• Janette and John
Jul – Nov 2020

Second wave holiday

Just when it looked like the CoViD19 situation was relaxing a little, cases in
Victoria spiked...
Baca lagi
  • Back to very wet.

    8 Oktober 2020, Australia ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    Had 38mm of rain (1 1/2 in) overnight with more to come through the day. The creek has come up again.
    Because it is so wet everywhere, especially in the yards, we have postponed calf marking which was to be done on Friday.
    The Triton is booked in on Friday to have the brakes looked at. We took it in this afternoon to save us having to get it to Benalla early tomorrow morning.
    Baca lagi

  • At last - another calf !

    9 Oktober 2020, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Yes, it's finally happened - another calf - one to go. The way the remaining cow is acting, the last one shouldn’t be too far away.
    As Janette has nearly finished the fence posts, I thought I'd better get a wriggle on with my part of the job. I've run a line using fence wire.
    Of concern is the phone cable that comes across the road, under the proposed fence line and alongside the driveway. Putting a posthole on top of the cable would be a tad embarrassing. So, we need to know where exactly it is.
    The easiest and quickest way is to divine the location using a couple of bits of fence wire. For anyone wishing to give this a try, here are some guidelines.
    You'll need two lengths of wire precisely about 400, 500 or 600mm long, or whatever you've got will do. If you haven't got fence wire, coat hanger wire will do. Now bend them at right angles at exactly approximately one third along their length.
    A word of warning - like many things, it takes practise. Another word of warning - not everyone can do it. If you can do it, you'll have heaps of fun. If you can't, you'll be convinced that those who can are tricking you.
    A good way to start is to lay a garden hose on the ground with a trickle of water through it and at right angles to where you'll walk. Hold the wires, one in each fist, by the shorter part of the wire, not so tight that they can't turn, and so the longer parts are facing forward. Have them about shoulder width apart and parallel to the ground.
    You need to imagine what you're seeking, so perhaps picture a running stream in your mind. While doing this, walk slowly towards the hose. As you draw close to the hose, the wires should both move inwards and cross when above the hose. If it doesn't work straight away, keep trying and walk in from other side.
    Once proficient at this, perhaps search for the water pipes from the water meter to the house.
    If you were looking for an underground stream, there are other things you would want to know once you've located it.
    Still with the hose, walk in again, but now think of the direction of the flow of the water - the wires should both turn in the direction of the flow. Again, repeat from the other side. Walking in from the other side of a stream will give the position of the other side of it.
    If you locate a water pipe or underground stream the wires will be crossed indicating you are above it. About turn, the wires will still be crossed, walk away and when the wires have returned to the forward position your distance from the place where you turned equals the depth of your search object.
    Good hunting. Have fun. It's divine!
    Baca lagi

  • A misplaced person.

    12 Oktober 2020, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    Calf marking is now tomorrow morning. Gave the cows a bit of hay to, hopefully, encourage them to stay close and handy.
    Janette noticed one stayed back. She was lame in her left rear leg. We needed to get her into the yards but she couldn't really put her foot down. The vet could come at 4.30. I went into the vets at 10am and picked up an anti-inflammatory injection. I jabbed her when I got home. It had to be given subcutaneously rather than the usual IM, which is quite straightforward. This meant pinching the skin on her neck and getting the needle just under the skin. Anyhow, she was lying down when I got home, and she just lay there while I jabbed her.
    Had to be at the surgeon's at 1.00 to have stitches removed. When I returned, Janette had the cow just about in the yards. The injection had worked.
    While waiting for the vet, I rode around on the ride-on. As I turned to face the road, I couldn't help but notice a camper van at the bottom of our drive. The driver got out and I drove down on the mower.
    She said, “I seem to be misplaced (lost).”
    I said, “most people who end up here, are.”
    She blamed her navigator for ending up here. I suggested she sack the navigator and get a GPS. Not so easy as the navigator is her husband who has frontal lobe damage since a fall from a ladder. It seems she humours him by following his directions. I suggested it's probably a good way to meet new people, assured her she could cross the creek and get up the road to Tatong and she went on her way.
    The vet's diagnosis is a foot abscess. She roped up the leg and dug down to the abscess to release the pus. A shot of penicllin and we'll wait and see.
    The fence posts are all painted, so Janette has started sanding a coffee table she picked up at an op shop the other day.
    Baca lagi

