Herbie caught fish for the first time. About 30 years ago he went fishing, which to him was throw a line out, and then watch while everyone else reeled in their fish while his bait covered hook remained untouched. Not this time. He caught the first 3 before Gary pulled one, a Blue Gill, a Sunfish and a Pike, (or maybe it was a Perch) all of which he released back into the lake. After bringing Jackie and I back to the shore, they went out again, and he caught another 40 or so, he stopped counting there were so many. I wonder if he'll want to do it again ? They kept 8 fish, not the Bass they each caught as they were too small, but Blue Gills and Sunfish, which Herbie descaled and Gary filleted, and we brought them back home and I cooked them for lunch. Actually not bad. Plus I took all the heads and leftovers for the beasties here. Showed them to the cats, not much interest, the dogs didn't seem too keen either, but the new chicks were giving them a go, and by the following morning I only found one, which disappeared later that day.
Last night we had one of our pasture bonfires :). Herbie lit the fire around 7:30 pm, and it just went whoosh, with a huge fire. I thought he'd poured petrol on it, but he said he just used an old bale of hay as a starter and it worked great. We still have wood from 2 years ago in the middle of the veggie garden so may have another pasture bonfire later this year. I put the cast iron lanterns with citronella candles out on upside-down buckets showing the way back to the pasture, and we had s'mores. For my South African friends and family, you toast marshmallows over the fire, then take a Graham cracker, sort of like a sweet biscuit, put a piece of chocolate on it, then the gooey, toasted marshmallow, and squish it down with another cracker to make a sweet sandwich. The Scottish Highlands were much better companions, they stayed either behind us, and then settled down on the otherside of the fire, not between us and the fire like the Jerseys. Gabriel was a little agitated as Eleanor is on heat, so I put her in with Oliver to get bred, and not with Gabriel. He wasn't happy. Today he tried to take the gates down again. Herbie suggested we add some stakes behind the gates, and run the electric wire from them to protect the gates. Great idea, think we'll do it tomorrow, as I was poeggai this evening after milking after we got back from lunch at Julie and Rons' with Herbies family.
Met Riley, Petey and Bobbys' daughter who is not yet a konth old. She was fussy and started crying in her pram, so I picked her up and rocked and jiggled her until her mum came back. She has a lot of long, black hair and is just the cutest little thing.
I also got to talk to my sister today :). They were having a yard sale. Following the Japanese guru, if stuff doesn't give you joy, get rid of it ! If I had to apply that here on the farm, I'd sell the John Deere tractor, the snow thrower, and a lot of other stuff that is actually needed on the farm :).
Well, it's been a long day, and I'm off to bed - can hear Herbies' snores thundering down the stairs and he has the bedroom door shut !!