Australian Talk.

[wbvs58]

I put the box back on the truck today and took one of the bulls around to the girls at the other block. He was very happy, there are only 7 cows there, I hope they keep him amused till after Xmas.
This arvo I put another post in for the feedlot.
Suzie it sounds like there are a lot of tree changers around Boonah that can't maintain their ride on mowers. Mowers must be a big part of the business there.
Jilleroo, I am a bit of a royal fan, though I must admit Charlie and Camilla are about as usefull as tits on a bull.
We ended up with 11.5mm rain in the guage this morning, so I think that beats you Suzie.
Ken

 

[Suzie Q]

By a long way Ken. Nothing for us overnight.

Last week when I came home to fix the fences I let the cattle into the middle 3 paddocks. I didn't think there was much in there, maybe a bit of clover, but with the frosts the grass is dead.

They have not come back. Sim (horse) has had 4 round bales to himself for a week now. I didn't realise that there must be some good feed in those 3 paddocks.

 

[wbvs58]

Things are not exactly coming away after the rain, but there is a slow improvement in the colour of the place. Another storm tomorrow and again next week would go down well.
I have been packing the truck up today as I'm off to Brisbane tomorrow, I have quite a few jobs to do down there.
I had a phone call last night, my new pup Jed has been born. I get to pick him up at Dubbo in early November. I have a few things to do to get ready for him.
Ken

 

[burglar]

hi all, found out today we will be returning to Australia on Dec 11th. Our house should be ready early in the new year, excited to get the Stanthorpe farm up and running. Lots of fencing to do first.

 

[jilleroo]

Sounds like you're all organised Burglar! Less than three months until you arrive - hope its rained well by then for you.

Ken, I might have missed it further back, but is Jed a kelpie? Black and tan or a red? We've got no dogs here at present having lost my dear little girl in May to old age. We have sheep properties on three sides of us so there's a lot of baiting done which prohibits us from using working dogs. The other day I found a neatly cut square of bait meat sitting on top of a gatepost where a crow had obviously left it.

There's something dead in the ceiling, not good. A possum probably. Drawing straws as to who investigates.

The steers weighed extra well this morning in town. Hubby and son had weighed a few yesterday, hubby thought in general the mob looked smaller than the last lot - but they av 30kgs more so that was a nice surprise. 130 went and another lot to go when they're ready for them. The actual buyers never inspect them beforehand, we just send what we think. The agents will come out and help draft if there's a lot of cattle and we ask them to help. They've never complained about any and keep coming back so we must be doing an okay job.

Hubby is off to bull sales later in the week but I'm staying home to mind the fort as usual. The little heifer still hasnt calved even though I needled her. Did some cooking for a local wedding and delivered it today. It was hot with a blustery north wind, about 39 degrees I think. That heat and dead possum in the ceiling was a dastardly combination!

 

[wbvs58]

I hope they do't ask what the unusual flavour in the cooking is Jilleroo.
Yeh the pup is a Kelpie male, black and tan.
I hope your builders are on schedule Burglar, around Xmas is not a good time to have to rely on tradesmen. They start to wind down about the end of Nov and don't start back until almost February, although things are a bit quiet in the building game at the moment, they might be a bit hungry for work.
I'm in Brissie tonight, be going home Sunday.
Ken

 

[wbvs58]

I just got back from Brisbane, I noticed driving in that there were not any vehicle tracks in my drive way, all washed away, checked the rain guage and there was 18mm. Must have happened Friday evening.
I got a lot done in Brisbane, shifted my daughter, plumbed in Pam's new heat pump for the pool, got the pool blanket and roller all sorted. The rain must have been my reward for all the jobs done.
Ken

 

[Havinago]

Great to see some Aussies having a yack here. I am based in Brisbane myself. I am very keen to get on the road and head north to the farm but work wont allow for a few weeks. I have to put the recently reco'd startermotor back in the big Fiat tractor and get it churning. The drier weather is allowing some areas to be slashed now that its dried out a bit. Ken it sounds like you are a busy boy for a Retiree! I know that ill be the same i just cant sit still theres always something to do! Nothing like keeping busy. Oh well great to see all the helpful info here.Oh well when I finally buy my 1st cattle i will be able to relate a bit more here.
Hopefully soon!!