  • HOORAY and BOO-HOO

    13 Oktober 2020, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    Got the herd in early with some hay. Unfortunately as I got out of the tractor, a cow pushed past and hit the door, smashing the glass.
    Darren, Catherine and Lonnie came down from 'up the top' and we drafted the calves into the yards. Having an hour to kill, we sat on the front verandah and had coffee and toast.
    As we looked across to the calving paddock, the last calf was born.
    Hayden, our stock agent, arrived about 9.30 and we marked the calves, put them back with their mums and let them out.
    We have 14 steers and 14 heifers plus the two newbies in the calving paddock.
    Then, back to the front verandah for another coffee.
    Baca lagi

  • 44 years-who'd have ever thought?

    14 Oktober 2020, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Double celebration today. Janette's sister, Bev's birthday and our 44th wedding anniversary.
    We took ourselves to the Northo for dinner. It was top rate as always. We had:-
    Bev - curry of the day.
    Janette - Chana Saag curry.
    John - slow cooked beef rib.
    Baca lagi

  • New paddock for the calves.

    15 Oktober 2020, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    No sign of the cows this morning so I went looking for them 'up the top'. Sure enough, there they were - happy as cows in knee high feed.
    The bull is due to be put out with them at the beginning of November. Darren and Catherine have 'borrowed' our bull since they bought their block. We keep the bulls for two years, so our bull was sold. Darren and Catherine now have a bull, and we'll share him. Our herds calve six months apart, so it works well. This bull is in a bull paddock close to where our cows are now. Hopefully, they'll stay up there till November.
    With any luck, the trees near the house will be taken out soon. I've emailed Jason to ask him to drop two dead trees in the calving paddock too.
    As previously mentioned, Janette is sanding back a coffee table. She wants it to fit with the new chairs. To this end, the table legs will match the chair base and the table top will match the chair-side table colour.
    Simple. You would think so. Take the chair-side table to the paint shop, get it colour matched and get a litre of satin finish acrylic paint.
    But no. The base required to make the colour only comes in full gloss...
    Baca lagi

  • Tree transplant.

    16 Oktober 2020, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Went to Kathy and Pete's this morning to 'steal' some trees. Their driveway is lined with Lemon Scented Gums which are producing lots of 'babies'. On the way in, we dug up half a dozen.
    We bought ten tree guards from Moly Tat Landcare and have used five with our Umbrella Pines. We will use the remaining five with these gums in the calving paddock. Hopefully, they will be good shade trees and will replace the red box trees that are dead or dying.
    It was then up to Kathy and Pete's house for coffee and fruit cake. Pete's getting quite mobile on his crutches - so much so that we may be able to pick them up on Sunday and bring them to our place.
    Janette did lunch today. The 'girls' went to Jeannie's (down the road) for the birthday of mutual friend Deb.
    That meant the tree planting was down to me. I used the post hole digger to dig five deep holes. This has been successful in the past as it helps the roots get established in soft soil. The trees are all planted and two tree guards are in place but rain stopped play. Tomorrow, I'll put up the other three tree guards, weather permitting.
    Baca lagi

  • Bikers visit.

