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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... Read more
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  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    Grader, then rain, then slush.Wattles are blooming early.Irises about to be thinned out.

    Two new ones today.

    August 9, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    One new calf first thing. Yesterday's escapee was waiting at one of the gates to come back in. Checked the cows after lunch and found another one just born.
    Janette has been thinning out some native irises and offered some to Sue, Kathy Z's daughter. She said she'd take some. Good excuse to go for a drive and deliver them, which we did this morning. Janette made some almond croissants and Kathy had made some muffins, so we had to have a cuppa while we were there.
    Driving down the road, my concerns re rain following grading were realised. There are a few spots where it's quite sludgy and slippery.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    Before.
    Before.The fill.

    Tidying up a bit .

    August 10, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    First a GP appointment for John to continue having some sun spots cleaned up with liquid nitrogen. GP Peter is the fastest freezer gun in Benalla. He's worried about a couple of them, so I'm booked in for 8th Sept to have them excised. One is on my back but the other is on the top of my head - that should be fun (?).
    Straight from there to a physio appointment. I find some of my exercises quite tiring but I came away feeling confident that, in time, all will be well (?).
    As Janette broke our garden fork - the metal shaft snapped - we headed to Mitre 10. With new fork, citrus food and chook poo, we headed home via Tatong.
    After lunch Janette sat on the ride-on and I sat in the tractor. We have more rain forecast for Wednesday, so that gives me today and tomorrow to clean out the yards and take the soil over to Lex's to cover up the septic diggings.
    David from Forest Management called in. He is running a feral pig control programme. He's probably mid-way through a three year programme. He has traps set, but the pigs have moved to the South. He wants to get another trap in and wants to lower it in by helicopter. He's asking everyone if it's OK to land on their property. Hopefully I'll be around when they do it.
    Did a last check of the cows about 5.00pm and one had just calved.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    Tree at shed end of gully to go.
    Tree to be removed at lower end of gully.Stumps to go.After.After.

    More plans.

    August 11, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    We have a couple of large gum trees in the gully next to the house, one at each end. There are also a couple of old tree stumps that get in the way of mowing. We have asked North East Tree Services to remove the trees and chip the stumps. We'll just have European trees in the gully now.
    Moved some more soil from the yards to Lex's. Just need to put the fence back and get some plants in. Easy if you say it quickly.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John

    Powerless.

    August 12, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    No newbies today, so still 14 calves.
    We were scheduled to be without electricity today to allow work on the power lines. Not really a problem as we have the wood fired stove - in fact that's really all we have. Anyway, as long as the kettle is always on...
    Just before lunch we were whinging about the constant bad news on radio and telly. “We should watch DVDs instead of telly”. Only problem with that is we currently have no TV set in the study where our DVD player is.
    So, after lunch, into Wang to buy a little TV.
    Bumped into Kevin Ryan on the way home and arranged for him to come and weld a rail on the cattle race back on. I wrenched it off with the tractor some time ago when a calf decided it would be good fun to get its head stuck between rails.
    Home about 4.00pm, power was back on, so set up the new TV. It’s smart TV and I've decided that the TV is a lot smarter than me.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    Down the front.
    Can sheep look surprised?

    Thursday 13th June 2020.

    August 13, 2020 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 10 °C

    Again, no new calves today - the bull must have had a couple of days off.
    Had a couple of 'visitors' this morning - two sheep. They belong to neighbours, Catherine and Darren. They bought them several weeks ago, put them into their yards and they escaped straight away. They haven't been able to recapture them. They obviously prefer to free range. They are likely to be seen anywhere along this stretch of road.
    When the septic system was installed at the cottage,the front fence was cut and pulled aside. As the soil has now been taken to the garden at the cottage, it was time to repair the fence. This will make cattle management easier as we won't have to keep them away from the cottage.
    Big thunderstorm tonight. Poor Molly was shaking so much that you could hear her teeth chattering.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    Starting to calve.

    Friday 14th August.

