Sheepdog Injury

Roger with Belle

I am so glad that I wasn't there when Belle hurt herself. Apparently she chased a lamb that broke away from the mob, and in doing so she ran into a stick which stabbed her in the chest. Roger didn't think the injury was very serious, but he took her to the vet the next morning and had the wound cleaned and stitched. The vet put in a drain, which will have to be removed by Roger, and he'll also have to take out the stitches in a week or two.
Because I know you love photos of injuries (or is it just that I love taking them?) I took a photo for the blog.

Belle's wound with stitches and drain

Bonnie in the State Schools Cross Country

Today Bonnie ran in the State Schools Cross Country event at McGillivray Oval in Mt Claremont, Perth. She ran 1.5km in the year 5 girls race. I was very proud of her, even though I thought she could have done some more training in the lead up to the race. (But I didn't want to be a pushy Mum, so she did it her way.)
It is the fourth cross-country race Bonnie has competed in this year, starting with the Darkan Primary School faction carnival in which there were six girls in her age group. Then in the interschool carnival there were about 16 girls. At Narrogin in the regional event there were about 40 competitiors and Bonnie came ninth. Today there were 271 registered for her event, and Bonnie finished at number 121. Her friend and classmate Amelia came in 90th.
The best thing about today was seeing these girls from a small country school competing in a big event. There were more kids in each race on the program than there are in the whole school at Darkan!

We arrived early at 9am, and the ground was wet with dew

The crew were still setting up...

Hugh came with us, as he had been sent home form school yesterday feeling unwell.
He was obviously feeling fine today!!

We walked the track, and this was the only section that wasn't on the grassed oval.

A very impressive finish line - until it deflated...

The starting line

Bonnie is in the middle in a red shirt...

Waiting for the start...

Go!

Racing...

The large field heading off...

Mobile when you Need it

A man with a chainsaw

I was SO GLAD for mobile telephone reception last week. I was driving home one dark stormy evening and came across a tree branch over the road. It was too big for me to move, and I couldn't drive around it. I didn't know if I had enough fuel to drive back to the highway and try a different route home. Mobile telephone coverage is pretty patchy around here due to the topography, so I didn't expect that I would be able to call for help. So it was pure joy to see two bars showing on my phone, and to hear Roger on the other end of the phone assuring me that he would be there in a flash in his superhero costume. (He didn't actually say that, but a man with a chainsaw is a hero in a situation like that.)
The kids came too, and soon enough we were all home in our cosy warn house.

Small boy, big muscles!

Hugh helping out

Check out Bonnie's new gumboots!

Once the branch was cut into pieces it was easy to move.

Bonnie and Odette working together.

Sophie doing her bit.

Thanks Roger!