    17 Oktober 2020, Australia ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    Had a call last night from a local called Damien. He had recently visited the waterfalls with his wife Justine and three little boys, together withTom and Sarah Wallis and theirk children. He was organising a bike ride for with some friends for tomorrow, Saturday, morning and asked if it would be OK to ride into the falls. I said that it would be fine.
    To reach the falls, the creek has to be crossed four times. He asked how deep the water is. I told him that there's a good flow at the moment but it's not too deep. I also pointed out that, if the rain forecast for overnight was significant, then the crossings will be a lot deeper.
    Well, Murphy got to work and I measured 38mm (1 1/2 inches) this morning. I really didn't think they would come, but they did.
    It was wet all day and I hadn't finished the tree guards. This afternoon, between thunderstorms, I ran out - would you believe walked quickly? - OK, what about walked as quickly as I could? - and erected the remaining three tree guards.
    Baca lagi

  • More falls visitors.

    18 Oktober 2020, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    Janette's been saying for ages, “we must have John and Kathy Murphy over”. Well, she finally organised it. I hadn't met them but Janette had met Kathy.
    I picked up Kathy and Peter Z at 10am as Peter still can't drive after breaking his leg. Met a handsome goanna on the road coming back.
    Kathy and John arrived shortly after 10.30 after a problem finding their way. Kathy said they called in here with the aim of asking the occupants if they knew where we lived.
    Then tea and coffee on the front verandah before heading to the falls. Janette drove the two Kathys and John while I stayed home with Peter.
    Everyone agreed the falls look really good after the 46mm of rain in the last couple of days.
    Lunch was long and leisurely - I drove Peter and Kathy home about 3.30.
    Dishes and calf feeding and we were done by about 6pm.
    Baca lagi

  • Down came the box tree.

    19 Oktober 2020, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    Jason, from North East Tree Removals, phoned yesterday to say he'd be here today at 8.00am with his crew. They arrived early and just got on with the various jobs we had arranged. They had a cherry picker, a chipper behind a tipper and a stump muncher on a trailer behind a ute.
    The chipper and cherry picker were positioned up near the box tree at the top of the gully. With one man in the basket with a chainsaw and two on the ground feeding the felled branches into the chipper, things moved quickly. Once they got into bigger timber, that was cut into foot long blocks and left for me to move at a later date.
    Baca lagi

  • So did the red gum.

    19 Oktober 2020, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    I had assumed (never assume...) that the cherry picker would be used on the red gum as well. As the man in the cherry picker was cutting down the box tree, another was clambering around in the red gum toting a chainsaw. As he dropped branches, another man gathered them in a stack to await the chipper moving down there. Again, the larger timber was cut into foot blocks.
    Once everything was on the ground, the stump muncher went to work.
    Baca lagi

  • But wait, there's more.

    19 Oktober 2020, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    We had emailed Jason a few days ago asking for him to drop two dead trees in the calving paddock while they were here. They were large trees - 1.2m and 1m in diameter. They started on the larger one. It took a long time. It eventually came down. The second tree took relatively little time.
    Jason thinks the bigger tree had been hit by lightning. They had to sharpen the chainsaw four times. Jason explained that the lightning calcifies the tree sap making it as hard as stone, thereby blunting the saw constantly.
    It is well known that lightning struck trees are no good for firewood, presumably for the same reason.
    Baca lagi

  • Tree planting, wildflowers and mulching.

    21 Oktober 2020, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Janette and Sandie planted twenty Lilly Pilly trees along the top boundary between Tiger Hill Park and Blue Gums.
    While they did that, I carted mulch, from the tree felling the other day, across to the cottage. After the tree planting, they spread the mulch.
    The planting was done near the stretch of Sam's Creek above the falls that we call the cascades. There are lots of wildflowers out - this is a great year for them.
    Baca lagi

  • New tractor door.