 

[jilleroo]

Hello Havinago (love your user name!)....what sort of cattle are you planning on running when you get some? Whereabouts is your land?
Ken, that rain was a decent fall - hope there's more to come. It's raining over Winton way at present and thundering here. Had a chuckle about your possum/cooking comments - luckily the problem is not near the kitchen area! The smell has abated - despite lots of talk about ladders, torches, etc. nothing actually got done.

The fellow Rodger Parker who was riding a horse from Brisbane to Darwin arrived at his destination last week. He, the horses and his support person are on their way back home and will be staying here Tuesday night. From what I gather, the fall he had from his horse here was the only incident they had the whole way, about 3300kms of riding. I wonder if he might sell me one of his horses, they're certainly well-travelled. What am I thinking, no more horses!

I'm off now to chuck a match in a big heap of garden prunings seeing how its a nice still cloudy day.

Most of the accommodation in town is booked out already for Charles and Camilla's visit! No one still seems to know any specific reason for their coming to Longreach. I wonder if Camilla would pop into our local CWA as a guest speaker - must check that idea out!

 

[burglar]

Hi Jilleroo,I hear they had a bit of rain last week, of course Ken would now exactly, it would certainly be nice to start with some full dams and tanks by the time we move in. Ken, I don't think the house will be ready until late Jan early Feb, will stay in Brisbane while we wait. Hopefully come up once a week to check on the building process and will stay at Peters and Lois' Glen Robin property. Wes Smith builders have been excellent to work with. Welcome Havinago, I am new to this world also. Giving up the rat race for some clean air.

 

[wbvs58]

Jilleroo, just leave the possum for a year or two and then go up and bring the dried mummified body down and put it on ebay, they bring big money. My mate Mario gets about $20 for a dried up body of a mouse. He sells pig in a bottle (foetus from sows he butchers for the dogs), he gets up to $70 for them, the sow the other week was a gold mine, had 10 foetuses. He walked across my place the other day and picked up a cows skull and sold it for $80, he was going crook as it had no horns which would have made it worth more.
Burglar, Jason on the corner of Dalcouth Rd had 20mm on Friday yet my neighbour the other side got 1.5mm. Hope you got something similiar.
Havinago, some Droughmasters would be good for your block, or something with a similar Brahman content. I'd ring a few local agents and tell them your plans and see if they are interested in buying for you. Let them know they would also be selling them for you when the time comes, makes them a bit keener to do business and also to buy something decent for you.
I had a big morning working the cows, segregated the commercials, got the CIDRS out of the heifers and put them in the next bunch of cows. Got all the calves their 1st vacn. I put the 2 yearling bulls out with their groups of cows. The first inseminations should start Wed.
Ken

 

[Suzie Q]

Geez Ken. All the dried mice I have thrown away!!! What on earth do people want them for?

It came over really black in Boonah yesterday, a bit of thunder and lightning. I heard on the news that there had been over 10,000 lightning strikes but we didn't really get any rain.

I typed this yesterday, but it doesn't seem to have worked.

Scary about the tracks Ken.

Good on the weights Jilleroo. That would be a hubby job for sure in my book.

Whereabouts is your farm Havinago?

I have made that mistake of moving over Christmas Burglar. As Ken said no electricians or anyone available as they have 3 months off.

I'm back from the wedding.

Saturday morning up - breaky of yoghurt, fed the cattle, loaded hay on the ute, packed and we left at 7.30am.

Hubby needed a pit stop so we stopped and went to the loo and I had brought a pretty big apple each and we ate that.

We dropped the hay off and headed to the unit. For the first time we hit traffic and it was stop start. We figured out later it is because of the way the place is designed. When you come into Town it takes you through the shopping area and there are so many tourists that they are always crossing the road. No pedestrian crossings so they cross where ever and the traffic is then stop start.

To the unit and we managed to find a park without a meter. Everything is metred except the road right outside the unit and a lot of people come to visit the beach so that is where they park. At night you are only allowed to park on this side of the road. They have done that to try and cut down on people camping, but honestly I don't think one side of the road to the other would stop someone camping if they really wanted to.

Papa did witness one guy get up from sleeping in his car and brushing his teeth and during the day people put up lines from their cars to the telegraph poles to hang their washing on.

I had lunch of ham cheese and lettuce on multigrain bread.

We changed for the wedding and I will go and check my camera now ans see if I have a photo of me. The theme was country.

