How idyllic...

The alarm goes at 6am, sighing and groaning PJ hits it to snooze another 10 minutes. My eyes are closed, I'm still wandering around in the nebulous realm between sleeping and waking. I vaguely hear some clanking noises from the kitchen, ah bliss, the dishes are being done!

A cup of tea by my side of the bed, a quick kiss and PJ's off to his job in Hobart. I manage a few more minutes but animals are calling, especially Emma. Satch sounds like he's having a busy morning and yes, when I look in his room he has managed to rearrange our fire starting material around his bed - and this is before he has had his injection of Emma's rocket fuel.

Satchmo rearranging his living arrangements.

I open up the curtains and let Satchmo out for his morning pee. Our boy is growing up! He cocks his leg without realising, then runs off. It's a foggy morning, and Geeveston is shrouded in a mist that wafts up the mountains around us. How idyllic, I sigh. I quickly have breakfast, then clean the pans so I can relieve Emma of some milk. I've taken Porter off as he is hurting her teats too much, but I still let him drink sometimes in the morning because Emma has too much milk for me to handle. Looking out of the window, I see an odd spectacle: The cows, including Rufus, are mooing loudly and running up and down the field - hopefully I can get Emma out without too much effort.

I go out, and take in the view again, what a stunner of a morning! It's time to grab a bale of hay, the first one of our own land to start feeding Ems. It's been a wet night, the grass slowly soaks through my pants into my wellies. My moo-poos get very excited at the sight of hay, so I decide to give them some as well. Party time all around and it makes it easier to get Emma out although she wants to stop and grab a mouthful on the way as well. She's a good girl, my Emma, and I take my 5 litres of milk from her without a problem. Satch is patiently waiting for his litre and as he's drinking, I move Ems down to Porter so he can empty her out.

A misty morning...

There are only 2 calves left of the old lot, Porter, who is destined for our freezer and Stagboy, a calf who we found out was not ringed properly and will go off to the local Halal market. I see that Stagboy has escaped, and as I take Emma to Porter I round him up and put him on the right side of the fence too. Satch is sitting in the field and I go back to take him for his walk around the borders. With difficulty I get him to come along and off we go.

At the top paddock, I open the gate and Satch runs in, straight to the dam. It's cold now and I'm quite happy that there are no more snakes around to bite my little boy, so I let him go. Two swans move through the field, towards the dam, they're coo-ing and seem a right old pair of lovers. Satch hasn't noticed them, and they glide into the water. As I walk along, I see two more swans! These are the beautiful black swans and I'm quite pleased they are congregating in our dam. Unfortunately Satch does spot these two and runs towards them. They fly up and land in the dam, everybody is safe - including Satch.

How idyllic, I sigh, as I watch the swans and listen to the birds singing. The mist is slow to disappear, the scenery is like a fairy tale. Satch refuses to come back, so I decide to take Emma back first and then come back for him. As I'm walking towards Ems, a racket breaks out on the dam. I'm below it, so can't see a thing. Lots of trumpetting, splashing, what is going on? Swans can be strong, so I am a bit concerned Satch got to close and got a wallop, although it'd be a good lesson I'm sure.

Emma has decided she won't go back - I coax her, ask her, command her, slam the stick on the ground so it breaks, but no. How idyllic.... Finally she moves as I beat the sticks together, and I get her back in the field with the others. A spectacle unfolds in front of my eyes as I see the dam again. The swans are fighting! They are trumpetting away, smashing the water with their wings, chasing each other around. Weren't they monogamous? Don't they mate for life? The cows are very unsettled and start running around again, mooing loudly. It appears they are scared of the swans and won't go into the field where the fight is now continuing.

Satch is in the far field and is still refusing to come, he is having too much fun. Stagboy escapes again and Emma is going ballistic as she is worried that Porter is in trouble even though the swans are fighting in the front paddock. No traffic, no people, just animals and nature in action. How idyllic.

Satchmo, watching from a safe distance.

I go inside and strain the milk, thinking that Satch needs a little lesson. He gets upset when he is left behind so I think it serves him right for not listening. When I go out again, I still see some remnants of mist so I grab the camera and start snapping away. The swans have finished fighting, the cows are calm again. Stagboy is still in the wrong field. Satchmo, not happy at having been left behind, runs up and presses his body against mine as I look out over the dam where a lone swan now slowly swims around.

I sigh. How idyllic...

Lone swan in the dam. (more photos of this morning)