To be a blogger!

To blog or not to blog? It seems the radical animal rights people try to read all the blogs written so to target farmers and those in primary production. So should I continue? We aren't serious farmers keeping our few sheep to eat the grass and provide a bit of meat. I enjoy thinking up topics and posting the photos but also don't want the hassle if the above happens. What should I do? 

Water.

Water! How important it is. Water and it's component parts basically brought life to the earth. After a few days of showers suddenly there's new growth and green everywhere. Areas which looked bare have tiny leaves reappearing. Now many of these are weeds but it's refreshing to see green again. So why is it so hard to realize the importance of water, why we should protect it, respect it's role in life and remember we wouldn't be here without it.

Our spring.

We only got 24mm with the first rains of the year but the recharge of our spring is amazing. Tomas can swim again although it is still muddy under the water! We're due more rain in a few days so it will be interesting to see how the springs levels react.

Some rain at last.

After three days of constant showery weather we've recorded 24mm and found there was a puddle in our freshly dug out dam. Now for lots of follow up rain !

It's dry.

Well the weather bureau have told us something we already knew, it's been a dry start to the year. They've told us in fact the driest four months since 1888! The senior locals have said they've never seen it so dry. Our rain gauge is gathering dust and spiders. So far our totals have been: January 0, February 7, March 6 and April 0.5. See we're down to recording halves!

Down sizing.

It was a cold morning when the truck arrived for the lambs. There was the usual chaos as the lambs were loaded, they aren't the brightest! We finally got them loaded and of to the market they went. In the end we got $70 a head. It's always sad to send stock away but we're getting short of water. The ewes we can't keep will go next. It's not just water, the paddocks are turning into dust so we're hand feeding and we only have three round bales left. So the next time you think 'what a beautiful day' just remember that farmers really need rain!

The front dam.

 It's only taken 19 years but the front dam has finally been dug out. It took two days and there was lots of silt to remove. The eroded overflow creek was also filled in and it all looks so different! Pippa's dam will be much deeper when she can next swim in it. Hopefully it fills this winter.