By Judy Barnet, Ag Columnist
I was ill-prepared for the long bike ride this morning to go looking for some errant Shropshire sheep. The sun was just popping its head over the horizon and held the promise of a beautiful day. I had only gone 50 metres when I remembered how cold it was to be riding a bike early in the morning at this time of year. Dora didn’t seem to mind but then again she was sitting behind me on the bike while I bore the brunt of the bitterly cold breeze numbing my hands and ears. Stopping up the top of the hill soon after the sun had risen, I took in some breathtaking views and was annoyed I hadn’t grabbed the camera. The mist hung low over the valley and hugged Pikes Creek like a blanket. There was a pink tinge to the sky and the view to the west as the sun peeked its head over the horizon was equally spectacular. The treetops shone but their trunks were shaded. It
didn’t take me long to find the sheep.
At some point someone must have left a gate open and they had wandered into the next paddock. Not far from the Shropies was a group of goats I had moved to the hill paddock after drenching them a week before. I didn’t really expect them to stay there. The fence at the bottom of the hill paddock is more than a bit Dad and Dave and previous attempts a constraining the goats had failed. As soon as they found their way out the goats would make a beeline for the house and our house-yard fences are no match for a hungry goat that loves roses and other such goaty treats our garden holds. However, for reasons only known to themselves, this time Candy and her crew have so far decided to stay in the hills.
I had been thrilled to see clear skies and sun. The weatherman said there was a chance of showers and a thunderstorm later in the day but I thought he was just putting $5 each way. I headed off into Warwick for the pig breeders meeting and then to do the requisite grocery shopping on the way home. When I emerged from the supermarket I could see the thunderheads but thought they would be too far south for us. As I reached the front gate two hours later, not long before sunset, the sky was blood red or rather the clouds to the west were. It was a magnificent sight. Ten minutes later there was a big crack and a boom. One of those clouds burst and the heavens opened up. It rained cats and dogs for only about ten minutes. Only 7ml fell in that time but boy did it create some runoff, not to mention gouging out more of our rutted driveway.
The Rare Breeds Auction is done and dusted with funds raised being way more than my wildest dreams. More than $3000 was raised, nearly double the amount from last year. The only problem that remains is how to pack and post the miniature cattle yards which are going all the way to Victoria. The yards were the top-priced item, selling for $420.00. Local support was excellent and, in a turn of events, I received a phone call from the President of ASSBA (Australian Stud Sheep Breeders Assn) who had been the successful bidder on the Kent Saddlery tote bag and was buying it for his wife. On impulse, I said to him I would deliver the bag to his farm (in Tasmania) for a cup of tea and a look at his sheep (Brenton has English Leicesters, the oldest and largest flock in Australia). So now I have committed to this I just need to keep my fingers crossed that we have some fine weather. At work, the pecan harvest has been put off, waiting for a break in the weather, and we can’t go until it is finished.
In some really exciting news (well, at least for me) I brought a bus! It is a 1978 Leyland Leopard, which was built as a chassis in England and produced between 1959 and 1982. The predecessor to
the Leopard was the Leyland Tiger Cub. Interestingly the Leopard was superseded in 1982 by the Leyland Tiger. Actually, Leyland made lots of wild animal buses including the Lion, Lioness, Cheetah, Panda and Gnu but smack bang in the middle of these was the Leyland Titanic, from 1927-1939. Kermit needs a bit of spit and polish but I can’t wait to park her down by the dam and take my very own holiday in her!
We have had the slow combustion stove going on every day for about a week now. I thoroughly enjoy cooking our meals on it and it also heats our hot water. We were late home tonight so we did not worry about lighting it but the evening is just not the same without it going. It provides gentle warmth and makes the kitchen a cosy place which no electric stove can do. So, tonight we are content to eat our meals in the kitchen and sit around with a cup of tea but I definitely
felt withdrawal symptoms without the woodstove.
A few weeks ago I wrote about a visit from a fellow Rare Breeds Trust director, Dr Catie Gressier. Catie has two undergraduates and one of them Dom, who is from Italy. Dom has been living and working on a farm at Byron Bay while he does his thesis. The farm runs about sixty head of British White cattle and around the same number of Heritage Breed turkeys (think Bourbon Red/ Slate blue/ Norfolk Black). Dom came to stay with us for an overnight visit this week and it was wonderful to meet someone so passionate about the future of the world and what role heritage species have to play in feeding people and climate change.
Dom is going to contribute to next week’s farm column with his own observations. Dom’s other passion is Tango dancing and every week he drives from Byron Bay to Brisbane to attend Tango classes. I secretly think we will see him dancing on TV one day. Dom’s future lies in trying to do his bit to make the world a better place. He mentioned there is a lot of poverty in Italy and said Australia is a lucky country.
