+ The rams are currently out with the ewes, having the happiest four weeks of their year. On Monday we were feeding sheep when we noticed that one of the rams was limping with a sore leg. I commented to Country Boy that it wasn’t good. Hannah asked why. I replied that the ram can’t do his job properly if he has a sore leg. Hannah then said “well you were pregnant when Dad had a sore leg” (Country Boy had knee reconstruction when I was pregnant with Toby). I said that there was a few differences (trying to avoid the technical details). Hannah then replied “Well you are both mammals”. She then went into detail explain the similarities between me and a sheep. There is nothing like sitting in truck whilst your eight year old explains to you how you are similar to a sheep from a reproductive point of view. Country Boy was shaking with laughter, and I was speechless. Obviously living in the country, she has grasped the birds and the bees… sort of.
+ On Tuesday we went over to Canberra and did a massive shop. The kids had been saving up their pocket money, and the money they won at the local show, and were dreaming big. The girls bought some Friends Lego, and were so excited about them. We got Toby a front end loader. By the time we got home in the evening, it was straight to bed, but the girls were up at 6.30am on Wednesday to start putting their Lego together. It took them a couple of hours, but they did it all by themselves, and then spent the entire day playing with their new toys. I don’t think we heard a word all day from them. I’m not a big fan of the Lego Friends (narrow gender stereotypes and all that), but to be honest, having a whole day of peaceful, happy play, and I am kind of won over.
+ On Wednesday Country Boy had the bright idea of making a temporary pen for the pigs underneath a line of oak trees, so that they could eat all the acorns. The pigs generally follow who ever has the feed bucket, so the plan was to open up their pen, call the pigs (pig, pig, pig), and walk down to the tree line with the big pigs following Country Boy, and the piglets following their mum (can you see where I am going here??). We assumed that the mother pig would make sure that the piglets came too… an assumption that turned out to be wrong. We opened up the pen, called the pigs, and the big pigs happily followed, leaving the piglets behind. Once we got the big pigs down to the pen, it was easy enough to catch the piglets and carry them down to their mother.
Unfortunately though, catching the piglets at the end of the day proved to be an ordeal. Once again the big pigs followed the bucket, leaving the piglets behind. The piglets worked out how to get under the electric fence and were not eager to be caught. Country Boy caught two, and I had to carry them in a most undignified manner back to the pig pen. Country Boy then caught a third, but the last piglet would not be caught. I sat with the piglet on my lap, so that the loose one would stay near by. Eventually I decided to take the third piglet back to the pen, and the fourth piglet followed along behind. 45 minutes of piglet chasing. We will not be doing that again soon!!!
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| Photo by Hannah! |
+ We have friends coming for the weekend. Planning long lunches on the veranda, lots of playing outside, and in the creek. Lots of riding around the farm on the truck and bikes, and playing with the chickens and piglets.
Happy Friday
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