Yet another lamb has inhaled a large bag of milk powder only to cark it the day before our local lamb and calf day.
Bugger.
The Rangitoto Girls and Boys Agricultural Club is a shadow of its former self (going back 20 years) but is still an awesome opportunity for rural children to compete in the show ring. Lambs and calves of all colours and personalities gather at either Norsewood or Takapau Schools in Central Hawke’s Bay (alternate years).
I haven’t had anything to do with the calf side, but the lamb competition includes three sections – leading (funny to see some being dragged and others trotting along faithfully like a dog), care and attention (naming breed, what they get fed and how often, how care for the animal) and catch and call (not a good idea if your fence is not fully intact and no bottle is in sight).
Back to the complaint of the day. My son’s lamb died on Sunday afternoon. He said at least he hadn’t practiced too hard. Like any good farm kid, he was quite okay with the life cycle not really working in his favour this week. But I told him people would expect him to be a “wee bit sad” when talking about his lamb, so he practiced his sad face. For five seconds.
Sarah’s lamb died a week or so before the lamb and calf day a few years ago. When we told her the lamb had died, she looked at us and said, “oh, are we having it for tea?”
We quickly trained up one of the other pet lambs, a boy, because it was the biggest, but had already had its balls off. We still have diesel, three years on, and all the red ribbons he won that year. I talked about it another time:
https://rivettingkatetaylor.wordpress.com/2008/08/11/procrastination-and-pet-lambs/
So for now, I’m preparing my thoughts of life in the world of rivettingkatetaylor for Jamie’s farming show on the radio tomorrow.
I caught up with an old friend yesterday too (should add we’ve known each other for years, as opposed to her being wrinkly and in need of a walker). We had a coffee Te Mata Cheese near Havelock North (and a very nice salmon and cream cheese thingie).
It’s easy for months and months to go by without making the effort to take time out to catch up – so my thought for the day is MAKE THE EFFORT!
And hi Fi 🙂
rivettingKateTaylor 
And great it was to catch up and you are very right that we all need to make the effort, we are of course not getting any younger, I have to say I’m pleased you don’t think I need a walker just yet!!
By: Fiona Gillies on November 3, 2009
at 8:13 pm
Sarah asking if you were having her lamb for tea reminds me of the farming kid who was sat down and told that his beloved grandad was very sick and likely to die in the next couple of days. His response was “will we throw him down the offal hole?” Country kids know far more about what it is about!
By: Kismet on November 4, 2009
at 1:13 pm
[…] See our success with Diesel in 2007 and our tears with Golly in 2009. […]
By: Lamb and calf day « rivettingKateTaylor on October 28, 2010
at 1:43 pm