    22 Oktober 2020, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Two lads from North East Ag came this morning with the new door for the tractor and fitted it.
    The screen behind the vegie rings is right against the back of the rings. This makes it very difficult to work in that area.
    We have decided to move it out a bit. A bit because we're not really sure yet exactly how far.
    In the meantime, it's dismantled and the timber is in the carport.
    Baca lagi

  • Fish & Chips back

    23 Oktober 2020, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Day started early - needed to feed the calves and finish the mowing before the expected heavy rain hits. The season is so good we need to mow every few days but actually battle to get it done each week. There are a couple of white faced herons who appear to be nesting nearby. Our front yard seems to offer plenty of nourishment.
    John did a few hours in the tractor shifting the logs left by the tree cutters. He has piled them up away from the house block but not too far so we can easily split them for next year’s firewood.
    When John Capewell visits he often brings up a couple of Elaine’s lovely nut loaves. John loves them. Found one in the freezer today - just the thing for afternoon tea and it tasted as if she had just baked it.
    Restrictions allow for up to 70 people outside so it was decided we could hold a fish & chip night at the Molyullah sports ground which gives the community a chance to farewell our friends Geoff and Bronwyn Foreman. Geoff was our CFA Captain and Bronwyn the Secretary to the Hall Committee. They are going to live in WA to be closer to family.
    Great to see friends and neighbours again and the $5 fish & chips were up to par.
    Baca lagi

  • Lunch at Tallis Winery.

    24 Oktober 2020, Australia ⋅ 🌙 9 °C

    We had a lunch invitation today from John and Marian for lunch at Tallis Winery down Dookie way. We picked them up at 10.45 as we had a booking for 11.30.
    We tasted a couple of wines. Because of covid restrictions, tasting had to be done at your table instead of at the counter. The Tempranillo was very nice so a bottle was ordered to have with lunch. Janette bought a dozen for home.
    For lunch, each couple had a grazing platter for two.
    Normally the views from the winery at this time of year are of acres and acres of canola flowers. The flowers have finished now, so no fields of gold.
    Dropped Marian and John home and had tea and home made cake.
    Did some shopping in Benalla on the way home so phoned Kathy and Peter to see if they needed anything.
    Yes please, bananas and bread please.
    That meant coffee and muffins, fresh out of the oven, on the way home from Benalla.
    Gee, it's a hard life.
    Baca lagi

  • What else can happen?

    25 Oktober 2020, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    The sister of one of our friends, Andi Stevenson, is visiting from St. Arnaud. She asked us to go to lunch with them at Glenrowan. Didn't take much arm twisting so 12 midday saw us at Glenrowan.
    We delivered the November Tattlers en route.
    On the way home, the ute didn't seem to be handling too well. Janette looked in the passenger side mirror and thought the left rear wheel was 'wobbly'. Then the ute did quite a wobble. On pulling over, we discovered that four of the six wheel nuts were gone and one of the two remaining was about to come off. I guess we were fortunate that number six was on tight.
    I jacked up the left rear, 'borrowed' one wheel nut off each of the other wheels and put them on the problem wheel. That meant each wheel had five wheel nuts.
    The only thing to do then was to get home. We managed that, albeit nervously.
    We had the brakes 'done' two weeks ago and we suppose the nuts on that wheel weren't tightened properly(?).
    Baca lagi

  • Covid restrictions relax.

    26 Oktober 2020, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Awoke to the sounds of a noisy friar bird talking to its reflection in the window. There are so very many birds around at the moment - helped along by the good season no doubt.
    Today it was announced that many of the covid restrictions in Victoria, and particularly in Melbourne, were at last to be relaxed. We can host Melbourne visitors from 8 November!
    This blog is our 'second wave holiday'. It looks as though Victoria's second wave, officially at least, is over.
    So, what of this blog???...

    Yesterday at lunch, Janette invited Andi and Jan to come today so Jan could visit the falls. Jan has great knowledge of native plants and loved seeing all the wildflowers. Jan and Andi grew up in Clayton and we worked out they had a sister in Janette’s year at school. Their grey matters got a great work out recalling neighbours and school friends.
    I stayed home and prepped for this afternoon. Janette's sister, Bev, needs an orange tree removing. To this end, I fuelled and sharpened the pole saw and a chainsaw.
    We went to Benalla in the afternoon to do a few chores, including the tree at Bev’s and trying to get some wheel nuts for the Triton, then home to feed the calves.
    Baca lagi

