working through winter

July 31 2016

The sun is shining, last night’s storm has passed and pleasant working conditions exist outdoor.  Edd is climbing ladders and trying to fix gutters that have blown loose so that we can store all the water that comes with spring rains.

I have been active in the vegetable garden turning over last years pumpkin bed (lots of worms) and planting snow peas. The snow peas are the first vegetable we can get from spring plantings.  This year we were very efficient and got an autumn snow pea crop too but I am rarely organised enough for this.

The chooks are doing well but we need to start collecting eggs for hatching.  Sadly, our rooster Doodle one disappeared whilst we were in Dromana but we still have the marron rooster and Rufus, who we bred last year.  I will have to move the copper marron hens so that they are with the marron rooster before we gather eggs.

This week we had enough milk to make a feta cheese. Last weeks effort was not quite set enough but I allowed extra time this week to get better results.  We took our cream cheese to the land care meeting and everyone loved it so I was very happy. Some of the goats are starting to look pregnant.  We will have to sell several, as the numbers have built up.  I hate selling goats.  I feel so guilty breaking up their relationships and families.  If possible I sell goats with friends and family but one can never be sure they will be kept together after they leave here.

Indi’s bees are very active amongst the wattle and lucerne tree flowers. Every flowering tree is bussing.  Indi has shown me the plans that she and Ben have for living space on Ben’s parent’s property.  I am so happy for her that it is all working out but we will miss them when they leave.  We have not had any Woofers whilst she has been in the donga; I have kind of missed that too.

Most of the last week has been wet and cold and I have been happy to stay in the bathroom tiling.  I have done all the mosaics down to floor level and have started on the white bit of the walls. I will do the floors last, because we will need to put another layer on the waterproof membrane there before the tiles go on.  It is slow work but progress is being made.

I am worried about my mother.  She was moved into a different room in the nursing home and her phone has not yet been reconnected.  The office takes her a mobile phone when I ring but she can hardly hear it so it is most frustrating for both of us.  My sister is on holiday over seas so she can do nothing to help at the moment. Mum has also been given what is called ‘calming medicine’ and finds it hard to stay awake. She has a strong reaction to drugs and on previous occasions where she has been badly affected by them she has told me that it is like trying to fight your way out of a grey fog.

I just have no idea what is best for her at this stage but I do feel that it is not a good situation.