Summer

Hello at long last. Once again time has slipped by and its been way too long since my last post.

We are well on our way into 2025 and as per usual I sit here typing clumsily as I try to recall our lives and what might make an interesting read.

I will start with recent activities and hopefully my memory will fill the gaps.

Last week Matt and I were processing cattle, we had about 200 to do and 30 mickey bulls to cut. We were only about 20 head done and I was in the backyards bringing cattle up and Matt yelled out for me. I didn’t think much of it and thought to myself ‘yeah yeah I’ll be there in a minute’ only to realise when I got closer he was holding his hand across his arm. He had put the scalpel into his forearm and was bleeding everywhere. I sorted the cattle out, emptying the race and pushing cattle back into yards etc before ushering him to the ute and off to town we go. The cut itself was only minimal but we were more concerned about germs given that he had already cut about 10 bulls with the scalpel. A good flush out and a bit of glue and we were back on our way home to finish the job a few hours later!

Only a few days later I was leaving town, it was just Ashton and I, after picking up a ute and big trailer load of sawdust, and Ashton just didn’t seem himself. As we were getting ready to go he tells me he has a sore ear. A quick assessment of him tells me he has an ear infection so off I go back to the health centre. Indeed it was an infection, so some antibiotics and a dose of panadol for the trip home and we were on our way. As we’re heading home with this big heavy load on the sky was getting darker and darker ahead and a big storm was brewing. Matt and the girls weren’t at home so I attempted to ring our neighbour for a weather report before I lost phone reception but got no answer. I decide to press on and hope for the best, knowing that our opportunity to turn around would end at the bitumen and we would either make it home or get bogged. We hit the edge of the storm about 20km from home and continued slowly along the gravel until we made it to our driveway. Into 4×4 we go and start along the black soil. All was going well and it didn’t seem too bad until I got to the first grid which is on a bit of a jump up and we just started sliding, the ute made that awful grinding sound when all the electric stuff just locks you up and you really have no control. Ok then, looks like we’re going forward like it or not! I aim for the middle of the grid, take off all brakes and hope the trailer follows straight behind. We miss the grid sides by inches and we’re through. Phew! Right. “Ashy I think we will go really slow!” A few dodgy places and more grid crossings and we made it home! Ute and trailer caked in thick black mud but we didn’t have to walk in and abandon ‘ship’, so it was a win. A few hours on the gurney the next day and the trailer was clean….I’m still yet to do the ute.

Last year saw our managers sell off a nearby property that adjoins us, which meant a busy time sorting cattle and equipment before settlement. They have purchased a new property in a different area which will allow them to help drought proof by having country in different locations and also access different cattle markets.

We also saw a change in neighbours on the other side of us at Minnie Downs. The family managing since we’ve been here has left and we have a new young family there now. It is nice to have another family, and great that they have a preppy on the bus.

Matt has been his busy usual self. Always plenty to do across the properties and we have also been busy trying to get the cabins (Josh & Denae’s) progressing in town. He has been in town quite a bit working with plumbers, electricians, doing earthworks etc. Early January saw us take a trip back toward the Coast, both for what was supposed to be pleasure and work. We went back with a car and horsefloat as well as the station truck. Our plan was to celebrate Matt’s Dads 80th Birthday, catch up with family on the fly and also fill the truck with both cabin gear and stuff for our house…I’ll get to that soon. Unfortunately Matts Dad was in hopsital at the time of our visit, so much of Matts time was spent at the hospital. The day after we had left Ercildoune Matt was getting notifications on his phone that tank levels were dropping at home which meant there were water issues. It was extremely hot when we had left and water issues are a big concern, particularly when we aren’t home. Our cattle rely mostly on troughs for water and we don’t have natural sources we can let them onto. We had 2 neighbours come and try and sort it out for us but they could only do so much. Only 4 days into our trip Matt had to turn around and come home to sort it out, he had to bring Lexi home with him as well because I didn’t have enough seats. I was left behind with Indigo & Ashton in the truck to finish the mission of picking up pre ordered furniture and equipment for the cabins. Most of my time was spent shopping with the kids for everything we needed and a few quick visits with family and friends in between. The kids and I made the long trip home in the truck, we left at 5:30am and arrived in Tambo at 7pm that night, it was a long day but surprisingly we all travelled well! It was not the relaxed annual Coast visit one might hope for.

Last year saw us finally build a house on our town block. We purchased a kit home and Matt and I erected most of it ourselves, along with the help of his brother Glen who came out for 2 weeks to get the frame up. We are now at lock up and slowly making progress each weekend. We are still a ways off finishing but its nice to see a house there. I have hit a bit of a wall with my enthusiasm toward the house. It has been a hard slog to get this far, especially over the summer. Matt has done far more than me but I try to help where I can. Unfortunately our tenant left our Blackall house before Christmas and we are yet to find a suitable replacement so it has remained vacant for some months. I will be pleased to have a break from houses and construction for a while once this one is done. Although Matt’s certain we will do another one eventually…maybe our next home, wherever that might be.

