Gosh isn't this some of the most gorgeous country. I have been in a bit of a photography slump lately and it was so refreshing to visit some country that was really inspiring.
I'm not sure where the holidays went..... well I know where they went, but I can't believe that we are down to one last day!!!! Time has just evaporated!
Over the holidays I attended a cattle handling/ ladies day down at Gayndah. Was such a lovely day and I wish that I hadn't been so rushed, as I would have liked to have had more time to swan around and check out some of the countryside. So lovely down there.
These were just a handful of my favourites from the day.
I love these two of Hayley (whose place we were on), even though it wasn't her horse, but I just liked the story.
This is Hayley's daughter Harriet, who is also in Garrett's class. She is such an awesome little rider and has such a great seat on a pony.
This was her son Mac, who kept the weaners up to us all day while we worked them. We got 5 mins to do as we pleased (low stress of course) with a weaner and we all got about 3-4 goes over the course of the day.
Such a lovely group of ladies and it was so nice to be able to spend the day with them all.
The morning after, just before I packed up and headed home, I ducked out with my camera and caught a couple of pretty little shots of the sun sneaking into the valley.
And even captured a few with my macro.
I don't even like bougainvillea but this one was quite pretty.
And I'm a sucker for a bird of paradise. I love them.
How much of a dude is this dog? Love him!
From my Phone:
Here is where I normally find out exactly what I've been up to. When I drop all the images from my phone onto here and I go, "oh yeh, I have been busy".
This was about 3 weeks before school holidays.
My princess trying on her dress for the ball.
My dear friend Ange had a birthday during our last mini school and we all played dumb, but I had known for months and had been planning how we could surprise her. This was her cake topper.
My darling girl at her first mini-school
Starting to get the hang of fondant. Good fun to work with.
I think we got her good!
We had also planned to do a clay mug making workshop on her birthday which was fun and I can't wait to collect them next mini school after they are fired. Mum has the day off work too which was so good!
All our mugs.
Jackie M, Tanya L, Tania R, Ange, Me, Bonni, Megan, Jackie L and Mumsy.
All the kids did a painting on the first afternoon and OMG!!! It was so chaotic. There was this massive storm heading straight for us, it was hot as hell and we were trying to hurry the kids up and skip through the steps! Really funny in hindsight, but a bit stressful at the time. They look better as a group. G man isn't much of a painter, Kaka's was pretty good, but needed more time.
Me, Tanya L, Mum
Ange, Jackie L
Jackie M and Tania
Megan concentrating very hard!
Ange and I got to give blood again. I'm not sure if we will be due by next mini school so we might have to do plasma.
On the Friday of mini school, the kids only have a short day, so we all ventured to mums to do our own 'paint and sip'. Was a heap of fun. I think it will have to be a regular thing. I love my little dude. Going to have to try and do the cows next.
Missy won an award for being "calm, kind and caring' and "a good help to her teachers and peers"! I might have been just a little bit proud! You always wonder, as a parent if you're getting it right and when they are getting those kinds of awards, the grades don't really matter!
The day after we came home from mini school it was out mustering so that we could do some branding. 
WE had a very quick visit from my sister in law on their way home from Fraser Island.
The mustering team, going to get the cattle.
Funny when the only people you can get to help are kids and geriatrics (3 ringers in the their 60's). I mean all 3 of them were proper handy and we couldn't have done it without them. Especially on the last day when Justin and I had to go off chasing weaners that had taken off and left mum with two kids and 200 head of cows and calves. "Not the first time that's happened to her though". Piece of cake for mumsy.
Sheree on Carlos
All my horses that could work a cow were being ridden, so the ol brumby has had a bit of a baptism of fire.
Nearly there kids!
Even had to employ this couple of townies for the day to help us do the branding. Ange probably, normally has a much better sterile technique than what we were using here.
Justin was impressed with Jase's branding, so much so that I think I've lost my job. Especially when I looked over some of the ones I did on another mob, a lot were very scalded which is a bit of a shame!
OMG, is she grandma all over or what??
B1 and B2
My dream team!
I liked this one!
Last day of school and we got out for an afternoon ride.
Seemed like the appropriate day for a Hawaiian shirt.
Bobby the Star!
Everyone's favourite horse!
As I didn't have much ribbon selection for the ball, we had to go with xmas wrapping. Did the job.
When you only hold a ball every second year, they get big in between.
First and last time I will wear that dress. My hair got caught in the sequins all night and it scratched all up both my arms. Totally not worth wearing again. And the shoe didn't last for more than 4hrs before I went barefoot at the ball. You think I'd be smart enough to bring some flats.
Lucy and Kaka were up dancing which was so cute!
I was a little bit sad that Miss didn't win Princess of the ball, as I don't know how many more years that I have before she won't want to wear princess dresses any more.
We finished packing up the ball and got home about 1am. Only for me to pack up and jump in the truck and drive to Gayndah for the ladies day that same Sunday morning.
Monday, the day of the "lady's day" I decided to go for a morning jog. On my way out I ran into Hayley's husband Andrew and he goes, "oh yeah, you're just running along the road?"... I said, "yeh". Cheeky bastard didn't bother to tell me that one way was completely up hill! Took the sap out of me that's for sure. I was much cheekier on the way down.
With the ladies day done, the following morning I packed up and headed back home again.
