Expect the Unexpected

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DAY 377


There is never a dull moment on the farm, which is proven to be quite true much later today.

Up at 7.15, and made myself a cup of tea as Helen and I are off to Wagga Wagga this morning, providing there are no more disasters on the horizon.

We left early so that we could have breakfast when we got there. Helen needed to do a couple of errands first, the unused Wobble Box (read yesterdays if you don’t now what that is about!) went back to John Deere, the radio from the Header had packed up so that went into a car radio place for repair amongst other such chores that all needed doing.

With a few things out of the way we went and had breakfast, it was a lovely little café part of the Co op shopping complex, so we sat and chatted while we ate breakfast and had a lovely cup of skinny latte.

While Helen did a few of her own things I had a mooch in Barbecues Galore, they also sell camping gear so I was quite happy to mooch and then Helen came to pick me up.

Though Helen already had a list of things to do, Robert calls from time to time with other requests, Helen filters out what she can do while she is in Wagga and what can wait until we get back to Woodstock, hoping that no dire emergency means that we have to go back early.

I have a great morning with Helen mooching around the shops, of course I buy a couple of things, more necessity than anything, yes another pair of shorts and a top to wear. I bought some Christmas cards too in the hope that I can actually send some this year, though we will again not receive any cards this year, as we have no address for anyone to send them too. I need to get my skates on to get some back to England!

There are parts of Wagga Wagga that I remember from last time, it is actually quite a big place, there are some nice shops here too and lots of nice things that I would like to buy, especially seeing a lot of the Christmas stuff in them. I see pieces of china that would be nice to compliment my own china, which is still in boxes in storage in England, but again cannot buy as we are still travelling so it is pointless. Perhaps my year off has done nothing to curb my shopping habits, perhaps it will only make it worse?

We arrive back at Woodstock early afternoon, to find a houseful, harvest still has not commenced but the header is expected back mid afternoon, so they all hope to get straight back on it.

The flies seem to be back, last night they were not too bad, but there early appearance indicates that they will be a problem tonight.

The guys all vanish to do their respective things this afternoon, at some stage the header is back and harvesting recommences. I am called on only once just to drive the Landcruiser while Josh and Andy sort out vehicles.

Andy and Josh have to decide who is going to work the night shift on the harvest, Josh is keen and so is Andy, but after some persuasion from Helen and me Andy lets Josh take the night shift, Andy has not stopped since we arrived. Amazing to think that only 5 days ago Andy had never driven a tractor before.

Josh takes the truck, Andy moves the fire truck and I follow in the Landcruiser, soon all of the relevant vehicles are in the right place so I bring Andy back to Woodstock, where we all settle down for a few hours, we have an enjoyable steak dinner, which Andy and I promised to take to Josh at 10.00pm as he will not have eaten.

I read for a while and Andy manages to type a bit on the blog while he has some things on his mind, also can explain some things that he has been up to that I can’t or don’t know about.

At 10.00 I radio Josh to ask if he is hungry, he is so Andy and I jump in the Patrol and head out to the paddock, Helen has put Josh’s dinner on a plate all wrapped up warm.

We meet up with Josh, Jason keeps on going in the header, but a call comes out from Jason to ask if we can help move some of the equipment while we are here. They need to move to an adjacent paddock so Josh jumps in the blue tractor to move the large bin, Andy moves the John Deere tractor with the chaser bin and I am supposed to follow behind to bring Andy and Josh back, so that Josh can pick up the fire truck and Andy and I can go back to get some sleep.

Of course it was never going to be that simple, if you remember I mentioned earlier that there is never a dull moment on a farm.

Andy drives ahead, Josh follows and so do I, however I stop and then turn back as I am concerned about the height of the stubble, now most of you may think that I am being over dramatic with this, but I know the Patrol is capable of driving across a field, I also know and have heard of incidents where the exhaust on vehicles driving across fields of spinifex grass etc, can ignite very easily.

Everyone on the farm, probably does this all the time, and I am more than happy to drive across a field of stubble, until I am sure that it would be ok, I don’t drive any further, I just stay near the gate where there is no stubble at all.

