Ged has gone away so last week was mainly directed at him getting him all packed with everything he needed for a three week adventure in the far Northern Territory (sounds like hell to me – sand flies, sweat, mosquitoes and crocodiles!) and him trying to get lots done in the yard and house before he left so I wouldn’t throw too many tantrums about the lack of progress while he was getting eaten alive in the Gulf of Carpentaria. The logical question at this juncture is WHY would anyone want to drive for twelve hours a day over three and half days in order to go somewhere hot, bug-ridden and crocodile infested? It’s beyond me, but before I came along and he had a life (!) he used to go on these crazy camping adventures. This one is supposed to be a fishing trip but since fishing bores him rigid, I can’t quite see the point and neither can he, but plans long since made must be honoured so I am all on my tod again (already!)
I have been logically working my way through a long list of jobs and enjoying the silence and the solitude. Phee has been revelling in being the sole focus of my intention and getting under the duvet privileges again. I steered clear of the chainsaw until Sunday and then had to swallow the fear in order to try and tame the orange tree trim into something I could burn. By Monday at 7.30am I was wielding it like a pro and had significantly diminished the boughs into ash. Go, girl! I forgot how independent and invincible I am!
Even George has abandoned me as he has reached his monthly ‘cap’. He has done some amazing clearing work again. He takes that tractor where no sane person would go – he goes up and down vertical cliffs and while it often seems like we work for George, not the other way round, when I throw a mini hissy fit about some part of the farm that is driving me crazy (normally lantana related!) he gets to work to make me happy. The whole of the ridge coming up from Angle Creek was overgrown with 6 foot of lantana and now it’s all gone – thank you, George. He has also been clearing the big gully on the bend coming down to the house and I have grand plans that I haven’t shared with him yet for a waterfall and a dam there. I cornered him the other day before he disappeared for the month and asked him for a map of how he would want the cattle yards planned out as I was coming round to his way of thinking, that they could be relocated to the flat by Angle Creek (it is a natural mustering triangle – see picture below). So he showed me the clearing work he has already done so he can build a fence from the creek up the far ridge – cheeky bugger! He knows that if I so much as even sway from my stated position, he will get his own way in the end!!
Good thing I had my clothes on when he and Marcia turned up on Sunday lunchtime with a young bull and left him in the yards to wean from his Mum. Poor boy he lay in the very little shade all Sunday afternoon with tears streaming down his face. But he runs away from both Phee and me so we can’t soothe him. He has been very quiet and sad, with just some early morning roaring to remind us he is there. I think Tinkerbell is befriending him and if we can only explain to him that he is not in hell as he thinks, but in heaven . . . there are over a hundred heifers on the other side of the property – actually maybe that is hell . . . one poor lone stud and a hundred strong harem – no wonder he’s crying!!