On the farm today............



It's been hot and muggy today. I took the kids for a drive to photograph an old Oak tree at the local primary school since it's due for the chop very shortly to make way for a new classroom. Our community is up in arms about the poor old tree. In a way I don't blame them. Some said it didn't have a history to it at all. But yes in a way it has got a history. It was one of the trees that was planted on Arbour Day 1926 by a caring youngster who cared for that tree every week and watched it grow. It's one of the few trees left from that special day. My girls are angry about it. Me I can't really form an opinion since I edit the local rag here. Someone though, has organised a petition to try and save the old Oak tree. From what I saw there were a lot of names and signatures on it. Good on them.



We got the horses down to mow the back lawn, since a lawnmower would die from all the ruts, and the hard to cut Kikuyu grass some bright spark brought over and it ended up taking over Northland pastures. I hate the stuff. Great in summer - useless in winter. Our thoroughbred mare Sasha had a very bad winter and had got an abcess in her wither. It's taken her a while to regain her condition but she has improved a lot since August. Ed the old man at 28 years old is as fat as a pig and I have to guard Sasha while she has her special feed we give her. Sasha is 22 yrs old. Sadly Thoroughbreds don't do as well as cross-bred horses like the old man. His sire was a quarter horse so he's big solid and strong. Maggie and Feather made the most out of cleaning up the leftovers before the others had a chance to get a look in.


The Terrorist did nothing but bellow all day, deciding it wasn't good enough being ignored way up there on the hill. We have the bull running with the other cattle at the moment so we don't want a five month old calf being jumped by Micah thank you very much. And he will if he gets a chance She's been put to bed now with her night night bottle (spoilt toad) and will be watching over Inaya and Michelle who are sleeping out in their new tent their Auntie gave them for Christmas. I have a feeling Mr Screech will make his presence known to them at around 4 am tomorrow morning. He's decided to show up again minus Mrs Screech. I bet Mrs Screech has found a new Mr Screech somewhere. So we'll be hearing all about that no doubt until a new Mrs Screech pays a visit and makes a new nest by the dam.



The sign is now finished and hopefully it will be picked up in the next day or two and out of my way. It's been a great day and tomorrow should be even better. And the Terrorist is still staring at me..........

Comments

  1. Good Morning, Liz
    The tree is a wonderful old thing, if I was there I would sign the up to keep the tree.
    I love the picture of the animals and your children ! Your girls are beautiful.
    I did draw the fat cat and that turned out well. Still working on the dolphin ! It is looking less like a submarine. LOL Love/Hugs

    ReplyDelete
  2. The terrorist is getting so big now.


    Jennifer

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lovely to read about warm weather and to see your girls in Summer clothes - here it is dull and very cold as we are having arctic weather from Siberia! All the American bloggers seem to be under several feet of snow! Keep cool.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Leon - Hey Leon thanks for dropping over. I'm good. Be over to check out your blogs. See you have a few - great.

    Hi Leslie

    I like that old tree too sadly it needs some tlc to keep it healthy it's not looking too healthy. Glad you like the pictures of the kids and the population as I call them.

    Wonderful on the fat cat and like I said dolphins in a way are submarines with noses on them!!!LOL! Big hug and love to you too.

    Jennifer - yes the Terrorist is getting big. She's small for her age but now she's up to my hip and getting ever bigger. Gosh your calves must be huge by now..and weaned. The Terrorist is weaned in a way - she's just spoilt. LOL!

    Weaver - I'm glad the summer has come. Don't you wish we could all have perfect weather with the rain machine turned on each night after midnight to keep the water supply going the grass green and the garden well watered. No winter has to spoil everything or we get a drought. Tell Siberia they can keep their weather.

    Take care
    Liz

    ReplyDelete
  5. wow the girls got a tent for xmas? cool! Sasha is doing incrdibly well since winter's been and gone. the old oak tree? well i'm for it staying but where else can they put the new classroom? any ideas?

    ReplyDelete
  6. I hate to see any tree get cut down to make way for a building....your girls are getting so tanned! They look lovely, did they have a good night in the tent or did Mr Screech wake them up?? LOL So how is Sasha? Healed up good now? King appears to be loosing a little weight, we are moving Bella out and over to the other 3 horses for the winter...those two have become so sour apart from eachother and I've read to move them around a lot so they get over it....hence the move, pluse my little guy apparently wasnt weaned and he's been trying to nurse,,bella just wants to make woopie...lol a funny combination of feelings out in our pasture right now. Terrorist is spoiled...she is so much like my oliver! The same personalities...I hope that if I get another heifer to handrear she is like those two. I've been away from bloggerland so much the last couple weeks...I sure do miss the posts and pictures and all the fun....*sigh* I shall not do that again if I can help it!
    Luv to you, Inaya, and Michelle!
    Rae

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Amy,

    That's a good question on the tree. Things to consider..budget. What will it cost to relocate the building. The tree is an issue. If it had been a tree planted for a celebration of a coronation then Historic Places Trust would have been down on the BOT like a ton of bricks. They could build upwards perhaps but again it's budget constraints. Transplanting the tree would most likely kill it. Its condition isn't wonderful poor old tree. The community is saying the tree stays. The BOT is saying the tree goes. My kids want the tree to stay. Sixes and sevens. A hard one to truly know what to do. I think it should stay and money raised to get an arborist in to look at it. Yeah the girls got spoilt which perhaps they needed this year. Have a great holiday!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi………
    Absolutely fantastic post! Good job!
    Great! Keep posting
    Good week………
    " A Happy New Year''

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Liz,

    Oh, I love all the pictures of the animals, even the terrorist. LOL. And the girls are so cute! Good for them to take a stand about the poor old oak tree. Hopefully, it can somehow be saved. But a classroom is important as well.

    Oh, I did want to comment on your cute chickens. I used to raise all kinds of colorful bantams. My favorites were the silkie's. Not sure if you have any of those in NZ.

    Seeing all the summery things makes me long for warmer weather! Only 3 more months until spring!

    Have a wonderful Wednesday and the happiest new year to you and yours.

    Love and blessings,

    Renie

    ReplyDelete
  10. Are all calves as cute as the terrorist or is she special?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Rae -Hey there girl. Mr Screech didn't wake the girls up we woke me up instead. I was so busy yesterday I forgot to put a post up on the blog here!!! Hope you're okay with doing all the feeding out. Bella will be better with the others. Sasha is a lot better but still has a few issues with her health. I keep my horses together. Everyone here is having fun. Big hugs and love and the girls say HI RAE!!!
    Love Liz

    Hi Susan, Hope you are well haven't seen you for a while.Happy New Year to you too. I'll be over to visit again soon
    Liz

    Hi Renie,

    I used to have a pair of Chinese Silkie bantams. They were gorgeous. It's become really hot here better than yukky winter which I can't stand. It's crazy here as usual. Maggie (the black hen is already at the door expecting my breakfast. LOL! Stay warm

    Lots of love and hugs
    Liz

    Hi Kathleen,

    In the case of the Terrorist I think the cuteness is a disease. All calves when they are little are cute...then they turn into bulls or cows or steers. River my eldest cow here I raised from a baby in 2006. She's still my baby along with Stream, Ocean and Micah from last year. Micah though is naughty and he's a bull enough said. I have heaps of photos of calves. I'll post some up so you can see just how cute calves can be.

    Take care
    Liz

    PS Thanks for following the blog too made my week!!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts