Story 107 Goat Hunting and Milking Cows.

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Hi, Shanti again.  (Continuing the Warkworth Trip)

       From here we drove back along the peninsula until we came to the main road, then turning north, we continued on our trip towards Warkworth. The next stop was at the honey shop where some brought honey products. We also viewed the inside of a bee hive, something that our visitors from India found very interesting, and had lunch at the café here too.

            Arriving in Warkworth, we had a quick look around, did a bit of shopping in the supermarket for last minute items before continuing on with our trip. We stopped at a winery shop, sampled a few wines, then purchased a few bottles to take with us. Next came a quick visit to a pottery and then we went on up to Mike’s uncle’s farm.

            There were too many of us to stay at their house so we had arranged to camp down near a small stream on their property. We had just begun unloading our cars when Steve and Sharon turned up in their big RV. We all pitched in to get the camp set up and then while some of us went to gather fire wood, others began preparing for dinner.

            It was then that Mike suggested going hunting rabbits for our dinner. Everyone agreed this would be better than canned food so we decided to hold off with dinner until we knew the results of the hunting. I was busy with the kids but Lizamoa was quick to agree to go. Hansini said she would like to but she was also too busy until Jenny kindly offered to take over from her.

            Soon the three of them were heading off with a couple of guns. Since I wasn’t in on this I’m going to leave it for someone else to tell this story. Now I’ll hand over to you Hansini. 

Hi, it is Hansini now.

            I heard Mike and Lizamoa arranging to go rabbit hunting. I was a bit disappointed because I was busy with our camping preparations and unable to go. Then Jenny offered to take over from me. Quickly I changed into jeans to protect my legs and a loose shirt. I put on some walking shoes then went over to where they were waiting for me.

            “Are you girls ready?” Mike asked.

            We both nodded, confirming that we were.     

            He took us around to the farm house and we called to see his uncle. This man Tom was a very nice man and I enjoyed meeting with him. He told us that last night while up the back of the farm he had seen a small group of some goats. He told if we got one he would be happy to skin and clean it for us. The thought of a wild goat curry made us keen to try and get one.

            Then suddenly Tom said, “Here, give me a minute and I’ll come with you.”

            So soon the four of us were starting to climb the hill towards the back of his farm. We now all had a gun each because Mike’s Uncle had taken two. I held my gun but I had no idea what to do with it. It was a bit heavy and awkward to hold. When I said I was so worried that it might suddenly go off, Mike opened it and showed me that it was not having the bullets.

            Once we were through the flatter farm land at the bottom, the track became steeper as we began to climb the hills. I also noticed that this farmland had become more and more overgrown as we climbed.

            We stopped at a gate to load the guns. Mike took mine too and I watched how he placed two bullets into it. I held one bullet and looked at the metal point and how heavy it was. I was amazed how this little thing could kill such a large animal as a goat. As Mike handed the gun back to me he was warning me.

            “Now Hansini,” he began. “This gun is now loaded. To make it fire you must pull this little lever underneath here, the trigger. Keep your hand away from that. And never point the gun up into the air or at anyone.”

            I listened carefully to his instructions because I was not wanting to be making the gun go off and be shooting anyone. I was especially careful not to touch the trigger thing.

            “Now you hold it like this,” he continued. “See one hand here and the other one back here with the barrel pointing down. OK?”

            I nodded my head as I took the gun again, this time holding it like he was telling.

            “Now girls,” Mike said. “Once the shooting starts have your guns ready to pass over to us when our guns are empty. Come up beside us on our right side.”

            Now we continued our climb up the steep track. We saw a couple of rabbits but since we were now attempting for the goats they decided not to try for the rabbits since our shooting would be warning for the goats. Then Mikes Uncle said we were getting closer to where the goats were discovered the night before. He thought they would probably be in a clearing which was coming up. I wasn’t sure entirely what he said but I was becoming excited with what was about to happen. We now were walking as silently and quietly as ever we could not wanting to be warning the goats where we were.

            Suddenly we came to a corner on the track and as we approached it Mike held up his finger for us to be silent. Slowly and quietly we crept around the corner and then I saw them. There must have been nearly a dozen within the herd.

            I watched with my heart in my mouth as both men raised their guns. Almost at the same time both guns fired. The sound was louder than I was expecting and it made me jump. One larger goat stumbled and fell and then with the second two shots two more fell.

