Long Road - 10. Lon Chapter 10

By the end of the weekend, the family had pretty much settled in, as have the two horses, with me still yet to begin my helicopter pilot training, I had not organised for markings to be painted on the landing pad just yet, so as to not attract any attention from any unwanted private pilots wanting to use the pad.

While I had been continuing with my studies, in between moving, Logan still had a week to go of school holidays, so he was responsible for looking after the horses, and giving them daily rides, to keep them fit.

The company that assisted with building the post and rail fence for the stables area, were employed once again, to build a post and rail fence for 120-metres, just inside the row of new trees at the front of the main large paddock, and down both sides, for a distance of 80-metres, ending in line with the end of the stables yards and the shed, to give the horses a 2.4-acre secure paddock to exercise in during the day.

Mum was keeping busy with organising new furnishing for the six cabins located in the paddock next door to the main house, and supervising the installation of a gravel access road from the sealed road to the end cabins, and when not looking after the horses, Logan was busy planting all of the trees along the side boundary of the house paddock.

With the Boddington Rodeo being just four weeks away, we had already accepted bookings for the cabins for that weekend, as accommodation is in very high demand for that weekend, so our six cabins are an extra bonus, along with the small house across the road, which we allowed to be available for the three day event.

We had also received enquiries about if the house would be available for the housing of Education Department staff, for a two-year period, due to the shortage of available housing for government staff, and I agreed to accept this once the Rodeo is over this year.

As the weekend for the rodeo fast approached, the small house and the six cabins were all ready for the first guests to arrive, Logan and I had decided to walk Bonnie and Nugget across the road and around to corner to compete in the rodeo, and I would be camping in the trailer, in the shed over that weekend to stay close to the horses, since there will be so many people in town over that weekend.

Over the past few weeks, as well as being busy with my studies at the university, I have been also been keeping busy at home, with the western paddock as I call, as it is on the west side of the small house, I have applied for an been granted a permit to build two sheds and some post and rail yards between them, on the front half of that paddock.

With a sixty-metre long central driveway from the sealed road, to the sheds, which will both have reinforced concrete aprons at the front, and 4 parking bays on each side of the driveway, one shed will become my Farrier workshop, and the other will become my Veterinary practice.

Each shed is to be fifteen metres long and ten metres deep, with a narrow office area down one side, that will have a small reception area, a business office, storeroom, and bathroom in each. For the Farrier Shed, there will be a large equipment store, a supply store, and a large workshop.

For the Veterinary shed, there will be two examination rooms, a storeroom, and a large surgery theatre, capable of dealing with any size animals including horses. Between the sheds, I plan to have two post and rail yards, with single wires between each post, plus a shelter that covers half of each yard, that will contain a feed and water trough.

A laneway will link the back of each shed, for easy access, and behind this laneway, will be two larger yards, located behind the sheds, for additional holding yards. Both inside and outside of the sheds will have security cameras and lights, that will be activated by movement outside the yards and sheds, to prevent intruders breaking into the sheds or getting anywhere near the yards, which is what I have also set up for the main shed and the yards for Bonnie and Nugget, who’s shelter adjoins onto the holding yard.

The concrete slabs for the sheds and the post and rail fencing for this project had been completed before the rodeo, with the two sheds to be constructed after the rodeo weekend is over. Having finished my last lecture just before lunchtime on Friday, I quickly headed South for home, so as to prepare for the rodeo this coming weekend.

The town was already filling up with visitors and competitors, and I had asked Mum to check on Bonnie and Nugget every few hours until I get home or Logan gets home from school, and after getting stuck in a traffic jam, for an extra hour, because of yet another car accident on the notorious Ranford Road, I finally arrived home just a half an hour before Logan was due home.

I headed straight for the stables to check on the horses, having spoken to Mum on the phone just fifteen minutes before arriving, I was pleased that both Bonnie and Nugget were happily dosing under some trees in their paddocks, and grabbing a biscuit of hay each from the storage shed, I stepped into the paddock and gave them each their treat.

Both horses were in top condition, and I was hoping for good results in this main rodeo, which is now the biggest in the state. As well as doing the Rope and Tie, plus the Steer Wrestling, as usual, this year, with Logan as my partner, we would also be doing the Team Roping, and Logan will be doing the Under 18 Juvenile Steer Wrestling and the Under 18 Juvenile Barrel Race, both which he has been practising a lot since we moved into our new home.

We had decided on the construction of a multi-purpose arena, directly behind the Day Paddock, with a 3-metre wide laneway between them, with a gate at the end for extra security, making this the main access point for the arena and the day yard, across the road from the stables.

Once Logan had arrived home and changed, we took our horses for a ride, to give them a little bit of exercise before the big events tomorrow, and after giving them a hose and brush down, we put them in their stables, to allow them to settle for the rest of the afternoon.

As we stepped out of the stable yards, a voice made both of us jump in fright. “G’ day, how are you going?” he said and after a few moments of recovering, I realised that I knew that voice, hiding behind a big Stetson hat and sunglasses.

