Holiday fun

December 28, 2018

It has been scorching today despite cloud cover.  I took a thermometer outside and it shot up to 39C.  At this point I decided the thermometer and I were both better back in the cool of the house!   Tonight, it is slightly cooler, and I have been able to spend some time trying to tidy up the garden. I harvested the garlic today and have it drying in our entrance hall where it creates an interesting smell.

Yesterday was Edd’s birthday so we drove down to Phillip Island and spent a relaxing day in the surf and eating sea food.  The waves were really full of energy, so we did not actually swim.  It was good to see that there was no pollution on the beaches or in the water.  It is nowhere near as warm as the Mediterranean, but it is one hundred times cleaner.  The beaches were very cosmopolitan, but we could not help feeling sorry for women in full modesty clothing, it seemed a shame that only their men folk could get full benefit from the day.

We spent Xmas day up in the forest with Bo, Simon and Silky.  It was a perfect temperature where we set up camp by the river.  I got there as early as possible so that we could have a good spot, but it was a wasted effort because no-one else came at all!   The river was a delight and we spent ages sat on rocks just relaxing.  We did miss Josh who came with us last year and Bo’s boys all felt they had more important teen age things to do.

All ready for our solstice feast

December 20 2018

Having Granddaughters is great.  Today Indi helped me prepare the food for tomorrows feast.  She tackled a huge pumpkin that she complained gave her a harder work out than the polardes class she had just come back from!    We both now have loads of zucchinis and discussed how we could use them. Indi said she had baked one into a chocolate cake and  I stuffed one of the turkeys with a zucchini mixed with falafel.  Perhaps we will be able to sell more at the market , but I suspect that everyone has them now. I will definitely use several in a vegetarian /vegan dish for tomorrow.

I have put away the three D puzzle that I brought at the charity shop.  I have seen these puzzles in magazines and often wondered whether to try one, but they are usually expensive enough to make them resistible. A chance to try for $3 was altogether another matter. The puzzle was do-able, but it took a lot of patience to avoid knocking more buts off than those I put on. The odd thing was that when I finally got the thing built I had a small piece left over and a larger piece missing! No way could I sort the thing out, but I have decided that the temptation period is over.

My sun room jungle is now looking very clean and sorted.  A lot of my plants have been relocated outdoors where they can enjoy a summer of fresh air and natural rain.  It helps with pest control too.  The turmeric has sprouted well, and the ginger is growing fast.  I just cut bits off when I need some for cooking.  I have strung a long rope of led lights all around the windows, so the area looks magical at night.  I have two very young grandchildren and I want them to experience the wonder of a traditional Xmas.

All this has taken a lot of work.  Edd and I thought about it today and remembered that before the fires we had Wwoofers, overseas travellers, who helped us with lots of the work plus we had a man to help once a week with the heavy work and my friend helped me clean up every Friday before our paying guests arrived.  For the last ten years it has mostly been just Edd and I doing everything.  No wonder we feel a bit over worked. Perhaps we should plan differently for next year.

Despite this I have fitted in two massive shopping trips and I have all the gifts wrapped and labelled under the tree.  No big or expensive gifts , just tokens for grownups and toys for the very young. The teenagers get money and a gift I hope will make them laugh.  I also found a proper cricket set so that games can be played on the flat grass Edd has just mowed if anyone has the energy.  I know I haven’t.

I do feel a bit old for cooking for thirty plus people but if I didn’t Bo would, and she cooks like this every day at her restaurant and as a result is closer to collapse than I am. My big wish for the new year is that none of us needs to work quite so hard.

Full steam ahead

December 13 2018

I am so behind with this blog.  We are into our really busy season and spare time is rare.  The goats are now at peak milk production and I make cheese most days. The hard cheeses are turning out to keep well and be reliably edible now that we vac Pac them. It is worth the effort to make them.

The male goat kids have been sold and Barak and his mate now have a small paddock to jump around in. The leg Barak broke looks crocked but does not hold him up much.  He leapt up and down the bank with obvious enjoyment.  This is a big relief for us. There is massive growth this spring and we are strip grazing the goats trying to stop them getting too much at once. They are accepting this form of control well, but they are still coming in each night looking very bloated.

