We have had incessant rain for the last two days.
Not just a shower, but huge downpours.
The basement has flooded.
The roads are rivers.
The dugouts are overflowing,
and we have huge water pools all over the place.
Which leads us back to the sheep in the bush.
Not just a shower, but huge downpours.
The basement has flooded.
The roads are rivers.
The dugouts are overflowing,
and we have huge water pools all over the place.
Which leads us back to the sheep in the bush.
The sheep went out into the bush yesterday morning before the major rain started.
When we went to gather them up last night,
there were no sheep in sight.
Now, normally, the sheep know the routine and start to gather together at about 7.30pm.
Nothing.
I had expected this as the sheep dislike the rain and I suspected that the sheep would have chosen a thick spruce forest to shelter in.
Due to the rain, I decided to go, with Ronald (an agricultural student from Holland) on foot to look for the sheep.
I know their favourite hangouts and thought it would take us about an hour to get them home.
Well, we trudged around in the mud,
waded through pools of water, bushwhacked.
After a couple of hours we had found only a small bunch.
Later, Eric came and joined us with his Zac to help find the sheep.
We searched, we sent the dogs, we called and finally managed to find another bunch.
After four hours of walking in the pouring rain, knee deep in mud and water, in the thunder
we decided to call it day.
When we went to gather them up last night,
there were no sheep in sight.
Now, normally, the sheep know the routine and start to gather together at about 7.30pm.
Nothing.
I had expected this as the sheep dislike the rain and I suspected that the sheep would have chosen a thick spruce forest to shelter in.
Due to the rain, I decided to go, with Ronald (an agricultural student from Holland) on foot to look for the sheep.
I know their favourite hangouts and thought it would take us about an hour to get them home.
Well, we trudged around in the mud,
waded through pools of water, bushwhacked.
After a couple of hours we had found only a small bunch.
Later, Eric came and joined us with his Zac to help find the sheep.
We searched, we sent the dogs, we called and finally managed to find another bunch.
After four hours of walking in the pouring rain, knee deep in mud and water, in the thunder
we decided to call it day.
It was about 10.30pm.
We knew that we did not have all the sheep so we got a few extra dogs and left them out in the bush to protect the sheep that did not make it home.
Today, it was still pouring and the fields were all pretty much water logged.
We decided to move the ewes into the barn, we rolled out two nice bales of hay in the barn and gave the ewes a huge area where they could come in from the rain, eat and dry up as they were also rather waterlogged.
We decided to move the ewes into the barn, we rolled out two nice bales of hay in the barn and gave the ewes a huge area where they could come in from the rain, eat and dry up as they were also rather waterlogged.
We then decided to catch the wet horses and go out and look for the remaining ewes to bring them in from the storm.
Ronald and I set out with horses,
Ally and Smokey
and collies Lad and Sheila,
to go and find the lost souls.
Ronald and I set out with horses,
Ally and Smokey
and collies Lad and Sheila,
to go and find the lost souls.
Once again the we had to wade through knee deep water.
We did manage to cover more ground with the horses and finally found the rest of the flock after about two hours of riding in the rain.
We did manage to cover more ground with the horses and finally found the rest of the flock after about two hours of riding in the rain.
The sheep will not be heading back into the bush for the next few days until it dries up.
We will fence along the roadside, around the yard and some other easy areas.
We will bring the ewes in to dry off, eat some hay and give them shelter from the rain.
We will fence along the roadside, around the yard and some other easy areas.
We will bring the ewes in to dry off, eat some hay and give them shelter from the rain.
The sars ( Katcha, Fena and Lucy) did a great job last night.
They were totally exhausted and seemed happy to come home today.
They were totally exhausted and seemed happy to come home today.
I took some bad pictures with my iPhone...
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| Ronald, out looking for sheep in the rain. |
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| My view. |
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| Bushwhacking. |
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