cuties..........

Snapped these while feeding yesterday.............

the baby calves were checking out the bike.........they are SOOOOO cute.......

Off pregnancy testing..........

Catch you later

Chookyblue

sheep, cattle and presents...............

It's been a big week....I've been writing this post for several weeks in my head so I decided to jam it all into one post instead of 3.......Last Sunday (week ago) we tagged all the lambs......

I hate this thing below............my hands need to be a bit bigger and it would be better......it's a bit fiddly putting the tags in the lambs ears.....some go easy others harder........it identifies our sheep to our neighbours if they get mixed up but also is a requirement by law to sell sheep............

see it in the ear here............. 

the sun thru the dust............the yards were terribly dusty

we push them into a long race to do the work on them............ 

 hey Cardygirl I have my work boots on..............

 

A couple of days at town work then into the cattle yards...............

Mustering first.............I get distracted by beautiful flowering trees............even when it is this dry......amazing........

some parts are nice and open and others are timbered and "wild" let alone keeping an eye on the cattle you're supposed to be mustering

trying to find a track thru can be interesting..............

some logs you can ride the bike over but not this one......

one day turned into 3.5 days and we got lots done...........these big boys (steers) were going to a feedlot..........trying to clear out numbers as cattle feed is running out fast............
We pregnancy tested all the cull heifers (girls) too and I tried to grab a pic but the vet was too fast and my camera was having issues..........
Thursday was an awful day in the yards it was SOOOOOOO windy I didn't need sunscreen I was covered in so much dust..........the shower that night was heavenly..........

some crops look like this (below - not our crop)...........with the big frost the previous week before last what little green there was got burnt with the frost and the last week we are 25-28degC so now the heat is affecting it............so pleased we didn't put much in...........some people will be having huge losses.............feed is running out rapidly.........we are just managing on 2 properties but it is a massive worry coming into summer with no feed and limited water..............WE NEED RAIN...........soaking rain but also a few quick inches to run some into dams and fill them for summer.............we have not been this low going into summer for many years........quite a worry............and all the optimisim around town is going negative very fast............

the other day while taking some cattle back to a paddock Fairy Girl was on the bike with me and spotted something on a bush......we called past it on the way back and quickly took a detour as it is a bee swam...........we got in the car and drove back over to it as it was close to the road and snapped some pics up close...........amazing to watch them (safe in the car)..............it was pretty much flat on the other side..........I tried to take a pic but you can't really see it.........

these girls were the last go be returned to their paddock and these will be kept to breed from...........this is where looks do matter...........all the blacks were culled and the herefords who didn't have the "right look" or were too small went into a cull mob and they should go in the next week hopefully............these girls will be meeting some new bulls this week...........

Fairy Girl taking the girls back to the paddock.........
it was nice and cloudy keeping it cool..........

in the blur that was called August I had a birthday..........The secret sewing sisters sent me this bunch of goodness............French Generals and reproductions..........thanks heaps girls.........I have a plan for the FG fabrics and the others will be added to the civil war repro box and included in the quilts I am working on there............it certainly brightened my day............

Little Chicken and family found this for me for my birthday...........he'll live in the chookshed............

and last but certainly not least Friends in Stitching online group have a birthday swap and Teresa sent to me..............how lucky am I........(pics by Teresa) I just love the gifts........
"Friends make each day a new beginning filled with wonder an joy"

Teresa made the chook and card too.........isn't she talented.......
Now to get Mr Chooky to put some hooks up so i can hang some of my wall hangings........thanks for the gifts............

ok better go........
Hope you had a great weekend.............I did managed to get one and a bit days at home..........wash, cook, do some cleaning try and regroup............Mr Chooky mowed for me so that makes things look better..........when the lawns are done I do feel good.....mind you if it doesn't rain soon they may be dying off with lack of water............if it doesn't rain I won't be able to use the dam water on the lawn............it will be to just keep the plants alive.......and water stock...........

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

PS once again it's taken days to get this finished to post and I have also got to see the elusive Miss Kate from Show and Tell  she'e been busy cooking for a big market this weekend.............goodluck Kate...........here she is below with her new range of goodies....."Pickled on Peisley"
every jar is a different variety...........
we got to have lunch together............it was delicious too..........

PSS the swap is about to close so be fast...............

i'm nuts I know but yes it's on...........

So whats on you ask.............

If you have done the previous 6 years you know exactly what's on..........

I am way beyond busy at the moment but I know some of you have emailed me....

"is it on???" 

I have agonised about this for weeks now - should I do it, could i do it, how ???

