"Meeting the Ewes"

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"Police are targeting fatigue."

We laughed the road sign. I recalled the past days and years of fatigue as the mom of three very active boys. I was on the non-stop treadmill of huge meals, heaps of laundry, homeschooling, etc. Could I have been fined for fatigue?

At this point we have tallied about 1000 kms since Perth and communities are sparse as we drive through sheep farming regions. The staff at these remote "road houses" (gas stations) are not busy and always ready to share a local story.

At one solitary road house, the young lady at the counter questioned my accent..."you sound Canadian" and I replied, "and so do you! where are you from?"

She beamed, "Kerrisdale...in Vancouver!"

Of course I know it ... I lived there once. What is the chance of talking with a Kerrisdale girl working at the lone gas station within a 300-kilometer range?

The driveway to the farm is 18 kilometers long.

For a couple of days we experienced life on a small sheep ranch near Ravensthorpe. The red, sandy driveway to their farm gate is 18 kms long. Australian sheep farms can be up to 100,000 acres or more....so this 3,000 acre farm with 2000 sheep is considered small.

Our hostess, Gillian, has a couple of pet ewes, one of which happens to carry my name. I was honored to meet this intelligent wooly ewe named "Evie". We rode with Gillian in their ancient farm vehicle to bring feed supplements to the sheep. The rains are not due for awhile so the grazing grounds are looking barren. Ken was the star attraction as he jumped of the truck with buckets of feed and a whole herd of ewes trotted over. A wooly traffic jam of the friendly kind.

Fitzgerald National Park borders the farm which gives us the opportunity to bike into an area where our van can not travel. The rutted road of reddish-sand is best for mountain bikes and 4-wheel drive vehicles. Hours of cycling and we encountered not a soul, Fitzgerald National Park is the best place to avoid tourists!

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Photos

Will I get a ticket?
Officer... really? do I look that tired?

18 km Driveway to Home
Homeward Bound

Which one is Evie?
Wooly Merino Ewes

Ravensthorpe
Last chance to buy ice cream!