Day 2… This whole getting up on time thing is quite hard when you have no phone and therefore no alarm clock or clock in general for that matter!! LOL Geffory knocked on my door for me this morning to make sure I made it up. We started in the yards for a bit today and then off to the Expo yards to finish up. Once we got to the Expo yards I got to take over the TSI job. A TSI is just a recording computer for on sight information when working cattle. It was fun to learn how to use it and now pretty much be in charge of… while I’m here!!! It was a long day of lots of standing and that was about it but it was still soo nice to be back on the station, working all day and outta the city!! Tomorrow is gunna be another long day so once we had dinner, Corned Beef…YUM!!! I went straight to bed with a full tummy after supper!!!
Day 3… Got to sleep in an extra 30 minutes today….all the way to 6:00am!! LOL We weaned calves today… about 200 of them and then drafted about 200 cows into different paddock groups and such. I worked the TSI again and kind hung out with Tim all day. Tim is a great guy I really do enjoy getting to know and hang out with him…. Quite the funny one he is. Everyone here is great… I just feel so in place… like part of the little Swan’s Lagoon Family J More standing on my feet all day today, which is gunna get me in good practice for the “All-American” in a few weeks, but nonetheless it leaves me in a sore after I sit down for the night. Lisa had an even longer day working than I did and so we had a quick dinner and then bed time it was!!! Another big day of fetal ageing tomorrow and taking care of weaners so we will see what all it brings!!!
Wow has the last two days been crazy crazy crazy!!! Yesterday we processed the cash cow mob…and no I have no real idea has to what that project is evaluating. We had to collect weight, BCS and Fetal Age if they were pregnant, and a lactation status. Melissa showed up to collect data for the cash cow people. I wasn’t exactly on my top game by that afternoon… just worn out I guess. I have kinda become the official TSI operator so all I have really dealt with is numbers after number after numbers….I think it was just wearing on my brain!!!
We finished around 5:30ish and that started the fun. Tim, Lisa, Tara, Willy, Tex and I all had a pow wow circle going on out in the yards drinking beer and telling stories for which Tim acted as translator for me when need…it was a good time. The Millaroo Club opened at 6 and we all just picked up and carried the party there!! We had such a good time the Swan’s Crew, beer and music…it was a night to remember that’s for sure…not that I’m convinced that Willy did LOL After the club Tim, Tara and I joined Lisa’s family for dinner and of course continued drinking a little. The next morning was exciting because apparently my clock wasn’t set to the right time and when I woke up it was light out… not a good sign that I’m on time but turns out I was right on time… Thank Goodness!!! Another long day today but I got to “help” and observe on how they work the yards around here. I am pretty competent on how to work cattle but for some reason it felt like I was in the way more than helping so after being told to move when I thought I was in a good spot more than once I decided maybe things do work a little differently in America. Part of it could have been that there were just too many people in the yards at one time… I did eventually just quit “helping” and perched myself on a fence because there were some crazy and I mean like ridiculously crazy cows!!! Even perched on a fence I was somehow in the way even though they worked cattle just fine with me there and then 2 crazy ones didn’t go through and then where I was was an issue…oh well I went with it and just sat at the scales until Lisa sent me with Poppy to move cattle. Once lunch was over we started drafting again and I think everything was better after that I think the stress kinda settled down and everyone was in a better mood. We had a TSI drama for a second but we figured it out. Might be going to the club again tonight…. Hoping for a good start to a good weekend.
Oh what a night!!! It was planned to just be a nice hangout night at the club involving a few beers. Well…. It did involve a few beers and a few more and then somehow …due to Mr. Tim Grant’s brilliance and Lisa’s impulsive buying…Tequila shots got started and it was all over from there!! It was a great time… met some real nice people Nicko, and Darcy… some real cute Aussie boys. We also met a cane farmer that it seems no one knew but he was a real nice guy too, we talked about America again tonight and since there is a world atlas at Millaroo club for some reason it makes it fun for me because I can just point things out!!! It was so nice to be able to just let go and enjoy the night. I knew that Lisa and Tim…even though Tim was as far gone as I was LOL… would make sure nothing bad happened to me. It was nice to not have to worry about anything and just chill!!
After about oh idk 4 beers, XXXX Summers are the way to go if you are ever in Australia btw, 5 tequila shots, and a vodka Cruzar (Cheerleader Beer) I still managed to make it up this morning around 7-7:30ish no headache or anything just kinda groggy. We had breakfast at Lisa’s and then she went to do some paperwork and Tim went to pack up to start his long drive home L I did laundry and has I was hanging it up on the line when Tim came by and said goodbye to everyone. I was pretty bummed to see Tim go… I think we all were. It’s getting hard to believe I am leaving so soon…especially since there is no telling when I am ever goin to get to see these AMAZING people again. After all the goodbyes we started out work for the day. A Toyota died at the Expo Yard the last day we worked there so we had to go and check that situation out. The battery was dead as a door nail so no luck there just took it back to the shop and charged it for the night. Made a run to “the saddles” paddock and check a water trough there and found some broken fence. We didn’t have anything to really fix it with so we decided we would fix it tomorrow when we went round 2 with the Toyota. After that, just daily chores left, so mainly feeding and putting out hay for the weaners. Once we finished up, time for showers and all of us and Roosters crew went to the Burdiken Hotel for dinner. It was nice to get all gussied up and go out to town… even though it was a good hour drive to get dinner and an hour back.
