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Second wave holiday
  • 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... Meer informatie
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  • Het begin van de reis
    13 juli 2020
    Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    All made up and nowhere to go.
    Molyullah coffee shop

    Ups and downs - highs and lows.

    12 juli 2020, Australië ⋅ 🌧 9 °C

    G'day again.
    We're back 'on air' and we're back in isolation, although not as severely as before. We can't travel interstate or go to Melbourne. That also means that family and friends in Melbourne can't come up here either. The CoViD19 situation here in North East Vic is quite good. The local cases so far have been returned travelers.
    We've been enjoying catching up with friends and neighbours for tea, coffee, lunch while being very cautious re hygiene and distancing etc. From what I've seen locally, most people are being quite responsible.
    This morning we noticed a cow on her own on the hill behind the cottage up at the tree line. Although we're not due to start calving for three weeks, our first thought was that she'd calved. On the way to check on her, we passed the other cows. One had been very busy putting on her makeup. She obviously felt very pleased with herself. That gave us a good chuckle.
    Sadly the cow on the hill had calved but the little heifer was stillborn. The worst part of this situation is that the cow will keep calling the calf and obviously it doesn't respond.
    She's one of our four oldest cows - eleven. She's probably had eight calves to date. We'll never know what went wrong - the calf was perfectly formed, just very small. Just to be on the safe side, we've locked all the cows in the calving paddock so we can keep a close eye on them.
    Everyone's talking about the great season we're having. Autumn 2020 was the best we've had in our time here - our rainfall records go back to 1991. Already this year, we've had as much rain as 2018 and 2019 and the creek is flowing strongly. This means the waterfalls look really good - another reason for people to visit.    Meer informatie

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  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    Feeling OK

    Getting ready

    14 juli 2020, Australië ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    Janette's uncle, Lex Devitt, came to Molyullah in 1947 after he was demobbed from the army. He worked for local farmers, bought his 'block' and built the cottage in about 1955. Janette has been coming here for as long as she can remember. When the family were here for their holidays each Easter, she and her brother and sister attended the Molyullah school.
    Three kilometres down the road were the Johnsons - mum, dad, four girls and a boy. Janette spent a lot of time there playing.
    She has recently caught up with one of the girls, Dawn.
    Dawn and a couple of others are coming for a visit tomorrow. There will be a look at the cottage, a walk to the falls and then, I suspect, a long lunch.
    Anyone who knows Janette would know that the house has been cleaned and then cleaned again. The cottage looks pretty good too! I went to the big falls to check the path isn't too rough. Even the ute got a clean as it will transport the visitors to the falls.
    Our bereaved cow seemed to be OK this morning. She's still calling a little. It really is very sad!    Meer informatie

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  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    Early am sun just over the horizon.
    Janette Dawn Gail Jeannie (neighbour)

    Yet more ups and downs

    15 juli 2020, Australië ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    WOW! Just goes to show that you never know what the day might bring.
    The day started with Kathy Z sending a photo taken on her early morning walk - just the thing to brighten up a very frosty morning. Feel free to send a photo too.
    More prepping for today's visitors. We were given a bottle of Moet by one of our hunters so that was on ice. Visitors arrived at 10.00am. One of those expected wasn't well so didn't come. After coffee and almond croissants, Janette took them to see the waterfalls.
    I’d noticed some cows had escaped from the calving paddock. Some time ago, a large tree fell over the top fence of that paddock also into the open gateway. I suspected this was where they had escaped - it was. Using the tractor, I managed to clear enough of the branches to enable me to close the gate.
    Lunch - 1.00pm to 4.30pm.
    As we were packing up, I looked out of the window and saw a police paddy wagon coming up the drive. I told the others that the police were here, but they didn’t believe me. A few minutes later, two cops were explaining that they were looking for a missing man who went walkabout from his house in the next valley - Watchbox Creek Valley. He lives with his son and daughter-in-law. He’s 85 and has dementia. He's done this at least once before. Rusty, our local travelling butcher, lives at the very end of Watchbox. The missing man turned up at his place when he went missing previously.
    We drove up as far as we could to have a look for him. I'll go up in the tractor first thing tomorrow and should be able to have a better look around.
    At 5.45, two more police arrived asking for help to find Schultz Rd. We told them the way. We explained that it's a fire track into the State Forest, it's 4WD territory and it's going to be dark soon...
    We'll leave outside lights on overnight. If he comes this way, he may come in.    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    1

