvs58]

Some rain would be very nice but I am not counting my chickens before they hatch. We are at the southern end of their forecast area and these sort of things often fizzle out off to sea before they get to us.
Ken

 

[wbvs58]

3mm last night and another 8.5mm this arvo so keep on a coming low.
As you would all know, cattle prices are heading south at the moment, some decent rain is about the only thing that might halt the slide but we need it down Diana's way, central western NSW so the buyers can get busy at the weaner sales.
Ken

 

[burglar]

The Chickens are hatching Ken

 

[wbvs58]

Yeah Dale, I hope so. It's got to pick up the bit some yet.
Ken

 

[Suzie Q]

I tipped 43mm out of the gauge for the last few days. There has been rain on the roof most of the day today, but no water showing down the paddock yet.

 

[burglar]

Only 14mm for me up to 5pm. 31mm out in sugarloaf.

 

[Suzie Q]

There is water down on the flat now in one of the water holes. There is still rain on the roof. Not much but still there.

I went down around the lucerne yesterday to bring the herd up from the creek and shut the gate. The whole fence behind the 3rd paddock is down. Hubby must have hit it when doing the hay as it is a wooden post that is down. Of course he denies it!!! We are so lucky that the herd wasn't in the crops. They just mustn't have discovered it yet and he must have done it over a week ago.

 

[wbvs58]

49mm from start to 5.00am this morning, good but a lot more needed yet.
Suzie, the cows must have had plenty to eat down there to not wander into the crop.
Ken

 

[diana55]

Curses. It's still as dry as a cork leg here. Thunder south and east of us yesterday evening and could smell rain but nothing for us.
Sold 16 commercial heifers to a repeat buyer yesterday (for less than I would have liked but at least we won't have to feed them) and the DTD delivered them late afternoon. About 2 hours north of us so they are gone.
Fed all the other cattle, put out mineral licks. Exciting way to spend Aust day.... At least had rosemary and mint lamb sausages for dinner. The Sam K ads must be working. Watched the tennis- wanted Li Na to win as the grunting/screeching opposition is very annoying. However it wasn't to be.