December 1st to 21st at Essex Downs

Just taking things easy since I last blogged.

Stacking hay at Maroola 

     
     On the 5th we took a drive to Maroola, a station owned  by Essex Downs owners, sister. It was a fairly long drive south west on gravel road. We had directions to get there but took longer than one would if you knew where you were going. The roads are good now, wouldn't travel them after rain, just wouldn't get through. We arrived to find them very busy picking up a load of hay that had been cut the day before, so Jim gave them a hand. Had a bit of trouble with the loader first up but got it fixed O.K. The stock needed feeding as well, they have a machines for most jobs around the station and it was all pretty simple. The cattle looked in good condition.

feeding the stock at Maroola

     We had lunch with Betty and Ces then left them to their hard work for the afternoon. There wasn't anything that we could help them with at this time. We took a different route back to Essex Downs via Maxwellton and Richmond. The trip was a bit longer but the road was better (I think). We had a reviving drink at the local in Richmond and took the pup's for a swim in lake Fred Triton, arriving back late afternoon.
     

Some of the mob on Essex

Nearing the entrance to Essex we saw a small mob of cattle on Essex property, about a dozen of them. Took some photo's hoping to identify them at a later time. Turned out they belong here and are the one's missing since our arrival. They looked in good nick, must be finding enough feed to sustain them well.

     Walking the paddocks here I discovered a bunch of rocks with fossils in them, they were scattered around a bit in 2 separate piles.No idea what they are at all, fascinating find. 

 




 These pictures show a small sample of the better looking ones.
 
     We have been into Richmond  on occasion to restock and have a look a round. It is a very friendly country town, willing to help out in any way if needed. We even got credit at the local past office when we asked them to send us an item in the mail as we weren't going in to town for a while, no problem, the article arrived in the next mail delivery and we paid for it next time we went into town. Now that's service!

     We have moved onto the managers cottage at the station, it is air conditioned and we no longer have to endure the high temperature days sweltering it out, temperatures of 45 degree are much easier to handle now. Any outside jobs that haven't been completed by 10 or 11 o'clock wait until late in the afternoon or the next day.

Outback makeshift Spa Pool

       
     

     I have shifted my outback spa pool to it's new location and enjoy it cool during the day as a swimming pool and add hot water from the artesian bore early evening to relax the tired body. Ahh!! such luxury!

One of the many great sunrises at Essex Downs

    
      The sunsets and rises are as spectacular as ever, this one was a bit later in the morning. U-beauty!

     Life goes on, every thing is good. 

16th Oct to end November - Essex Downs

Gidday,
     
     A bit light on news of late. last I blogged back in mid October, We were at Essex Downs station, south of Richmond, Queensland, we're still here. It is extremely hot!!! up to 45 degree celcius, OUCH!! but apart form that all is well. Getting my head around the vast distances in this part of the world and the Outback in general, 65.000 acres with two paddocks being 20,000 each, PHEW!! that's huge. Another curiosity to me, is the distance travelled to clear the mail box, a 12km round trip down the driveway and back twice a week. Ha Ha.
     
     We had some rain on the 30th October, about three quarters of an inch. When it rains here we go no-where, the black soil around here goes to slop when wet. Jim had to go down the driveway to find a tradesman and show him another way to the homestead, WELL!! poor little Suzuki jimny was devastated, mud many inches thick all under the wheel arches and everywhere. Luckily most of it dropped off when it dried out. Moral to the story? don't attempt to drive anywhere when it has rained, but - it dries out fairly quickly too.
    
      A bit of a drama unfolded when a big buck kangaroo decided that it
wasn't going to hop away when the dogs tried to chase it, instead it chased the dogs! Dot got a bit battered and bruised with a nasty gash to her belly, nothing life threatening, luckily. Yip was too nimble to get caught. Jim had a shot at it, but it ducked and took off, too fast to have another shot. Couple of days later, taking our late afternoon walk, the bl*#dy thing had a go at me!! It had a broken front leg. I ended up on the ground with a few nasty scratches on my backside - I live to tell the story, Big buck 'roo though,
 - DID NOT!! - it's  balls are still hanging on the barbed wire fence and the puppies were well fed for some time on fresh kangaroo meat.
     
     I have a spa! the water here is artesian, comes  out of the ground HOT! The bore supplies the household with water and there is plenty of it, don't wait to have a cold shower though. I set a huge tub beside the veranda and filled it from the bore - hot spa water - it cools over night but I just empty a bit out and refill it with the hose water, which is hot. 

     That 's our lot at present, thoroughly enjoying being here, getting a bit lazy, not a lot to do around the place, just take care of what is here, water the lawn and mow it when it grows, havn't needed to mow much yet, just as well as the mower is cactus, leaves us with a whipper snipper to do the job - all good.
     
Some photos to look at.

rain west of Essex Downs

Goanna - a Local visitor

Sunset at Essex Downs

                                                         The sunrises and sunsets are absolutely beautiful, I could take many a picture but have just a couple to look at. Apart from the kangaroos the wildlife is not much, this goanna turned up a couple of weeks ago. The birds are many and varied, getting more abundant as the lawn greens up and more insects are being attracted by our lights at night. Nature is an ever increasing wonder to behold!
     



      Another shower of rain on Friday 27th November with about half and inch. Need a lot more to do any good. That's life isn't it? can't control the weather.
    
                      Catch all when next I blog, maybe not 'til the new Year.
                                 Merry Christmas to all