Trough Trouble and Toby's Horn Returns

Yesterday morning I spent in Otane at a portraiture class. It was so warm and sunny but on arriving back here at lunchtime Glenys remarked that it was a "different world" i.e. a cold wind was blasting from the south.

I had just finished lunch when Jeff from Smedley Station came to the back door. They were moving the large round trough from the back paddock to the stump one next door as their cattle will be grazing the long acre (along the road verge) soon and they're using that field as a holding paddock. A large tractor was brought in to move it but they also shifted an old concrete trough to just behind the hedge by the back gate so my animals have somewhere to drink. Unfortunately this means I'll have to refill it with water every day as there is a crack at one end and it leaks slowly. As I will be going off Smedley water in a couple of months and onto rainwater (after my landlord puts in a tank to collect rainwater from the roof) I am worried I may run low. I don't ever want to be in the position of not having water as I was at the last cottage.

Anyway I told Jeff about Tobermory losing his horn but he already knew as he found it way down by the old trough. He said it looked like it had snapped off. When I went out to put the chickens to bed he'd hung it in the wire netting on the gate. Poor Toby- I bet it hurt.

I was collecting my mail when Rachel drove past. She stopped for a chat and said once her nursing course is finished at the end of the year she'll be popping in for coffee. I am amazed at how friendly people are in this area compared to where I lived before.