The vegetables are also in full growth mode, too.  The zucchini glut is on and we cart boxes to the restaurant and still have some left for market. The beans have just started too.  I have defrosted and cleaned the freezer just in time to put in the new seasons crops. This year we have raspberries for breakfast every morning along with strawberries.  I have not had any left over to freeze yet.

The young chooks out grew the small cage and are now in the new chook shed on the old drive.  Edd’s is struggling to get the fence fixed because they will soon be big enough too free range.  The Easter egg glut has slowed down, but we still get plenty to eat and plenty to sell.  The sheep are now in the old hay paddock to the west. The grass is growing so fast that they are not making much of an impression yet.  We have had to mow the grass on the house roof because it was not eaten down enough.  The other fire precaution measures were done by the last camp.  They moved all the burnable waste in the garden and cleaned gutters.

I am preparing for our family celebration on the solstice.  I have started by working through the sun room jungle, repotting plants, washing and polishing the floor and throwing out dead leaves.  Most of  the plants needed repotting and many of the bromeliads had pups to split off.  The snake vines are so big that I am waiting until Edd is around to help me deal with them!  Meanwhile I have put up our long suffering, Xmas tree.  It is one that survived the fires because it was stored in the cellar, so I greet it each year as an old friend.  I have so many memories of Xmas’s past that it brings back. A kind of sweet and sad feeling.

December 7 2018

Summer has arrived with a blast of hot air.  Indi appeared out of the forest and sought refuge in the house from unbearable heat. Bo and I went to see the Patricia Piccinini exhibition at Tarrawarra.  I found the sculptures amazing, the odd blend of human and animal forms should look ugly but instead they were adorable, and it was hard not to touch them. They were so lifelike I would not have been surprised if they felt warm.  They showed so much emotion and each one had a feeling of movement and also seemed to tell a story.  Mostly it was about love , so very positive.

Rounding off the year's work

                                                                         Full udders

                                   Looking out from the ruins towards the vegetable garden.

November 23.  2018

The last of the school camps for this year left on Friday and we are now trying to catch up with all the other work we have not been doning.  It has been two months or so and it is difficult to get back into previous projects.  As we edge nearer to December Edd has started negotiations for hay , Indio and Ben think we can cut at Ben’s parents place again which would be fantastic.

Indi is now starting to look pregnant, so we have begun various baby knitting projects. We are all really excited . I worked out that this baby is the fourth generation of our family to have a relationship with the land here and the third generation to have the place as their home at the time of birth.  I feel happy about this but sad also as it could be the last generation as well. It must have been good in the past when people planted trees and could believe that their family would enjoy them for generations into the future.

It looks as if the last of our pregnant goats has kidded.  Rita had twin boys last week whilst the camp was here.  She needed assistance, but luckily the students were busy getting their evening meal and I managed to sort out the problem without an audience!  I did not want to send anyone home with bad memories.  The kids were both male and very healthy.  Already they are getting their milk with the other kids from the feeder.  One is a glorious golden colour.  It always seems that the most attractive kids are male.

Today we have non-stop rain. It is cold too. The good side is that the plants needed the water and there are no campers, but I still prefer sunshine.  We have already eaten the first zucchini and the first raspberries. It is such a thrill to be back to summer style food. I have planted lots of basil, but it is not large enough to eat yet.  The elephant garlic is coming into flower and the Blue Congo potatoes that Ben gave us are thriving.  The tomatoes are now large but still green.

Better news is that Bo has just sent in the last assignment for her music therapy course. She has been studying full time for two years and as she has also been chef at the restaurant and parent for three kids it has been rather a marathon.  Somehow, she has also fitted in singing at music gigs and coaching a few students.  I am so glad she has finished because she has been working incredibly long hours into the night, and starting far too early in the morning, so I have worried for her health. No one can keep up that pace for long.

My last work commitment for the year happens this Sunday when I do a workshop for our local permaculture group on how to keep goats and make cheese and goats’ milk soap.  Once this is over I can relax a bit too.  I am now busy cooking cheese cake and orange cake for the participants morning tea. Everyone is meant to bring a plate for lunch.   In theory about 15 people are booked in. There is no charge, so I just hope it is a fun day for us all.

