21st April, 2024

Two lovely classical autumn days, soft and gentle with blue skies.

The fatties seem to be quite happy up the end of the farm. I visit daily with a biscuit for each cow. The calves aren't game to come close to me yet so their mothers end up with their biscuit. They have been using the scratching pad and have plenty to eat.

I am a bit worried about Jack though, he doesn't seem to be comfortable or happy. He's eating and walking and getting up and down ok, but he seems to be stiff. I don't know if he's hurt himself carrying on when someone was in heat, or someone in heat has jumped on him and hurt him. Or even if he's got something like a displaced abomasum or hardware. If he's not improved a little tomorrow I'll get the vet to check on him. Backs take a while to heal, if that's what's wrong.

I put another round bale out for Annie's group, and they seem to be happier with this one. I also gave Star another halter lesson, this time including learning to stand quietly when tied. She is doing so well. Next lesson will be getting brushed while standing. It's also a chance to give her some extra calf muesli, as she's not as fat and round as the calves on their mothers. I think the poor grass this year is setting her back.

I tweaked the loungeroom furniture again, shuffled a few small things around and it looks less like everything is just crammed in and more like deliberate decorating. Looking in the cabinets I think it's probably time we went through the cassette tapes, CDs, DVDs and video tapes to see what is worth keeping.

Only one egg in the last week, I hope I don't have to resort to buying shop eggs. The next lot of hops are ready for picking and it's time to start bandicooting potatoes and jerusalem artichokes.

Finn was barking up a storm overnight, still carrying on in the wee small hours. I went out and looked around for a possum, but the torch showed a tabby cat sitting on the fence just out of Finn's reach. It looked just like Suzie/Shredder so I walked over to say hi, but it shot off at a great rate of knots and when I went inside I saw Suzie was sitting on the hot water tank, so it was an intruder and was obviously the cause of Finn's conniption. At least he was quiet once the cat had bolted off.

I saw a platypus crossing the road on the way home from work. I think it was a platypus because it was low and long, dark on top and light on the bottom and it had little legs windmilling like the clappers. I was worried I might have hit it, so did a u turn and came back, but there was nothing on the road so it made it across safely.