Average rainfall per annum in Blackpool 871 mm
Should have stayed in Lancashire?
At least the olive grove that Ness is planting is being very well watered in.
Just need to plan the Protea Farm Illuminations- they may catch on.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
spring news
After a few weeks back in the UK it is great to be home. The weather has not been particularly spring-like so far, although it is warming up well this week.
The drive home from Sydney up over the Blue Mountains was unusual- climbing to a height of 1,000 km to make the trek west to Mudgee the scenery is always breathtaking, but when it is 1 degree C and most of the trip is dominated by driving snow and hailstones it is not a barrel of laughs.
The lambs ( 6 in total ) are rapidly becoming sheep. and the mothers are now shedding their wool and having permanent 'bad hair days'
The bird population are building nests with the sheep wool, and the king parrots are gathering in groups and eying up the young fruit on the apricot and peach trees.
They have no fear and get bolder by the day
A western spinebill has made a nest in the climbing rose right next to the house.
The cacti are flowering well
....and the big news is that ducks have started to take an interest in Duck Island.
The drive home from Sydney up over the Blue Mountains was unusual- climbing to a height of 1,000 km to make the trek west to Mudgee the scenery is always breathtaking, but when it is 1 degree C and most of the trip is dominated by driving snow and hailstones it is not a barrel of laughs.
The lambs ( 6 in total ) are rapidly becoming sheep. and the mothers are now shedding their wool and having permanent 'bad hair days'
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| From protea |
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| From protea |
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| From protea |
They have no fear and get bolder by the day
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| From protea |
A western spinebill has made a nest in the climbing rose right next to the house.
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| From protea |
The cacti are flowering well
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| From protea |
....and the big news is that ducks have started to take an interest in Duck Island.
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| From protea |
Thursday, September 16, 2010
duck island
Duck Island had an uneventful launching this morning.
God Bless her and all who hatch on her!
God Bless her and all who hatch on her!
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| From Protea Farm 1 |
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
veterinary work protea farm style
We had an enforced veterinary day this weekend, with 4 boys to castrate and a ewe with diarrhoea to drench. If that was not enough there was also a friend's sick lamb to treat and then Peggy decided to attempt to give birth to a monster goat-like creature. This was way too large to enter the world unassisted, so was manually delivered by torch-light.
Monster goat like thing pictured above at 3 days old. She is much larger than the 12 day old Bellamy twins and Grundy boys.
All the ewes are spending the days outdoors now, but due to torrential rain and the fox threat they are housed in the barn at night much to the amusement of the locals who find the molly-coddling of sheep most unnecessary.
Ness has started 'Operation Wood Duck'. Each year the wood ducks that live on the dam hatch out their ducklings and proudly show them off. Within 24 hours there are no ducklings and 2 distressed parents, so we assume that the fox has a poultry dinner. The plan now that the dam is a large lake is to construct a floating island out of recycled plastic items to provide a fox-proof refuge for the duck family, complete with plant life and a 5 star ducky environment. Hopefully the island will be successfully launched later this week.
'Lake Protea'
Duck Hilton under construction.
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| From Protea Farm 1 |
Monster goat like thing pictured above at 3 days old. She is much larger than the 12 day old Bellamy twins and Grundy boys.
All the ewes are spending the days outdoors now, but due to torrential rain and the fox threat they are housed in the barn at night much to the amusement of the locals who find the molly-coddling of sheep most unnecessary.
 |
| From Protea Farm 1 |
Ness has started 'Operation Wood Duck'. Each year the wood ducks that live on the dam hatch out their ducklings and proudly show them off. Within 24 hours there are no ducklings and 2 distressed parents, so we assume that the fox has a poultry dinner. The plan now that the dam is a large lake is to construct a floating island out of recycled plastic items to provide a fox-proof refuge for the duck family, complete with plant life and a 5 star ducky environment. Hopefully the island will be successfully launched later this week.
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| From Protea Farm 1 |
'Lake Protea'
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| From Protea Farm 1 |
Duck Hilton under construction.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
it is julia by a short head
After an interminable debate , Tony and Rob have given Julia Gillard the thumbs up to remain as PM. Queensland Bob obviously was not impressed with her checks and balances regarding the flying fox threat and backed the coalition.
Back at the ranch we have 2 sets of twins ( The Bellamys and The Grundys ). Clarrie is not doing too well and I have had to go back to the text books to remind myself how to deal with explosive diarrhoea of an ovine nature. Not pretty.
Speaking of diarrhoea we purchased a second car today whose colour could well be described as 'sheep scour' yellow.
The supply of second hand vehicles which are not utes is somewhat limited in Mudgee, but I am quite excited about my 'hot hatch' with 17 inch alloys and boy racer speeds. It is also fitted with a sound system that any teenage boy would be proud of, with volume controls on the steering wheel for easy access! .........an ideal old lady shopping car.
Back at the ranch we have 2 sets of twins ( The Bellamys and The Grundys ). Clarrie is not doing too well and I have had to go back to the text books to remind myself how to deal with explosive diarrhoea of an ovine nature. Not pretty.
Speaking of diarrhoea we purchased a second car today whose colour could well be described as 'sheep scour' yellow.
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| From Protea Farm 1 |
The supply of second hand vehicles which are not utes is somewhat limited in Mudgee, but I am quite excited about my 'hot hatch' with 17 inch alloys and boy racer speeds. It is also fitted with a sound system that any teenage boy would be proud of, with volume controls on the steering wheel for easy access! .........an ideal old lady shopping car.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
new arrivals
Having had doubts about the sexuality of Brian the ram when he first arrived, the girls have started to fill out and look pregnant, and yesterday morning Lilian gave birth to twin lambs. The dorper/wiltshire horn cross lambs look extremely goat-like, but we are happy to report that the 'Bellamy boys' are doing well.
We were somewhat taken by surprise by the birth, my calculations had the due dates a few more weeks away, so Lilian dropped them in the paddock and we had to hurriedly erect maternity units in the shed because there is more bad weather forecast over the next week.
Despite the forecasts of more rain we have just had a couple of lovely warm days, and the first week of spring was heralded not only by lambs but also the return of the first tree frog on the verandah sending Ness scurrying back indoors!
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| From Protea Farm 1 |
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| From Protea Farm 1 |
We were somewhat taken by surprise by the birth, my calculations had the due dates a few more weeks away, so Lilian dropped them in the paddock and we had to hurriedly erect maternity units in the shed because there is more bad weather forecast over the next week.
Despite the forecasts of more rain we have just had a couple of lovely warm days, and the first week of spring was heralded not only by lambs but also the return of the first tree frog on the verandah sending Ness scurrying back indoors!
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