1st October, 2023

It's been a busy couple of days.

The cattle have just about finished in the main drive circle, tomorrow I will move the fence again.

 

The calves are all well, Zipper had a day of being farty and smelly, he was drinking a little more milk than his tummy could handle. Cows don't fart alot, mostly they burp, but if gas builds in the post-burp areas then it only has one way to go. He seems to have stabilised now, and is getting around with the herd instead of doing the newborn eat/sleep/eat/sleep thing.

It's time to look at the next stage in the feed plan for Joey and Star, they aren't eating anywhere near enough muesli to hold the milk at this level, and I have to dry Annie off in mid October. So time to sit down and work out nutritional needs and how to best meet them.

Leigh's pig was out in the main paddock yesterday, to the sheep's dismay. The pig showed no interest in them but they clearly felt the presence of a potential predator. When they saw me at the gate they were more than pleased to follow me into the sheep shelter paddock and leave the main paddock to the pig. Who was enjoying the grass and sunshine and fresh air.

Roda and I worked like mad yesterday morning and got most of the cleaning and washing done. I am doing one load today and need to give the bedroom walls a mould wipe, but mostly it's just the daily stuff left for the next week. This is working out really well.

I picked up a mock half barrel for the dwarf mulberry. It will sit in a series of progressively larger pots inside the barrel until it grows into it. I don't know where, but I read that it's better than putting a tree from a tiny pot into a huge pot all on one go. I think I need to refind that and work out the reasoning, but for the moment a step up will do to stop it getting root bound.

I also picked up a line trimmer/brush cutter. Among other things it will keep the grass down around the hops and help me open up the area around the soak for fencing in as another small paddock.

I woke this morning to a huge clap of thunder and three seconds of hail. I stumbled right out of bed to let Poppy in before she knocked the door off its hinges, and she is still in because clearly there is something happening up there that I can't hear.

But the hideous wind is playing havoc with my day plans, which I could have predicted. Three days of lovely weather was too big an ask during Nasty Spring. So I did the basics and plus one project (potting up the dwarf mulberry) and had a nap.

I had a three day weekend on the roster for the first time in ages. It didn't last. I picked up a Sunday close, which is the most lucrative shift of the week, being at double pay plus late loading. If I have to slog back into work it's at least worth the time. It was, however, the ugliest shift I have ever done. Too few workers and too many customers.