Redbacks on the Move

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Day 91

"It’s ten to six”, I could hear Andy say in my ear, “you’ve got to be kidding me, I’ve only just gone to bed”, Andy laughed and said “No, it is time to get up”. I slept much better last night, the air conditioning was on a cooler setting, but that made it worse when it was time to get up, I really felt as if I had only just got into bed.

Shovelling down a bowl of cereal and drinking a cup of tea as quick as I could, the others went off to get the feed ready, I left the house and wandered up to the sheds as soon as I could. I really am not cut out to work on a farm, I struggle to get out of bed early enough.

Helen had already gone with Jeff to feed their half and Robert had just finished loading the silage onto the Isuzu flat bad utility with the tractor, Andy drove it up to me and already waiting inside were Wally and Trixie, I jumped in and both dogs were pleased to see me, well I guess they may have been pleased to see anybody actually, but I just about managed to move them over to squeeze myself in.

Robert came round and said to Wally and Trixie, “Out”, sadly and dutifully obeying Roberts instructions they got out and ran round to get on the back of the flat bed on top of the silage. Robert jumped in to the drivers seat (Andy had already moved around to the passenger side with me) and off we went down the lane with the sun only just starting to appear over the hilly landscape.

Over the road and through a gate we went, as soon as the sheep saw the truck they come running, they know it is feed time. Most paddocks have what they call Lucerne that is naturally grown and the sheep can feed on this, but they also have to be supplemented with the silage. In this drought not many paddocks have good Lucerne, so Robert explained that some sheep have been put out on Agistment, which means that they are put onto someone else’s land to feed on their greener pastures, which obviously costs, but in this time of drought there is not much choice.

Around many of the fields we went, Andy jumping out and opening the gates, leaving them open where necessary in order for the sheep to migrate to a different paddock, which may have more Lucerne in them. One thing is for certain that they go were the food is.

As the sun gets higher the temperature gets hotter, and each field we visit we find more sheep already in the shade of the trees. Wally and Trixie get off the truck at every opportunity and when Robert is out of the cab and they think he is not looking they jump in the cab and snuggle into me. Robert comes back they get told off and they jump out and get back onto the flat bed at the rear of the truck. Trixie has the makings of an excellent sheep dog, she is also very crafty and knows every trick in the book which is how she got her name. Nothing phases her, she always wants to do things her way. Wally, is an older dog, he does his job and wants a bit of fuss in return.

I ask Robert if we are sitting in Trixie and Wally's seat, Robert turns around with a big grin and says "Yes", oh well that explains it then, Andy and I are in their territory and they want it back.

Andy drives the truck (very slowly) while Robert stands on the back throwing the food off the back and the sheep follow. Another field done and soon we are on the way to the next.

Robert points out some aspects of the land and where there is a GPS tower that is used to control the tractors that lay the grain in the fields. Science is used in farming all over Australia especially in terms of what breeds can be mixed to produce bigger lambs more quickly etc. I discuss aspects of foot and mouth and blue tongue; do they have any problems over here? The answer is no, nothing like that. There was a laboratory in Australia that wanted to experiment with foot and mouth, but the authorities disallowed it.

Sadly in one paddock we find two dead sheep, Robert says they were probably unwell, it happens, he does not even bat an eyelid, just picks them up and puts them on the truck for disposal.

By 9.15 we are done, back at the sheds, Andy finds some pipe that is going to be used that morning to lay into the ground in order to get water up to another paddock. While later in the morning I go to get my haircut, Andy has a quick drink and he is back out to work again.

Geoff comes to the house to pick Andy up in the Ute, they are going up to Hazeldean as a guy called Dave with a “Bobcat” has come down to cut a channel in the earth so as to allow them to lay a new pipe from an existing water tank to an existing water trough, at present the trough is dry, and it is suspected that there is a leak in the pipe somewhere.