I may have been a little concerned about whether I was going to make it to Biloela for fuel, but not that worried that I was going to stop in Thangool which was 10km before Bilo.
Someone... needs to create an app, called "the old bloke companion" that links up with google maps, that tells you interesting facts about the places you're driving through. You know stuff like, "there was a big gun fight over there, that used to be a volcano, this place was first settled in....." stuff like that. Have someone like John Laws narrate it. I think he's still alive. How good would that be.
Doesn't take long for me to miss my little crew.
A few shenanigans from the ladies day cocktail evening.
Hanging out with Hayley and Gemma, but I was a bit too exhausted to linger too long via their lovely pool.
One of Hayley's mare's had a beautiful little foal the morning that we were there. A bit cute.
Photo probably doesn't do much justice to the size difference. The grey that Hayley is on, is almost 17hh and my little pip squeek... well I haven't measured him, but he's only a wee lil pony.
Home again from Gayndah and my lovely niece came for a visit. As we had decided that one mob of calves was a bit small to brand yet, we had a couple of free days, to go out for a ride together.
Aaaaand try to catch a fish... but that storm behind us had different ideas. It pelted down!! There was 2 inches all up and about 20mm in, we decided to pack up and go home as it didn't look like it was going to lift. But by the time we packed up everything, everyone had got completely soaked through and we made it all the way back out to the main road, it had all cleared up and there was blue sky!
I don't think Hayley minded though because it meant we could go out for another ride together.
Just a girl and her horse.
I have a bit of a fascination with eye balls I wish I could take photos of them without reflections but I just can't get it. These were with my phone.
Kaka, Justin,
Gman, Hayley,
Me, Mum
Apparently it's a bit of a tradition with my brother's family to have milkshakes inside their bunnies for Easter, and as he was away at work, we decided to do it here on Easter Saturday.
Mum and Hayley left to go back to town and as the buggy was still loaded with all the fishing gear, Justin took the kids back for another try to catch an Easter barra!
Tada!!! We I think it was actually Kaka's fish and dad just tried to steal the credit, but what happen on tour stays on tour.
Pro fishing tip: Take small child to hold your fish! Makes them look huge!
Was pretty damn tasty though. Nothing like a good feed of fresh fish!
Fish and chips for tea!
And Sunday morning the Easter bunny found them. They both got some books and 'oodies' and a couple of little eggs each.
Then we ventured to Emu park to catch up with Greer and Mango and their kidlets. Went to the dino park which was interesting but a total rip off, like most tourist attractions are!!
Justin saw this dude on the back of a truck last year but was a bit uncertain as to where it was headed.
Home from out Easter outing and I spent the day trying to deep clean, at least some, of this poor neglected house. We've lived here for almost 2yrs now and had only planned to stay 6mths. So she hasn't really been getting the love she deserves, as you can see. With Garrett and Jessica's teachers coming next week, I was too embarrassed to leave it in the state that it was (not that I got everything done, but some is better than none).
Cleaning day to mustering day. Back to the paddock to get the Wagyus in to be branded and drenched.
My little cowgirl.
Who says you can't be fancy in the bush.
Was just turning out the last of the cattle on day 2 of our muster and the brumby walked over a log with me riding and was instantly lame. As we didn't have any speed or anything I was thinking "what the hell happened mate?" I was looking in his foot and then thought he had put his hip out. Anyhow, I eventually looked inside his back lego to find this!! With only the bottom centimetre of the stake sticking out. Had to borrow Tom's pliers to really yank it out of him. Poor bugger. So with the Springsure challenge looming in 6 weeks. I asked the vet to come and flush it for me. Still very swollen now, but hopefully he will heal faster.
I saw this tree and thought that some days I can really resonate with it. Half fallen down, nearly in the water, but just holding above it. Half dead but still living.
Day 3 of mustering, with the kids and I all being sick, but unfortunately when you have people booked in to help and only a few days off, you just have to do the work when you can. So lots of codral and aspirin and energy drinks.
G man and miss jumped in the trough so had to be stripped off for the car ride home. But she wanted to be covered so I gave her my scarf as a shirt. Then she fell asleep. Big days for the poor little mites, daylight till dark every day and they were such good little helpers keeping the tail of the mob coming.
Oh my goodness and with that face and all the mustering done, I will leave you!
I'm exhausted. I should be in bed but I knew that it would be some time before I get back on here. With the branding finished this week, I spend yesterday doing as much cleaning as I possibly could to try and prepare the house for the kids' teachers coming to visit. Then today we had our show working bee for the show which is next weekend and tomorrow I have to wash all our horses and do their feet and manes to get them in some state to take to the show. As well as maybe trying to make an effort and bake something to enter into the show. Then back to school Monday. So life is a little busy at the moment.
With the flu and being exhausted from long days and not really having any much rest over the Easter break, when I discovered that a property we had been looking at sold prior to auction, I think I cried for about an hour straight. Some days are harder to be hopeful than others. I'm sure things will look brighter on the end of a good night sleep.
In other more exciting news, I've been contacted by a couple of people to give quotes as a photographer for their events and for marketing. So that's a bit exciting for me and nice that my work is being recognised. I've got one event booked and I'm hoping to get a bit more photography work, so watch this space.
We trendsetters I'm off to bed. Hope you are all fabulous and enjoying some of the cooler nights that are starting to set in.
With Love.