I though my SSCS buddies who have done it every year would be disappointed like me at Christmas time with no swap present to open since this will be the 7th year....

Well thanks to Googy Girl @ Too Many Eggs the SSCS Secret Santa Christmas Swap will run this year........so you may get emails from either of us...........

2007 - 80+

2008 - 156

2009 - 118

2010 - 108

2011 – 135

2012 – 103

2013 - ?????

If you want to see what happened in previous years go to my labels and choose Secret Santa Christmas Swap or SSCS08, SSCS09, SSCS10  SSCS11 SSCS12 (or just after xmas there are a pile of posts of presents each year)

If you're a regular you know the drill but if your not sure of the details you can read the rules from last year before you sign up.............this is the link.....(added below).....

If you want to join email (chookybluesscs at gmail dot com)(not my usual address)

Then Googy Girl or I will then email you a link for a form to complete. We both have access to that email address.

You can leave a comment on this post but to get the form you need to email the above address.............

This swap won't be open for very long at all so decide quickly...........

PLEASE DON'T BLOG ABOUT THE S W A P  UNTIL IT IS CLOSED....

If you have only come here to join the swap and never visited before this isn’t the swap for you......this is for my regular visitors......

*************CLOSED*************
Let the fun begin...........
Chookyblue 

PS don't forget to thank Googy Girl for helping make it possible this year

PSS swap details added 

The rules are simple

NO 1 Make a beautiful gift (love, time and effort required) – you can make whatever you want eg, bag, wall hanging, stitchery, table runner, Christmas theme (optional) ...send something you would love to receive... 

(not something you whip up in a couple of hours)

NO 2 Make a small decoration that can be hung on a Christmas tree (simple or fiddly up to you)

### Don't tell anyone who your SSCS partner is please. This is a secret until they receive their parcel or Christmas Day shhhhhhhhh!!!!!! A different person will be sending to you....

### international postage essential (think about weigh of parcel)

### You need to have an active blog .....posting a couple of times a month.... so your partner can sneak a peek and get ideas of what to make for you and they know you are active.....therefore existing

###  Postage is between 18th and 22nd November to ensure your partner gets their present before Christmas (reason for swap)

### Make sure you "thank" your Santa - very important and post about your present when you receive it..........

### If you are difficult to contact you may be dropped from the SSCS.....several times between now and the deadline I email out and you MUST reply...so if you are going away for a week or 2 just let me know

### If everyone can follow the above it will make for another very successful SSCS..... less headaches for me.........

### Any problems make sure you contact me sooner rather than later

Please don't sign up

• if you are not prepared to send (non-senders are named)
• if you’re too busy
• if you’re not committed to making and sending quality handmade gifts

my life is nuts..................

So I started the post below last weekend..............tried to get it more together about 3 days ago and now  hopefully I will get it finished..............I just went back thru the calendar and today is the 1st day home in the house for 3 weeks........no wonder it is out of control and looks like a bomb exploded in it.............also the reason why I am so tired......I have spent as many nights away the last 2 weeks as home...........on 3 seperate trips.......I feel like I am living in my car............. &&& Back to the post I started.............. Finally getting to slow down..............I've spent 3 days and nights at Moorambilla..... Just a mum helper supervising children while they participated in choir workshops.........this will culminate in a big concert next month. It's for kids from the north west of the state. Remote areas that never have an opportunity to participate in music like this. Organised by the very musically talented Michelle Leonard she has Alice Chance who has the most gorgeous voice assisting with the composing and accompanist Callum Close - it is great Michelle is using young talented musicians........... It's exhausting big days. Most of the girls cope extremely well considering they may know a couple of girls or no one when they arrive at camp. The supervisors are completely exhausted when it is finished..............the artists working with the children get peace and quite from the kids of a night so are refreshed each day but the Mums just get more exhausted............lol.......but it is wonderful being a Mum supervising and seeing how the music, art, dance comes together to the final performance.............amazing........ &&& I got to check out this book which has not hit the shelves yet but it will do in the next week or so. Beautifully presented this is Fiona's first book. It will be available on her website too. "Simply This" Printed and dyed handmade projects Here she is with the book and in the background is some of the weaving which will be representing fish nets part of the decorations for the main concert..............I know how to do that weaving now......... in previous years Fiona has done lots of dying with clothes etc for the performance.......... Fiona along with 2 other ladies are working on the textile art side of things showing the girls how to weave etc.......... the girls rehearsing............ Frank Wright is working on the main backdrop for the performance. It is huge. He's very talented.......... Sadly I don't have a pic of what he was getting the kids to draw but they did so well under his instructions......you can see it here...... Ghenoa Gela is working on the dance/movement  A lot of the girls knew her from a show on ABC3? and/or NITV  "Move it Mob Style"  They got to met someone on TV - very exciting Our token American...........she only been here for a few months but somehow ended up tangled up with everything Moorambilla and she is having a ball and she goes nuts when she sees Kangaroos so when I snapped this pic of her she was thrilled there is a mob over in the paddock in the photo with her............ so funny she is trying to sound like an aussie............lol........... the girls walking back to camp at the end of another long day......... Do check out the Moorambilla blog leave a comment.......Lliane who writes it will be so excited........also check out the Moorambilla website...........and if you want to support bush kids doing art and music go for it............... &&& So what am I up to now..........thankfully today "boy wonder" is able to help Mr Chooky feed the cows today so I didn't have to go anywhere............tomorrow we are tagging sheep (put an identity tag in there ears as required by law) - great family argument bonding sessions - then more cattle work during the week..........so back to the explosion that is my house to try and make order for the next onslaught......who knows when my next day in the house will be...........it's one day at a time here.........so I'll sign off  for now and try and get the pics of the goodies i received last week to share with you soon....... ......the washing machine is calling...... ........have a fabulous weekend other then lack of rain it going to be glorious here........... .........take care til next time.....Chookyblue.........