            By now the herd was beginning to scatter as I quickly swapped guns with Mike. I saw Lizamoa had also swapped guns too. Two more shots and another two goats fell. Then both men ran forward and fired again and another goat fell as the remaining herd now was running in all directions and scattering into the bush.

            It had all been so fast, all over in less than a minute. Now as we walked forward we found there were six goats lying on the ground. It had been exciting to see such a thing happen. I watched as Mike inspected each body and Lizamoa told me he was checking they were all dead because he didn’t want any to suffer or suddenly get up and try walking away hurt. But no he soon reported they had all been with clean shots. I think that means they were killing shots.

            Mike said he wanted to go higher up the hill and try for a few rabbits but Tom said he would go back down and bring up the quad bike to pick-up the goats. Lizamoa said she wanted to go on with Mike. Tom turned to me and asked if I wanted to go back down with him. I decided to go back down with Tom to get the quad bike.

            On the way back I learned more about him and he was a nice man to talk to. We came to the farm and took a quad-bike with a small cart behind and I got on behind him as we started back up the hill. This machine was faster than I expected and I had to hold on tightly to him to stop falling off. I do not know what he thought with this girl hugging him from behind and pressing her breasts to him. It was also my job to be getting off when we came to the gates and to be opening and closing again behind the bike. This is very important on a farm with the many farm animals. 

            We reached the goats and I was helping pull them on to the trailer. I was wearing a loose shirt and I didn’t notice it hang open as I bent to pick up a goat. This must have happened three times before I caught him looking. He was a naughty boy, looking but I didn’t really mind. My bikini top was on underneath. I let him look for the last two goats too.

        We were just finished this when Mike and Lizamoa appeared carrying five rabbits. I was surprised that they found any because I thought with all the goat shooting there would be none. We had to place the last goat across the back of the bike where I had been sitting so now I had to walk down with Mike and Liz following the bike.

            Back at the farm, Tom said, “If you want to do the rabbits, Mike, I’ll start on the goats. But there is a lot to do so we need the boys.”

            “OK,” said Mike. “Lizamoa, go back to the camp and tell the girls we have rabbit for dinner. And could you ask Peter, and Joseph if they could come and give us a hand.”

            He then turned to me and said I could go back with her as this next part was a bit messy. But I wanted to see it all so I was happy to stay.

            While Mike began peeling the skins off the rabbits I helped Tom to hang each goat from a large wooden beam in the shed. While we were busy with this, Joseph and Peter arrived. Shanti and Lizamoa were with them.

            I watched as Tom began cutting the skin away from the hind legs of the first larger goat. He was showing me how it was done and soon he handed me the knife to try as well. Taking small little cuts when needed I was slowly peeling the skin down away from the body. Tom said to be careful because he wanted the skins, so I was careful how I was cutting. He then left me doing and he started on another goat. It was then that I looked up and discovered the others were working on skinning goats too.

            I think I was too slow because I had my goat half way down with the skin when Mike came to me with the rabbit bodies. “Hansini, I will take over from you if you could take these back to Sharon and Jenny.”

            When I returned all of the goats had been skinned and now the men were working on taking the smelly insides out. This was not very nice to see and like I said a bit smelly too.

            “Come on Hansini,” Shanti said. “We’ll get some veggies for the rabbit stew.”

            Taking a garden fork we went into the garden and I watch how she dug up some fresh potatoes, and carrots. I helped her also picking a few peas and beans too. Back in the shed, she took three big onions and then she left heading for our camp. I went back to see how the goats were going. By now they had one on a table and they were cutting it up.

            “What will you use the meat for?” I asked.

            “Oh a lot of it will go in the freezer for dog tucker,” said Tom. “But the best bits on the legs we will eat ourselves.”

            “And we have wild goat curry for dinner tomorrow night too,” Peter added.

            It was getting late now and Tom said, “Mike can you finish up here? I have to go and start milking.”

            “No problem uncle,” Mike said. “We’ll leave the last two hanging in the cool room.”

            “Fine,” replied Tom. “We can cut them up tomorrow afternoon.”

            Tom then looked at me. “Have you seen milking cows before?” he asked me.

            “No,” I replied.

            “Ok, you can come and help if you want.”

            I went off with Tom to help with the milking. There was another ride on the farm bike to get the cows. After picking up the goats before, I think Tom might have liked me riding behind him on the bike because when I held on to him again I made sure my breasts were firmly pressed against his back. Once we got the cows into the pen I then was able to witness how the milking process went. It was interesting to see and soon I was helping down in the pit moving the sucking cups from side to side.

