Moving out....but not today!

Well, my last job was a job trial and as the hosing part with the "firehoses" was beyond my physical capabilities it didn't work out. I did have fun though and it made me much fitter, as well as paying a good income for the days I was there.

Between now and then I came across someone who kindly suggested my services to another employer in the cleaning business so after last Friday I am now looking for a rental house in Griffith NSW, as I start my new part-time permanent job in mid September, and SO's is too far to travel on a daily basis for work. I will be living a much easier travelling distance to his place though *cheesy grin* and there will be the opportunity of further employment hours in the future as one of the staff is going on pregnancy leave and the company wants to use the existing staff to the best advantage then.

BTW - anyone who reads this and owns, or knows someone who owns, a property in this area that will allow a cat and a dog and maybe has room for 3 horses - all farm animals so trained or useful in their own way - please leave a comment and I'll contact you.

Three moves in 10 months has made life interesting but on the flip side, life becomes better each time - one way or another :). I may be a bit backwards as most people take risks and have adventures in their early twenties but I was being safe then and now, at 51, I'm having the most interesting, exciting time of my life.....sometimes to the consternation of my adult children, but they were the reason I was playing it safe when I was younger!

Some more good news just interrupted my typing of this post. Some money that is owed to me finally looks like being paid. Not all at once, but I will receive it progressively over the next few months - just when I will need it.

I'm not a great believer in stars and readings, though I do find the Chinese signs are more accurate to what is happening in my life than the age of Aquarius stuff, so maybe my stars are deciding to shine favourably on me at the moment :D.

Then, maybe, I'm making a bit of my own luck as one's attitude can also determine one's fate and destiny *wink*.

Cheers,
Robyn xo

Cows and Deere’s….hahahaha…

I started a new job on Monday at a commercial dairy farm. I learnt how to ride a quad bike Monday, attach 2 different trailers to it and tow them - one with the 1 and 2 day old calves in it - and was passenger in the 3 different John Deere tractors observing how to operate them. I also learnt how to put teat cups on cows for the automated milking, how to clean and store them afterwards and used huge hoses like fire hoses to spray the milking shed clean. The 2 “new” calves weren't very co-operative with their first hand feeding session, even though it was their mother’s milk they were being offered  out of a big feeding bottle. Rubber teats aren't quite the same as “mum’s”.

Yesterday I drove the smallest tractor, supervised, and took a bale of hay about the same size as my Nissan Pulsar sedan down to the dry cows. There are 4 steps into the cab of this tractor and it’s about 2 times the length of my car. If I'm allowed to take pics and post them, I will, as I can’t seem to find an online pic as the smallest (and also oldest) tractor is apparently 14 years old. I also shovelled pellets into the quad trailer and spread them in the feeding troughs in the dry cow paddock unsupervised. I’ll need to be a bit quicker unloading though as the cows heard/saw me coming and bolted over! Very difficult to shovel feed when there’s half a dozen fuzzy heads in the trailer and the rest are standing in/beside the ground level troughs. At least they aren't pushy or irritable in the paddock like Brahmans can be and even the biggest Friesian is only 2/3 the size of a Brahman. I haven’t found any kickers yet if you give them a poke to move them.

Spent part of yesterday afternoon helping replace old teat cups by cutting them out then wriggling the new ones into place. Milking was quicker this afternoon as I'm acquiring the knack of sorting out the odd problems that sets of teat cups have and keeping clear of cows with dancing feet. Some of them just rock from hoof to hoof when they hear their set of cups started, before you put them on, but then there are the ticklish ones, or the few heifers that aren't used to it yet, that will kick and swish their tails. Swishy tails makes it difficult to see where the cows teats are so you can put the cups on quickly and have your hands out of kicking range. Lol, I'm learning not to cup heifers but leave it to the 2 more experienced hands to do until I'm more used to it, and quicker, as I scored a bruised finger on Monday.

One thing this job is ensuring is that I have a good night’s sleep! My head hits the pillow and that’s it.

Danni, if having a job you love is indulging yourself - and also has the added bonuses of being with animals you like, earning you money, making you happy and keeping your mind occupied so you can’t dwell on depressing stuff – then I think I am spoiling myself. I also won’t become bored with it as it is seasonal work and will be finished in a couple of months.

Thinking a nomadic lifestyle of farm work might be the go for a few years but I’ll have to trade my “rice burner” for a vehicle I can sleep in if necessary. 

One has to have dreams.

Cheers,

Rob XO

P.S. Before anyone goes politically correct on MY  blog - “rice burner” is not an insult to the car, the makers or their nationality. It is a compliment to the fact that my current vehicle is cheap, economical and easy to use, reliable and therefore very frugal - just like rice!

R.