Too busy to post much

November 6, 2018

I have just heard that my cousin in the UK has died which has put rather a dampener on the day.  It was the Melbourne Cup today, and generally a day off for most people apart from farmers(  us ), and restaurant workers ( Bo).  The weather was typical Melbourne, hot and sunny one minute and torrential rain the next.  Streets in Melbourne flooded but the races still went well, considering. The rain was a bit more welcome up here in the valley where we have all been watching the water level fall in our tanks.

The friends who were going to watch the race with us did not come because a wall on the straw bale house they are building blew down and their water pump failed where they are living. The people who arranged to come and buy a goat did not turn up, either, so it has been a much quieter day than we expected. We have done well so far, finding homes for the baby male goats.  I think it is because it is a good time of year to sell them. Not too close to Xmas, but well into the time when everyone’s land is getting huge weed growth. The babies look pretty cute too.

Last week we had another school camp and we are getting ready for the last camp of the year which starts next Monday.  This time the weather stayed dry all week and the students were great.  The shearer came on the Monday and managed to get all the sheep shorn without a bad word.  Edd and I had a laugh yesterday when we heard a sheep calling out in distress. We found her looking at her reflection in the glass of our windows.  Maybe she was horror struck with the look of her haircut!

The cat used up another life when it accidently got shut up in a teacher’s car that was left in the sun. Luckily the car was opened in time for a very hot and angry cat to leap out.  He has been gradually learning to hunt and has got several small rabbits. Rabbits are definitely unwelcome pests, so we are pleased with his progress. 

Our vegetables are powering away.  The zucchinis are just starting to have flowers, but we have a massive crop of snow peas and several sorts of salad vegetables we are eating.  We have had a meal of parsnips and the broccoli are still growing heads.  I am worried that the caterpillars will eat the cabbages before we do. 

Now that some kids have been sold I have enough milk to start making hard cheeses again. The soap does not take much milk, but we still had enough for the students to make chocolate icy poles.  I was surprised that they preferred these to the fruit ones we made the day before

Montessori camp and big news

                                      Rombald, the new ram with his flock on the house roof

                               The kids watch Barak drink milk from the feeder

 

We made soap and dyed wool 

October 20, 2018

I hate this weather.     I should actually be very grateful because yesterday was hot and fine when the school kids packed up their tents and today we have heavy rain ,which is refilling all the tanks.    Perhaps I am just too tired to be grateful, but it is more likely that, as always, I love hot and hate cold.    Mostly the week was not too bad for the campers with moderate temperatures and just one day that we retreated to do indoor work.

On that day, one teacher helped me teach the students to dye wool with onion skins, toast some muesli and make soap.  That passed the time OK and Edd and the other teacher worked with the more energetic students in the big shed sorting and splitting fire wood. They seem to enjoy this work, and it is just wonderful for us to end up with well organised fire wood supplies when the winter returns.

When the weather was better this latter group helped reopen the road to the hill. A very large tree had fallen right across  and blocked it completely.  We can now get materials onto Bone Hill so that we can repair the boundary fence with our west side neighbours.   We got the other students to paint render onto the block part of the shed wall and do some gardening, but a group of lads volunteered for the hardest job and managed to extract a massive agapanthus plant that was taking over and area.

The camp went well, and at the end complaints mostly centred around gluten free wraps.  Some students ordered these, so a decision was made, and later regretted, to buy all the wraps gluten free.   Every lunch was wraps so this was a big issue by Friday.   At least everyone will know which wraps they want next time.    For staff our main work is to keep the students safe and we decided we needed to have a set of rules written down to provide clear guide lines.    There have been an unusual number of snakes sited this year so wearing the right clothes and sticking to the right places is more important than usual.

Barak, our new male kid is still confined to a box and is due back to the vets again next Wednesday to have his plaster changed.   He is growing very fast and will not fit in his restricted area much longer.   At least we now have five other goat kids just next to him for company.   They are also males but so far are well behaved and calm.  They have a very different temperament to Barak at the same age, but they are mostly the same colour.  The students have enjoyed feeding them as they now all drink up straws from a feeder.

