Dungarron Highland Ponies

Last weekend was yet another trip to Melbourne. This time to my lovely cousin Katelyn's wedding out at Coldstream. Got to Melbourne after lunch on Saturday and we all tumbled out at Tam's (Thank's Tam for putting up with us YET again. Love you!) Taking turns getting ready, alternating with sitting out on the deck trying to get some air. It was still and humid, and something was brewing over the city. We watched the clouds getting blacker and blacker, but it was 3pm and we had to head out to Coldstream, and as we backed out of the drive the scary looking clouds were driving in over the suburbs with terrifying speed.

The little black Alfa flew us out and around the foothills of the Dandenong's, we watched a solid wall of rain chase us while dodging tree limbs crashing over the road. A series of texts and a phone call from Amanda informed us that they would be late as the whole city had been closed because of torrential rain and hail ... little did we know just how big the storm really was! We got to the winery and parked where we thought the car would be most protected, and we watched as it all headed towards us. Poor Katie & Kyle, what a way to get married! But the ceremony was moved inside, but now with the very dramatic backdrop of storm clouds annd lightening over the Yarra Valley behind them. And it was a lovely ceremony, and gorgeous little Kate arrived on her Dad's arm wearing the most beautiful dress, with a stunning bouquet made by her step-mum Kez and all 18 months of little man Chase wearing a three piece suit and tie (and Kyle looked pretty schmick too) I don't think one person noticed the rain or the thunder and lightening.

Katelyn & Kyle Hadland.

Photo pinched from Aunty Tamaris because i didn't take my camera. Doh!

It wasn't a late night, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable one, and a rare chance to catch up with many people we don't get to see nearly enough.

Got home late, no major damage to Tam's house or garden, we all headed in for cups of tea (Nana's that we are) and bed. Up at 9, after listening to rain on the roof most of the night (such a lovely sound) Packed up, hugs all round, off to have breaky with Morgan before heading home to muster and sort cattle for sale. Parked near the cafe in Ivanhoe, Muzz points to car and says "Did you notice that?" "Notice what?" and then i wanted to cry a bit ... poor hi-lux ... dints every where. Orange-peel like dints all over the bonnet, all over the roof ... aaaawwwwnnooo.

"Hello, NRMA? I need to make a claim ...my car was in Melbourne on Saturday March 6th..."

By the time we hit Broadmedows it was sunshiney and humid and the air-con was on. By the time we headed down the big hill at Glenrowan, it was black to the north and obviously raining. Hmmm. Raining at Chiltern. Raining at Wodonga. Still black to the North, raining at home?? Pissing with rain! Yay .. not so fun for mustering cattle though. Made the decision to put it off til monday .. until on a quick look around we found the cow having trouble calving .. so we mustered, drafted and pulled a big, live, heifer calf - all in the pouring rain. And i was more than happy to come in a couple of hours later well and truly soaked to the skin!

Can you make that out? It says 72mm! add that to the 16mm tipped out on Friday,

which makes the best rain we've had for about 10 years!

The Ten Mile Creek - flowing.

Amazing (and i hope it keeps flowing too.)

This is the first time in all of Romi's 3 years that she's had an opportunity to wade through the creek!

You can not imaginge how much time i have spent smiling today. And there is not one new photo of the foals to be seen, because i was just having too nice a time looking at the green and the water. And i am grateful, so very grateful for the opportunity to just look and feel happy, because it's been a long time since i have been able to do that. Thank you Universe.

Hard at work ... sleeping;

McLeod (Cloud) on the left, Harris (Harry) on the right.

It's looking a bit dry ... again, but from Harry's appaloosa impression

you can see we did actually have a shower of rain pass over.

Happy Australia Day! (ok, it was on Tuesday, but i'm just getting around to posting today)

Even the locals reckon it's too hot to be out in the sun.

Well, it's Jan 29 and today (friday) marks the end of the unofficial Australian holiday period.

School goes back, the long weekends are over, no mor cries of  " ah, CBF" will be accepted.

Knuckling down begins Monday.

We got an unexpected Australia Day surprise.

We don't usually plan calving in the heat of summer, but since reducing our herd to the absolute bare minimum,

We only run two mobs, and a bull runs full time in each mob.

