4x4 Farm Work

Woke up very late today, due to the late night drive yesterday. For some time I just lay in bed and rested, until I got up to get some breakfast. James was already out and about on the farm doing stuff, so the first other person than Catherin I meet was her mum. Friendly, if a bit quiet, woman and we had some breakfast before getting a shower and other things sorted out. One of the first things I did after that was get rid of all the cobwebs in the room and some of the spiders still residing in them. Once the duster had been completely covered I left the rest as there where not a lot left anyway. Next on the agenda was clean a few things in the kitchen by which time James had walked in as it was close to lunch. We had some Pizza ala Victoria (normal Pizza with egg and more cheese on top). After that we got some boots and clothes sorted out for me, as James, Catherin and me where heading out for some work. I got a pair of old rubber boots and after seeing the cobwebs in that gave them a good shake. I have not seen the infamous Redback Spider yet, something I still had on my list (Redbacks don't kill, unless you are sick already or have some problem, but the pain is supposed to be excruciating and you get a bit ill). What falls out after a very heavy shake? A Redback. Do I get to see it? No, Cathering (who was next to me) squashes it with her boot nearly instantly after shouting out “That's a Redback”. Sigh, oh well, better luck next time.

After that incident James and me moved around a few bags full of grains (with a tractor, the bags way a ton or more). One had unfortunately ripped and spilled out a lot of grain, so I'll shovel that in at some point. The cattle needed feeding, so we headed out with two Ute's (a Toyota Hilux with a raise able load area on the back) and a tractor. And the scenery was just wow. Heading over a hill I was greeted with rolling hills, the only comparison I can make would be Wales or Scotland. Turned in to a field with cattle in to get to the hay shed at the other end. Just what I had been longing to do in Australia. Driving and off-road car across field with a brilliant scenery around. James would put a hay bail a time on the back of the ute and Catherin and me would drive them to the different paddocks to the cattle there. James owns a cattle farm, so a lot of cows and sheep. We finished that in good time and went to pick up some wood from gumtrees in one of the paddocks. James was ploughing it to sow some grain and the gumtrees had dropped a lot of big old branches. Grabbed them and went back to the farm to chop them up for firewood. Contrary to most beliefs, Australia can get cold at night and fortunately they have a stove to burn all the excess wood. So in the evening we had fish and vegetables in a nice warm kitchen. After dinner a calf which had been rejected by its mum had to be fed, so I got to hand-feed a baby calf.

A very good start to farm work here in Victoria, Australia. Looking to be fun.