We now have a week to prepare for the next camp.  Edd is off on Monday to buy more oats, we are worried that with this dry year supplies will be restricted.  The dams and tanks are all full, but the ground has no moisture at all under the surface.

This leaves till last the really good news.  Edd and I ARE ON OUR WAY TO BECOMING GREAT GRANDPARENTS.

minor worries

                                          We have tried to make the jade vine comfortable.

Toby's garden nearly ready for planting

September 29, 2018

We have now gone back to showery cold weather.  I am over it. I am much happier with the heat of summer.  Today I am stressing over a Jade vine that Josh sent me from Brisbane.  We have all done everything possible, but it still has to survive all the disturbance.  They are an amazing plant with large wisteria like blooms that are an amazing shade of turquoise. I would dearly love it to do well in my jungle.

We have several worries at the moment.  I am incubating eggs that should hatch next week, and our incubator is old, and the eggs have to be rolled by hand each day.  It has worked before.  Even last year when the power went off for several days and we had to restart the operation. I have also ordered day old chicks to arrive at the same time as a back-up, but I still care about the home-grown ones. The other worry is our new buck kid, Barak.

The week before the camp Edd and I took the old milking machine down to Warragul to be checked for life and called in on some friends to look at bucks they had for sale.  They have stock bred from American Alpine goats that have been brought into Australia as embryos.  This is a very costly and involved process that I have stayed clear of, but I was very keen to benefit from other peoples’ efforts.  We chose a buck kid who was carrying the looks and colour of his American ancestors and he travelled home in the car on my knees.

Once home he got very lively and was reluctant about taking milk from a bottle.  We raised the fence height of his pen but he somehow managed to leap the raised barrier and must have landed very heavily.  The vet took an X-ray and found he had a compression fracture in his back leg from landing too hard.  Two weeks later I was worried he was not right, so we took him back to the vet and they did a second x-ray. This showed that despite their treatment the break in his leg had actually got worse.  They have now put on a plaster so that his leg is off the ground in the hope healing will help.  I do not think he will ever have a straight leg though.  I usually set broken legs myself but as we did not breed Barak I decided to pay the money and let the vets do the work.  Now I wonder how much worse I could have made things!

In the big scale of things these worries are not too bad.  Edd is still working on the chook fence and I am concerned that we should both be getting ready for the school camps.  They start again in a couple of weeks, so time is running out.  The trouble is that I need help to get on with the jobs I am doing.  I need Edd and skiddy to move the rocks into Toby’s garden before I start planting and things like that.  Edd is also the expert with getting the pool water clean.  As usual after winter it looks thick and green but Edd can work magic when he tries.

My winter project doing the splash back is complete and next I plan to mosaic a top for the outdoor table. It’s glass top blew off and shattered due to a freak wind, but a mosaic top could be fun. I have two old beer kegs which are the right height for seats and it would take a lot of wind to shift them and they are probably impossible to damage so they are very suitable for our use.

The sheep work hard to keep things tidy

September 22, 2018

It really feels as if the winter is over, though we are still getting frosts.  Today at our community market I was among several women who had laid aside winter woollies and donned lighter clothing.   This afternoon I was out in a shirt shovelling more earth into the new area for Toby’s garden.   I could start planting now but I am worried about how the sheep will react.  They have been grazing around the house and doing a good job removing weeds between the stones but I need plants that they will leave alone.

Bo has had a bad week because her new chef resigned and forced her back into the restaurant kitchen. She is in the last few weeks of her music therapy course and really needed this time to get assignments in. I cannot  think of any way to help her, I certainly am not skilled enough to be a chef.  Al was very pleased with feedback he got after our open house marathon.  He is off to the UK  where he is giving a paper at a seminar next week.

It is now a school holiday period, so we have no more camps for a couple of weeks. We did have a walking group here last Thursday though for a tour and morning teas.  They were lovely people and ended up paying me much more than I asked for which was rather a surprise.  I try to give better value than people expect for their money and they are usually happy with that.

The goats are almost ready to kid so we will soon enter a very busy period.  Already I get up early to give the buck kid a bottle and Edd stays up for his night feed.  We have eggs in the incubator and chicks on order.  Last year we paid a lot of money and brought rare breed day olds.  These were a total disappointment.  Some were roosters, some were not the breed they were meant to be and none of them laid when we wanted them to.  This year I have gone back to ordering chicks from our local commercial place.  They may not look very good, but they are all the right sex and lay well.