  • Cattlework Day

    27 Oktober 2020, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Thought we had a fairly easy day ahead. That thought proved incorrect but whilst a bit weary at day’s end we had a great day.
    First thing we noted the two late calves and mothers were handy to get into the yards which we need to do as they need marking. The little “family” herd were in the yards as Nemo and Minnie were waiting to be bottle fed. Tried to sort things and get the late calves and mums into the yards but they took off up the hill to be near to the big herd- #@$&%#. Decided to feed Nemo and Minnie then went home for a cuppa and to work on a plan of action.
    John took the tractor with a roll of hay up behind the cottage to get the main herd away from the late calving group. I pushed them across from the north through two paddocks to John and the hay. We had left the gates set at the yards for the late calvers and by the time I got back to them one cow and calf had gone in - hooray! The other little calf was not keen to cross the fast flowing creek. Pushed the two contained animals into a back pen, left the gates set and decided tomorrow would have to do. Time for another cuppa.
    Whist having our cuppa on the verandah, we noticed the little calf had braved the creek and joined mum who was indulging in some lucerne we had left to tempt her. Off we go again and this time success - we now have all the animals where we want them!
    John had a doctor’s appointment and went in sporting a new haircut ‘a la Janette’ so the doctor could check the skin graft on top of his head. He had a few more spots burned off then home via Kathy and Peter’s with their shopping.
    Whilst John was at the doctor I went up to check on the neighbour’s herd as they are away for a few days. Realised one was lame so contained them in a small paddock to make life easier for the vet visit. When John got home we went up again so he could confirm my suspicions.
    John found time to fit in a bit of weed eradication before feeding Nemo and Milly again.
    Really looking forward to wine o’clock.
    On a more relaxing note, the baby herons have found they enjoy exploring the hay shed roof. Also, the gleditsia trees we have planted are showing the display of colour they will add to the south gully. Hope they grow quickly.
    Baca lagi

  • The cows are 'in'.

    28 Oktober 2020, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    This morning the cows were making their way down towards the house. We fed the calves, had breakfast and then went to get them in.
    There was the remainder of the roll of hay that I used to move them yesterday, still on the tractor. I used that today to lead them into the paddock next to the house. Janette went around the back of them to give the stragglers and slow-coaches a 'nudge'.
    Took Molly into the car wash in Benalla for a wash and bought four jerry cans of petrol.
    As thunderstorms were forecast for this afternoon, I did some slashing but the rain beat me.
    Janette had a meeting to attend tonight - the Tatong Tattler AGM. This will be her last one as she is stepping down from the committee.
    Baca lagi

  • The girls meet their bull.

    29 Oktober 2020, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    As we had success getting the cows in yesterday, Janette thought we should try to get them up to the top paddock with the promise of some hay.
    When the cows are hungry, they'll go to any length to get some hay. There's so much grass at the moment, they're not hungry. I sometimes think that they follow the tractor because a memory tells them that's what they do.
    So, I did the usual hay roll on the tractor forks and drove up the road a little so I was just above where they were. I threw a bit of hay over the fence. A couple seemed a little bit interested but there wasn't much movement. Then Janette got behind them and gave them a nudge, they moved up the fence-line next to the road and we hoped they would keep going.
    Janette drove ahead and threw lucerne hay over the fence to keep enticing them.
    Once over the top, we knew we weren't going to lose them. I took them down to the bull paddock where Janette already had the gate open.
    He really kicked up his heels when he came out!
    Janette prepped the cottage this afternoon as we have a hunter coming in tomorrow - Glenn from Wodonga. We think his wife will be with him this time. We'll have them over for dinner one night.
    Baca lagi

  • The last of our cattle work for a while.

