something wrong

30.8.2012

Something feels wrong but I can’t quite put my finger on it. On the surface we are carrying on more or less as normal, but it is a bit like standing in the calm bit between waves in heavy surf!  Yesterday was Wayne’s birthday so we all met for lunch in Bo’s restaurant. It was lovely to have so many family members there to celebrate with us.

I had spent the day before looking everywhere for an appropriate cake decoration and just when I was about to give up I found a large and gorgeous lady statue that with the aid of pompoms and suitable coloured paint could be transformed into a football cheer leader. The icing on the chocolate cake looked much like the local football grounds (after all the rain) and she gave us all a laugh. Wayne says he does not fancy her chances if his team looses in the finals this weekend!

The good thing about Bo’s restaurant is that it serves Simon’s beer and there is a drink there for all of us. I love a stout, Edd has ESB and Al and Wayne drank some yellower beer that I am not sure I can pronounce, let alone spell! There was sadness in our party. Simon is working far too hard again, Josh is a continent away in Perth and it seems that X has left our family forever. Pia was working so she could not fill the gap.

Al’s kids are growing up and swinging between independence adult and petulant teenage behaviour. India is really close to the end of her school years and Arden is not looking as if he will last to year twelve at the moment. Ti is due to start high school next year so he lags behind a bit. The more I see the gladder I am that those years are behind us. You try to build the best survival boat you can by your parenting but there comes a time when all boats get launched on the water and have to float or sink alone.

24.8.2012

The weather has plunged back into winter with a large electrical storm last night and icy winds today. The goat kids are getting better at bottle-feeding and now the milking machine is in use my hands are spared from all the tight, full, udders of the new mothers. The goats are very courteous to each other at this time of year. Quetta gave birth to her babies just by the gate the goats go through to get their morning feed. Usually there is a big push to get through the gate first but this time the goats all stood well back from Quetta and only came carefully through the gate one at a time when called!

Nola had her babies yesterday. Two bucks, and the first one was huge. It was lucky that I was around to help her because it needed extra pulling to get out. Nola and Quetta are both good mothers and good milkers too. I never know how the goatlings will turn out but this year we are getting some beauties. 

My plan is to breed larger yielding goats but keep less of them. Before the fires we had mostly Nubian goats because the host farm guests loved their fantastic colours and long ears. The snag was that they are not the best milkers but we are now breeding our way to the other style of goat and managing to keep the variety of colours.