Wet weather gear

Big Suffolk (left) inspects Paul
(centre) and Stevie's (right)
new wet weather gear, with what
we would like to describe as
gratitude (but is probably more
like suspicion).

Big Suffolk timed the twins' (now Paul and Stevie) birth right on the edge of a very big storm, which is a bit of a sheep tradition. Mr Farmer didn't think much of my generous offer to bring Paul and Stevie inside and raise them for Big Suffolk, but he did suggest that Paul and Stevie might like some bread bag rain coats for their birthday. Stevie models this season's latest look from Pak n' Save - the white toast slice (baked fresh in store daily), and Paul models this season's latest look from Budget - the white sandwich slice. For smaller lambs, Vogels have a wonderful range of petite-sized wet weather garments - happily, Stevie and Paul are more the size of your average loaf of bread. Helen is disappointed that the two bread bags wandering around the paddock are full of lamb, not bread - she gave the bags a very thorough inspection before they were transformed into rain coats. Big Suffolk didn't really seem very grateful for her twins' new gears, stamping her feet and glaring at me while I put the jackets on Paul and Stevie. One can't expect too much from a sheep, I suppose.

One of the leghorns (right) doing her best to ignore Yortu
(left).

Yortu the traveling turkey is still with us, and is currently watching me type from a sheltered spot under the eaves. Yortu roosts alone, right outside our bedroom (and will need to re-assess her idea of acceptable hygiene habits if she wishes to continue roosting outside our bedroom). She rises before the guinea fowl, and hasn't quite figured out how to get up into their roosting tree, so wanders around calling out "I am a lonely turkey hen, looking for company". Yesterday, Yortu was almost coerced into eloping with a wild pheasant from next door while the guinea fowl slept. This morning, the guinea fowl rose a little earlier. No marauding pheasants have been heard so far.

Albie and Helen seem to have had a falling-out, and Albie has disappeared off into the neighbour's paddock in a huff. Although usually very pleasant-natured, Helen has been known to be difficult during the later stages of her pregnancies. The rumour in the paddock is that Albie thinks Helen is a bit too friendly with Roger, and is having some doubts about the paternity of Helen's unborn kid (obviously Albie has a splash of Nubian in him). Some of us are suspicious that Helen may have left Albie in the neighbour's paddock on purpose. I think it is time that Albie was shown the way back into our paddock, but Helen is all for leaving him next door.