    No news yet

    16 juli 2020, Australië ⋅ 🌙 5 °C

    Thursday 16/07/2020.
    As I write this Wallace (Wally) McGown is still missing, somewhere in the bush with another freezing night setting in.
    I called the police before daybreak and they informed me that he hadn't been found. I headed up in the tractor to check the paddocks along Schultz Rd. Janette went to neighbouring properties where she knew no-one was home and checked the sheds.
    We drove down to the Molyullah Hall which is search headquarters. There were police, the air wing and mounties, SES, CFA and civvies. We reported to the police and headed home. There were vehicles going in all directions. Police have come in from Mansfield and Marysville as they're used to this sort of terrain.
    Janette mobilised some ladies to make scones and she made sandwiches. I went back up the top for another look. This time there were police 4WDs there so I just looked along the inside of the fenceline.
    Wally has gone missing before. The picture of the map shows his home and the piggery where he ended up last time. The high spot shown is, apparently, where he likes to walk to.
    Everyone left outside lights on last night and will tonight.
    There are teams coming tomorrow who are trained at doing walking searches through the bush.
    Here's hoping.

    Friday morning - Wally has been found deceased...    Meer informatie

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  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John

    Back to normal?

    17 juli 2020, Australië ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    After the last blog, Janette had her cataract operation on her left eye. That means both have been done. She's been showing off her ability to read the small print on everything ever since. She's had an eye test and has decided to get some reading glasses for the times she might need them - low light, dark grey print on grey paper...
    A couple of weeks ago, we picked up some dry rooted trees. We spent some time today trying to work out where to plant them. We need to guard them from the cows as they find the leaves quite tasty. Loaded the ute with some ringlock and steel posts ready for the first - three ornamental pears. The two golden ash and two claret ash will need a bit of fencing - here we go again!
    Did a drive round the cows this arvo. One is quite lame on her front left with a swollen hock. We'll get them into the yards in the morning and she will get a shot of penicillin.    Meer informatie

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  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    The patient
    Grouping the girlsThe yardmanThe bull we'll share.

    A cattle day

    18 juli 2020, Australië ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    Another very heavy frost this morning so had to wait for the sun to get out of bed and melt it a little. As we needed to get a lame cow into the yards, it was necessary to move the two cows in the yards into the bull paddock and out of the way.
    These two cows are existing 'patients'. One has a sore hind leg from being kicked by next door's bull. The other probably has arthritis in her hip. Both are in calf, so they can stay in the bull paddock, out of harms way. Both will be sold when the calves are weaned. They moved quite willingly for some lucerne hay. Janette reckons that lucerne is like chocolate to the cows.
    I discovered a problem while doing this - the yards were exceedingly wet. I noticed the trough up the hill from the yards was empty. The cows had broken the water pipe feeding the trough and the water tank supplying it had emptied.
    Now the plan was to group the cows on the road at the yards and then edge the patient through the gate. That way they're not all in the wet yards.
    I took a roll of hay to the said position and we waited patiently for them to cross the creek. When they're hungry they run after the hay. They're not really hungry at the moment.
    The plan worked. The patient was given penicillin and put into the bull paddock with the other two. I think we'll call the bull paddock the hospital paddock now especially as we don't have a bull at the moment.
    After lunch, fixed the pipe to the trough.
    When we sold the top block, Darren and Catherine bought our cattle on that block. Their cows calve in Autumn and ours in Spring. They shared our bull for two years with the plan for them to buy the next bull and we will share it. It's out 'at work' with their cows at the moment. It will finish at the end of July, rest for three months and then go out with our cows in November.    Meer informatie

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  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    Sunrise
    Almond blossom in JulyChristmas cactusMonstera Deliciosa - fruit salad plant.

    A garden day

    19 juli 2020, Australië ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    Kathy Z must be off on her early morning walks while I'm still having my morning cuppas. She's sent another photo of the sunrise through the trees.
    Yesterday's patient looks to be a little better.
    Planted the three ornamental pears and started on the tree guards.
    Had to pinch myself - it's July - mid winter and there are blossoms on the almond trees. The Christmas cactus is starting to flower - that's got the timing right. Looks like we'll have some fruit off the monsteras later in the year.
    It's the Tattler deadline tomorrow and I can't come up with anything to write...    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    At work in the study.
    Holiday Unprecedented books arrived today.Molly's probably not as happy as the dog in the picture

    A pfaffing day (again).

