I can't believe I did it AGAIN!

You would think I would learn from my last encounter trying to save a sick sheep. After the heartbreak of losing Daisy I swore I would not do it again....until a ewe found its way onto our property and delivered a little baby girl lamb named Flossy....

Flossy's Mum was thin and in poor condition and had not one drop if milk to feeb her baby. We tried to get her to suck and the little bub tried hard to get some milk, so we went and got some bottles and lamb formula and set to raising her. She soon followed us around the house and would cry if we put her back in the stable with Mum, so quickly became our house pet.

Last night I held her like a baby and fed her a bottle and she fell asleep in my arms. I placed her in front of the fire in a laundry basket, all rugged up with a nappy on. She didn't wake to feed and I saw at 2am she was asleeep but moving about. Greg woke at 4.30am and I heard him sigh...Flossy was dead. She was still warm so we tried massaging her chest a little but she was gone and once again we are heartbroken.

It seems that 80% of lambs die if not fed by their mother, no matter what you do. The good news is Mum is still alive and the other sheep we also found half dead has stood up today but I know better than to get my hopes up. I just wish owners of livestock would at least keep watch over and care for their animals. As we discovered next door 4 more dead lambs and a heap more dead sheep. Its not on.

On a brighter note I also saved 9 ducks from the chop as their owner didn't want them. Now we have 11 ducks , 8 chickens and an unwanted rooster but at least they are thriving here. Needless to say I have become vegetarian as I can no longer bear to eat meat when I have so many furry and feathered friends..who knows perhaps I will grow out of it.

The local paper

Since Dylan was born I have not watched the news or read a newspaper as I find it way too alarming and depressing. Plus I don't really believe what they tell me, thanks to Year 11 Modern History WWII propaganda stories, and I always feel everything is sensationalised and we are only told what the powers that be want us to know.


I have however, always said that I would like to watch the "Good "News" (no, not as in the bible) but a current affairs program that told the good suff going on. My husband , Greg, says no one would watch it and I never have believed him until now..... thats it until I read my local paper, country style.

I have to admit it is really entertaining to see top stories featuring public concern over the gridlock at the town roundabout (you have got to be kidding I hardly even need to slow down to enter it!), or the enormous turnip a local farmer grew or even the local classifieds featuring sheep drenching utensils (whatever that is) and livestock sales. I paticularly love the local stories of weddings and births (written assuming everyone surely knows the featured couples) but my particular fav is the local political stories over small , tiny stuff like the library relocation causing unrest in the entire community or the outrage over roadworks causing traffic .

I guess its nice to not read about murders, rapes and suicides and to hear some of the happy sides of freakish farming ability and local happenings for a change, but I think its going to take a LOOONG time before I can take it seriously.

Country Drivers

I can see you nodding before I begin as no doubt you know I am about to vent my frustration at having to share the road with the delightful country driver. Yes I know I live in the county so should have seen it coming but honestly I never gave it a thought!

I have taken up a job where 3 days a week I drive 100km to work whick takes about 75minutes. Unfortunately I am forced to share the road with country drivers, who for some reason think its a sin to actually drive the speed limit, or for that matter even to drive anywhere near the allowed speed. If you are thinking "whats the rush?", my reply is to re read the first sentence in this paragraph! 75 minutes has turned into 90 minutes which is a long time to get to work ! Whats more its a one lane road the WHOLE way ! I am going to develop an ulcer if I have do this much longer!

If I am not in a rush (remember I am from Sydney so of course am in a rush) I do find myself bemused as I navigate local towns and find all of a sudden the car in front either does a complete U turn without so much as a slight indication, or out of nowhere a car pulls out in front of me, the driver obviously oblivious of the reason why cars have rear vision mirrors. Then they usually continue to drive on at about 20km an hour on a ONE lane road! Almost as good as the country pedestrian that randomly decides to step onto the road regardless of oncoming traffic (PS traffic here means more than 2 cars on a road - gridlock is when more than 3 cars are waiting at an intersection facing different directions)

The other day on a main road coming home from work a van pulled out from a left side road, right in front of me, forcing me to stop literally right under the driver side window. I sat stunned (and grateful I was able to stop) with my palms upturned in an exasperated, questioning gesture and stared intently at the driver waiting for his shock at our near collision. He continued to drive, gazing above the height of my car, oblivious of my presence right under his nose! Imagine if he was in the city and did that?

I guess the upshot is, if you have read my earlier blogs, they are helping me avoid more speeding fines but they may cause me to perform other illegal actions lol ! I will keep you posted x