    August 14, 2020 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    The cow that I've been most worried about has calved. She has arthritis in her hips and they 'click' when she walks. The main concern was that calving might damage them more and she might not be able to stand afterwards.
    I noticed before lunch that she was starting. I kept going down and having a look. She didn't seem to be progressing and, as she was near a gate into the yards, I decided to put her in just in case. We both went down about 2.00pm and decided we might pull the calf.
    We decided we'd have one more cuppa and then do the deed. Needless to say, when we went back down, she'd calved. Nearly interfered again.
    Anyway, so far, so good.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    The house is in there somewhere.
    Stocking up for a couple of weeks.A great change of scenery for these locals.Echidna train.They went this way.

    A bit of allsorts today.

    August 15, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Quite a mild, misty morning today.
    Another escapee this morning. She was waiting at a gate to be let back in when I went to do my check at dawn. There's a huge tree over the fence 'up the top'. She had pushed through the crown of the tree and walked out. She's showing signs of being close to calving and was probably looking for a good spot. Just as well she's back in. Went back up in the tractor and pushed branches into the escape hole.
    Our daughter, Candice, is working from Mt. Buller. For the last few years her boys have attended school there for the third term. Due to restrictions, Mt Buller residents get a permit which allows them to be off the mountain for only four hours. This gives them time to drive down to Mansfield, shop and return. It doesn't give them enough time to go to Melbourne. Mansfield is a tourist area and the supermarkets are very expensive. Because of this, locals often shop in Benalla every couple of weeks.
    Candice had not been off the mountain for some six weeks and, as her business is a bit challenging at the moment, Janette decided to prepare some meals and bake some goodies and meet her at the car park in Mansfield. Candice emailed a shopping list and after doing the shopping in Benalla, Janette drove to Mansfield. Apparently it was like Christmas in the Buller apartment with such a food delivery!
    One of our local families visited the waterfalls this afternoon to give the kids a bit of a change. It is really hard for parents having to home school, but I suspect it can be much harder on the kids. Coming here is a good change for them.
    Janette's been thinning out native irises, so I took some across to the cottage to plant. All afternoon, a cow has been calling out. I kept driving up and checking. She was showing signs of calving but didn't seem particularly close. Anyway, she calved about 4.30pm.
    On returning home there was an echidna train at the back of the house. During mating season, many males (up to ten) can form a line and follow one female around until she allows one to mate with her. She might lead them on for days.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    The triangle.
    The triangle from t'other end.Before.After.Plantings at Lex's.

    Monday 17th August 2020

    August 17, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    One calf yesterday and one today. That's 18 so far.
    There's rain forecast for the next few days so I hooked up the slasher to the tractor and did a bit of tidying up. I slashed in front of the house first and then up the top in what we call the triangle. Would you believe because it's triangular?
    As previously reported, Janette has been thinning out our native irises. She has given hundreds away and it looks like there are as many again. She's replanted some back along the end of the carport and I've put some in over at the cottage.
    Again, because of the imminent rain, Janette mowed this arvo and I got a bit more firewood in.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John

    Tuesday 18th

    August 18, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Watched anxiously from the front window as 0906 calved on the hill opposite.
    While checking the cows this afternoon I realised one of the cows has a calf but she's not 'ticked off' the list. She might well be ticked off about not being ticked off !? I've probably put her calving date beside the wrong cow. Anyway, we'll have a look in the morning and see if we can sort it out.
    I've bitten the bullet on our front fence (post and rail) and have re-measured and worked out a list of materials.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    1
    1

    Problem solved.

    August 19, 2020 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 7 °C

    Had a good check this morning. Did a head count of the calves and counted nineteen. That's one more than on the check list, so the cow and calf I saw yesterday have been added to the list.
    Janette and I were watching telly the other night and while flicking through channels, happened upon a cooking programme showing lemon curd making. Tonight Janette has made some lemon curd.Read more

  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John

    21 today.

    August 20, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    Total of 21 calves so far. Hopefully, nine to go.
    Went to tick one of today's two off the list and I had her down as having calved a couple of weeks ago. I wouldn't give me a job as a book-keeper. So, tomorrow morning, more checking. It's easier to do early in the day when the calves are having 'breakfast'.
    Pulled down the old wire fence at the front.
    Turns out Janette promised the two jars of lemon curd to two friends. She's making more tonight and I'm going to hide them.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    1

    We're going back into Winter.