    22 juli 2020, Australië ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Too cold and frosty to do much early, so took Molly into Benalla to the dog wash at the car wash. I love telling people that we take her to the car wash for a wash.
    The mail had arrived when I drove in and the book of the Holiday Unprecedented blog was there. We ordered the large size,and it looks really good. This size wasn't available for our previous two blog books. Having looked at this one, we'll probably re-order those two in this larger size - it is much easier to see the pictures.
    It was a bright sunny day but it didn't really warm up. You know it's cool when Janette lights the fire in the study!
    The four remaining bare rooted trees - two golden ash and two claret ash - are in the ground at last. We now think we have decided where to plant five umbrella/stone pine, so perhaps tomorrow (?).
    We're getting worried about the corona virus situation here in Victoria. Overnight there has been a case confirmed in Mansfield - my suspicion is it will be someone up from Melbourne. That puts Mansfield out of bounds for us although we really need to think twice about going anywhere.    Meer informatie

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  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    Lex's oranges.
    The ground has settled a bit.Eaten by birds.Tatong Tavern.On lookout.

    Oranges for marmalade.

    23 juli 2020, Australië ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    Went to Lex's to pick some oranges before the birds get them all. Janette said that if I pick them, she’ll make marmalade. That's an offer too good to refuse!
    On checking out the septic tank site, it is obvious that some remedial work is required. In fact all the areas dug for the tank and pipes have some subsidence. Once the ground has dried out a bit, I'll bucket some soil in and level it out.
    Having picked many of the oranges within reach, I headed home.
    Peter and Kathy Z came for afternoon tea so that passed a couple of hours very pleasantly.
    Mike Larkin, printer of the Tatong Tattler, phoned to say the August edition was printed and we could pick up ours.
    As the Tattlers are left for us at the Tatong community notice board and post boxes, and as these are next to the Tatong Tavern, we decided to do the pick-up and eat at the Tavern whilst over there. Nice to see quite a few there. Pedro has taken on a job at L S Quarries, starting at 6am each day and working in the pub at night. He's hoping to keep the Tavern going through this crisis.
    We have a white faced heron that seems to have decided that the top of our power pole is a good observation point.    Meer informatie

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  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    He'll be there till Christmas!
    A bit of hay brings them in for a check.There's always a couple of friendly ones.Sarsparella is out early.Protea seem to thrive on neglect.Might get some almonds before the cockatoos this year(?).

    Another bright winters day.

    24 juli 2020, Australië ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C

    First up, Tattler deliveries. Janette and I deliver to O'Dea Rd, Watchbox Creek Rd and ‘Molyullah Village’. We also pick up the Tattlers for two other deliverers and deliver them to their mailboxes. There are far fewer hard copy deliveries these days than once upon a time. Many people choose to download their's each month from the Tattler website.
    Deliverers, Jan and Terry live at the end of Ryans Creek Rd. Dropping their Tattlers off gives us a good excuse to go for a really nice drive down their valley. On the way, a bright orange tractor really stood out in a paddock. Only trouble was that it won't be going anywhere for a while - it's bogged to the axles. Lex would say “that'll be there till Christmas”.
    Because we're only about a week off calving and some of the cows are looking to be getting close, we will check them each day from now. A little hay always brings them to the tractor and we can do a head count and a progress check.
    #1003 has a bit of a limp so we might get her into the yards tomorrow morning and have a look at her. Because it's been so wet there could be a bacterial infection in her foot. Might need a shot of penicillin.    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    The patient.
    Nurse Knapper - phone for appointment.This won't hurt a bit.A final stir.Filling the jars.Just the right number of jars.How it's done.

    Mmm marmalade

    25 juli 2020, Australië ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    #1003 is still a little lame so we put her into the yards. She got a shot of penicillin and was put into what is now the hospital paddock. That makes four patients in there now. We'll end up with more in there than out if we go on like this.
    Janette made marmalade today. She used about half of the oranges I picked the other day and that made twelve jars. I'll be doing an official taste test in the morning.
    Before my back operation, I started pruning. I pruned one apple tree. I've been very aware that other trees need pruning too and we're heading for an early spring. I did some pruning today and figure that, if I do a little each day, it will get done. That's the theory anyway.    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    Me and Ned.
    Glenrowan - bric- a-brac and cafe.Vintage wares.Yours truly and Andi.Peter and Kathy Z.Getting close!

