As the saying goes out here: "Another week in the life of a ringer." And it's still all good, though hard work as ever. We spent Sunday and Monday out at No3 mustering and processing the top paddock, which we'd filled up with all the things to be got rid of from Wire Yard and Mellish. These include the little steers to be processed and weaned into the steer and bullock paddocks and the old bulls, old cows with calves and the plain crazy ones that are to be sold. We were so grateful to be rid of the mad things at Mellish that I think a few of us forgot that we had to deal with them again now! Some of those things are very VERY cranky, mainly the cows, but we had one huge bull who took a major disliking to us and charged straight through one of the gates breaking the chain! Just as well the chain broke really, as he would have killed himself the speed that he was going! Anyway, we got them all dipped and processed, although we didn't have enough to sell, so unfortunately we had to put the mad things back in the paddock for next time!

Tuesday we packed up camp and headed out to Big Lagoon, spent 2 days mustering Big Lagoon paddock (which is a lot bigger than I thought it was!) and another 2 mustering Cassidys, the Horseshoe and the Spell Horse Paddock. These last 3 are the stud paddocks, the best on Nardoo, and sadly for us the cattle aren't at all grateful - they're the most spoilt and mad of the lot! Most of the calves are completely feral! Not that it was a problem this round, as we pretty much only had baby calves to brand, no big stroppy ones. Anne and I ended up branding as PJ and Josh had to go help Joe building the house up at Mellish with some concreting, and although we were pretty slow, it was good fun, and we spent a lot of time laughing at ourselves, which was just as well, as most of the men were laughing at us anyway!

The only slight mishap during the week was when I went to give my grey mare a drink in the lagoon before mustering and she decided to lie down with me in the water - luckily it was shallow, but muddy and I managed to get her up before she rolled! Having said that I was wet almost up to my knees, but it was pretty funny. Just as well it was a hot day - I'd dried out in about an hour, boots and all!

We managed to get back to the station last night so we could have today off, and as ever it was good to be back. Piglet is getting huge now, and unfortunately is starting to dig wallows and make holes everywhere so she may have to be given her freedom soon. The highlight of the week though is that Nacho seems to have turned a corner. He's actually eating grass, pellets and a bit of hay, and drinking loads of milk, out of the bucket rather than the bottle too - it's all very good. He's so much better than he was, he'll even have a bit of a buck and play about and try to charge Chip the dog when she gets a bit too rough playing with him. He even takes himself for little walks around the station now. Fingers crossed he carries on improving - I'm so proud of him, he's proving almost everyone wrong, as most people kept telling me that he was going to die.

Anyway, better go make the most of this day off...