Life on the Farm After the Queensland Floods

Sorry for the silence here of late! I’m afraid it’s been one drama after another here on our goat farm on the Darling Downs.

First were days of pouring rain and massive winds that sent leaves pelting our roof like massive drops of rain.

Then came the 2013 Queensland floods which wreaked havoc up and down the state and down through New South Wales.

Just as we started to dry out a bit from the floods another huge rain came through last night. Phew!

But today the sun came out in earnest and everything is perking up beautifully.

pink cosmos

My garden has stopped drooping under withering winds and is blossoming and producing again.

I’ve been collecting handfuls of tomatoes and they managed to emerge with only a few splits here and there.

chive blossoms

Our poor ducklings nearly died when their pens went from dry to flooded in just a short time. So Bear and I bundled up against the deluge and got them up out of the water and up into straw-lined dog kennels, making sure to wrap the soggiest ones in towels so they could warm up quicker.

We thought for sure that we’d lose some, but when we came to check on them the next morning, they were happy as can be, waddling through puddles and looking as though they hadn’t resembled drowned rats the night before.

We were SO relieved. 🙂

DSCN8400-2

Our new Pilgrim geese weren’t fazed in the slightest by the storm. In fact, they seemed to enjoy it! Strutting around in the maelstrom with the adult Muscovy ducks while all the other farm animals were hunkered down in shelters and pens.

female Pilgrim geese

We’re so glad that all our animals made it through the floods.

Today it was time to tackle the projects that we put off until the weather was better.

We donned wellies then slipped and slid our way to the paddocks. Working in at least six inches of thick black mud and the remaining flood waters, how we laughed as we nearly fell on our faces while wrangling goats. Finally we got the randy boys separated from the girls and joined up with the menfolk in the upper paddock.

Then we got all the ducklings moved into the pen with the grown-up Muscovy’s and they are happy as pigs in mud, toddling about in the big open space with two ponds for them to swim in.

Tonight we can bask in the knowledge of a job well done and collapse into bed knowing that everybody is safe and sound. It feels good. 🙂

Darling Downs farm

What is your latest project that you’re proud of?

One thought on “Life on the Farm After the Queensland Floods

  1. Sounds like ducklings are hearty little beings. I love that. It makes me smile to think such small seemingly helpless little things can survive a traumatic storm and wake up being happy and delighted.

    Latest project I’m proud of: Finished knitting 1st Christmas stocking of 4 for Chrismtas 2013.

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