Zulu warrior at work
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Saturday, July 26, 2014
mild and wet with lambs
July 26 2014
It is wet but not
really cold. Edd took our excess produce to the market this morning but his
usual customers did not turn up so sales were not as good as usual. The
daffodils and wattle are flowering now so yellow is the predominant colour in
the garden. The sheep are doing a great job on the grass all around the house
and on the roof. They actually make it look neater than I can with the mower
because they get into all the small edges and can crop the grass right up to
the fences.
The lemons are ripe
and the grapefruit too. I use the lemons to make cheese and eat the oranges but
I only use the grapefruit for marmalade. I will have to remember to take some
to market next week. The mulberry trees have leaves and are forming fruit.
These are all sure signs that spring is on the way. It should be the coldest
few weeks of the year now but it has been so mild that the tomatoes and
potatoes still have green leaves. This is a first for us.
July 24 2014
It is already noticeable
that the hours of daylight are getting longer. Three sheep have lambed, two
sets of twins and one set of triplets. We kept the triplets in the shed for the
first week but as the twins outside survived we have now let them out as well.
Maybe the alpaca, Zulu warrior, is more effective as a fox guard than he looks!
The ground is still
very wet and muddy so we have deferred most outdoor work involving digging. Edd
has been pulling yet more old wire out of the paddocks and I have been working
on the accounts. I am just about done now, which is a great relief.
Friday, July 11, 2014
enduring winter
July 12 2014
It is definitely mid
winter. Indi tells me she has already been skiing on the mountains behind her
house. It is actually not much colder than France and it is meant to be summer
over there! Despite this we put out by the wet and the cold that has restricted
our activities. Indi has ignored the weather and has been working on Wally, one
of the Hafflingers. The pair of hafflingers hate being separated but she has
now got Wally into accepting going off for rides on his own.
winter. Indi tells me she has already been skiing on the mountains behind her
house. It is actually not much colder than France and it is meant to be summer
over there! Despite this we put out by the wet and the cold that has restricted
our activities. Indi has ignored the weather and has been working on Wally, one
of the Hafflingers. The pair of hafflingers hate being separated but she has
now got Wally into accepting going off for rides on his own.
Luckily we got some
dry days in the week and my eldest Grand son came to stay and work. He managed
to get more done in the new vegetable bed in two hours than I have in the last
two months. He also used the trimmer and cleaned the weeds from between the
bricks on the paths. I have tried all sorts of measures to keep paths weed free
and not had much luck. We definitely want to stick to organic methods so that
limits the choice. So far the trimmer is the quickest and best option.
dry days in the week and my eldest Grand son came to stay and work. He managed
to get more done in the new vegetable bed in two hours than I have in the last
two months. He also used the trimmer and cleaned the weeds from between the
bricks on the paths. I have tried all sorts of measures to keep paths weed free
and not had much luck. We definitely want to stick to organic methods so that
limits the choice. So far the trimmer is the quickest and best option.
The sick sheep is
still in the shed and seems fit except she cannot stand. She is so heavy in
lamb that I do not want to sling her up. The other sheep are getting larger and
larger but there are still no lambs. A friend in Yarra Glen assures me that the
alpaca will totally change his behaviour when the first lambs are born and
become very protective. I hope she is right. I have a feeling that I might have
got a wimpy one that is not up to the job!
still in the shed and seems fit except she cannot stand. She is so heavy in
lamb that I do not want to sling her up. The other sheep are getting larger and
larger but there are still no lambs. A friend in Yarra Glen assures me that the
alpaca will totally change his behaviour when the first lambs are born and
become very protective. I hope she is right. I have a feeling that I might have
got a wimpy one that is not up to the job!
One of our long
friends from our days living in the desert came to stay this week. He brought
lots of new concerning friends and colleges so we had a great time catching up.
I lit the fires and warmed the house so that he would not suffer too much from
the change from Darwin temperatures but at one point he was too hot! He is a
keen hunter but it was my grandson whose hunting provided a meal in the form of
a tasty rabbit.
friends from our days living in the desert came to stay this week. He brought
lots of new concerning friends and colleges so we had a great time catching up.
