DAM, water, DAM, water!

It is really, really dry on the farm.

 We have not had a good fall of rain for a very long time.

There is still feed in the paddocks BUT some of the dams are VERY, VERY low!

Warm days and hot winds drop water levels in dams very quickly.

A new job for Dad and PopPop is to check the dams in every paddock. 

If the dams get too low it is very difficult for the stock to get to the water, the edges get very muddy.

Over time the dams can collect alot of mud and sometimes big storms can cut gullies in the banks. On the farm that we brought there are two dams like this. Dad is making the most of the dry weather and making these dams bigger and better!

 A big bulldozer is busy at work.

This is the dam before....

and the gullies around it....

and this is the NEW dam....

Now all we need is the water to fill IT!

The next dam on the list....

and more gullies....

Dear God...please send us some rain....AMEN

Hot in the Country!

Summer on the farm, hot, dry, brown, flies, grass seeds, harvest, dust, water.

The hills are now brown. The hot sun and warm winds have dried the grass out and it is no longer green. 

 The flies swarm all over our backs and under the brim of our hats. 

Annoying sticky little black flies.

The animals spend most of the day sleeping under shady trees, they will graze the grass now in the cool of the mornings and early evenings. 

They will perhaps visit the dam or water trough sometime during the day for a drink.   Every paddock on the farm has either a dam or a water trough for the animals to drink from. Animals drink alot of water when it is hot.

The hot sun and winds have made PopPop's oats ripe and ready to harvest.

So too is my garlic crop...time for me to get busy.

Gibbo has moved in and made himself at home.

And Beau is tickled pink to have the newest member of the team on the farm....

Meet Beau's son.....MONTE...born 20th October 2012.

The hot weather makes Monte very tired!

Forces of Nature!

What a week of CRAZY weather!

It has been pouring rain everyday. We have been stuck inside all weekend.

We have had over 200mm, that is HEAPS. Everything is soaking wet!

The water is running off the hills everywhere,

down into the creeks

and off to join the rivers.

Lots of people living along the rivers are flooded, some of that water comes from our farm.

Yesterday there was a short break in the weather, Dad put on all his wet weather gear and headed off on the bike to check the animals and the dams. The animals are not enjoying the rain, even the DUCKS have disappeared from the dams.

I wonder where a duck goes to keep dry?

The turtles are even in trouble, Dad found 2 turtles blocking a drain pipe in the dam.

All the water went over the bank of the dam instead of through the pipe.

PopPop's roads are a mess, the water is so strong it washes gullies everywhere.

There will be lots of roadwork to do when it dries up.

The wind is very strong too, with the ground so wet and the wind so strong the trees even have trouble hanging on.

The big gum tree at our mailbox fell down yesterday and blocked the road.

Dad, PopPop and I went down with the chainsaws and tractor to clear it away.

I need to get to school tomorrow SO we need to move it.

A new day today.....I wonder what mother nature will send us.

I woke up really early this morning and saw the most beautiful sunrise!

It was so orange it looked like a fire.

and then the rain came back!