Edd has planted out the first tomatoes.  We have them covered with mini glasshouses made from chook feed bags in the hope that they can survive the last few frosts.  We have zucchini seedlings in pots that we put under cover at night and it is time to start growing the other seeds we need for summer vegetables. Last year’s raspberries canes have leaves but the new ones planted this winter are yet to show signs of life. Raspberries are my favourite fruit, so I am keeping a hopeful eye on their development.

I have finally finished the splash back in our kitchen.  I did the last bit of grouting on Friday, it seems odd as I have been working on the project for several weeks and collecting the tiles for months.   I just wish I had managed to get it done for open house day.

very busy week

                                                   The soil goes in for Toby's garden

                                                   The splash back is half completed

The students pack up to go home

September 17, 2018

It seems amazingly quiet this afternoon.  The sun is shining, the sheep are peacefully grazing around the house, and there is no wind to shake the creamy wattle blossom. Edd has gone off to buy a ton of oats and I have spent the morning mowing the grass which has now began to grow fast. 

We did not have any time for farm activities at the week end because Sunday was open house day for sustainable homes and Saturday was the only day we had to get ready after the fur and feather school camp left on Friday.  We have been unbelievably lucky with the weather.  All week when the camp was here the days were warm and sunny and the rain held off.  We got some well needed rain on Saturday, but Sunday was fine and the afternoon sunny. Better still it was cold outside, so all the visitors could experience how warm and cosy it was in the house.

I had thought that after having big crowds last year it might be quieter this time, but I was wrong. We got even larger numbers, nearly 200 people walked through the house on Guided tours conducted by Al.  He is the best one for this because he designed the house and can answer every ones’ questions . Pip and baby P manned the front desk and booked everyone in and Edd kept a perpetual tour orbiting the place on the outside.  This left me to deal with people waiting to join the next group and to take quick tours for people in a hurry.

We were all totally busy all day, but the feedback was very positive.  I had worked hard to try and get as much of the splash back in the kitchen done as possible and I got to the stage when I had done half the grouting.  The school students had helped by moving composted material around the new paving Andrew did in Toby’s garden.  This covered up the bare clay and did wonders for how things looked so the west end of the house looked really finished compared with how it was last year.  It is a bit odd having so many strangers looking at the house, but they were all very polite and as before at the end of the day you could not tell that anyone had been there!

We felt pretty run over though.  Al and Pip set off down to Ocean Grove and Ben, Indi and I were just discussing how we could get out of any cooking or further work when Bo phoned up and invited us all to supper at her place.  At this stage no-one cared what they ate as long as someone else did the work. Bo set up a sound system and got everyone in turn to choose a song.  By some miracle of modern technology even the most obscure songs were found and payed whilst we ate.  It took all the stress away as we had to work out what song we would choose next and what memories it brought back.  I think we are all benefitting from Bo’s music therapy training already, and she still has a few weeks of the course to complete before she qualifies.

The other good news is that the buck kid we brought is now getting better. When he first arrived, he dashed around so much that he eventually sailed out of his pen and landed hard enough to get a compression fracture.  I could not find the actual injury site, so we had to take him for X-rays at the vets.  He is now confined to a small area with his leg strapped up, but he is finally taking milk well and looking happier.  The horses are looking better too.  The students led them up from the paddock every day last week for grooming and attention.

Tackling odd jobs

                                              Tiles on the splash back waiting for grout.

                                                                Lovely sun shine

I may have maligned Ben’s friends last week.  Ben was away on the week end and knew nothing about anyone coming for wood.  We have asked around friends who we allow to collect timber and it was not any of them so until we speak to them Ben’s friends are still suspects.  We are now keeping a close eye on who drives up the road and uses chainsaws.

The week started OK but got progressively wetter.  The area that is being paved became a quagmire and had to be abandoned but Andrew and mates did concrete the bit of floor in the big shed where we store animal feed. Now we will be able to sweep up any spilt grain.  This will help with keeping down mouse numbers. The new cat has refused to do any farm work and just hangs around the house waiting to be fed. Very disappointing.