    Lunch at Glenrowan

    26 juli 2020, Australië ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Checked the cows, drafted out the cows with calves so that only pregnant cows are in the calving paddock.
    Had to be at Glenrowan for lunch by 12 after picking up Kathy and Pete on the way. We'll meet Andi and Brian there.
    Nice lunch out on the verandah of the restaurant, good company and away by shortly after 2pm (that's when the cafe closes at the moment).
    Home and checked the cows again - I reckon two might calve tonight. We'll see what the morning brings. I'm a bit edgy because the cows are very fat and fat cows can sometimes have difficulty calving...    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    Drilling out the old grease nipple.
    Out with the old garden bed and in with the new.Looking better.

    A quite indulgent day

    28 juli 2020, Australië ⋅ 🌙 9 °C

    Friends, John and Marian came today. They arrived at 10.00 and, as always, Marian brought scones she'd baked this morning and jam and cream. Therefore the first thing to do was to put the kettle on and have tea and scones. This took till about 11.00.
    Marian loves gardening and always wants to get in and help. Because of this, Janette made sure she knew what they would tackle.
    John had serviced the ride-on last time they were here and he noted that it needed new drive belts. So, off came the deck again, some new grease nipples and drive belts fitted and back on with the deck.
    The gardeners did a sterling job. One of the garden beds has been quite a mess since, some time back, we had a rather determined wombat trying to dig a burrow there.
    Lunch about 1.00, and sitting around chatting till about 3.30 - it's a hard life!
    Janette and I did a drive around the cows. All looked well. Yesterday's bereaved seems OK.    Meer informatie

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  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    Ist live calf of 2020.
    Phoenix rose.Rice bubble biscuits.

    HOORAY !!! a live one at last!

    30 juli 2020, Australië ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C

    Went out at daybreak and saw a cow with a live calf - a much better start to the day!
    Bit more gardening for me and some baking for Janette. The first rose is blooming. It's a Phoenix rose. After the Black Saturday fires, this rose was bred, called Phoenix, and used for fundraising for the CFA.
    Stopped about 4.00 for coffee and to sample the baking - rice bubble biscuits. As we sat down Sharryn and Kevin from next door drove up - they must have smelt the coffee. They arrived on their new Honda side by side.    Meer informatie

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  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    Fresh out of the oven.
    Better get a picture while there's some left.

    Marmalade postscript

    31 juli 2020, Australië ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    You'll recall the marmalade making. Well, I can tell you now that it is delicious! Whether on bread or toast it tastes lovely.
    It's a little difficult to spread. We find the best way is to pour it from the jar. Yes it's quite runny, but if you don't like it, then I'm more than happy to eat it all.
    On a recent episode of Escape to the Country, they showed a recipe that used marmalade in a cake. Janette decided that was a good idea and used our runny stuff in a fruit cake - WOW!    Meer informatie

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  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    The Molyullah milk maid.
    One for Sandy Wallis - and one for...Kooyonga Creek Winery.2006 Merlot - $2 per bottle!Paula Alice and Lex Ernest - still there.

    Post natal depression

    1 augustus 2020, Australië ⋅ 🌙 6 °C

    Yesterday we thought that the cow that lost the twins was looking a bit sad. We were worried that she might develop mastitis. We decided to get her into the yards, milk her out and, of course, give her a jab of penicillin. Don't ever say you're not feeling well when you're here - you'll be in the head bale with a needle in your bum before you can say "what’s happening?"
    Anyway, we got her in, Janette milked her and I jabbed her. We'll milk her out again tomorrow.
    We're going to a friend's 60th tonight. She can't have a party, so a few of us are going to the Northo (North Eastern Hotel). What do you buy a sixty year old who has everything? A bottle of Moet, of course! That meant we had to go into Benalla to buy the Moet and, while there, stock up on groceries. As we were leaving for town, the optometrist phoned to tell Janette her new glasses were ready, so we collected them too.
    This all took us to near enough lunch time so fish and potato cakes for the trip back which was to be via Moorngag.
    Now Moorngag has a cemetery and a winery. Janette's mum and uncle are buried there - in the cemetery, not the winery. I would like to be able to say that we went to the cemetery and decided that, as we were there, we would visit the winery. I would be lying if I said that - but you all knew that anyway. No, we went to the winery to buy some more of their 2006 Merlot at $2 per bottle. YES 50 bottles for $100!
    While we were there we thought we should check on Paula and Lex, just to make sure they hadn't washed away with all the rain this year. When we talked to Lex about his wishes years ago he was adamant that he didn't want to be cremated. I promised that I would scatter him around the farm wherever he chose. No he wanted to be buried! But, he didn't want to be buried in Benalla Cemetery - “it's so wet there that you'd float back up”. So, Moorngag it was. When the funeral procession got to Moorngag and we carried him to his grave, there were pumps trying to get the water out of the hole so we could put him in it...    Meer informatie

