Rain, rain and more rain...

Rainbow on Friday, on the way home from Toowoomba.

You may have heard that SE Queensland has had alot of rain in the last few days. There is more to come apparently.

Our here near Warwick, we have had a lot of rain but nothing like parts of Brisbane. I am glad that our tanks are all full and overflowing in parts. The tank on the shed just keeps dribbling over the edge. Funny to watch.

Couple of nights ago I went and milked Lorray as normal. After milking I always give her, Lavender and Sausage a biscuit of lucerne hay. Well I did that alright, in the dark with Joshua's new little touch that he got for his Birthday.

On my way back from Lavender's paddock I remembered that I had not been able to collect eggs for two days due to the continual pouring rain. So I made my way to the chookhouse, remembering that it can get rather slippery when wet. Black soil in all its glory...

Yep you guessed it. I got through the gate of the chookpen area and slipped over and landed on my right hip. I am sooooo glad that noone saw me as it was rather funny. I felt myself going down, in slow motion and as if it was not happening to me. I realise this is how I feel when having a car accident as well (have had a few too many off them...) Anyway got up, got my 18 eggs and went back inside.

I was more cheesed off that I couldn't wear the pants I had on for more than one day as I just got them out for milking Lorray to keep warm. I also got 6.5 litres of milk that day.

The rain has overall been wonderful as we really needed it. It is soooo brown around here. Unless irrigated it is just so brown. Time of year really but still will be nice in a couple of weeks to see the green coming thru in the paddocks.

It is the mud boots on the cows I can't stand to look at. It looks rather uncomfortable... Today there is still a bit of spitting around the place. Chooks are happy and geese and ducks are having a ball in any puddles that they find. Happy days!!!

Cheers Damaris

Happy 10th Birthday Joshua

He has made it... He is in double digits. As he is my youngest I am feeling a little sad but also am very proud of him. He has come such a long way in the last twelve months. Amazing how quickly kids grow up. He has settled into country life beautifully and will get even more settled as we stay here longer.

He is making some lovely friends around here and these friendships will only grow stronger as they spend weekends together and have lots of fun discovering the local creek or just riding around the place. I love it that he loves to get on his bike and just ride. Be out for the day and come home hungry and dirty. I love it... This is how I grew up in Frindorf, Austria. We were hardly ever home during the day if we could help it.

In a way I can't believe that he is 10 already. Where has the time gone? But I am so glad that God gave him to Russell and I as we would not be the same without him.

Cheers Damaris

Broken bones but no Spinal injury

Timothy, smiling because I asked him to, through the pain as they clean up the three pins

Well our week here has been rather eventful...

Sunday was Mother's Day and my day started out lovely with the two boys and Russell giving me presents. Russell had turned a fountain pen for me out of olive wood from Bethlehem, which I just love. The boys also made lovely cards for me.

We then went to a nursery in Toowoomba and bought lots of lovely plants. Some grasses as well as I love them. We had a lovely lunch, that didn't agree with me but that is another whole story, and visited Picnic Point parks on what was to be our way home.

At the third and last park Timothy decided that he wanted to climb a rocket ship and got up on one of the wings. Well about 2.5 - 3.0 metres up he fell and landed on his right shoulder. Ambulance was called and they were rather concerned for his spine as shoulder pain can mask spine pain. He was put on morphine while they stabilised him at the park and then transferred him to Toowoomba Base Emergency Department.

Once there within two hours he had had X-rays that confirmed he had broken his humus at the top just under the ball that goes into your shoulder. It was broken all the way through. He had made a real mess of it. The X-rays also confirmed that there were no spinal injuries.

The surgeon also came and told us that he needed to go under anaesthetic for them to pull on the arm and put it back into place. At the worst if that didn't work they would have to put in a pin to keep the bones together while they mend.

He went into surgery and they tried to pull the arm and put the bones back into alignment but the arm just kept flopping around. He had really done a good number on it. They ended up having to put in three pins, which stick out of the skin under a bandage and the ends are bent at 90 degrees to be close to his skin. The operation that should have taken an hour ended up taking two hours but finally he was in recovery. He then went to the Children's Ward after having trouble getting his temperature up. Heaters and hot towels did the trick!

He came home the next night, Monday night, and he has been improving slowly since then. He is going for more X-rays on Friday to ensure that the bones have started knitting together and that the pins have not come loose. If they do they have to rebrake the bone and reinsert the pins. Don't want that if at all possible. His arm will be in a sling for at least six weeks they say so will be a lllloooonnnngggg six weeks at this end. :)

So he is rather bored really, has read alot, playing his DS, lying down alot and not moving his arm. After Friday we should be able to start with some exercises. Hopefully he can get back to school next week as he is actually wanting to go... Nice change :)

Cheers Damaris

RIP Poppy

Joshua with Poppy licking him, something she loved to do to everyone.

Well I have previously written about our three darling dogs. Today we lost our lovely Poppy. Timothy is very upset off course and we just buried her. We will plant a tree on top in memory. A plaque is also being put together by Russell for her.

She was only 8 1/2 years old which is a shame. From the looks of things she had a heart attack. At 11:30am I was watching her moving and making little barking noises that she always made when she was chasing something in her dreams. By 12:30pm she was gone.