Of course I should just be able to radio the others on channel 22, but it is not that easy, sometime ago when we were travelling with the Wallaby Wanderers we found out that channel 22 does not transmit on all UHF radios as it is a telemetry channel (don’t ask me the technical stuff, I have no idea!) so I can hear everyone else but they cannot hear me and I have no means of contacting anyone, so I just wait until someone realises and then hopefully puts a call out for me to switch channels to speak. (Our Vodafone does not work out here so I cannot phone anyone either).

In the meantime I can here Jason and Andy talking, Andy says “Josh just disappeared!” Jason asks why, “I don’t know, he was following me and then he just disappeared!” came Andy’s reply. I am sat there thinking, where could he go? Did aliens abduct him, without us noticing? Josh was driving behind Andy how could he disappear? Allsorts of stuff was racing through our minds.

I remember thinking that if I was following like I should have been then I would know what happened. But let me tell you that the sky is still full of dust, there is no moon, it is completely pitch black out here, things that look familiar in the day don’t look familiar now and most certainly being so dark there is no landmark, so disappearing is not as difficult as you think.

Eventually Andy remembers to radio me and ask me to move channels, I move to talk to him and relay my concern over driving on the stubble, he has to check with Jason. Jason confirms that it is ok for me to drive over, but in the meantime I hear Helen’s voice come out across the radio. “Josh is in the middle of the paddock, the tractor caught fire.” Immediately I can hear the concern in Jason’s voice, “Do I need the fire truck?” I am sat next to the fire truck, but I cannot do anything with it as I am not trained.

Helen responded that the fire was out, but of course as it was a battery problem, Josh is sat there in the darkness, now both Andy and I head off to find him. Fortunately Andy tells me that there is a patch of very low stubble in the middle of the paddock so I can park there.

We both park, with the headlights on the area of the tractor with the battery compartment (Andy will have to explain the technical stuff), there is some difficulty getting the battery out as the compartment is on a swing arm and the terminals are touching the steel body of the tractor and thus every time they try to move it sparks start flying therefore creating further fire risk.

At some point I am despatched back to Woodstock to change vehicles and get some equipment out of the shed for Jason to fix the problem. I wanted to put my hiking boots on, but the veranda is covered with these swarming flies, it looks like an Alfred Hitchcock movie, my hiking boots and socks are covered, along with the Esky the lights and the Woodstock sign.

Back in the middle of the paddock things are not much better, but Jason gets to work as soon as we arrive with the equipment, I look at the headlights on the Patrol, the flies are jockeying for position, they are almost half an inch deep (I wish my camera was handy to show you what it was like).

We popped up to see Josh at 10.00, it is now 1.00 in the morning, how time flies, it reminded me really that on a farm, “Expect the Unexpected!”

When we get back indoors we find Helen asleep in the chair, she wakes up, we give her the update and then Helen goes off to bed, Andy publishes the blog so by 1.15 we are in bed exhausted after another long day.

Meanwhile Josh and Jason, probably along with many other local farmers, are busy out in the paddock harvesting.

So finally we will not be publishing to many more photo’s of the header as you will be board to death, so we will so you some great photo’s of some of our great canine friends at Woodstock.

Good night all, until tomorrow KJ

XXxx

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Photos

Gorgeous Wally
This is Wally, he has a fantastic nature and loves to be fussed.
Such an excellent working dog

Toby
Poor Misunderstood Toby, he is a big dog and always in Trouble.
He sits on the back of the Ute and would lick you to death if he could

Jack & Kimba
Relaxing after a hard day.

Jack
Staying Cool in the bushes

Josh moving the fire truck
He felt it was needed to wear a fire fighting helmet to move the truck

Josh
Great Bloke

Jack Cooling Off
In his personal pool, or Woodstock's Pond

Delivery
The header is returned all safe and repaired.

Jason
Happy is girl is back

Happy in the cab again
After the little Opps !!

Josh
We took fence posts out, about 100 in 40 degree's heat and rolled the fence wire, boy it was heavy, when we loaded it in to the Ute

Cooling Off
Jack cools off in his own private bath

Jack
Taking it easy

Comments

[TT's]

Twins
What exciting adventures you guys are having!!! I can see why you love those beautiful dogs - that last photo of Jack looks just like our dog Jarrah. Keep on enjoying the farm experience talk to you soon Jode xx