Day 19 - Sunday

First job today was helping mark calves for the neighbours. This is not a job that can wait too long. Cattle were in a holding yard when we got there so they needed to be drafted. Worked them quietly and drafting went well and very quickly. Darren led the cows away with some hay to keep them happy but hadn’t fastened the calf pen gate properly and all of a sudden I saw the calves running out to be with their mums! Bit lucky we had a few people so with a lot of running, shouting, clapping and generally acting like maniacs we got them all back in the holding yard and drafted them again. More heifers than steers which disappointed Darren a little but as the season is looking good lots of farmers will want to re-stock so he will do well anyway. Back to their shed for “smoko” (although nobody smoked) where we had a cuppa and a snack sitting at a distance around their large fire pit before departing for our own farm chores.

In the afternoon John lit the fires where he had been cleaning up fallen branches etc. l unpacked the cases of gear we had taken to town during the fire season. Hadn’t really missed much but was happy to see my really soft socks back in the drawer.Read more