Here I am with Ian at the photo frames.

I was the only one who wore a hat and the ceremony was at 2pm. It is Spring now and they say do not go outside between 10am and 2pm in Winter and 10am and 4pm in Summer.

It was about 5 minutes in the sun before everyone was uncomfortable. By 10 minutes they abandoned the hay and stood in the shade under the trees.

When the bride arrived they returned to the hay and within minutes people were holding their hands up for the sun and there were a couple of parasols for decoration which were grabbed and used.

So I was the only sensible one in a hat and I had told hubby to take a hat as well because of the time of the ceremony.

I will have to go through the photos and see if I have any good ones.

After that they left to be taken somewhere for photos and the food started coming around.

Duck was there amongst other things and then in side for a buffet meal and dessert there was a LOLLY BAR. So I splurged!!!!

Hubby and I left early as the music was all modern head banging music and I had left my eyedrops at the apartment and it was past time to put them in. I seem to have an irritate eye and it was just luck that I was going to the doctor to get my blood test results.

Which were down on Vitamin A and vitamin D. Vitamin A he said I could eat things like brain NO WAY, heart NO WAY Liver - I think you get the picture!! In the end he also said muchrooms and chocolate so that are 2 things I will eat.

I filled up on a whole heap of mushrooms and chocolate!!!!

The next morning up and I did my 10 minutes pilates and I went for a walk along the beach. Alas I saw no whales which they did see the day before.

Back for a scrambled eggs and bacon breakfast and then we went to the hall to pick up the hay and help clean the hall.

Back to the apartment and we were very lucky to find a park and we vegged in the apartment to lunch time. 2 sausages in bread and a split icecream - I haven't had icecream for over a year and it was my favourite.

From there we had a bit of a rest and then left for home and stopped at some friends for a visit. 2 pieces of cake with icing and water and she gave me quite a few plants so I was really happy!!!!

We delivered the hay and went to Mum's who had forgotten we were coming and was dying with flu. We dropped off some bags from Dalson Park and left so as we didn't catch it.

Hubby stopped so that we could pick up a $10.00 steak sandwich for tea, but nope. That stopped at 5pm. We HAD to have a 3 course meal for $14.50.

Vegetable soup and the most gorgeouse bread roll (Bread is another thing that I have not been eating and had over the weekend. I didn't put butter on this one, but did put one on the one at the wedding!!!

After that lamb and vegetables and potato bake, yumm but there was no way I could finish it so I didn't try.

Dessert was tirramassu but I don't even like the smell of coffee so they brought me THE most gorgeous icy soft serve icecream with caramel.

It was soooooo nice. it was sooooooo cold. It was heaven.

Back to normal food this morning, although I have swapped the porridge for Uncle Tobys Fibre cereal with skim milk, so we will see what that will do for my diet.

I won't be surprised if I am up next week, but the morning after the wedding I was down 1.4 kgs from the week before and the lowest I have been at 82.3kg.

Well I had better get ready to go to Pilates with my neighbour and work. Cya.

 

[melking]

So let me get this straight Suzie, you went to a ? wedding ? and you ate, then you ate, then you got up and ate, then you drove toward home and ate, then you ate. Does that about sum it up? Just funning you. LOL

 

[maryk]

I find it hard to believe that people actually buy dried up dead animals. Do they get a better price if they are in tact?

 

[wbvs58]

Yeh what got Mario onto it was a mummified possum on an overseas ebay went for a few thousand dollars. I think there are some weird collectors out there, most of Mario's taxidermy sells pretty good these days, wasn't always the case.
Hey Dale, I was coming along College Rd up near the hospital today and looked up on Gasparins mountain and I reckon I could see your house up there on the western edge, would I be right?
Suzie you and Ian scrub up OK. Sounds like you had a good weekend.
Checking the cows this morning and one of the next lot to get CIDRS was bulling so I got her in and inseminated her. It is good to see them cycling pretty well by themselves even though there body condition is down a bit on the last couple of years. I think they are at a pretty healthy weight. This is the 3rd year I have hit them with Multimin 6wks before joining and I reckon it does help to get them cranked up again.
I went to town and picked up some steel to build a dog box for the back of the ute. I got the sheet metal all folded up this afternoon and will cut and weld up 3 squares for the ends and middle. I am trying to make it as light as possible. Light is good.
Ken

 

[burglar]

Good eyesight Ken, that is our place. It will have a blue colorbond roof in the next couple of weeks also. Any rain in sight? I am having Johanssens' clean up a couple of the dams next week. Hoping to grab some spring and summer rain for them. Do you find the rain fall differs much between your 2 properties?