Nice to see the bull is working even in the off season.

Ponies are all doing exceptionally well, not surprising considering they have done absolutely nothing for nearly 8 weeks.

All in good to forward condition *grin*

Flora looks great and looks definately in foal.

Gypsy & Flora have formed a bit of a club hogging all the good shady spots, making the younger

girls go find themselves a spot somewhere else.

The girls had to hike all the way from down in the creek to come see what was going on..

Tamaris...this girl makes my heart sing!

Partbred by Barrymoor Dorian out of Gypsy (above)

Once they'd all had a checkover and had been assured there was nothing

in the car except a skinny yellow dog, it was back to the the boys to turn off the

pumps and head back to the house. The sun was too high and glarey to take photos of Cloud and Harry,

but did get shots of big and small (not that either were happy about having their photos taken)

Cam is making a similar face to that which i seem to make if a camera is pointed at me!

Cam is also by Dorian, as is Harry.

Welsh troublemaker and standover merchant, Dez.

Obligatory shot of foalies and advice that there is yet more pics in their folders in the gallery.

Forecast for the next week - 34, 39, 42, 42, 42 then a cool change on Tuesday. Sheesh! I hate the hot weather.

New photos in the photo gallery. All the other ponies are here. I just seem to spend a lot of time in the afternoons when it's cooler sitting out with the foals. I will make an effort to get some pics of the boys as soon as possible.

...arrived with a vengence on Thursday 17th. What was said to be a cool change with up to 40mm of rain, became a cyclonic change ripping through at about 2.30pm. Connor and i were in Albury when the clouds startied building up, and we abandoned thoughts of going to the movies when the dust arrived. The past couple of years have seen plenty of dust storms, and they were generally a pretty good indicator of high winds following.  That combined with the chance of thunderstorms and the fact it was 40 degrees was enough to make the trip home in case of fires.

Morgan arrived home from work at 2pm, and had noticed the clouds and for a change parked her car in behind mine instead of under the red gum in the yard ... good choice Morgan. This is where he car normally sits! (The following photos are from the day after the storms.)

Storm was here and gone again in a matter of minutes, but it was a terrifying couple of minutes! Started with everything turning red with dust, that eerie light and muffled sound, and then the wind started, and got stronger, and stronger ..doors slammed open, garage gate slammed open, tried to close it only to be blown off my feet into the car, finally got it wrenched closed as the tiles on the garage roof started flying off. Limbs were falling everywhere, chook house door flew off, the sound of splitting timber could be heard over the howling wind. Steel sheeting tore off the machinery shed, Cloudy went over a fence as a tree in his paddock came down. Rain and debris were thrown across the yard horizontally in what we now know were 107km / hr winds. I headed out with a halter to catch Cloudy but as more limbs hit the ground and hail began to fall it was deemed too dangerous. So we stayed inside, listening, waiting, and in no more that 5 minutes it fell calm and silent (which in itself was pretty eerie and scary!)  after another 5 minutes it was decided it was safe enough to go and catch Cloudy and check all of the other horses (all well and pretty unfazed)

There were (still are) limbs down in every paddock under just aboout every tree. We only lost one whole tree ...

While checking the big mare mob on the creek i did find one casualty .. a barely fledged Blue Heron strutting about on the creek bank making little peeping noises. I hadn't realised that the heron's nested here, and have no idea where or how they nest, but this little guy could only just fly.

The mares are all looking fat and sassy. I normally wouldn't let them get this fat, and they've had so little opportunity to do so in the past couple of years. I just couldn't justify locking them up ...

Flora (BF Kylie), Tammy, and Verona.

Tammy, Gypsy, Romi, Verona

Flora

And have i mentioned how superbly Verona has matured??

Nearly Christmas. Things are heating up and drying out. Foals are going ahead in leaps and bounds, literally.

Heaps of new pictures of both Ghillie and Keziah in their respective photo albums on the Gallery page.

DG Keziah, just over 1 month old

After much deliberation, Millie's girl has a name. DG Keziah (kez - ee- ah) It's a family name that's not been used for a while, it's been in my head since she was born. New photo's in the photo gallery.