Shearing at the Hedges

[Max Hedges]

I never realised procurement of Blitz parts could be so painful.

My fingers have that many splinters in them we are planning to play jack straws with them at the end of this week when they are extracted. (Yes some of them are that big!) There is a comforting type of numbness that seems to surrounds your body when everything hurts/throbs/swells/aches evenly.

Nevertheless I feel like the cowboy in the 'Far Side' cartoons lying next to wagon with 28 arrows in him, talking to his buddy after driving off 2000 Indians. 'Yeah Lem sure I hurt...but yunnow, its a good kindah hurt!'.

All the Merino ewes are done the wethers are not quite finished and we're about halfway!! Still got the hoggets, crossbreds and rams to do.

Clevo has made a significant contribution as well. Today he beat the snot out of two Kelpies who had a crack at him while he was tied up. This would not have been so bad except one dog he bit is our only paddock dog & his owner is very handy at pressing wool bales, skirting, picking up fleeces, drenching, vaccinating, yard work, moving sheep, counting out & has four wheel motorbike that is desperately needed as well. He is now at home looking after the injured aforementioned dog.

Hopefully we get through the next couple of days without further incident so I'm still able to go blitz hunting with Max at the end of the week.
Written by Ganmain Tony

[Max Hedges]

Wethers are finished. The bloody hoggets had more prickles than an Echidna in their fleeces and even more than the wethers. Rams are done. 1/2 the hoggets done, still the cross breds to go.

My legs look like Ive been at the bottom of every single ruck and maul in a rugby match after drenching the the wethers.

Trying to move shorn sheep from paddock to paddock was made difficult by a prick of an old ewe who decided she had to lead every bloody animal to the other three corners of the paddock before reluctantly going through the gate in the fourth corner.

Clevo was in another knuckle. A rematch with the first Kelpie who obviously didnt see (or was to thick to realise) the damage done to his mate the previous day. Luckily no premanent damage done.....

Please bring on the Blitz hunting soon......

[Max Hedges]

Final day, thank heavens!!!

And of course the busiest. Shearers are now in the swing and the fleeces were flying !!!! Two out of the three shearers did over 170 sheep each today!!! & the thrid bloke was not far behind with 143. I was on penning up & thought I'd have time to help on the floor (bit of chat, skirt a few fleeces, grab a broom bit more chat etc etc) ............how wrong I was.

The bloody cross bred ewes (most about one week away from lambing) looked like small container ships & obviously were not in the mood to be shifted anywhere in a hurry!!! Even if it was for a hairdo and a little 'freshen up' before the expectant arrival. Just about everyone had to be moved by hand.
So not suprisingly I was penning up from begining of second run to the end of the day. I may have been hallucinating but I swear the second my back was turned 8 sheep I'd penned up turned into 2 sheep. I had to check the shutes to make sure the shearers werent just throwing the ewes out.

Closing to the end of the day, the Rams now look like a squad of Centurion Tanks and have a similar expression on their face to boot. They dont want to go through the pens & I sure as hell dont want to make them. Every dog has deserted me & pretending theyve been called away on some desperately urgent mission (as if anything else could be more important than the sheep in the blasted shed FOR SHEARING!!) a quick negotiating session with the Rams and everything proceeds without incident as it should. Mind you they took their built up aggression out on each other once they were back out in the yards.

Speaking of Dogs, Clevo called in sick today & decided he should spread out on the rear seat of one of the cars outside the shed. A untroubled day interrupted by a wee break at smoko, a brief stretch and swim in the Dam at lunch, follow by a de-stress & relax in the long dog pen in the afternoon.

Some pictures enclosed of shearing Enjoy!

Maybe blitzing tomorrow!
Ganmain Tony

[Howard]

Good Heavens! Tony looks like he's lost 10 kilo already!
Work the bugger, Max!
Sorry, not enough time for smart comments.... Maybe on the week end!
Hope you are having fun GT!

[Max Hedges]

Not a blitz in sight.....maybe some work on ''Tickets'' today but this did not eventuate.
I suppose it makes sense when youve been eating Australias best lamb (which comes from Willow Vale, Yass, NSW of course) that at some stage you may be required to replenish stocks. Believe me..... its not as if you can simply pick them off a tree!!!
No photos of todays harvest as Im not sure if MLUers are prepared to witness the ritual that follows shearing. Three specimens are now hanging in the cool room minus a few bits here & there.
Clevo had probably the breakfast that most dogs only dream of. Nice fresh stomach fat of Hogget followed by fresh heart for main course. Boy! is this dog mistreated or what !!!
Moved wethers this arvo back down to the other farm & then chased them around four paddocks. Youve got to love Australian fences that look as though they may collapse if the top strand of wire has pollen from the nearby lupins crop land on it!!!
Blitzing appearing on the horizon.....maybe tomorrow....perhaps.
GT

[Keith Webb]

Yet another nicely crafted report Tony... do you know you can log in as yourself, (even on Max's computer) so you don't need to continue to confuse us with this Max identity crisis? Just log Max out first.

Let's hope the Blitz gathering materialises for you today. Sounds like you've earned it.