A NEW DIRECTION FOR THE OLD RAM

[Baymule]

Yeah, we get the cow farts thing too. Funny, the millions and millions of bison that roamed the country before we shot them all and replaced them with cattle are never mentioned. Surely they farted too! We have fires that are destructive because the underbrush is allowed to build up. Idiots.

 

[High Desert Cowboy]

I completely understand the problem with environmentalists. We’ve had problems with those dang bark beetles killing scores of trees and brush buildups around the base but heaven forbid someone go in there and try to clear it out! And every year we get some pretty ugly fires when lightening strikes and it all starts burning. Then you think of the millions spent fighting the fire and afterwards there is nothing left. With logging and grazing you are diminishing the risk of fire while at the same time generating revenue. But hey, the environmentalists aren’t personally footing the bill so what do they care. Here in the western US the worst pests we have are environmental activists.

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

As i understand it it was the average across the whole of Australia and they expect to break that tomorrow.I think the hottest was just short of 50 c in parts of the "outback".....

 

[Bruce]

Ah, that's nothing!!

"The hottest air temperature ever recorded in Death Valley was 134 °F (56.7 °C) on July 10, 1913, at Greenland Ranch (now Furnace Creek), which is the highest atmospheric temperature ever recorded on earth."

OK, I wouldn't want to experience either temperature!!

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G'day folks, we hope you have had a n enjoyable festive season and that the New Year brings you all the good "stuff" you desire.

Here is an update on the fires.In NSW the fire has burnt 3 million ha (about 7.5 million acs) most of it up and down the East coast.currently we have fire fronts on 3 sides of us ,but still quite some distance from the home farm.As some of you will be aware we also have another farm some distance away of about 200 acs,our current expectation is that the whole of this farm will be consumed by an approaching fire front in the next 5 or so days.However we do not have any livestock on it so it will be the shack. sheds and fencing which will be lost we expect.

The entire flock has now been gathered together as one group for ease of feeding and to access safe water at the moment we are feeding about 800 kg of hay a week ,which seems to be sufficient to keep them from "slipping" in condition,in fact it is possible that by the end of Jan we are going to have a "drop" of new lambs.

We recently purchased 12,200 lts of water for our house supply ($400.00) from a local bore,the chap and his family have been drinking it for 25 years and his father before him.There are some horrific prices being quoted for the supply of water to the district,$1200.00 for 20,000 lts and $750.00 for the 12,000 load,so i think we were pretty lucky with our lot.We are also able to pickup 1000 lts per day in a "pod" from the supply in town foe our emergency tank of 8,000 lts which is now about half full, but we expect to go onto stage 4 water restrictions in two weeks so that will be the end of that i think.

Anyway Xmas was a nice break for us and we spent 2 days at our daughters place even though they had had a "close call" with a bad fire quite close to both them and our grandson's house.It was a nice break from the farm ,sheep feeding and watering and the constant smell of smoke in the air........T.O.R.

 

[Baymule]

That is terrible, I am so sorry that you and your country is going through these fires. Fire consumes everything, takes it all, leaving nothing. I m glad that you have secured water and I hope that it will take you through the drought.

 

[Bruce]

Those fires are awful, no decent rain in sight.

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G'day folks, I am sad to say that it seems that last night our 200 ac farm was "lost" to the fire which is raging through the district.......At this point of time the Home farm is safe and our house is capable of being defended with our existing water storage's.Plans are in place to save the flock in the event that we are in the path of an oncoming fire front.

We have been a little "overwhelmed" by the gifts from strangers,the local C W A (Country Women's Association)called and gave us a hamper for Xmas.A group from Canberra offered us and others a gift of feed for the dogs and stock and we also were given a box of grocery items.

It spite of everything we are in "good spirits",helped of course by a daily dose of a good Single Malt or a Small batch Bur bun after a full day of feeding and watering the flock,it is worth noting that the other day the temperature reached 40 c and as we are watering the flock in troughs now they consumed 1000 lts over that day.Currently we are driving into the village each day and collecting a ration of 1000 lts of water most of which we are trying to store to help the defend our house if the fires come....We will update the group as news come to hand.....T.O.R.

 

[Beekissed]

I'm so sorry. I can't even imagine what that would be like but my heart goes out to you.

 

[B&B Happy goats]

😥 I am so sorry for you and everyone that is dealing with the fires, your spirit sounds strong, although your heart must ache