    August 22, 2020 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 4 °C

    It's absolutely bleak here today! We'll be lucky to get to ten degrees the way it's looking. That lazy wind makes it feel even colder.
    Managed to do a bit between rain squalls yesterday - finished prepping for new front fence. Went along with the tractor to make a 'clean' line.
    The two cows that have looked like calving any minute for the last two days, still haven't calved - who can blame them in this weather?    Read more

  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John

    More CoViD cancellations.

    August 23, 2020 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 10 °C

    In my capacity as president of the Tatong Community Great Big Garage Sale committee, I received an email from Benalla Council last Friday. It informed me that this year's Benalla Festival, in November, has been cancelled. Our community garage sale is an established part of the festival. We had been holding off cancelling for as long as practicable.
    We had a meeting via email yesterday and decided to cancel our sale this year. I sent an email to all our regular site-holders to tell them of our decision. In reality, it probably came as no surprise to any of them.
    Also cancelled is next Sunday's meeting of the Wild Dog Control Group.
    I've just done my after lunch check on the cows - one is actually calving - more later.
    She's calved - 22 now - 8 to go.
    Tomorrow morning, we might try to draft off those still to calve to make it easier to keep an eye on them.
    Got the word at about 4.00pm that the September Tatong Tattlers are ready for pick-up. We drove over to get them and decided to keep going and deliver them while we were out. Met some people taking out their wheelie bins for collection Monday morning. Like us delivering Tattlers, taking out the bin is a way to get out for a while.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    Brrr.
    Janette looking for 'suspects to draft'.Where is that cow?

    Tuesday 25th Aug

    August 25, 2020 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 6 °C

    Yesterday, Monday, morning we set out to draft the eight 'yet to calve' cows away from those already calved. We did fairly well - we got seven out.
    There was a very, very heavy frost this morning, so a later start. Janette wanted to go shopping. She prefers to go early to make distancing easier as there are fewer people around. I took some hay to the cows and two of the drafted cows beat me at the gate and got back in. I managed to push one back but it's not easy on your own.so, with the one left in yesterday, there are now two. We'll do it again tomorrow morning.
    After lunch, Charlie from TV Magic arrived to try to improve our TV reception. He checked the aerial sockets, connections into the set-top boxes and the antenna. The antenna are on the shed and the cable is in a trench down to the house. He checked to see if having the antenna on the house would be better - it would be worse. He tried a new antenna on the shed - no better. He decided that we should just stay with what we have.
    Poor Charlie - he says he hates not being able to at least make some small improvement for people.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    1

    It's out!

    August 27, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C

    The troops assembled at 9.00am and headed off to see what could be done. Darren and Robert went the long way (round Schultz Rd) to avoid driving their tractors across wet ground. We had five chains and two short, strong cables.
    We put our heads together (at covid distance) and set up for an attempt. The first attempt failed. We decided to move the tow direction over a little. We also placed a lot of logs under the front end loader. I was able to put the loader down and lift the front wheels up.
    We tried again - it worked.
    It is very difficult to describe the feeling when the tractor started to move.
    I had originally gone up there to get firewood,so I did.
    After lunch, we checked the cows. One is quite sick. We tried to walk her to the yards. We were a long way away and she wasn't up to it.
    We did manage to get her calf to the yards with the help of two cows and their calves. I did try to catch the calf, but it was too quick for me - not hard these days. We walked the two cows slowly and our target calf stayed with them.
    Once there, time for a feed. It did look like he was hungry, and he was. He drank a bottle of milk. We went back at dusk and he drank another full bottle.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    No name having a feed.
    Guler and Adam.

    Adam's launch day.

    August 28, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 3 °C

    Good news and bad news - the bad news is that the cow died. The good news is the calf has taken to the bottle very quickly and very well. He's a boy (obviously) and will need a name - any suggestions?
    One new calf yesterday and two today - four to go.
    Today though was Adam's day. He had the launch of a new exhibition. Because of the lockdown, it is an online exhibition and the launch was online. - a first for Adam and Arts Access Victoria. Quite a new experience for us still. We've only 'zoomed' once before. If I say so myself, we did OK.
    Ribbons have featured in Adam's work quite often over the years - this exhibition features only ribbons.
    If you are interested, there are some links below, or put Adam Knapper into your favourite search engine.
    https://www.yarracity.vic.gov.au/events/2020/08…

    https://youtu.be/s6sGLCB3Kg4

    https://www.adamknapper.com/illustration.html    Read more

  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    Merlot delivery.
    Coming to the bottle already.

