Ha! ‘Back soon’? Sure. Try nearly two hours later – argh!
Now, I should have known I might have to do several laps of the house, the farm, the district, the state, the whole of Australia, because the other day I let the Emerys out and they wandered farther than usual. In fact, I only turned my back for five minutes and they’d gone – phut!
Son and I searched the whole farm – he on his motorbike and me on foot, then in the car – and eventually we found them in one of our front paddocks, right next to the actual road! In order to get that far they’d have had to get over a water channel and through a few fences. We eventually herded them onto our driveway and all the way back to their yard, by which time Son was furious with me but I will spare you our little tiff, except that I was commanded NOT to let them out again.
Well you know me; I want all the birds to be able to free range. So yesterday afternoon while Son was sleeping off his party, I let them out again. This time I followed them everywhere and that’s exactly where they went – everywhere!
I became terribly thirsty but I didn’t dare go inside and get some water because I thought they might disappear again. And I couldn’t even go to the box of cabbage near their yard, so I didn’t have anything to lure them back there. Days later (well, that’s what it felt like), Son woke up and came outside to find me exhausted and bedraggled. “Help me!” I gasped wearily.
Son, his mouth set grimly, took over the herding while I staggered on wobbly legs (I haven’t walked that far in years!) to fetch cabbage and, in no time, they were in their yard. I then received a stern lecture from Son to which I nodded compliantly and made several false promises.
Today, I will let the emus out again but this time I will take enough water and supplies for several days. If you don’t see a post from me for awhile it just means the Emerys and I have ventured into the hills. I will leave Son in charge of Godfrey and the gang. He’ll love that!
jmgoyder 