This year saw Ashton start Kindy. He now attends school with ‘sissy’s’ in town and catches the bus in twice a week. The first day was a tough one for me, he is my little mate and it was really hard letting him go knowing that he is our last ‘baby’ to head to school. I have adjusted though and am enjoying 2 child free days each week. It allows me to get uninterrupted office work done, go for a ride or do jobs that’s easier without a little person. He absolutely loves it and we can see he’s grown up so much in the past few weeks. The girls have gone into grade 5 and grade 3. Most afternoons after school are spent on their horses or riding their motorbikes. Ashton has also conquered his fear of his motorbike. Since starting kindy he has become a crazy speed demon and zooms around on his little peewee 50 with training wheels. He burns around flat out. He’s had a few little busters which hasn’t fazed him. It is nice to be out late in the afternoon as a family when we can. Indigo is growing up fast and becoming very independent. The neighbours at Woolga station are a young family with 2 kids under two and often ask if Indi can come over. She helps them with all sorts of tasks from mustering cattle, yard work, mowing and babysitting. She’s very capable, she can drive just about anything here now and drives herself the 10km across to Woolga either on the buggy, quad or Matt’s Hilux. Although she has regressed with confidence around cattle, we’re not sure why she is struggling, there hasn’t been any near misses or scary incidents, hopefully she will gain her confidence back. Lexi loves just to hang out, as long as she’s near us. She does the dogs with Matt every afternoon without doubt and if you’re near her she grabs your hand to swing it in hers. She was always my little koala baby and not much has changed with the exception of her ridiculously long legs. She remains our messiest child, she’s like a little tornado, always into something and leaving a mess behind.

This term of school I have opted OUT of all extra curricular activities and am enjoying staying home with no after school agenda. Come March the social calendar of events gets so full with pony club, campdrafts, shows and general town happenings. With Ashton starting kindy too I felt it was best to get his routine established and settled before we take on too much for the rest of the year.

My time is shared across Mum duties, office work and cattle work. I am enjoying my role but think I may need to do something more this year now that Ashton is at kindy. Matt and I are going to be managing the cabins in town when they are up and running so I anticipate I will be a whole lot busier then. We will see how that goes. I also hold several volunteer positions in town including Tambo Pony Club president, Campdraft treasurer, uniform lady and the local fire district secretary. There is a lot of admin for volunteers and it can be very time consuming for me. I do find it enjoyable most of the time though, it helps fill my cup socially and makes me feel apart of things in the community. Most of my time is spent at home, although that can change each week with school demands, volunteer duties and building at the house.

Ziggy our little dog has finally filled his intended position of snake alarm. He started barking at the big goanna’s that come near the house which we encouraged and over the last year he has now started barking if he see’s a snake. He’s alerted us to several around the house. I know his alert bark now so I go and check what he’s found….often followed by a quick trip back to the house for my trusty .410.

Not much else to report, but I’ll pop some ‘fun facts’ below.

THINGS I KNOW FOR CERTAIN 😉

• -If I wear comfortable home clothes expecting that I will not be required outside on any given day I can most certainly expect a call from Matt that I am indeed required outside for a job that requires work clothes! Every time!

• The days that for whatever reason I do not put nice earrings in and dress in reasonable clothes will be the day that I have an unexpected visitor turn up. Just like the recent time when our new mail lady so generously delivered our cold goods to the house and I had not long come inside and stripped off my dirty work clothes at the back door to have a rest in minimal items of clothing. I saw the car pull up, which sparked panic, I darted into Indi’s room, found the stretchiest clothes in her draws and put on a ridiculous combination of elastic pyjama shorts and shirt that only just covered the bare necessities! I sheepishly walked out and thanked the mail lady trying to cover my poorly dressed self. She leaves, I go back to Indi’s room, put her items back and head out to the clothes line. I can hear another car….she’s back! OMG! I’m back in my undressed state outside so I bound through the back door and high tail it to our bedroom at the other end of the house, merely escaping her arrival back to the front door where she called out for me to deliver a forgotten package. I didn’t have time to get dressed so I just had to yell ‘thankyou’ from behind our door several rooms away!
• When the fridge and cupboard are bare and I haven’t got any smoko in the fridge is the day that someone unannounced will be here for one reason or another and is coming for smoko!
• Often we have no outside cars visit for weeks on end but its not unusual to have helicopters flying straight over the house on a regular basis. The local mustering helicopter business in town has recently purchased a property just up the road, so the air traffic can be frequent.
• Things guaranteed to PING ME OFF: My hat blowing off; makes me wild, banging my head on something; grr instant anger, after the 10,000th time hearing ‘Mum’ at the end of a day, when I can’t start a motor, when I can’t do a task that I’m supposed to do; it is definitely a mans world
• Some of my favourite things about a generic day: the smell of fresh laundry hanging on the clothes line, a gentle breeze coming through the house and sunlight hitting different angles, the fact I can turn around 360 degrees and not see anything but horizon at the end of open paddocks, hearing Brolga’s call and watching them dance with each other, the spectacular sunrise and sunsets, the stillness at night with no urban interruption to the starry sky and sounds of nature, watching the kids have absolute freedom.
• Its not all rainbows and lollipops though, lets keep it real, the struggles: the days I long for family and friends; how nice it would be just to pop around and see them, even good marriages are hard; the isolation can be tough some days, the desire to just get away for a week without having to plan months in advance to organise a caretaker to keep everything alive while we’re gone, the nights we wish we could drop the kids to Nannys for a sleepover, the 6 hour round trips for GP visits or dental appointments, when its wet and there’s nothing you can do but you also can’t get off the property, the never escaping responsibility of everything that come with living and working on a property, the times we have to shoot livestock and sick animals.

But even with its challenges I wouldn’t change it, I absolutely love it! Thats it for this one, see you when I remember to do the next one. x