Hey guys...I thought you might get a kick of the midget story I sent to my friends back home... don't forget to send me a picture of the joey!! cheers! julie (the texan)

So two nights ago, completely exhausted, I pulled my swag out onto the lawn just out of stubby's (the cow dog) reach, about 30 yards from the chicken coupe and the milking cows stall and well away from the stables.
most of the horses were way out in the surrounding paddocks so I only heard the occasional whinny...not enough to keep me awake. more annoying was stubby's crying for attention. so, I pulled my swag a little
closer so he could lay beside me and be quiet but of course that is not exactly what happened...you know, the licking and pawing and pawing and licking...so neglected! so I got up once again and moved out of
his reach, rolled over, pulled the covers up around my neck and went to sleep.

I don't even think I got the chance to start a really good dream before my hair is being pulled out from the roots! what in the #*$%@?!?! oh, never mind...it's just midget the pregnant kangaroo who has decided
that I need to be groomed. and how do I feel about that? Not now! so I pulled the sheets up over my head to protect the precious hairs that are taking so long to grow as it is. I can't breathe but that's okay. I have more important things to worry about like the fact that now midget has decided that she needs my pillow more than me...I disagree and hold on tight. surely she will give up soon...don't these crazy animals sleep?

Ahhhh...finally I can hear her bouncing away ...but not far enough...now she is trying to get into my swag from the other end! at least that side is well sealed...no luck for midget! yea Julie! but not for long...this is one determined roo...since she can 't actually get inside my swag and she can't nest in my hair she decides to jump right on top and arrange her nest there. never mind that my bum doesn't really "rearrange "! she tried several times to lay down on top of me but she kept rolling off, freaking out, hopping around and trying again. after about 5 tries she gives up and curls up beside me on the ground and...yes...sleeps! yea for Julie! no...wait...she wasn't sleeping! just resting so she could gather the energy to go through the entire routine AGAIN! by this time stubby has woken as
well and believes that we are playing. how dare I give my attentions to another animal! he was quite upset and let me know all about it.

So now it's not just my lack of sleep I am worried about. I am afraid everyone who, perhaps wisely, decided to sleep indoors will be kept awake as well...but the well being of others quickly leaves my mind as I return to the reality that there is a bloody kangaroo hopping all over my swag! she finally fell asleep while trying to gather energy to rework the routine so now I can sleep as long as I don't get the crazy idea to change positions. by the time the sun came up I was well over the novelty of the situation and was begging her to go away. Peter and Olive were up now, tending to the breakfast fire and getting a good laugh out of it all. Peter eventually brought over a bottle of milk for me to give to her. I definitely wasn't going to get to go back to sleep so I figured I may as well.

That afternoon when we returned from taking the cows out to pasture I found the little devil sleeping in the shade next to the swimming pool. well I couldn't very well let that continue! turn-about is fair play! however I was much more gentle about the whole thing...stroking behind the ears... scratching under the arms...she put up with it for a little while then jumped up and started furiously scratching her pouch carefully avoiding the joey inside. I was thinking...hmmm must not be too pleasant in there at the moment. then she grabs hold of her pouch with both hands, pulls it open, and sticks her head in there! what in the %#$@*&? she's cleaning it out! and then she continued to hold her pouch wide open while she pulled her head out for some air. I peeked inside and saw the tail of the 3 week old joey!!!!!! how amazing!!!! I ran inside to tell the family who lives on the farm and they couldn't believe it! evidently I was the first one to see the baby!

They figure that she must have trusted me after spending the night trying to nest in my hair...so Lyn decided that she is going to start sleeping outside too.

Julie (The Texan)

 Some Kangaroo photos