 

[wbvs58]

Dale, my distant eyesight has always been good, but close up, that is a different, I have to wear glasses for everything, gets a bit annoying.
They are talking a bit of rain on the weekend, may be a bit more than just the storms. I remain reasonably optimistic for storms up until Xmas but after that it could be a bit dicey unless the El Nino clears out. The forecaster in The Land reckons we should have a good storm season this year.
The rain is very different between my two blocks, anything with a bit of Easterly in it I can expect 50% more out at Lode Ck. The block at Dalcouth Rd tends to do a bit better in storms. Overall Lode Ck comes out on top.
I inseminated a couple of heifers today, hopefully there will be a few more to do tomorrow.
Ken

 

[melking]

Ken, what is the distance between the properties?

 

[Suzie Q]

There is an hour between Dalson Park and our property here and at one time it seemed to rain all the time at DP and be fine here or visa versa.

That's right Melking food food food and a meal again yesterday at lunch time. I weighed this morning and 82.5 so I have only gone up .2 since Sunday and I have until Sunday to get that off.

I nicked into work early yesterday morning. I plaited my hair and had stuff on the end of them. A white shirt and a flannelette shirt over the top. So I had my work jacket on over the top and zipped right to the top. It was a bit hot to start with, so I opened it in my office, but when I zipped it back up again I had cooled down and no problem.

I did the banking and the wages and a bit of the service and went to the garden club. There other people were wearing flannelette shirts and hats so I wasn't alone.

A lovely meal and a rolling raffle in which I won two prizes. We could pick what we liked from prizes people brought in.

A Peace Lilly

and some fake roses.

I also bought day lillies, geraniums, parsley and some sweet potato, so I will have to do some planting tonight.

Back to work and I finished my work day there.

Home and a quick tea and we drove to Dalson Park and arrived to see the lesson before us.

This was very good for hubby. He has continued to ride "Boxy" every morning in the kitchen and here was a good rider on Ken and a rider on Dodge who was not rounding him up. Hubby could really see the difference in the hands of the two riders.

Then it was our turn and VOILA hubby rounded Dodge up. This meant of course that he found out what I said to be true. That rounding up was the easy part and that his riding will start at the beginning again from now.

So yes he is rounding Doge up however he has lost all steering!!! Todd ended up taking him onto the 20 metre circle at E and B and working on him.

I was on Ken and when I first got on him he was running. Run, run, run. It took me a bit to get the running out of him and WOW he can perform. When Todd took Hubby onto the 20 metre circle I was on the 20 m circle to start with to show Ian where to go and Todd was upset that Ian was having lessons for this long and didn't know where the 20 metre circle in the middle of the arena was.

He then said, "Thank you Sue for showing Ian the 20 m circle can you please leave it now for Ian to do it on his own.

it is a 40m arena, so with Ian taking the middle 20m I was now left with 10 metres at the other end and I revelled in it.

I put Ken on a 10 metre circle and :snoopy: he was so light. No inside rein. So far I ahve done 10m circles in canter but it has been from a 20 metre circle onto a 10 and out again.

This time I asked for the 10m canter circle on the 10 m circle. :excited: Magic.

So we both had a great lesson and our next one is on Sunday.

I did a lot of sitting trot last night to get him off the forehand when I first mounted and then in the 10m circle.

Pilates this morning and nope I didn't feel my tummy!!!! :Flying: A few surveys now and then off to Pilates.

I was in bed by 11.00pm last night and woke and rose at 5.15am so not much of a sleep in. It will probably hit me tomorrow morning!!!

 

[wbvs58]

Mel, it is probably only 4km as the crow flies, 8km by road. My western boundary is along the top of a small range or row of hills and that seems to be where the easterly rain stops.
Dale I was looking at the map and it seems that the altitude at the top of your hill is about 950m, that is about what it is on my front steps out here. Being at that height you may pull in a bit more of the easterly rain.
I had another 4 heifers to inseminate this morning, one I did yesterday but I don't think she was really on then but she was good this morning.
Ken