Andrew also used his machine to dig holes for the fence posts of the new chook run to go into.  Edd has been putting poles in and clearing up dead timber from the area.  It was so nice and sunny that I stopped work on the kitchen splash back and went out to help Edd.

The chooks have eaten all the grass in their present run, so I have been feeding them greens from the vegetable garden.  I hope we will get the pen ready so that the students on the September camp can move them.

The goats are starting to show that they are pregnant, and some are bagging up. There is a lot of new spring growth and already the milk yield is going up.  The nectarine trees are covered with flowers and buds are bursting everywhere. Yarra Glen is looking very festive with a show of pink flowering cherries.  I have been giving away bunches of coriander and we are enjoying eating our snow peas. It looks as if the year is turning fast.

The house grows a tail

Today we had 22 permaculture design course students for a site visit.  This event spurred me to do a very thorough house cleaning and cooking session on Friday.  I was very glad I did the cooking bit.  I made a large cinnamon and pear cake and a big cheese cake and prepared several cream cheeses and other nibbles for morning tea.  Edd met the students who were dispensed across ten cars and did a talk about the ecology of the valley before escorting them up here for morning tea and a house and farm tour.

I had been warned that there were vegans, vegetarians, glucose intolerant people and every other dietary problem in this group but the food disappeared with such speed that no one would have noticed!   It had been a cold wet night but just before everyone arrived the sun came out and the house was flooded with sunlight and winter warmth so (much to my relief it looked great.  Eventually everyone had finished eating and we took them on a tour of the house and surrounding out buildings.

After everyone left the sky darkened and we had a heavy rain shower.  It is so good when the weather is on our side.  Actually, we have been lucky for most of the week. Andrew and his mates have had mostly fine weather and the new west wall is up. It curves round and down so the house now has a tail end which is a big improvement.  The blokes are now using pavers left over from the house build to landscape the enclosed area.  They are really doing a very good job.

Whilst this work has been going on outside I have started working inside on the splash back in our kitchen.  Over the last few months I have been collecting tiles of the various colours I need and Edd has fixed the stainless-steel edging above the granite for me to tile up to. Starting this work was a bit daunting, but I am now underway and enjoying myself.  So far, Edd likes what I have done which is a good start.

We have also got the tire treads back on skiddy.  I tried to help Edd and ended up cutting my knuckle on a chisel that was in use to try and lift the heavy rubber tread over its wheels. Luckily Andrew was able to help Edd complete the job and there were no further injuries. Edd was planning to use skiddy to move a heavy blackwood tree trunk that he wanted to use for timber. Sadly, some friends of Ben came up last weekend and took the tree in question along with the timber for fire wood.  We did not even know they were on our property so Edd is not happy.

We have let friends get the fallen timber for their fires, but they usually come to us first to ask what to take.  We need the timber moved and have enough fire wood for ourselves, so we are OK about this bit, but we wanted to keep the black wood as it was too good to burn.

Eggs again

My first attempt at goats’ milk soap is now being cured.  I hate it when you have to wait weeks or months (in the case of cheese) to test out how a product has turned out.  At least the soap looks and feels like soap even if it is not very elegant! I have now learnt the importance of keeping detailed notes so that good experiments can be repeated, and faults corrected.  The actual process of making soap was less complicated than I remembered.  The last time I made soap I did not know that American ounces were different to the UK ones which caused some confusion.  This time I have stuck to recipes in grams.

Spring is marching onward and deciduous trees are breaking bud. The mulberries and quinces are ahead of the rest with green leaves already showing.  The chooks have increased the number of eggs they are laying so that we have gone from 6 eggs a day to over 2 dozen.  This week we weeded and mulched the vegetable gardens and planted out the last of the broccoli and cabbage seedlings, as well as more snow peas and bok choi. 

Edd is struggling with Skiddy, our mini digger. The caterpillar treads had to be replaced but this is easier to say than do.  Ben helped Edd get on the first tread but the other one is proving even harder.  I am far too weak to be much help here and even Edd is complaining of a sore back.   We have done better with the next building stage.  My friend’s son, Andrew. has started to work at the west end of our house.  A wall goes from the end of the house out into the paddock to retain the soil over the roof, but the wall just ends before the earth does so that it looks very messy. Even on the first day things started to look better when Andrew cut back the bank into a straight edge. The next stage is to build a retaining wall the curves round and gradually decreases in height until it reaches the ground. The footings for the wall were poured yesterday when l it was dry and sunny. Today we have had showers and hail, so we were lucky to get it done.

