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Weekend Updates

Well, it’s been quite a week.
Random updates to follow.
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Update #1 – The Ongoing Poddy Saga
As you may already know if you have read the comments from yesterday’s post, we lost our little redhead poddy last night. We think pneumonia may have claimed her – whatever it was, antibiotics and sugared-up, egged-up milk weren’t helping her.
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It was a bit heart-breaking, as she was a lovely little heifer and seemed so strong when she first arrived here on Thursday. Violet seems to have taken her passing reasonably well (lots of lead-up warning may have helped) while Dash was just very curious about the carcase this morning after he and I discovered the still, stiff body early this morning.
Lots of poking and furrowed brow action.
I took no photos of her at any stage.
I still struggle a little with this side of things.
I’m such a sook sometimes.
.
The fact is that we hardly ever have poddies here –
our cows are pretty good mothers and rarely have calving problems.
So that, combined with about two decades of city life,
means I have a lot to learn about caring for them.
It’s a learning curve that darned near gives me whiplash sometimes.
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I still have the little black bull calf here – he is gradually gaining strength after his shaky start in life and is quite a cuddler. Of course he gets pretty overwhelming attention from two little humans so he has no fear…
poddy_0123
He is very keen on drinking from an (unwilling) milk donor rather than from the bottle. I am trying not to feel rejected – honestly, the look on this kid’s face when I hold the teat in his mouth to tip the formula in is pretty unmistakable.
.
It’s a little bit: “Are you completely serious woman?”
It’s a tad: “Ugh. Brussel sprouts AGAIN?”
and it’s all Crocodile Dundee:
“Well you can DRINK it, but it tastes like sh**!”
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Update #2… The Sheeky Shetland on Probation
Rob Roy has just come out of the naughty corner.
robroy_0025 close
After raiding silos and behaving very badly at Pony Club,
our resident Bad Boy did penance in the yards for a few days.
Animal activists should remain calm.
He got far more attention there than when he is in paddock.
I hope he remembered a few manners, and I suspect he
MAY have lost a couple of centimetres round his ample middle
but is not up for any Jenny Craig awards just yet.
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Update #3… The Amazing Mates Department
Let’s talk calendars.
BB bush blog calendar 1e
The first run is *deep breath* pretty much sold out.
I know. I am gobsmacked.
If you have not ordered and wanted to, drop me a line via email
and I will see what I can do.
I doubt I will do a second run (unless someone orders 40!).
I am more than happy to attempt to get the orders I have correctly into the post.
(If you know me at all, you will understand that paperwork is not my strong point).
I would REALLY like to thank everyone who has supported my
by buying the Beauty of the Bush calendar
and/or placing a button on their blog for me*.
I am speechless at your generosity.BB CALENDAR FRONT e
A shot that didn’t make the calendar – much to my chagrin – I needed a 13th month!
.Smiling ears e
Another one that ALMOST made it.
This fabulous pony – chosen as a favourite subject by many –
survived a bad case of colic recently.
.
I am not making much financially from the calendar venture,
but I am shamelessly revelling in the satisfaction of knowing people
actually like my stuff enough to look at it year-round.
It’s very humbling really.
So thankyou.
I know I am a very lucky girl.
Signing off in heartfelt gratitude,
BB
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*HONORABLE MENTIONS

My wonderful blog buddies who buttoned up for me:

Kate from Utah Zen
Tracey from Trace Elements
and thanks to
Rhu from Rhubarb Whine
for the mentions.

12 Comments

  • Mom L

    I'm so sorry the little lady poddy didn't make it – but she had so much loving while she was here! Your kids learn so much about life that they will be amazing adults.

    Grandma Nancy in Iowa

  • Leenie

    That little bull looks great! Glad he survived the rough start. The Sheeky Shetland makes me laugh. Every animal has a personality. And CONGRATULATIONS on the success of your calendar!!! I'm not surprised. Your photographs are works of art. I'm glad you are getting them out where they can be appreciated.

  • traceelements

    Oh geez, I'm a bit emotional after reading this. (So don't say, as you did on the Twitter link to this that it's the worst bit of writing….) Through sadness for the little calf that didn't make it, through to snorting my coffee through my nose with your Crocodile Dundee quote, and rounding it off by feeling very chuffed for you with your calendar.
    I think I'm going to need another cup of coffee now to get over it.

  • Elizabeth from the Gold Coast

    Sorry to hear about your little hereford – maybe his Mother sensed he was sick and that's why rejected him, nature is funny like that…

    BIG congratulations on the success of your calendar…Go Bush Babe!!!

  • Jayne

    Damn, sorry to hear about the little calf but it's good that the kids have coped with it reasonably well.
    Yay on the sell-out of the calendar!

  • kurrajong

    Congratulations on the calendar.
    Here are some of my poddy calf tips…

    We had a very weak poddy who's mother died and I fed it left over baby formular and it died..eek!

    If you have one that won't suck, put some malt extract that expired in 1999 on the teat – works a treat!

  • Reddunappy

    It took me a minute to figure out what a poddy was lol, here we call babies that are rejected or lose their mamas bummers, lol bummer calf or bummer lamb, meaning they have been bottle raised.
    It is hard to lose them after you put so much into trying to make them better.

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