“Geeze Lance, give me a flaming heart attack why don’t you,” I said which made Lance laugh, as Logan kicked at an invisible stone. “You remember my younger brother – Logan?” I asked, “Yes, how is it going buddy, keeping up with the school work I hope?” Lance replied as he stepped forward and shook Logan’s hand.

Logan groaned as he returned the handshake, which made me smile, “He is doing really well actually, he is going to join me in the family business of veterinary and farrier services. Now, what are you doing down this neck of the woods?” I responded.

“Thought I might give competing in the rodeo a try, so how I turn out. Uncle Vince has a permanent manager up at the station, so I have the opportunity to come down to the big smoke and beyond, especially when I heard that my mate is now a local resident in Boddington” Lance answered.

“Yes, but only by a few months, we are still settling in, and I am slowly making improvements to the place. Where are you staying?” I stated. “I rented one of the brand-new cabins, which I was surprised to learn that your Mum owns and runs” Lance replied, “Yeah well the family owns and Mum manages them,” I said.

After giving Lance a tour of the property, we headed over to the main house, where Mum was talking on the phone to someone, so I put the kettle on and prepared some afternoon tea for everyone. “Where is your horse? Or are you a safety clown?” I asked.

“Right the second time mate, just here to work, and enjoy the atmosphere of the rodeo” Lance replied smiling. “Hello Lance, I see you found the boys” Mum said after ending her phone call.

“Yes, thanks to Mrs Alpike, riding their horses in the front paddock as you said they would be” Lance replied, as Mum took over preparing the afternoon tea and I sat down.

“I have asked Lance to join us for dinner tonight and breakfast and dinner while he is down here, and I gave him a good discount on the accommodation since he is an old family friend” Mum announced.

“Steady on the bit about old, please Mrs A” Lance groaned, and this time it was me that laughed at my friend, and Mum just grinned, as I saw Logan head towards his bedroom, no doubt to shower and change.

“Which cabin do you have Lance?’” I asked, “Cabin 3, in the middle closest to this house” Lance replied, “Well I don’t want to hear any of your snoring, as your cabin is the closest to my bedroom” I replied with a cheeky grin, “Hey, that’s not fair, I’m not that bad” Lance complained.

For the next two days, we enjoyed all the live entertainment and competed in our events, where Logan managed to get 2^nd in each of his two events and the event that we shared in, and I won first in the steer wrestling and second in the rope and tie, which I was happy with.

In the street parade on a Saturday morning, Logan and I had dressed up my ute, with some of my Farrier tools and equipment on the back, and with a brand-new 1 by 2-metre banner - “Alpike Farrier Services”, stretched across the front bumper.

With Lance driving my ute, we participated in the parade to advertise my new business, with me strapped on the back, with a harness and straps to prevent me from falling off, as I banged away on the anvil, with pinchers holding a horseshoe in one hand and a heavy hammer in the other.

Logan had designed and printed out a heap of small pamphlets, to hand out as he walked alongside the vehicle, and I was hoping that this would be enough to get the word about to drum up some more business, and we used a similar setup for the community markets the following day, this time using the anvil and a fire pit to heat up the shoes, so I could give real demonstrations on the work I do.

By the end of the weekend, we were all fairly worn out, with the competing, and the two lots of promotions activities, to drum up business. Lance was an awesome helper for the Sunday Markets, handing out pamphlets, and encouraging people to spread the word, that there is now a farrier based in the town.

When the school and university year finally came to a close, I was very pleased to have some time off from studying, as it had been fairly full on with three weeks of exams, from the week after the rodeo, to the end of the year in early December.

Unfortunately, I did not have time to just stop and relax, as both Logan and I are competing in the Mogumber Rodeo on New Year's Eve, and the farrier business was picking up.

While finishing my studies for the year, the two sheds had been completed, and I now have a fully operational Farrier workshop, while the other shed is currently just a basic setup, until I complete my degree at the end of next year, but in the meantime, the visiting Veterinarian from Rockingham, was leasing the space for four days, every six weeks.

Logan had done very well in his final term at school, increasing his grades by three, from an average of B- up to A-which was very good news, and he had already applied to TAFE to do the Veterinary Nursing course, and both Mum and I were very proud of his achievements.

With the house in Darling Downs still not sold, Mum decided to take it off the market, and to rent it out for a while, bringing in a bit more income for the family. Meanwhile, Mum had been marketing the cabins as “Rodeo Holiday Cabins”, and they had become quite popular during the weekends.

During dinner one evening, I suggested to Mum that we relocate the two middle cabins to near the front of the western paddock, so they are not so close together, and this would allow for some recreational space for guests, like an outdoor gazebo with BBQ facilities, and a lawn area with a shade cloth for relaxing.

I suggested putting the two cabins on either side of the driveway that leads down to the sheds, about ten metres down from the road and 65 metres from the two work sheds. With trees already lining the front and side of the property, and I said that I would arrange for another post and rail fence to be built behind the cabins, to mark its boundary, and to plant a row of trees along the new fence for additional shade.

Mum agreed that it would be a great idea, an asked for me to start making the necessary arrangements, but suggested that I wait until after most of the school holidays are over, before actually moving them cabins.