Yay for weekends!!! I really love working weekends at Swan’s!!! We get to take our time and enjoy doing whatever it is we are doing. The radio was playing fabulous music today and Lisa and I just singing it up and enjoying it the day. Lisa is so much fun to work with… it truly makes a world of difference when you are working and enjoy the people you’re with!! The fact that there isn’t a time limit as to when things need to be done I think makes a HUGE difference. We can work at a slower pace and with more patience and it just makes for the greatest work environment!! We finally got around to working around like 9ish and went to play some hard ball with this dead Toyota, fix fence and clean out an overflowing and nasty-algae growing water trough. We drove down to “the saddles” and started cleaning the trough when the float broke. We, Mitch and I, dropped Lisa off to fix the little bit of down fence and then me and Mitch went to grab a new float. By the time we got back Lisa was waiting for us and we snapped on the new float and away we went. Once we got to the Expo Yards and put the battery back in the Toyota it still didn’t look good for us but once we hooked up the jumper cables it was all good from there!! Drove the Toyota back to the house and it was time for lunch. After lunch I got to check my email for the first time in a week…I was super pumped!!! LOL Fun thing though… I did get an email from the University of Arkansas telling me I made the Dean’s List for last semester which was pretty freaking exciting!!! Lisa was excited and proud of me too, she was telling everyone I had made the Dean’s List and what not. While Lisa was working on a job application Rooster, Mitch, Maddie and I all did a rubbage bin run and fed and hay-ed the weaners. We ran the big mob of weaners through the crush just for some good education. Now time for a shower!! After I got outta the shower and went back over to Lisa’s, Mitch and I finished building a crane thing that we had started earlier in the day. It was a pretty complicated little thing I tell ya but we finished it and now he can load his bulls on his truck…LOL. I know we have an early morning so I called it an early Sunday night once I we finished up.
Monday’s….gross!!! I didn’t do a damn thing this mornin. I got up at the normal 6am but since they had to go out and muster cattle I just chilled in the smoko room till about 10ish. I did do about 10 min. worth of computer work but that was about it. After smoko it got a lot better. Lisa, Tara, Rooster, and I went and cut out small cow/calf pairs before we processed cows this afternoon. I worked as gate guard and I finally felt like I knew what I was doing again!! Once we got everything cut out off for a small lunch and then Geffory would be here for fetal aging again. It was like the never ending line of cattle this afternoon. I swear it took FOREVER to process the 200ish cattle we did. We didn’t really end work until 5:15ish tonight. It wasn’t quite the same workin cattle without Tim here but we managed without him ;) It’s my last night at Swan’s L I do love it here but I am ready to get back to where I have internet and the ability to talk to call everyone at home more often… without running up somebodies phone bill!!!
The bitter sweet last day at Swan’s has arrived….I'm really not looking forward to telling these amazing people goodbye today. We started in the expo yards re-drafted some cows, branded some weaners and that was about it. Brownie was there at smoko and while he talked to Lisa the crew and I went to take care of the weaners. We have about 120 more weaners in the yards now and not any good place to put them but Lisa explained what she wanted and off we went. I grabbed the truck and went to check what all needed feed. Once I finished that Willy hoped in and we went to load up feed and feeders. We were all setting up the new “pen”; it was actually the area that you would work the crush from, for the new weaners. I was explaining what needed to be done with the feeders and they called the crew called be boss lady a couple times for laughs. They also gave me a hard time because I pulled some pretty American moves today. I have walked to the wrong side vehicles a lot while here but today was by far the best yet. Not only did I go to the wrong side I also got in and went to put my hands on the steering wheel…that wasn’t there!!! Yeah I was pretty impressed too. LOL I also drove on the wrong side of the road after we were done working but luckily it really doesn’t matter what side you drive on when you on a cattle station and you know there is no one coming. After the work was done I went back to the living quarters to get all my stuff. I had a bit of a luggage problem…the zipper on my bag popped off… I had intended to duck tape it shut but the duck tape here…not as good as what I am use to sooo Lisa being the Australian Guardian Angel that she is for me gave me one of here duffle bags to use. The Lisa, Mrs. Jill, Mitch and I loaded up and headed for Townsville. Once again it sucks sooo bad telling everyone goodbye here. This family has absolutely taken me in as their own while I have been at Swan’s, both times, no questions asked. It is scary because you want to be able to say I’ll be back and see you soon but you really just don’t know if you will or not. Words, not even actions, can explain the appreciation and love I have for Lisa and her family. I am hoping so hard to get to come back next year for the Beef 2012 conference in Rockhampton so I can see everyone again. I miss y’all already!!!! Next stop is back to Brisbane and then America 6 days later.
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