    No-name is a quick learner.

    August 29, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    No-name has learnt very quickly that me plus a bottle equals food. This morning he ran into the race (a dead end) and waited. I locked us both in and held out the bottle in front of his mouth. He took the bottle. This afternoon he just stayed still and then came to the bottle. The next step will be to get him to come when called. When this happens he can go out and meet the other calves and we can feed him in the paddock.
    Janette did a big shop in Benalla for Candice again this morning. She drove to Mansfield, met Candice and transferred groceries and some home cooking to her car.
    On the way back, Janette passed that winery again. Let me rephrase that. On the way back she called in at that winery again. They only have twelve boxes of $2 Merlot left. Let me rephrase that. They now only have eight boxes left. I know, it makes us look like big boozers - we're not - honest - honest...
    As we were about to have dinner, Janette went to investigate why a cow was calling out. She found that her calf was on the wrong side of the fence and she was telling it to come back in. It obviously couldn't so we were out there with spotlights trying to herd it towards a gate and mum. It's not easy to move a single animal, especially a little calf. Anyway, it's back with mum.
    We want to order the timber for the front fence soon, so we'll do a bit of road work in readiness. More on that tomorrow.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    Committee meeting.
    Kevin Ryan.Post in new, correct position.1

    Repairs and roadwork.

    August 30, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    Kevin Ryan came this morning to weld a rail back on the race. When a calf decided it would be a good idea to put his head through the rails of the race to see what would happen, I'm sure he didn't think he wouldn't be able to get his head out. It's the same as kids fingers and bath plug-holes - they go in but don't come out.
    When we realised we would not be able to manhandle him out of this situation, we decided on plan B - brute force. I went home, returned with the tractor and hooked a chain around the rail above his head and to the tractor forks.
    My idea was to bend the rail upwards enough for us to free his head. It bent a little but suddenly the welds on each end of the rail broke. So one free calf and a slightly bent rail.
    First job was to straighten the rail using the tractor bucket to apply force and then Kevin welded it back into place.
    The rest of the working day was given over to roadwork. Some years ago, because of incorrect road positioning, the council organised for surveyors to peg where the road reserve should be. One corner peg near the yards was about two metres further out into the road than the previous post. I have reflectors on the new post and now I'm grading the road to make where to drive more obvious.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    Lame, front right.
    Looks like they will finally join up.

    Back to fencing.

    August 31, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    When Janette drove the Hi-Lux home the other day, she reported smoke coming from under the bonnet. The front right wheel was very hot. The suspicion was that the brake was jammed on.
    Took the wheel off this morning and realised that this needed more than a spray with RP7 - it needed Kevin Ryan!
    Kevin came this afternoon and decided that new brake callipers were needed. A phone call to a car wrecker in Melbourne, my credit card number and the required callipers will arrive in the mail.
    Janette expressed some concern about getting the cows and calves in for marking in a few weeks. We decided a new small bit of fence would help to better guide them in. This will mean that there's a fence down the middle of the calving paddock. That was the original idea years ago, but I must have got sidetracked - not hard for me. So today I started. Two gate posts are in and, hopefully, steel posts and wire tomorrow.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    Our new neighbours Claire and James
    Oooops,Checking it out.It's the cow on the right that eventually let him suckle.

    Construction and destruction.

    September 1, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    Well, there's always something!
    Janette went into Benalla to do some gardening at our house there. There has been an old, very dilapidated house next door. The owners are finally knocking it down and clearing the site in readiness for building a new house.
    Unfortunately they knocked down part of the side fence too - oops!
    Meanwhile, back at the ranch, fencing continued.
    Stays, steel posts and a couple of wires are in. A steer and two heifers came over and did a 'building inspection'.
    No-name is in with the two cows and calves from the hospital paddock. When I went to feed him at lunchtime, he wouldn't come to the bottle. He was more interested in latching on to one of the cows for a drink. She kept kicking him away but he persisted. The cow eventually stood there and let him suckle. Don't know that he got much, but if she'll take him on, it will save us making up bottles.
    4.30 - Jason from North East Tree Services arrived to quote on removing two trees and two stumps. $1500+GST.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    Should make cattle work a bit easier.
    Nice and clear.Aggies and irises now waiting for a new home.

