DianaEnough of Emu!
March 24th 2008 23:23
It's been a pretty horrible 24 hours in Emu.
Easter died just after lunch. We think he had a chill. He had been dopy during his morning feed and was sneezing and snuffling. He died in the kids' arms as they were trying to find his heart-beat with the stethoscope.
During the day 4 more lambs were born in the yards, including 1 set of twins. Of course,the mothers did not recognise them again and though we tried and tried to bond them up twas to no avail.
As the clouds above us grew dark and ominious we knelt in the dust and tried to get baby lamb lips onto slippery unresponsive ewes' teats, ewes who twisted and turned in our grasp and tried to trample their offspring.
As a few drops of rain fell we bundled them all into the back of the ute and raced home. Just as we shoved lambs and mothers into a feeding shed the brewing storm broke.
Huge clap of thunder. Jagged lightning. Wind of gale force strength almost blew us over. Splattering icy drops. The kids ran screaming inside and we followed almost as fast.
The storm raged overhead for about an hour. We got half an inch of rain in 10 minutes!
We gathered the kids in the kitchen and got them drawing and stuff cos they were really scared, while I started cooking dinner.
At 8pm there was an enormous bang and the power went off.
No candles of course. No torches with batteries. Thank God though for mobile phones, ipods and nintendoes, with their bright lights!
As the rain eased we could hear the mewling of the lambs, so then started the tedious business of trying to make up colostrum substitute in the dark with only a gas-ring to warm the water. Hardly any water cos no pump cos no power!
We kept expecting the pwer back on any time.
By 11pm we had finished feeding them all. Hubby had manhandled the indifferent mothers into the back of the float and taken them back to the paddock. Was trying to leave for the city.
Still no power.
Slumped into bed; then all this blood poured unchecked out of my nose! OMG! Choking, drowning in my own blood I called out to Lisa, who at 12 was incredibly level-headed and practical.
After an hour this horrific nose-bleed stopped. Lisa sponged me down. Changed my sheets. Lay me back in bed propped with pillows. Our phones told us it was about 1.30am.
Still no power. Is this a third world country?
We were woken at 8am by the scratching of the dog on the front door.
Groggiiy I got up. Still no power!
Stumbled into the filthy kitchen filled with lamb bottles, blood stained towels and last nights tea unfinished.
Wearily we started on the lamb business again. LIsa held it all together.
At 9.30am the power came back on.
I am over it all and want out! Help!
Easter died just after lunch. We think he had a chill. He had been dopy during his morning feed and was sneezing and snuffling. He died in the kids' arms as they were trying to find his heart-beat with the stethoscope.
During the day 4 more lambs were born in the yards, including 1 set of twins. Of course,the mothers did not recognise them again and though we tried and tried to bond them up twas to no avail.
As the clouds above us grew dark and ominious we knelt in the dust and tried to get baby lamb lips onto slippery unresponsive ewes' teats, ewes who twisted and turned in our grasp and tried to trample their offspring.
As a few drops of rain fell we bundled them all into the back of the ute and raced home. Just as we shoved lambs and mothers into a feeding shed the brewing storm broke.
Huge clap of thunder. Jagged lightning. Wind of gale force strength almost blew us over. Splattering icy drops. The kids ran screaming inside and we followed almost as fast.
The storm raged overhead for about an hour. We got half an inch of rain in 10 minutes!
We gathered the kids in the kitchen and got them drawing and stuff cos they were really scared, while I started cooking dinner.
At 8pm there was an enormous bang and the power went off.
No candles of course. No torches with batteries. Thank God though for mobile phones, ipods and nintendoes, with their bright lights!
As the rain eased we could hear the mewling of the lambs, so then started the tedious business of trying to make up colostrum substitute in the dark with only a gas-ring to warm the water. Hardly any water cos no pump cos no power!
We kept expecting the pwer back on any time.
By 11pm we had finished feeding them all. Hubby had manhandled the indifferent mothers into the back of the float and taken them back to the paddock. Was trying to leave for the city.
Still no power.
Slumped into bed; then all this blood poured unchecked out of my nose! OMG! Choking, drowning in my own blood I called out to Lisa, who at 12 was incredibly level-headed and practical.
After an hour this horrific nose-bleed stopped. Lisa sponged me down. Changed my sheets. Lay me back in bed propped with pillows. Our phones told us it was about 1.30am.
Still no power. Is this a third world country?
We were woken at 8am by the scratching of the dog on the front door.
Groggiiy I got up. Still no power!
Stumbled into the filthy kitchen filled with lamb bottles, blood stained towels and last nights tea unfinished.
Wearily we started on the lamb business again. LIsa held it all together.
At 9.30am the power came back on.
I am over it all and want out! Help!
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Comment by Zeus
Before there was power, were the householders more awed by nature, or less?