NO SSCS............

Hi elves........

None of you have asked but I know some of your will be thinking about it.............

I'm very sad to say this year there will be no Secret Santa Christmas Swap............SSCS

Yes an effect of the on going drought..........I'm very sad about this as it has been running for so many years but I just cannot organise it.............there is no rain in sight and I just cannot organise the swap......my days are very long and full and I have a pile of farm/buiness work that is not being done here as it is.......I don't even have time to sew to make a gift...........I know other years I have even had a helper but not even this will work this year.........I am SOOOOOOOO sorry............I feel really bad about the decision......and I know I will be sad at Christmas time but I just cannot manage it.............

I will just have to see what happens for 2019.........

Sorry.........

Chookyblue.........

What everyone needs.......

the weekend was feral to say the least..............from mid morning Saturday the wind started picking up the dust.............the just got worse as the day went on............till it was a dust storm..........it blew most of the night too............

Sunday was not as bad but not much better with dust picking up all day blowing thru...........working in it was just beautiful as you can imagine..............

Sat was 34 deg.................Sunday just 17deg..........needed my coat most of the day.............

Sat we moved all the cows home from the other property.....I climbed up the top of the truck to take some pics but it was a bit freaky with the wind so blustery - hence the crooked pic..........we've been feeding the girls out there for so long but changing feed and I think it's going to be daily so home they came..........will be easier to manage............thank goodness they all walked back off the truck.....they are all struggling as have little calves on them.....all the babies mothered back up............the tiny calves were all in another truck.........some of the older ones are still tiny but we will start weaning more this weekend coming..........

We have a new baby.............Ev.....we pulled her off mum as she was down and not well..........drugged Mum with everything we could and tried to get her up but she died.............Ev will take  a bit of quietening but she is drinking well already..........she is strong and feisty little lady........less then a week old.........

What everyone needs out here is an E and B...............

A retired couple who decided they wanted to go help somewhere............

found a facebook page for a CWA group and ended up in that town..........I met them there and they decided they would come and stay with us for a few days after they left that town........I thought oh yeh that would be nice but they won't end up here.............BUT they did............they stayed for a few days.........had to duck home for a few days and they are back again for nearly a week..............

E has taken on feeding all her babies...........this includes the weaners  - 69 of those...and the poddies....5 lambs and 3 calves..........

she's cooked dinner.....hung out washing that I have forgotten was in the machine........its amazing it goes into the washing machine and comes out folded on my bed...........she's dusted and ironed........roused on me for not having the afternoon off after town work............I did explain that if she didn't do her jobs then I would still be going for ages yet as she saved me that time.............I have managed to get in a couple of evenings before dark........and the company has been lovely................And they just go back out to there caravan and sleep.........

B has been helping Mr Chooky..........saved me some feeding trips.......fixed the trailer that was falling apart and used constantly...........what ever Mr Chooky has been doing he has been out helping with.........today I think they will be working on the calf weaning yards we are making.........and weighing and sorting out the new feed plan for the cows............

Feeding late yesterday.............OMG it was cold by the time I finished..........

It was dark when I finished so I got in lite the fire and had a hot shower to wash all the dust off and warm me up..........

Hope you are all well...........

Catch you later....... Chookyblue.....

R u ok.......

Hey fellow bloggers........

it's r u ok day... 

Sometime's I feel like I'm all alone trying to juggle all, work, kids, calculations of food and money budgets, ordering, feeding working on and off farm......at present it's just work work work.......all day everyday is just the location that changes........

But..... 

Then I get a random text, email, calls, mail etc........ It's from you lot my support crew......
They always make me smile..... 

This is a time that is really challenging for me ........ I do choose to do what I do but at present there is no stop time...........it will rain one day properly ........ I will make it to the other side battered and bruised so to speak but it will make me a stronger person too......
So life is up and down but I try to find the ups to beat the downs.......
You never know really what's going on in someone's life so take the time to stop and ask
R u ok?
And really stop and listen to there answer........ 

Catch you later...... 

Chookyblue......

Smashed yet again.....

So the wonderful rain..... The drought breaking rain forecast........ 

DID NOT HAPPEN!

Miserable 4.5mms......

Atleast someone got some good falls....... Just not us........

Just crawled into bed after another late night.....

Catch you later.....

Chookyblue.......

I'm alive.....

Hi blogland.......

I'm still alive and kicking....... It's feral today... Rain forecast but it's only raining dirt so far....  Windy feral day.....  My hairs knotted and full of dust....... 

Life is full on.......the legs are pretty good.... Doing everything again just don't touch them still......

Starting to get some messages checking on me....... I'm feeling pretty good at the moment..... Even spoke at a drought fundraiser in the big smoke.....
The drought sure is hitting the media at the moment.....

Fodder is so hard to get and so expensive........ 

Just not enough hours in the day...... Other stuff to share just got to take the pics first.......
Thanks for the love.......it means a lot and keeps me going........
I've also got some emails I need to reply to too....... 

Catch you later......

Chookyblue......

Farm help

I'm doing this post as people have asked how they can help...............

How do you support the drought that is massively hitting the media at the moment...............

HOW TO HELP..........

Donate cash.  $5 to $500000 it all adds up no matter how big or small

It is the easiest to move about and can be turned into prepaid cards that recipients can use in there own community keeping money turning around in the community...........or household accounts can be paid.........

Drought Angels

https://www.droughtangels.org.au/donations/

Salvation Army Rural Chaplains

https://salvos.org.au/donate/make-a-donation/donate-online/

choose rural support as you go thru the donation screen.............

CWA

https://www.cwaofnsw.org.au/donate

Unless you want a weeks farm holiday..........

Come and visit..........and WORK........

I was honored to be part of a fundraiser in the city on the weekend............

people were so kind and they raised some great $$$$'s.....

the media hype will go but we will still be here feeding stock..........if we have any feed left or if we can buy any more............its very expensive and hard to find...................

there are lots more organisations but these are ones I have seen working assisting in our community..............

thankyou from those who you will never know you helped............

Catch you later..............

Chookyblue

Thankyou.......

This week has been crap......

Its been a long slow miserable week on the lounge......even threw my own  'pity party' it was a ripper...... 

Lucky you weren't here..... 

BUT........

Is amazing how things time out in life...... 

You know who you are,  you know what you did or said.......this post is for you....... 

Chooky..... 

Ps still hobbling around.......

Pss with hot pink nail polished today.....

feeding sheep.........

The upside is I am feeling better.......taking little walks in the house.......

the little lamb died........probably didn't get colostrum since it was not cleaned up.......bit sad but one less job to do and I couldn't manage it at the time......... 

Some pics from the other day.............

Sheep are much easier to feed in a drought then cattle...........

the only food they get is from the feed cart.............they all come running.......

you have to work out how many are in the mob and then how much grain they need and wait until they all get in so they all get a go at the feed for the same amount of time............

born today this little one knows he has to stick with mum to survive.........

the little ones gather together..........

while I am laid up i'm trying to work on the bookwork.........

your support means a lot my friends........

thankyou.....

Catch you later...............

Chookyblue............