I lit the fires and warmed the house so that he would not suffer too much from
the change from Darwin temperatures but at one point he was too hot! He is a
keen hunter but it was my grandson whose hunting provided a meal in the form of
a tasty rabbit.
Today I am cooking
cakes because tomorrow we have a birthday party for the July mob. It is Bo’s
actual birthday but Al and Pip are also July born so we are putting on a joint
do. Edd has booked tickets for us to fly up in August to Cairns and visit Josh
and his partner. It will be great to get away from the cold and damp.
cakes because tomorrow we have a birthday party for the July mob. It is Bo’s
actual birthday but Al and Pip are also July born so we are putting on a joint
do. Edd has booked tickets for us to fly up in August to Cairns and visit Josh
and his partner. It will be great to get away from the cold and damp.
Sunday, July 6, 2014
zulu tries some moves
July 6 2014
The tour de France has
started and we stayed up far too late last night watching stage one go through
Wharfedale. The sun was shining and the scenery looked it’s best. We saw lots
of places we knew really well and I got quite cross when the show spent too
long looking at the cyclist and not enough on the scenery! It brought back lots
of happy memories from when we lived there.
started and we stayed up far too late last night watching stage one go through
Wharfedale. The sun was shining and the scenery looked it’s best. We saw lots
of places we knew really well and I got quite cross when the show spent too
long looking at the cyclist and not enough on the scenery! It brought back lots
of happy memories from when we lived there.
Our sheep have
reverted to their previous cycles and now look as if they will lamb during the
Tour. They used to lamb at this time but went through a confused time over the
last few years when they lambed at all sorts of odd times and over a long
period. One old ewe has got very weak so we had to carry her back with the
tractor and make her a pen in the shed. The others also look heavy in lamb but
are managing better. We have shut them out of the far paddocks and let them
graze the house site during the day so they are easier to keep an eye on.
reverted to their previous cycles and now look as if they will lamb during the
Tour. They used to lamb at this time but went through a confused time over the
last few years when they lambed at all sorts of odd times and over a long
period. One old ewe has got very weak so we had to carry her back with the
tractor and make her a pen in the shed. The others also look heavy in lamb but
are managing better. We have shut them out of the far paddocks and let them
graze the house site during the day so they are easier to keep an eye on.
Zulu Warrior, the
alpaca, is happy to travel along with the sheep. Indi tested him this week with
her dog Rosa. Zulu got between the dog and the sheep but the effect was spoilt
by the ram, Harrogate Toffy, who butted Zulu up the backside instead of
appreciating his efforts. Indi and Bo were over to meet a farrier who came to
trim the ponies’ feet. She was very good with the animals and the ponies gave
her no bother at all. I am slowly working my way through the goats feet that
have also grow long with the soft ground.
alpaca, is happy to travel along with the sheep. Indi tested him this week with
her dog Rosa. Zulu got between the dog and the sheep but the effect was spoilt
by the ram, Harrogate Toffy, who butted Zulu up the backside instead of
appreciating his efforts. Indi and Bo were over to meet a farrier who came to
trim the ponies’ feet. She was very good with the animals and the ponies gave
her no bother at all. I am slowly working my way through the goats feet that
have also grow long with the soft ground.
I am also collecting
more trees for our screen to block out the neighbours. I had one afternoon
going round all the local nurseries to see what was for sale. During this trip
I found a pile of the strong small buckets that I have been looking for for
years. They were cheap too, so I stocked up on them. I am able to make a few
purchases because the electricity company has finally paid us the money we are
owed. We had to involve the ombudsperson again but things did get resolved. I
wonder if we will still be owed money after this winter. I enjoy every sunny
day and think about power being produced on the shed roof.
more trees for our screen to block out the neighbours. I had one afternoon
going round all the local nurseries to see what was for sale. During this trip
I found a pile of the strong small buckets that I have been looking for for
years. They were cheap too, so I stocked up on them. I am able to make a few
purchases because the electricity company has finally paid us the money we are
owed. We had to involve the ombudsperson again but things did get resolved. I
wonder if we will still be owed money after this winter. I enjoy every sunny
day and think about power being produced on the shed roof.
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