Pink Eye and the River Beat

Queen is 5 years old, but still can't resist a play with Don before we set out to muster the 2 tooth ewes off the Spur



This morning I have the river beat to do, just hope I keep dry feet, but it is a very pleasant walk up the river bed then I come back along a stock track pushing the ewes in front of me

                                                                  



And I know where I would rather be on such a beautiful day (and we haven't had many this summer), and it certainly is not heading to Auckland on a morning flight!!




The river narrows down and you cannot avoid having to cross - many times



And cross again on this corner



Then it will be up the hill to get to sheep and track



Not at the top yet, but such a beautiful view



The white dot in the middle of the picture is a ewe, and even with me whistling and Maid barking she is not shifting.  Think she probably is suffering from Pink Eye (conjunctivitis), which is going through the ewes at the moment.  Usually you get it more in a dry dusty year, and especially when they have been through the yards when it spreads from sheep to sheep, but they must be picking up the bug as they graze in the long seedy grass.  We used to put a powder in their eyes to try to cure it, but the advice now is that you leave them and the eyes will come right over about a fortnight.  But in the meantime, this ewe will be left behind as there is no way I can get her out of this spot with a dog, and I don't want her going over a bluff.  Hopefully she will climb out slowly herself, and at present she has plenty to eat.




On the stock track.  You can see the woolshed in the distance, which is where the ewes are going.




The Boss has a mob up on the front face (usually my beat)

We had to leave about 6 ewes behind as they were too blind to move safely, and the others are still down on a paddock after there vaccinations waiting for their eyes to clear up.

And I came home with dry feet, but very wet jeans - if the Boss had told me I would not have been doing my usual beat I would have worn shorts and puttees (canvas covering that attaches to you boots and goes up your leg a little way) then I wouldn't have had wet legs!!