    30 Oktober 2020, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Darren and Catherine came at 8am and we marked our two late calves. They are both boys so we have 16 steers and 14 heifers. That should be the end of our cattle work for now. We just need the bull to do his bit while he is with the ladies for the next three months.
    As Darren and Catherine had the vet coming at 11am, Janette and I went up to help muster their mob into the yards. We drafted out two lame cows and five calves with warts.
    Janette had a GP appointment at 11am. I went back up to Darren and Catherine's to see if I could be of assistance.
    One cow had an overgrown hoof which Greg, the vet, trimmed. The other one has a creaky hip. As she is pregnant, the suggestion is to keep her confined, let her calve and then sometime afterwards, sell her.
    As for the warty five, they can stay apart from the others till the warts resolve.
    Local farmers are cutting silage and getting good yields. As the weather gets warmer hay will be cut and we have agreed to fill our empty hay shed by an old friend and neighbour who will have hay to sell.
    We have a raven who would like to dine with us. ... lucky they haven’t tried the door!
    Baca lagi

  • Yet more cattle work ...

    31 Oktober 2020, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Started the day as normal feeding the two little .. well not so little ... calves. Realised the mob and the bull were coming back down through the bush. John quickly got some hay to lead them into their favourite paddock. Managed to get the two late calves and their mothers back with the herd also. Happy with this arrangement even though it is unexpected. We have yet to see this bull working and it will be easier to keep an eye on things if they are closer to home.
    After a cuppa we went over to the cottage to rake over the extra piles of mulch and to plant a few plants. Last year I potted up some cuttings for the Molyullah Easter Sports. It was cancelled and it is pretty doubtful that 2021 will go ahead so I need to get them in the ground. We hope to get some native ground covers and low shrubs also to provide some nice habitat for the birds (and hopefully to cut down on the weeding). We had a lot of native iris’s over so John divided them up and put in another row.
    We are moving the screen at the back of the veggie patch as we couldn’t get around the back of the beds. John put in a string line and I sprayed where we will put a gravel path inside the screen. It might take a while but we are a little further along in the process!
    The roses are great this year - the deer and wallabies have enough to eat in the bush so have left them alone.
    Baca lagi

  • Sunday 1st November.

    1 November 2020, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Fed Minnie and Nemo and noticed Nemo had a weeping eye and the flies were bothering him. John sprayed his eyes with a penicillin spray designed to prevent eye infection. The last thing we want is for him to get pink-eye.
    Whilst we were out we thought we would check on the bull as we want to be sure he is working. Bingo - he is!
    The baby herons stand on the hay shed roof most of the day, even in the heat of the day. At intervals they take off, do a couple of circuits and then land back on the roof. They are obviously practising their flying.
    After a late breakfast we planted an assortment of trees in a wet gully we fenced off a couple of years ago. We have been putting in mainly poplars and willows, with some oaks on the drier patches. We have lost a few since starting this project but as we have propagated them it is not as bad as losing trees we have spent a lot of money on. It was quite heavy going as the grass was really long.
    After lunch John watered in the new plantings and I mowed until I had to stop due to a flat tyre. Will get it fixed tomorrow and finish mowing on Cup day.
    Baca lagi

  • Day to phaff and potter

    3 November 2020, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    We had a late night last night as Glenn and Julie, who were staying at the cottage, came for dinner. Glenn runs his own building inspection business and enjoys a break here. He often shouts us a meal at the Tavern so it was time to return the favour - particularly as the Tavern experience at the moment is not great. Earlier in the day I had done a lot of errands both in Benalla and Wangaratta (flat mower tyre to be fixed, new seat covers, wheel nuts and calf milk to be picked up, scripts filled, hose fittings, paint stripper and stain to be purchased, wash the ute at the car wash, supermarket shopping etc. etc.) so was a little pooped even before dinner. We decided the order of the day today was an easy day.
    Fed the calves and checked the herd for signs of pink eye (none so far). John replaced the flat tyre on the mower, put the missing wheel nuts on the Triton wheels, and fitted the new seat covers which look great. We both did a stint of mowing but found time for a bit of reading and relaxing. Not sure who won the cup!
    Baca lagi