         While we were in the milking shed, I was helping him milk the cows he mentioned: “You are very beautiful.”

         “Thank you, Tom,” I replied.

         “I might even say sexy,” he added. “I hope you are not offended.”

         After what had happened up the farm earlier, I knew where this was coming from.

         “No not at all,” I returned. “I take it as a compliment.”

         For I while I considered what he might say next. When he didn’t I decided to say something more myself.

        “I saw you peeping down my blouse before.” Then looking him straight in the eye I added, “Did you like what you saw?”

           I could see the shock and confusion in his face. It was kind of amused me, but in fact, I actually felt sorry for him.

         “I am sorry……. I didn’t mean to……. Your blouse…….. Hanging open.”

         I decided to let him off the hook as I said, “It's Ok, it is only my bikini top underneath.”

         “I didn’t know you knew.”

         “Yes I knew,” I replied with a grin. “Would have been better if I hadn’t worn my bikini, don’t you think?”
         “Oh, my!” he said with a big grin appearing. “Much better.” 

            A bit later some of the others including Katrina arrived to see the milking. I was so busy with what I was doing that I didn’t know they were there until suddenly she was beside me asking me what I was doing. I was showing her how the cows were milked. When they were ready to return to the camp I went with them but just before we left Mike’s Auntie arrived with a bowl of strawberries for us.

            “Oh you need some fresh cream to go with those,” Tom said.

            He went into the machine room and soon came back with a small container of fresh warm cream. Wow were we going to have a feast tonight?

            Mike’s auntie then saw the state of my clothes. “You got messy Hansini,” she said.

             I looked down to see I had blood and cow droppings all over my jeans. I was looking to be such a mess. “

            If you can bring those back up to me, I’ll clean them for you,” she told me. 

            I arrived back at the camp and to find the girls had a large pot over the fire. I went to look and I could smell a lovely smelling coming from the pot. Then Jenny caught sight of me.

            “Hansini,” she said. “Look at the state of your clothes. You are a mess.”

            “What is it?” Amita asked. “You smell so bad!”

            “I got dirty in the cow shed,” I told her.

            “Cow shit,” laughed Steve. “I think she’s been rolling in it.”

            “ Is that a new perfume Hansini?” asked Peter.

            I heard Katrina start to giggle and soon they all started.

            “Yes you could market it as a new perfume called ‘Cow Shit’’ added Steve.

            “No! No, mate! No girl would go for that name,” said Peter.

            “What about ‘Rural Aroma, then?”

            “Yeah, that sounds better. Rural Aroma.”

            “I can see that on TV with Hansini standing there in her shit splashed jeans,” laughed Mike.

            “That’s the one,” added Steve. “The advert starts with the shot of the backside of a cow and then it pans to Hansini in her jeans. She can then say, ‘Try Rural Aroma, it will keep the randy city boys away.’”

            “Well that counts both of you guys too,” Sharon added.

            This had them all laughing.

            Finally, I said,” Well Steve if you like it this smell so much come here honey and give me a big hug.”

            As I stepped towards him with my arms open, he jumped back. As he did he tripped over his camp seat falling flat on his back. This made us all laugh again.

            “That’s very unfriendly of you Steve,” said Shanti. “All she wants is a little hug.”

            “No way!” replied Steve. “Not while she’s like that.”

            “What Steve? Don’t you want a hug from me, honey?” I said trying to look sad.

            “No! No! Maybe later when you get cleaned up.

            “Ok I suppose I better clean up before dinner,” I said.

            “Well you are not eating with us, smelling like that,” said Amita. “You better go down to the stream to wash.”

            I went down to the stream and just walked straight in wearing all my clothes. I washed off the worse of it, as much of the blood and cow manure as I could, then stripped off my clothes to wash myself.

            When I got back, now washed and smelling nice, with the clean clothes on. Tom and his wife had arrived and we all sat down to large plates of steaming hot rabbit stew. It was then that I realised how hungry I was. Before the others had finished, my plate was clean and I was back at the pot for a second helping.

            Steve noticed me and said, “I think you have worked up an appetite today, Hansini.”

            “Yes, Steve. I didn’t realise just how hungry I was until now.”

            “So did you have a good day?” Mike asked me.

            “Yes Mike,” I replied. “A very good day.”

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