I mentioned in a recent post that the weather had turned for us here at Granite Glen… that crackling grass and thirsty ground had been blessed with some manna from heaven.
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The rain has been wonderful – soft, light drizzle over our whole property. And while this has been wonderous for the pasture, it was a little less comfortable in the yards. Where hundreds of weaners (calves old enought to be seperated from their mothers) were being held. Normally we hold them there for a week – to feed hay and handle to quieten.
But as we were planning to be away for a few days, and as the quagmire deepened at the yards, we made the decision to take them out earlier than normal. 
And because of the sheer number of animals, we had to drove them to their paddock (i.e. use horses to walk them, rather than use a truck to relocate them).
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Some had to be moved through the very paddocks their mothers still lived in, from whom they had been removed just a few days earlier. Great skill is required to keep the mamas out of sight of the young ‘uns as they traverse their very first grown up drive. It’s a great lesson in good behaviour for future handling – bad manners (eg breaking from the mob and taking off for the hills) learned here can be very hard to correct. Keeping them seperated is vital, to get them to their destination and allow both the weaner and mum to establish their condition well before the cold weather really hits.
But we had some cool heads and experience surrounding our adolescent bovines, and they tasted the freedom slowly and with a degree of calm control. (Note the granite boulders in the background).
Salina was around to help bring home the first lot (young bulls for me to handle). Hey there gorgeous – well done cowgirl!! We need to get you a proper Drizabone though – that plastic bag I found in the back of the Prado was effective but lacking in the style department!
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Our ankle-biters assisted with the second mob, as they had a half-day journey through our thickly-wooded range country to their warm new home some 10km to the north.
Hey there cowboy… look who’s got hold of the reins! Pagi lets Dash manoevre Yvette during a quiet moment on the road…
Dash and the boys… think that’s a happy face??
Ah, my inscrutable husband and delighted daughter getting her turn aboard!
The weaners behaving beautifully as they head up the range, with work dogs shadowing and horsemen at the lead and rear of the mob.
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It was a bit of a damp job, but everyone seemed to delight in the chore at hand. I photographed and encouraged from the warm dry safety of the Prado… hey, someone has to provide sustanence and transport!!!
And get photos of raindrops on gum leaves…
Coming over the hill and out to the more open country…
Then, as the destination comes into view, the rain cranks up again. Lovely for soft backdrops, but not great for riders (or lenses!).
Then finally, the weaners funnel through a lane and towards their new home paddock…
Their first lesson in bovine-equine ettiquette passed with flying colours…
And I end up with not much housework done, but some lovely memories stashed away in my trusty Nikon …
The Aussie bush (and her bushmen)
… inspirational, whatever the weather!
But as we were planning to be away for a few days, and as the quagmire deepened at the yards, we made the decision to take them out earlier than normal. 
Dash and the boys… think that’s a happy face??
Then, as the destination comes into view, the rain cranks up again. Lovely for soft backdrops, but not great for riders (or lenses!).
13 Comments
alysonhill
Quiet moment? Yvette is asleep! 😀
I’m glad you’ve got the rain and are loving it so. If you have any extra could you send it down to us? It just keeps scudding by and there’s not enough moisture for even a frost down here. Love your work.
debby
Your hubs is growing a beard!!!! Tell him that it looks very nice.
Now is Pagi your dad?
I’m glad you got rain. And a vacation. And a husband with a beard. The cows moved. Puppies. The cutest grins on the cutest faces of the cutest kids just anywhere. Dang. Has anyone ever told you that you’re pretty lucky.
jeanie
Great shots!!! Are there ONLY chestnut horses at the moment?
Very lovely shots, dear.
Jayne
Brilliant, wonderful photos 🙂
Foilwoman
Inscrutable? I’d just say, er, . . . hot. That’s all. Don’t worry. I’ll never be able to visit Australia. Can’t afford it.
Pencil Writer
You SSB looks VERY different, and even mysterious (?) with his new facial hair. I had to look and then look again. Same SSB? Looks really good–and mysterious, masculinely so. Go, BB! (And, of course, SSB!)
Andrea
How much fun! I love the fashionalbe rain slicker/trash bag!! Hopefully she stayed kinda dry!! Wonderful photos!!
Pencil Writer
I forgot to say . . . SSB looks SOOOOOooooo cowboy! He could be the star in his own movie. (Home movie, at least.) But, he’s got THE LOOK!
Bush Babe (of Granite Glen)
Ooohhhh!! I always knew my hubby was a hottie… now it’s official! Heh, heh. PW – he’s my star. But he’s a bit camera-shy, so I doubt Hollywood would be the go. Thanks for the vote of confidence Foilwoman! And welcome…
Debby – yes, my Dad is Pagi (something the kids all call him – mixed up Grandpa, I guess). I am lucky. I know so. I take none of it for granted, trust me! Not really having a vacation, but more on that sometime down the track!
Jeanie – apparently we go for redhead horses, just by accident!
Alyson – yes, I did mean to comment on Yvette being asleep on the job! She is a wonderful steed and so safe with kids on board. Wishing you much rain… as you can see by the colour of our grass, we were getting pretty dry here.
Hugs
BB
debby
Well, I was trying to be polite. What I immediately thought was ‘dear heavens…now SSB stands for silent studly bloke’. I would never come right out and say something like that, however, being polite like I am and all of that. I think that you might want to post puppy pictures next. Just to settle everyone down a bit.
steviewren
Your hubby sure is a cute puppy! Your kids aren’t bad either.
Thanks for a day in the bush, so interesting to see how others live.
Rhea
What great photos! The kids are definitely having a great time. I’m so glad you guys got some rain!
A Novel Woman
Wow, these shots are fantastic. I Heart your life! Almost as much as I heart my Nikon.