Another 1 and ½ inches of rain this week has left us all quite soggy, until last night, that is, when a -4C (25F) frost put an ice coating on all that wet ground. The sun is shining, but the thermometer has not yet thawed past freezing and there is a nasty "lazy" wind blowing (too lazy to go around you, so it goes right through!). Nevertheless, since I haven't managed to go shepherding since last Monday, I'm heading out this morning. I have no idea where the sheep will be, though I saw them briefly when I had to be out in the rain on Thursday, on the high ground of the northeast end of the GA. The westerly wind since then has probably pulled them to the far end of the GA, so I'm planning a foray back along the old highway. If not, we'll figure something out. Mostly, I just want to be sure everyone is ok. In lovely morning news, the swans are back on Swan Lake, for the first time in about 2 weeks. I'm so hoping they'll decide to nest there--it's time for them to start construction! I'll go to the sheep by way of Swan Lake and try to get a photo. At least, with the long hike out to the flock, I should be nice and warm by the time I get there.
END OF THE DAY NOTES: The flock was much closer to home than I thought. In fact, if I'd looked out my kitchen window before posting this morning, I'd have seen them on top of the hill. We made a foray into the Highway Reserve via the north gate, but only went a short way, grazing right down near the boundary fence where the feed is quite long and lush. Turning around, tails into the wind took a while longer--rather a lot of reluctance--but eventually we got them into the very northern corner of the Reserve, where there are lots of goodies--native browse, grasses, rosa, etc. After a nice long graze there, it was out of the Reserve, sharp left down into the Quarry, though the track at the bottom of the hill was essentially a small stream, so there was a bit of hopping about, trying to avoid the water. They stayed in the Quarry for about an hour, then grazed across the face of the hill for another hour before heading up top again. I went up at the end of the afternoon to do a sweep of the paddock, just to make sure no one is down, with heavy wet wool preventing them getting back up. All looks ok, though I have niggling worry that I haven't spotted Clara today. I'll have another look in the morning when daylight isn't fading on me at about the same rate as the batteries on the Polaris (which are due for replacement ;-). In addition to the Instagram videos I posted during the day, I've attached a composite of video clips using vimeo, at the end of the post.
Video V1 above.
P1: Into the north end of the highway reserve. That's ice in the foreground, despite the sunshine. Not warm.
Video V2 above.
Video V3 above.
June 25 Shepherding from Nan Bray on Vimeo.