The pipe is 1 ½ poly pipe laid in to a trench 100mm wide and around 600mm deep, by the time Geoff and Andy get up to Hazeldean the Bobcat is being loaded as the trench is finished. The pipe is laid in and the joint is made, Andy comments when he gets back that if you leave anything in the sun it heats up until it is virtually unbearable to touch. When Andy gets back he goes in to the workshop and helps prepare the cage for the Rams for tomorrow’s trip

Helen offers to take me to Junee for my haircut, we set off and on the way Helen explains about some of the devastation that the bush fires have caused in the area and how they had to move sheep to different paddocks to try and make them safe, other people were not so lucky they lost some stock and about 10 houses were burnt down.

Helen and Robert themselves had a house destroyed by high winds some 18 years ago, the house was so badly damaged it needed demolishing and a new one built in its place, which is the house they are living in today.

In Junee, Helen gives me a whistle stop tour of the Railway Museum, the new hospital, some of the new houses being built and of the Resting Rooms, this used to be a bustling railway town a main stop between Sydney and Melbourne, but things have changed and the Resting Rooms are now offices and other hotels have closed. But the town still thrives; there is still a big farming community around here.

In the hairdressers I am sat in the chair with great intrepidation, am I doing the right thing? I badly needed a trim, but I really wanted to keep the shape. The hairdresser starts saying how about a side parting? How about more layers? I say no please keep the existing shape, but keep it long with the existing lower layers. I am not sure that she thought I was serious as when she cut it there was a side parting; I said “No, no side parting, please put it back in the centre". Lets just say, it wasn’t a bad haircut, it is great that my hair feels a little bit easier to manage, as the sun had bleached out the ends and they were a bit split, however the cut just wasn’t the same as Sharon’s - I have been going to Sharon for around 18 years and it is hard to even think about going elsewhere, but it is something that has to be done.

Helen and I then go on to the liquorice factory, have a quick look around and then have some lunch, after a great lunch we buy some liquorice, well you have to really don’t you? It is a liquorice factory after all. A couple of chores run for Robert and we are back at the ranch.

The heat wave continues and I think of Andy out helping doing some work. When he comes back we look on the porch at the temperature cage and it is 45.2 Celsius which equates to 113.36 Fahrenheit., at 4.18 in the afternoon This heat is oppressive and you have to get things done before the height of the day.

On the news this evening, the weather and bush fires dominates the news, in Ivanhoe and Broken Hill, they have said that the heat is the highest ever recorded, and it seems that tomorrow will possibly get to 47 Degree’s Celsius which is 116 Fahrenheit. We ask Helen if this is the norm and she said that a short spell of hot weather is but not a hot spell that lasts over 2 weeks. Robert is a little more philosophical saying that this weather goes in cycles and he thinks the weather will break in about a month’s time, the same cycle as 1952.

Also on the news is that this heat brings the Redback spiders out all looking for romance, and they seem to thrive on this intense temperature. The Redback is potentially fatal particularly to the young and the elderly, however any bite needs medical treatment for the anti venom.

Garden hoses that were banned have been re approved during this hot spell only to keep kids cool in the back yard, whilst patients at certain hospital have been sent home as some wards don’t have air conditioning.

Jack, one of the sheepdogs is unwell, he has a real hangdog expression tonight. Jack is gorgeous; well all the dogs are really, but Jack particularly tonight as he is unwell. If he is no better in the morning it looks like a trip to the vets. Helen and Robert think it is the heat, he may be dehydrated, he is not a dog that copes with the heat.

It is really, I mean really hard work on the farm and the first to retire is Helen at 9.00pm closely followed by me, then Caroline. I have to be up at 5.30am as Robert and me are running 13 Ram’s up to Crookwell, to meet the ewes.

Night all. A very achy and sleepy Andy & Caroline

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Photos

Did Someone Mention Food?
The sheep come running when the truck arrives with the food.

Sun Up
The sun is coming up and it is getting hotter.

Trixie and Wally
These two sheepdogs know their stuff, Trixie is still only a puppy but she has the makings of a good sheepdog.

Wally Supervises
Wally looks to make sure Robert is feeding the sheep properly

Bobcat
Wall-E's friend Bobcat, this little beauty cut the perfect trench.

The Trench
This trench was cut with a Bob Cat

Back Filled
The Trench Back filled

The Heat
45.2 degree's celcius or 113 Farenheit