 Al is helping us by preparing plans for a car port at the east end of the house. It would be good to have the cars nearby and sheltered. When we were first here we kept them with the goats and hay in the big shed.  There were problems with this because the rats in the shed got into the cars and ate through tubes and other vital bits. One even died in the ute air conditioning system, which could not be used again for years because the car stank awfully if you put the fan on!

Our next move was to park the cars on the drive outside the house.  The snag with this is that they are out in the hot sun and other destructive weathers.  The plastic strip down the sides of my car broke away at the edges and curled up. Edd stuck them back with glue and gaffer tape, but this was going a bit far for me and I threatened to buy a new car, so he took the strips off completely, which looks much better.  A car port would help a lot but to get one to fit in with the house will be bordering on the too expensive mark, which is a worry.

We do not see much of Al since he has moved to the coast.  I really miss his family, but luckily, we see a lot of Bo’s kids which helps fill the gap. I drive the boys to and from school several days a week when Bo has to leave home early to get into the city.  She is nearly at the end of her music therapy training and people are already offering her work.  The course sound absolutely fascinating.  She uses her music abilities, her research skills, and is learning more about a broad range of medical practices, from disease to mental issues.

Early spring

The frozen milk cheese worked out well.  My next venture is to try soap recipes and work out one that suits what we have.  I am actually rather challenged by the idea of starting a new project.  It took me years to work out a good method for hard cheese, I just hope soap is easier. I have the goats milk, and Indi has a good supply of olive oil, so we have the main ingredients to mix with the caustic soda.

I have not had time to start this project yet because this week I have had to drive and pick my grandsons up from school on several days.  Yesterday I had to drive further so that I could get Grandsons, Grandson’s girl-friend and grand-sons girl-friend’s dog.  Apparently, dogs are not allowed on buses.  As a complication Ollie was missing and his phone had died. Eventually this was all sorted and everyone was OK, but it is all such a waste of my time. Grandsons OK but girls and dogs will have to fit in.  

Spring is here, and the wattle and daffodils are in bloom and everything is very yellow. The Lucerne trees are starting to shine with their white flowers and the native wisteria has purple beginning to show.  We have eaten the first planting of broccoli and are working our way through the cauliflowers and swedes.   The snow peas have finally begun to produce edible pods too, but kale and spinach and rocket are still our most used greens. We have lettuce, but it is not quite lettuce weather yet, though we did have a very warm day last week.

Edd spent one day fetching concrete blocks and second-hand bricks to make the west end wall and is now trying to fix the metal at the base of the kitchen splash back.  He refuses to let me start with the tiling until this is done. I would have just left it loose but Edd likes things to be right.  I am now waiting for other people to do their bit before I can continue with my projects which is a bit frustrating.

I was lucky enough to find a tall glass fronted cabinet in the recycle yard and on Monday Lyn helped me clean up the relics from the fire and arrange them for view. The school students dug up all these relics and they have been stored in an alcove opposite the camp toilet, which is not ideal.    They are an interesting collection because they demonstrate that when glass melted, and heavy brass pans collapsed, cheap ceramic balls survived unscathed.

Indi came in early to borrow the trailer, so she could fetch a water tank.  It did rain yesterday but overall it has been very dry, and she needs more water storage capacity.  The drought in Queensland and NSW has continued to worsen.  The news shows pictures of bare earth paddocks and distressed farmers.  The price of animal feed has started to rise, and we could be in for a very difficult year. We have not had a bad year for drought or fire since 2009 but it could all start again any time.  In the last drought I squandered dam water by using a sprinkler for the garden but now I only water with a hand-held hose.  Just in case.

Too much temptation

Farm work has hit the winter low point and we are taking the opportunity to do off farm things.  The week end before last we drove up to Bendigo to the sheep and wool show. Getting into the show grounds and parking was a bit disorganised but the show was great. There were lots of farm animals penned in the huge sheds waiting for the events they were to be judged in, so we could wander round looking at all the different breeds and talking to the breeders. I took a fancy to English Leicester sheep with their long, soft, lustrous, fleece.