We checked her all over and there were no ticks or anything else that could explain her demise. Timothy later went and put flowers from the garden all over and around her. He may have alot of problems expressing himself but he feel deeply and this proves it for me really. Tonight will be a tough night that is for sure. And so will the next few...

Cheers Damaris

Milking Machine Journey

Well this morning was our first try at milking Lorray with our portable electric milking machine. All parts were working fine and suction was good.

Lorray tried to kick a couple of times and was not happy, to all of the sudden be on a halter again when she was doing fine without it. :) She got me in the shoulder with her hoof.

She was not a happy camper. So in the end I tried milking her out but she was not letting me have the milk. Most of the time we had three cups on her but once we got all four on. She was NOT happy about any of it, let me tell you. I ended up taking the milk that I did get and where I got 6.2 litres yesterday for the whole day, I only got 1.3 litres with the machine this morning.

I must say that the machine was very efficient and quick. Lorray did not get her usual amount of grains but then she also didn't let me completely empty her either.

I have cleaned the machine as per instructions and it now waits for another time. Not today that is for sure. I need to get that milk out of her tonight or she may just bust as far as she is concerned.

Yesterday, at our produce store an old dairy farmer said to me that my thumbs would adjust in about another two weeks. This has me thinking whether just to milk her by hand. He said he would not worry about the machine as it is too much cleaning up afterwards which is right but I am more concerned about the amount of feed that she going through. It is certainly alot more costly than buying the bull milk from the shops. (That is what my kids call it as it doesn't taste anywhere near as good as our girl's milk, they think it comes from a bull not a cow. lol)

So at this point in time I am going back to hand milking in the night but will try again tomorrow morning and see how she goes. Currently she is very wary of Russell and I but I realise that she will get used to it if given enough time and maybe that is also what I need as I really am enjoying the milking. It really is such a lovely bonding time for the cow and me as well. Don't know if I want to give that up. Or maybe I can rest my head on her back leg as the machine does all the hard work.... Time will tell.

Cheers Damaris

Milking Lorray

Last Monday I started weaning our steer calf, Sausage. He was dragging mum down a little too much for my liking so put him in the cow yard and kept Lorray, mum, out. She has continued to hover around him and he is slowly starting to accept that he can't have mum's milk anymore. Was funny, last week after two days of mooing so loud and hard he ended up loosing his voice. He is smarter now and only very occasionally moos. That suits me just fine.

Since the calf was not having the milk, I had to start milking Lorray two times a day. I usually do this at 6am and about 5.30pm. She is usually waiting for me outside the shed, patiently. Gotta love that.

During the last week I have been getting between 5.5 and 6.0 litres on a daily basis. I am very fortunate that I have neighbours and friends that love raw cows milk as I can't freeze enough of it. On top of that I am using as much as I can. Will be getting Russell to get into the cheese making again this weekend and use up a heap hopefully.

One thing is for sure. I love milking that girl. She is so easy going. I just put down the bucket of grain and clean the teats, put on Dairysal and start away. The grains I use are just combo chook food and cotton seeds to promote milk production.

I am now wanting to use my special appliance, my electric single milking machine. I cleaned it out today and had it all ready to go tonight but the suction was not working. Therefore no pressure to suck from the teats. Will consult the manual again and see what I did not do right. For the sake of my very sore thumbs I hope tomorrow is a winner as far as milking with the machine is concerned. And I hope I also don't get too many kicks from her as she objects..... :)

Cheers Damaris

Our Babies

Above is my youngest, Joshua with our three dogs.

These are our babies. On the left we have Bailey, who is 5yrs old. Then we have Poppy and Nova in the middle and on the right, both aged 8yrs.

We are rather lucky were we are. Just before we moved out here, the boys had been at my husband and I for ages for a dog of their own. I already had Bailey and was quite happy for them to have their own dog as long as the council allowed it.

Well as it turns out our street is the divider for Southern Downs Regional Council rules on the other side of our street, our side belonging to DPI land. Which means we can have our three dogs. We then went on a hunt, what sort of dog, how big, what sex... All that sort of stuff. Well the boys ended up settling on Calavier King Charles Spaniels, just like Bailey. We found the two girls through a website that rehouses purebred Cavaliers. We met and answered all sorts of questions to ensure that we were a suitable home for them to go to. They were born three months apart but couldn't be separated as Poppy would fret.

We have had them now since we moved out here and they have run away a few times but have always managed to come back again. They have settled in rather well over that time and love being part of our family. As most Cavaliers, they love being in the house lying on your bed while you are reading a book or watching a movie.

I would not want to be out here without them. Though Poppy and Nova do try to get out of the house fenced area to catch themselves some chickens, so far they have not succeeded. Bailey, he just wants to sniff their bottom. He loves their pooh. Yuk!

Cheers Damaris

PS. Our incubator is due to start coming out with some chicks today. First time we have used our new incubator and so far two eggs are wobbling in there. Have 20 eggs in there... With the other six 2 1/2wk old chicks already in my bathroom, where am I going to put all of these chicks???? Time will tell....