more cattle and another selfie and NO sewing..........

my days are busy..........if not with town work, kids stuff,  Mr Chooky is needing me every free day.............

I wished I had my phone with me while I was driving the tractor and feeder the other day with all the cows in front of me running along to the feed troughs it looked pretty cool.......i thought of you lot.......actually it's probably safer that I didn't have it I was a bit wild driving it...........it's a very old tractor........

&&&

We've just had a couple of days doing cattle work at another property............I snapped some pics on my phone as we went along.............

"r@pe" - (wild canola below) should be much higher then this it barely a foot.......this stuff can grow to about 6foot or more in a good season...........it's shot up into head and flowered fast  running out of moisture........

 found this pig in a mud puddle...........he was sick and got stick in it..........

if you look closely in the right of this pic in the shadows I snapped a live one running away................I tried to catch it but no luck..........it's about the size of a medium dog.........

 mustering .........

It's so rough on this country it's black cracking soil and just gets holes anywhere when dry.............it is very rough on a 4 wheeler bike and while mustering cattle sometimes i'm  racing along hanging on for dear life..........you can drop a tyre into them..............

 weighing the steers..............

hours on a bike mean numb bum sometimes but I got a break from the physical work poking down a lane with these............

  the clouds were wispy.......... 

wide open plains...............gorgeous........... 

clouds even cleared away......... 

One day was pretty warm and the next was freezing.........you can spot me coming with my bright beanies............... 

All this activity means no time to sew.........i'm too tired when i get home after 11hours out to do anything except wash some more clothes and fill the dishwasher.........

&&&

We also had a "ladies" RFS (Rural Fire Services) training day for the ladies in out brigade........after all the fires in the last season we have been pretty active......so look out husbands we know a bit more now........we're not off to fires other then in our area......but we are the first response .....and of course we got to enjoy a good social day catching up with each other.....yummy morning tea and lunch..........

&&&

Every "free" day is going to be be with Mr Chooky for the next month or so, so I may be quieter here.......unless you get more farm stuff.............

It's a unique experience living and working on a farm...............I would not swap it........

.........take care til next time.....Chookyblue.........

presents, selfies, feeding, .......

I had to make a birthday present parcel for my Friends in Stitching group............I made these for Kerri......

We had to include a special saying..........this is the one i chose for Kerri......she has just been reorganising her sewing space so she can hang this on the wall or sit it on a shelf if she likes.........

Dzintra was at some markets and she "had" to buy these for me.........2 chooky place mats......I love the fabric and have not seen anything like it before.........thanks so much......

Janice gave me this platter..........i'll stick it in the chookshed with the champagne glasses for nibbles.........I love it............thanks Janice........

Now this "selfie" of me is more like what I normally get from Fairy Girl.......just so you can get a good look at me..........lol........Mr Chooky wanted me to help feed the cattle......I had to muster them in on the bike and it was freezing hence "my disguise"............there was a very cold wind......

 some of the calves........

we need some rain.............its a green drought.....

.....looks nice and green but no length in the feed for the cows to get enough and they all have small calves so they need more food..............

 dinner time...........

I love seeing them all in the food line............ 

bums up......... 

enjoy every moment cause you never know whats around the corner............

.........take care til next time.....Chookyblue.........

busy....

all good just busy..........catch you next week...........

.........take care til next time.....Chookyblue.........