12 December, 2006

The silver ones are the big, adventurous boys, even with their eyes shut. The runt is a boy. The other two are girls.

Scamp number two.


Black and white make ... silver! Looks odd with the tan, I reckon.

There are five puppies,each with different markings.

The runt of the litter...

...looks like his mother.

Eyes open at last!

Fourteen days old. Definitely doesn't fit in my hand any more!

Awww...

Same puppy that I was holding.

Flood!

Thursday, November 30th, when I was supposed to be packing and sorting out my room before going away for 2 weeks, we had a flood! Now I know what flooding can do here, I shall be watching the river as carefully as Colin and Dorothy do.
After shifting three scrapping bulls from paddock to yards then onto a truck, we spent 6 or 7 hours moving the stock on the flats out of reach of the water, hoping that the water wouldn't rise beyond a certain level or we'd have to move them again. :c/ We had 9 mobs to move, plus Pilgrims' calves and two mobs of cows with reluctant calves. 7 of the mobs have bulls with them, and these must not come too close to each other, nor next to the river (the bulls are likely to swim across to visit the neighbours while the electricity isn't working), which requires much complicated juggling of positions. On top of that, we had to work at speed on terribly bumpy paddocks and at the end even through knee-deep water and across a waterfall that had earlier been a crossing. Scarey. We succeeded without mishap, thankfully!

The morning after the flood...


It was windy, too. Poor dunny...!

Shifting to the hayshed...


Puppies!




Two boards left to screw down (kitchen) - yay!






First party in the new house, celebrating the completion of the wooden floors.
Colin Gilbert, my boss.

I have yet to take a close-up picture of Dorothy...
Laying the tongue-in-groove floor in the games room.






1,728 screws, three drillings per screw (pilot hole, countersink, screw) ... I was very glad of the skateboard for moving up and down the rows!
Family to visit.
How to become the favourite aunty - the one with the quad...!
Checking out the dog...
(Castle Craig in background)

Topsy

This newly orphaned lamb spent the first couple of days hiding behind the fireplace.











Helping with the weeding...












Becoming bolder...
Peaceful water - before the falls.
The Puaroa Valley, heading out to the back of the farm.
We have flat, and we have steep...
The new house - it isn't actually tilted like that!