16th October, 2023

A bit of a catch up. I spent all day on the 14th working at the polling booth. All went smoothly, but it was a very long day. We had over 1,550 people, which proved to be one too many. That one gave me some kind of bug.

So I spent the days sick on the 15th & 16th. Alot of the time I was in bed trying to get warm, with the electric blanket on 6 and another blanket over the top of the doona. During those periods that I overheated (menopause didn't hold off during sickness) I got out of bed and gently slopped through a few jobs.

I forked up the loose straw in front of the round bales, making a pile of it on the side of the shed to use in nests and for bedding. I lifted the muesli bins to chest height for the calves, hopefully keeping their feet out of them, discouraging the chickens and encouraging them to check it out.

I wobbled my way up to the far end to check on the girls and make sure that power was reaching the electric fence. There is some kind of short somewhere, but I didn't have the energy to walk the full length and check, and there is power on the lines so that can wait.

I collected eggs and watered the mulberry and discovered the pig was missing. There was no pig in the paddock that I could see, and no pig in the piggery. Later this afternoon the pig was spotted over on the 75 acres. Did she go under fences and get there herself ? Did Leigh put her over there ? She was covered in mud so clearly she had found a wallow. It's a mystery.

I had to cancel lunches on Monday with Kelly and Tuesday with Michelle. I am not sure if I will have to miss work Tuesday night and cancel the vet (castrating Zipper and vaccinating Poppy) on Wednesday. Come to think of it, maybe I should leave Zipper as a bull, let him serve everyone, and then send him for beef. I have 24 hours to think about it.

My new glasses arrived today, and they fit well. It's a bit of a learning experience finding one sweet spot for distance and the other one for near, but I didn't get dizzy or headachey so I think they will be fine.

I've given the calves their last night feed, I am moving them from 4 litres morning and night to the day's powder in 5 or 6 litres each morning. It will be a rich mix and I am hoping not to give them scours. Hopefully, if I march them down to the muesli each day before work they will start eating more and more of that. And at least I won't be doing calf feeds at 9.30pm after work.