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  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    Birthday girl Sandy with Tim.
    Rare night out!A new baby.A rare sight these days.

    A nice ordinary day.

    2 augustus 2020, Australië ⋅ 🌙 6 °C

    We had a really nice night at the Northo Hotel last night. Seven of us in all to celebrate Sandy's 60th. Sandy and Janette worked together at the local credit union. Nice food and a birthday cake (ginger cream sponge) baked by Nina.
    Two more calves this morning.
    Janette did a bit of rock work on one of the creek crossings up in Burragunyah.
    Saw what is a rare event these days - a vapour trail from a plane going from Melbourne to Sydney. We are under the flight path to Sydney. Once upon a time they would be visible all day.
    Near neighbours Gary and Julie Campbell came for afternoon tea and to get some rocks for their latest garden project. They have a beautiful garden which they open to raise funds for the local hospital.    Meer informatie

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  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John

    Victoria - State of Disaster!

    3 augustus 2020, Australië ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    Bit of a day off. We went to Benalla to get our drugs (fill our scripts). We bought a box of masks as we're going to need plenty. The only person we saw not wearing a mask was a bloke on a bike.
    Janette decided I needed some water resistant sneakers for the farm, so on to the shoe shop. Didn't find any sneakers but bought a pair of walking shoes. Did get the sneakers at the sportswear shop though.
    We wanted to get some more lucerne, so up to Wangaratta. Lucerne makes working cattle a lot easier. Janette says it's like chocolate to them.
    Probably, the main reason to head out today was to get some corn bread from the Milawa bakery. By the time we got there, they were sold out. We bought a couple of packs of rolls out their freezer.
    Premier Dan has imposed level 3+ restrictions on regional Victorians. He told us not to panic buy - “you'll be able to get what you need, maybe not what you want, but there's no need to panic”. Sorry Dan - we didn't go to a supermarket today but we heard they were packed!
    We won't panic buy but we're going to panic dine. All restaurants will be take-away only from midnight Wednesday. So, Wednesday night, Janette's sister Bev, Kathy and Pete and us are booked into Martinis, Wangaratta for dinner. They won't open for take-away - in fact they have said to us previously that if there is another lock-down, there's a good chance they won't reopen. We're hoping it isn't a last supper.    Meer informatie

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  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John

    Road grading

    4 augustus 2020, Australië ⋅ 🌙 5 °C

    3 calves today - 6 so far.
    Over the weekend we heard that the council had started grading our road last Friday. History says that they will only grade up to our gate. Over the years there have been many 'discussions' re the section of road that goes through our place. Because it's gated off, I think many people assume it's a private road and getting any maintenance is like pulling teeth.
    Yesterday morning, I phoned the council and left a message to the effect that I expect them to 'do' the entire road.
    On our trip to town yesterday, there was no sign of the grader working - probably an RDO.
    Today they were there. I drove down and asked the bloke in the water truck, “how far down the road are you going?” The answer? - “to the gate”.
    Would you believe I was a bit 'miffed'?
    Straight home and back on the phone to the council. Molly, the poor girl on the switch assured me that she had passed yesterday's message on and I would get a call. I said the grader will be gone before I get a call - I must speak to someone NOW.
    Joe came on the line and assured me they will be going right through to Tiger Hill Road - I hope so!    Meer informatie

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  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    Couple of feet showing.
    1Look at that! - she did it all on her own.1Martinis Wang.Martinis Wang.Martinis Wang.Martinis Wang.

    Intervention vs interference.

