Friday, 29 May 2015

Thurs, 28th May, 2015 Malcolm & Kerry’s farm, Westbury (silos and shearing)


Rain during the night which made it a bit warmer. 7am 15.8 degrees in the van. Very windy too. Put on another layer and headed to the sheds. Steve still working on the truck.


I went around to the silos to watch Malcolm load a smaller silo to transport to a big rotary dairy that is under construction. I was even helpful by helping Malcolm with the cushions and pushing a lever for him. Malcolm made the silo loader of course, very handy man. He has already delivered one of the big ones.




Poured with rain as he went to unload it so I stayed in the truck where it was nice and warm.


I certainly like our wet season better where you are happy to get wet – here you are wet and freezing!! One minute it is pouring and next the sun comes out between the clouds!!

Malcolm had one more big silo to deliver so Steve helped him and went for the ride this time.





It just fits out the driveway!!

After lunch Phillip, the shearer arrived so I went into the shed to watch him shear the ‘weathers’, neutered rams, that Malcolm has here to ‘mow the grass’.

Phillip has special shearing shoes as the lanolin makes normal boots fall apart.

I helped Rex who used to do the shearing, by sweeping up the bits of fleece – that job is called the ‘rouse’.

Learnt a lot too about the different sheep, fleece, lice etc. Very interesting. Took a video of him shearing one of the sheep as well as these photos.









Rex is the wool press.

Kept a little bit of the Merino fleece.

Poor things look so cold though, without their woolly coats!!

Cold and dreary day but it was quite good in the shearing shed. Wind is getting stronger and blasting the van with rain. Hoping it will blow it all away quickly.

Dinner in the house then we all had the best laugh watching Top Gear and their ‘ambulances’ race. After a cuppa at 9pm we headed back to the van and the sky was completely clear, stars and moon shining, 9 degrees outside – boy the weather certainly changes quickly down here. Hope it stays for tomorrow.





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