We’ve been trying to get the lambs in to shear them since before Christmas. Moved to different paddocks as the flood water encroached before christmas and then caught in small mobs while cut off from the yards, they have of course ended up with worms (yep it’s the sheep equivilant). My sister Brooke and Dad went out late last week to do a reccky and Brooke caught the ‘sickest’ and they were drenched in the paddock. She even managed an impressive stumble, shoulder roll with a half pike and twist after falling foul of the cattle bogged ground. By the weekend the ground was dry enough to move. Finally they were mustered and yarded yesterday and despite the showers late this afternoon shearing will hopefully continue tomorrow.

On saturday we managed to get into one of our places which had been cut off since early November. The cattle look sleek, the calves unbranded due to the weather and the fodder sorghum-buggered. Still it was good to be able to get around. Of course some areas are still cut off. Our western country received 90 mm of rain about ten days ago and is totally water logged. We also have the joyous prospect of yet another flood coming down the Whalan Creek. When I took Brooke into the plane in Moree last night four causeways were full of water and rising. Still you can do alot more with rain than dust although our program is a bit behind at this stage. We have sprayed some cultivations by plane and about 1000 acres is in the process of being worked. With stock bunched up on fields during the flood some cultivations have to be worked to get the boggy hoof marks out otherwise it is too rough for the sowing gear.

Gotta run and check on my lamb roast!

PS – My roast took 2.5 hours to cook last night thanks to fluctuating power, but it was yummy!