Too busy to blog yesterday. Christopher went out to start gathering the South End at 7:10 am, I went out at 8:10am as agreed. Went to my normal place on the gather, expected to see Christopher gathering out the point. No sign, went further back just in case he was having a slow gather, couldn't find him. Went forward in case he had had an excellent gather, not there. Went right back to where he would have started the gather, no not there. Went back to where he should have been, still couldn't see him. Started getting worried at this point. The South End is a massive camp which can run up to 1,800 sheep so finding someone is no mean feat. Began to think that he had fallen off his motorbike and hurt himself. An over active imagination can be a real problem. The camp also has a large area of sand hills making it even more difficult to find someone. Spent an hour combing the camp looking for him. Finally saw him where he should have been. Apparently he had just had a very slow start to the gather. Panic over, thoughts of how long should I carry on looking for him before I went home and called Stanley for help. However my neurotic worries are not totally unfounded. Christopher had came off his motorbike. He said he came shooting up over a hill, saw two Jackass holes and knew he wasn't going to miss both of them. Quite funny I think, he hit the first one and the bike dived over one way throwing him partly off, righted itself with him still on board, hit the second hole, hit the ground. Hurt his ankle but nothing serious. Finally got the sheep home at 11:30am just as it started to rain.
After dinner we had to draft 1,600 lambs and 400 shearling ewes. Drafting to get our replacement ewe hogs, kept the biggest 560, we only need 400 but this gives us more selection next season. Also drafted off 457 of the biggest wether lambs to run through as yearling lamb for the abattoir next season. Drafted off the 400 shearling ewes to go back out with these animals as they will all run together over the winter in the South End. This leaves approx 500 lambs to go to the abattoir on Thursday. It rained continuously while we were drafting. The sheep ran well through the pens and drafting race but by the time we finished the water in the forcing pen was about 10 inches deep and the rest of the pens where deep in mud.
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| Me playing in the newly formed stream running down the green. |
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| Water where there isn't usually water |
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| Shaun on top of a sand hill |
When we got back from the gather I said to Christopher I think there is something not quite right with the Toyota. At one point I was convinced I had a puncture. Yep there was a problem, the prop shaft had fallen off and was dragging along the ground and one of the springs was broken. You would assume that I would have been driving rough. Believe me the ground is so rough with big white grass bogs that getting out of 2nd low range is a real treat. Never mind we took it down to the drafting pens because it was peeing with rain. About half way through the draft I decided I needed to come home and change because despite wearing wet weather gear the rain had run down my neck and my clothes were wet. It should have been simple, I jumped in the Toyota drove it down the slope to turn around. Thought briefly, rain, slippery slope, no drive, oh it will be okay I will just give it a bit of a gun and it will go back up the slope. Wrong. Half way up, skid, no traction, sliding back and sideways back down the slope. Then stopped half way down, thought um prop shaft hanging down. Yep anchored out on the side of the hill with the prop shaft firmly dug in the ground. All in all and eventful day.
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