Deck immediately outside 'my' cottage

Hello from the Shire & a special welcome to the early-turners PS, KW, HS, PW, AT, & CD.

Had a call from Kevin @ Trelawney yesterday asking me to bring my start date forward to next Monday. I wanted to say no & that I would start on the 20th like we had agreed as that would give me exactly 1 month between jobs but something told me that might not look too keen.

So I start work @ 7am, Monday. Long hours 7-5, don't mind as long as it's busy.
If it's not busy will be looking for summat else.

Yesterday Michelle & I dropped into see Eric at work whilst we were in town. He had made the mistake of mentioning there were pups in the pound & needless to say we had to go look.

I can't imagine a more grim place to keep animals & I don't envy Eric his job.

The 'pound' was a graffiti-covered, brick-built unit about 3 metres by 12 on a piece of scrap-covered, council-owned waste-land. No windows & about 5 cages inside. It was dark, damp, & dank.

The 'inmates' yesterday were the 2 pups & a handsome, dignified older dog who had more than a touch of Rotty judging by his magnificent ginger eyebrows. The pups were lovely (apart from smelling the way you would expect after being locked up for 2 days) they were about 6 weeks old. One was brindle & very squeaky & the other was a fawn colour with a white chest. Both looked of GSD descent.

This part of North Island has a bad problem with stray dogs & it's Eric's job to round up strays. He makes all the checks he can but the fact is if they are unclaimed after 7 days they are destroyed. I have no problem assisting any animal out of it's suffering if it is old or unwell but I just could not be a part of destroying healthy young animals.

It's a part of his job that Eric dislikes too but unfortunately there is no way around it.

NZ dogs have to be licenced, needless to say, many are not.

I keep meaning to tell you about 'bobby calves' & keep forgetting.

This is sad, don't read if you know it will upset you.

The Waikato area is primarily dairy cattle land. The ground is heavy & rich & excellent for grazing cattle. When the calves are born (this time of year) only the heifers are kept ie. the ones which produce milk. The bull calves are sent for slaughter at a couple of days old.

The price paid originally for one of these bull calves was a bob hence 'bobby-calves'.

During calving a 'bobby-cart' (truck) calls at each dairy-farm to collect these calves.
The calves are left overnight in a metal cage at the end of the driveway & on the road.
Michelle pointed one out to me & explained it's purpose. I am glad to say I haven't seen one in use yet.

I was surprised to read in the local paper here 'The Waikato Times' that some Kiwis have reservations about the use of these crates. I was surprised because I just assumed the locals accepted it as part of farming life & that only softies like me thought it sad.

A couple of locals have been complaining that the men who collect the calves manhandle them too roughly & also that the calves should not be left in the crates overnight but should be put in there the morning the truck is due. A healthy debate is now raging in the paper with the men who do the job complaining about poor pay & those opposing them saying they should not be working with animals at all.

Again, it makes me grateful that Mal & Mike always handled the stock at Marfell with patience & care. Their reason for doing so was financial as well as humane because the Works can refuse to take a beast with bruising as it affects the taste of the meat.

However, as Mal explained to me, if you injure a steer the 1st time you have contact with it, your job is that much harder the 2nd time.

I had a very long chat with Mal last night, it was lovely to hear the farm news.

GT has calmed down considerably & Mal told me 'even Trish petted him yesterday'
Bet he hated it really :)

Don continues to work although he didn't think much of going on the bike with Mike the other day, Mal wonders if Don is a 'girl's dog' as he loved going on the bike with me ?

They are receiving a couple of hundred heifers in the next few days so have been checking & repairing all the electric fence boundaries. The grass has grown very long as they have not had cattle (except for 2) since I left.

The ponies Ben & Honey competed at a show in Christchurch at the weekend.

Paddy & Ben did a storming x-country round but were penalised for missing a jump (rider error not pony) Good news, I really like Ben.

Vinny & Honey (evil yellow one) came last in the dressage and fell on the x-country. Both were ok after being checked by doctor & vet respectively.

Oh. Dear.

The laundry-room floor has not been seen for several weeks.

Mal's ribs are less painful but he suffers some discomfort when climbing into the tractor. I suggested a small trampoline might assist.

He ended the call by telling me to take care around the 'young buggers' at the stud who would as soon a 'kill you as look at you' I assured him I would be taking no risks around them. If it comes to me or a yearling tearing past me & escaping my money's on the horse escaping. I have got this far without a broken bone, I don't intend starting now.

I went to a quarry to collect some gravel yesterday. The gravel is to go over a weed-membrane at the side of the pool. As I arrived at the quarry I was waved to follow the tractor driver. At home you would have to wear a hard hat, reflective vest & wouldn't be allowed anywhere nr where all the works vehicles were.

Here, I just set off after the tractor driver, who wasn't hanging around, right through the excavation area with all the diggers, tractors & lovely assorted, yellow big things right up to the 100' pile of gravel.

As he dumped the gravel in my trailer he gave me a thumbs-up & I was off.

We didn't speak a word during the whole transaction.

NZ's like that.

So, that's my job today. Have just had toast & lemon curd for brekkie & as I type I can hear that a chicken has laid an egg.

We had 6 yesterday & that's what they are laying every day. Eric says he'll threaten them with the pot earlier in future !

Bye for now, still waiting for photos, it's like Xmas !

Cx