Just when you thought it was safe

Just when you thought it was safe.

The piglets start to hide in the straw to keep the flies off.

Charlotte and I had such a time yesterday trying to keep track of them all. And now I have to worry about their mother standing on them again. They are hidden in there. But at least they are safe from these nasty biting flies. Sigh. 

Pania has been sighted  jumping the fence and waddling nonchalantly right down the back of Pat’s paddock where there is a bit of long grass and no threat of haymakers. Let’s hope she is nesting within the boundaries so she will be safer from predators.

Ton has been teaching Boo about blog photographs and how to insert oneself unobtrusively into the frame.

Arthur’s mulberry tree is growing nicely and Mr M’s has just begun to bud, at last.  But Bugs has had to have the humidity treatment.

To try and force the shoots out.  Its head is wrapped in a clear plastic bag with a damp rag enclosed to create lots of moisture.   The slow  (and no) growth of these trees is mystifying.

Good morning. After chores I will rake the hay into windrows and get it all ready for the baling tonight. The hay is ready to bale, it dried slowly due to the cooler calm days. The heat is only just reaching us. The baler on the other hand is not ready to bale. Our John had it out after work last night but it is still having trouble knotting a string. It does this every single time we start it up after a break.  So lets hope it shakes out the cobwebs and gets its groove on tonight, there is work to do. It would all be easier if John was working on the farm, but he is off at his own work at least 12 hours a day for 6 days a week. I can do most things by myself but baling the hay with a wonky baler is not one of them, I need help with that. And both of us have only done one season of baling hay. There is more to it than meets the eye.

So it is 5.30am and off to work I go.  Later I shall take some photographs of The Coop for you. The bathroom is finished and hopefully the painter will be staining the covered verandah today so that next week it will be screened in (his last job)  and we can start eating our dinners out there. The flies have come!

Have a lovely day.

your friend, celi