Well… It’s Been a Moment

 It’s been a little while since I last sat down to write—just over two months, in fact. I had to go back and read my last post to remind myself where I left things off. Back then, we were just starting to prep for mustering, fresh out of egg collection, and I was recovering from OHSS.

Those first weeks were a bit of a blur. I spent most of my time in the kitchen making sure the crew had warm brekkies, yummy smokos, and hearty dinners. You’d be surprised how busy that keeps you, especially when your energy levels aren’t quite what they should be. Recovery wasn’t something I bounced back from easily—on top of OHSS, I had a flu to fight off as well.

My days were fairly simple: up early to get cooking, dinners prepped, lawns watered… then straight into an afternoon nap. I had to learn quickly to tune into what my body could do, and where I needed to slow down. That was hard. When you’re used to being in the yards, out on a bike, or walking mobs in, it’s not easy to sit on the sidelines. But health has to come first.

I didn’t feel “somewhat normal” until around four weeks post-surgery. Even then, I got ahead of myself one day and decided to lift a coil of barb wire off the buggy. Normally, no big deal—but halfway down, I realised that was a very bad idea. Cue serious pain, forced rest mode, and a not-so-happy hubby telling me off. He wasn’t wrong… but it’s tough when you’re independent and used to just doing things yourself.

During muster, my niece came to stay for a few days, which was wonderful. She helped out with odd jobs and had a good laugh at my “nanny naps”—out like a light, then bouncing back 20 minutes later. Having her here reminded me how much I love having my nieces and nephews around.

The muster itself ran about four weeks. It was great catching up with people and having a crew around, but I’ll admit—I love the quiet of isolation. You don’t realise how used to it you get until suddenly you’re sharing meals and living space with 10 people every day.

Once things settled, hubby and I turned our focus to the heifer and keeper bull weaners. It was nice spending time with them, and even better watching the dogs get back to work. They’d been stir-crazy during muster, so it was rewarding to see them—especially the young pup we bred—step up and work with real confidence.

Not long after, we had our August race day. It came around way too fast but turned into such a beautiful day—clear skies, a relaxed atmosphere, and a real sense of community. We even witnessed a little bit of history: a young jockey, licensed only a month, won her second-ever race meeting and brought home the cup. The cheers, smiles, and tears of that moment are something I’ll never forget.

Since then, it’s been back into planning mode for our October races, with house renovations, another muster, a holiday, and a move all thrown in for good measure. No such thing as downtime lately!

August also marked some personal milestones—our 16th anniversary (and 4th wedding anniversary). True to form, we spent it apart again—we’re pretty consistent at booking life’s chaos right over that date! It was also Dad’s birthday, which is always tough. I miss him every day, especially when I want to share the ups and downs and tell him how close we’re getting to achieving one of our dreams. I still take time to “talk” to him, though, and that helps.

Which brings me to today: I’m sitting in the office catching up on paperwork and emails, with my baby Brahman bull calf, Mister Margoo, calling for more milk in the background. He’s a character—my shadow at feed time, but otherwise fiercely independent and not too fussed on human company.

September is shaping up to be busy. We’re hoping renovations wrap up soon so we can move before our holiday to Cairns. I can’t wait—time to catch up with family, ride the Skyrail and train, spend a day fishing, and maybe sneak in some much-needed downtime.

So yes, you’re all caught up on life lately. I’m back to feeling healthy, happy, and ready for the next step.