Back on the Farm

I just got back from Arizona where I had a great time catching up with old friends and reacquainting myself with myself with my home. But it was winter there and I ran into 27" of snow my first weekend back. Fostered idyllic dreams of New Zealand as I slowly (very slowly) shoveled my way out.

So I get back to Auckland and what do I find? That the warm, dry weather they have been having for the entire time I was gone is over. I brought cool, wet weather with me. Do you think I have a calling as a rain maker? Not the advertising type rain maker but the clouds hear me type of rain maker. If so, I can quit buying those lottery tickets and make my fortune that way.

So, how are things on the farm? They seem pretty much the same. The steers are still valiantly eating the pasture grasses down to an acceptable size. The flock (which consists of the ram and 8 ewes) seems fine. I am concerned about two ewes, tho. One seems to be battling flies and the other is lying around a lot. Luckily they are in the new barn paddock so all I have to do is cross the driveway to keep an eye on them. The ram has rejoined his harem now that we have moved the young ram (Snowball) to another field.

And Snowball is with the other two lambs. Both of these are black ewes. One is Starlight and the other is lamb #3. While I was gone, Starlight got flystrike and Dan had a heroic battle to save her. I think she is all right but she appears to be a bit weak and the poor thing has lost a lot of her coat. Still, its not all bad because we will be calling for the shearers in a month or so anyway

The fig tree has figs which amazes me since possums love figs. I can only figure that our possums are so fat on my raspberries, cherries, tomatoes, etc. that they couldn't climb our admittedly slender fig tree. I, however, simply bend  the branches and have a treat fit for a king. Or, in my case, a Lord.

If, when, it stops raining I need to dismantle my garden for the winter. Dan has thoughtfully filled the wheelbarrow with grass clippings so I first have to empty that. Then pick up the rest of the clippings around the yard and wheel them to the compost heap. I hope I can find it this time. I have a hunch that this is Dan's subtle way of making a statement about my aimless dumping wherever I want instead of actually finding the compost pile. Oh well, I'll worry about it later. Plenty to do. It's good to be back!