    Still 4 cows to calve.

    September 3, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    The last cows to calve so often keep you waiting. By the calendar, they could be weeks away yet. None of them appear to be in any hurry.
    Things have been pretty normal - finished that bit of fencing. One of the trees to be removed had a mass of agapanthus and plumbago around it - really quite wild. There was also a double compost bin and a pile of soil. All that's gone. Once the tree is removed, we'll plan what to put there.Read more

  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    Fresh this morning.
    He's getting the idea.Looking a bit poor.

    At last - another calf.

    September 4, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C

    A new calf this morning so three to go.
    No-name is recognising that the ute and “come on” means food. He eventually realises that he has to come to you if he is to get a drink.
    Kathy Z has named him Nemo and we are very happy with that.
    When the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, cows will push their heads through the wires or they will reach over the top, putting a lot of pressure on the fence often resulting in damage. Spraying the grass on the other side of the fence with weedicide, kills the grass and takes away the temptation - in theory anyway. Along the front boundary, we have a double fence protecting trees we've planted. This area isn't grazed so has a lot of lush temptation. We sprayed that area this morning - Janette drove and I sprayed. Hopefully this is a fence that won’t require maintenance this year.
    One cow is hobbling a bit so we want to get her in to the yards and have a look at her. We moved the mothers to be into one half of the calving paddock - courtesy of the newly completed fence. Mothers and calves were then moved into the other half. Hopefully this will facilitate us getting the patient across the road and into the yards.
    Janette has been worried about a calf that doesn't seem to be thriving. We had a look, and it does look small. As we watched, it was suckling, but it's clear that mum has little or no milk. So, our idea is to also get this cow and calf into the yards tomorrow. The plan is to keep mum and calf confined and supplementary feed the calf - wish us luck!
    I sprayed the calf with an aerosol green paint called tell-tale so it will be easier to spot.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    Gotcha.
    Separated from mum.First look at the bottle.She's hungry.

    A day's work done by 8.30am.

    September 5, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    Fed Nemo then set up the yards to try and get our poorly calf and her mother in.
    We did the usual - some hay on the tractor to lure them in. The only problem is some of the small calves are loathe to cross the creek to the gate. Once we knew that mum and calf were through the gate and on the road, we worked them towards the yards.
    The cow with the limp wasn't as cooperative so we decided the calf was our priority. We had taken a bottle of calf milk with us in the hope we would yard the calf. She took the bottle fairly easily. We left mum and calf in the yards and let the others have a graze along the road. Still only 8.30am.
    Janette headed off to Benalla to go to the supermarket and I headed off to set up the next bit of fencing. The limpy cow was now close to the yards and I managed to get her in. A jab of penicillin, and she went back to the herd.
    The rest of the day for me was setting up for the next section of fencing. Posts and strainers are in. Tomorrow should see steel posts in and wire started - sounds easy if you say it quick.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnSecond wave holidayJanette and John
    Barbed wire string line.
    35 steel posts in - about 150 metres.

    Father's Day 2020

    September 6, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    Very frosty this morning. As is often the case after a frosty start, it was a lovely sunny day.
    With two calves to feed, and one mother cow in with one of them at the moment, it's a two person job. Janette has decided to call this calf Omen (Nemo backwards). Nemo comes to the bottle, but Omen doesn't yet. She has to be cornered first and the bottle put to her. Once she realises that it's food, she feeds well. Before doing this, mum needs to be out of the way.
    After her bottle, she suckles on mum but I'm sure mum has no milk.
    Spent the day on fencing. Thirty-five steel posts knocked in along my 'string line' made of barbed wire. Eventually that wire will be the bottom wire of the fence. Ran the two top wires on the two sections of this job. You do a lot of walking when fencing. I must have walked the 150 metres ten times at the same time carrying steel posts, driving posts, pulling wire etc.
    So often, one job leads to another. This job is no exception. This new fence has formed an area near the double gates where the animals are getting 'trapped' and need to be driven back to the gateway further back along the fence. The solution is to put a little gate in the spot where they get trapped and wait for someone to open the gate that isn't there yet.
    One of Janette's favourite sayings is, “you can't have too many gates.”    Read more

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