There’s one thing about living on a farm. There is always something to do, either fixing up, setting up or clearing up. A four-letter word sums it all up – busy! Let me tell you about what happened here over a few days. The two flocks of sheep needed to be fed. It’s winter here and naturally-growing food is scarce in the paddocks (fields) so hand-feeding is the order of the day. We feed cut lucerne and sheep pellets/nuts at least twice a week. So, over the last few days I loaded the lucerne onto the truck with buckets of sheep nuts and headed out with two gates to open – and shut. I managed to put the feed out ready before the sheep saw me and arrived at full gallop to gorge themselves and bunt one another out of the way. 
The guardian alpacas also ambled over to have their share of the munch. I stay on the other side of the fence as last year I was a victim of the sheep pushing unceremoniously and know of folk who have had their legs broken. I prefer my legs the way they are. I counted the sheep and one was missing. That was expected and later was found dead. We did an autopsy and decided the sheep needed cobalt and silenium in the form of a lick placed out for easy access so we did not lose any more. Next job was to source the specialised licks.
Many phone calls later we located them – a journey of over 100 kms. And that was only one extra job but time has to be made to fit it in and of course shuffling jobs into a new prioritised list. Never a dull moment as according to what happens, priorities are shifted and extras absorbed.
Some of the other jobs that had been on the agenda were cutting, loading, bringing home, and stacking wood for the slow-combustion fires, one of which is the cooking stove.
Then there were the posts out in the hazelnut orchard that needed to be painted white. Why? A member of my family insists that a white post will deter the kangaroos from
jumping on the trees and breaking them down.
Watch this space. A friendly wombat has decided it owns my garden. Any green shoot on the roses, or the daphne or other plants struggling to survive are being nibbled off every night so I have a garden of one-sided plants.
I tried arranging camouflage netting along one side. It worked for a bit, with the wombat rushing off one night draped in a section it got caught in. It took us three weeks to find the netting out in the paddock where the wombat finally extricated itself from it. Didn’t deter it. It is still dining on my flower plants.
Of course there are a few foxes hiding on the next-door property and they like to prowl over here in case there is something juicy for them to eat – like poultry. Just as well I don’t have any because it would be a worry trying to keep them safe.
Foxes have long and bushy tails, often as long as their bodies. The one in the photo is showing how long his is, almost dragging along the ground. They always look very alert with their ears pointed up in listening attitude and sharp shiny eyes always on the lookout.