    5 augustus 2020, Australië ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    No new calves this morning but 1607 was showing some signs of getting close. I kept checking her, but there was little progress. After lunch she was close but still not really progressing. She would lie down, stand up, call out, lie down, stand up etc. When she lay down two hooves were visible but that was all that happened - when she stood up they weren't visible. Janette drafted the cows in the hospital paddock such that we could allow three to go back with the herd. So, mastitis cow and the two that had the bacterial infection were let out. That left the original two and they will stay in there.
    I started to think about getting her into the yards and pulling the calf. I set up the yards, picked up the pulling gear and got Janette to help. She agreed that we should get her in. Only one problem though - the cow didn't agree with plan A - walk her down to the yards. She just kept wanting to go back up the hill. Plan B then - get the tractor and a roll of hay and get all the cows near to the yards then push her in.
    She didn't like this plan either. She walked up the hill a little, lay down and guess what? She calved!
    I couldn't help but remember some advice I received many years ago - “there's a fine line between intervention and interference”.
    We enjoyed a lovely meal at Martinis with Kathy and Pete. Bev didn't go as she wasn't feeling well. The restaurant was at the allowable capacity - nice to see that support. On the way home it was very obvious that every restaurant was busy - many people did what we did and dined out for the last time for at least six weeks.    Meer informatie

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  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    Sun, moon and frost.
    The Algerian Oaks.Chief pruner with head down and bum up.Finally planted the umbrella pines.

    Sun, moon and a severe frost.

    6 augustus 2020, Australië ⋅ ☀️ 1 °C

    I think it was minus three degrees this morning. Went down the road early to check the cows but didn't 'start work' till the sun was well up and the frost was thawed. Driving on frosty grass snaps the stems and leaves of the grass.
    The road crew arrived about 8.00am. YES the road has been graded. What's more, a bloke in a truck with a load of gravel turned up this afternoon. There was a section of road that wasn't too bad and they thought the grader might do more harm than good. Therefore a load of gravel was organised for the potholes in that section.
    We planted an Algerian Oak in a gap in the ones over near Lex's and put four poplar sticks in the rest of the gap in the hope they will 'take'. The gap was left because it gets very very wet there in wet years.
    We finally decided where to plant the umbrella (stone) pines and, wait for it, we planted them. Janette took the Hi-Lux and sprayed along some fence lines.
    No calves,but a couple do look close - I always say that.    Meer informatie

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  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    A great sight first thing in the morning.
    Second for the dayGrader ahead.First ever sponge.

    Rain always follows the grader.

    7 augustus 2020, Australië ⋅ ☁️ 3 °C

    Whenever the grader is on our road we say something like, “Oh good, we need the rain”. Most times, there has been rain not long after the grader has been. Guess what? It's raining and will be for a couple of days. We need it as July was quite dry. The trouble is that the graded surface can become quite greasy and can be a bit of a bother for unsuspecting drivers - not that there should be too many of them at the moment.
    This morning's early check revealed a new calf in the hospital paddock - always a great start to the day. That leaves one in there to calve. She's the one with the crook hip, so we'll be very relieved to see her up on her feet after calving.
    At lunchtime we were watching the CoViD update on ABC tv. First Daniel Andrews et al and then Scott Morrison et al. I only mention this as we were quite distracted while it was on, but I did hear something very memorable from the PM in response to a journo's question - “...don't bother about the politics and other nonsense...”
    Anyhow, the reason we were distracted was a cow that was close to calving walked to a spot that was clearly visible from our seats. She would lie down, stand up, turn around etc. I had the binos on her. We would stand up, sit down, turn around - know what I mean?
    In the end we decided to drive down and have a look. It was raining so hat, coat and outdoor shoes, dog into the car and then off we went. By the time we got there, she had the calf on the ground and was licking it!
    Janette decided to bake a lemon cake this afternoon. When she opened her recipe book, she happened to see a recipe for a ginger sponge. Having never baked a sponge, she, for some reason, decided that today she would bake her first. She was edgier about the sponge than the calving.
    All turned out well. I suspect there won't be any left on Monday.    Meer informatie

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  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John

    An escapee.

    8 augustus 2020, Australië ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Checked the cows, did a head count and one was missing. Janette drove around and couldn't find her. I went behind the calving paddock (up the hill) and there she was. She had just delivered her calf. Don't know how she got out yet but she obviously wanted to be in the bush. I can understand that she'd prefer that, but, we confine them in case they need help calving.Meer informatie

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