The sun was out, and we could wander round the stalls and find out about various farm equipment we need and buy useful stuff like socks.  For some unknown reason, good plain socks can be hard to come by in the Yarra Valley. Others must have the same problem as people were queuing up to pay for massive arm loads of socks.  Edd brought a new felt hat, (he has been looking for one for ages), and a tough grey sweater.

I was severely tempted by all sorts of gear but managed to steer clear of temptation until I got into the craft wool buildings.  Here I found a stall full of knitting books and after talking to the stall holder I ordered a book of knitting stitches that she thought was the one I lost.  Neither of us could be quite sure because I lost the book nine years ago in the fires and could not remember the name or author. We were actually on the right track because the book has now arrived and it is the book that I have spent nine years looking for!  It was a joyous moment getting back one of the basic tools that I have used over and over again.

I was also tempted by the knitting wool.  There were beautiful yarns in amazing colours, but I have just taken my wool down to be spun so I resisted the lure. I now wish I had been less restrained, of course.  We found a hall serving sit down veg and meat meals at great price so all in all we had a great day.  Lyn came and did the animals too, so we were not pushed for time getting home.

This week end we have been off again, but into the city this time.  Our friend, Peter, invited us to the opening of his art exhibition on Saturday and we went there after lunch. We  met up with old friends we knew from working in the desert as well as Peter and all his family. It was great, and the art was interesting. A carpenter had used wood that was unsuitable for furniture to make a setting for Peter’s glass work.  The most amazing thing was how two people could make a work of art that expressed their individuality but was completely integrated.

Al and Pip were meeting family at a restaurant a few doors down from the gallery, so we joined them for tapas before driving home.  Little P was there too and Al’s second son as well as Pip’s parents.  They have just had a first Granddaughter and an announcement that their eldest son had a baby on the way, so they were thrilled. It will be lovely to have a group of cousins who can grow up together.

Today I am doing an experiment trying to make feta from frozen milk.  I no-longer get the 10 litres of fresh milk a day that I need for the recipe, but over the week we have more milk than we need, but not enough to feed a calf, so a new strategy is needed.  I am trying hard to dry off the pregnant goats before the spring grass starts and the process gets harder.

Winter Projects for Spring activities

Time is passing and already there is a noticeable increase in day length.  This is usually our coldest time of year but so far it has been very mild. Many days we are outside working without sweaters once the sun has dispensed the morning chill.  The goats that are not pregnant are still coming into season, but we have moved the bucks back into their pens because we have enough pregnant girls for this year. Our big alpine doe, Quetta, has been sold.  This time she is went to join other goats we sold earlier so she was met by friends when she arrived at her new home.  It would be impossible to keep every goat, but we do try to send them to places they will be happy. They often go to smaller herds and get more attention than we give them here, which is nice.

I am trying to dry off the remaining pregnant goats, but we are still getting enough milk to make cheese twice a week.  The hard cheeses turned out so well last year that I am encouraged to make more. The vac packaging system worked fantastically.  I have now used all the olive oil I made, but luckily Ben and Indi are keeping us well supplied from their trees. Indi and I are planning to use some of their oil to make soap, so I am searching for recipes.  I ordered a book that I thought might help but it was so useless I returned it with a killer revue. I hope I might save someone else the bad experience.

The seeds I ordered for dyeing plants have arrived, but I have not yet sorted out the area where I plan to grow them.  They will be sown in pots in the spring, so this is not a problem yet.  It will make a good task when the school camps start. The book I brought on plant dyes was excellent, much to my relief.  This week Edd and I drove down to the Mornington Peninsular with a car full of wool that I am getting spun.  The plan is to have yarn available from our own sheep to dye with our own plants. That should make a good learning experience.

Apart from projects being prepared for the school students my other task to set up is the kitchen splash back.  I have had so much fun with the mosaics in the dairy and bathroom that I am inspired to have a go at the splash back.  It certainly needs something.  At present it has an area with waterproof paint, two stainless steel trays behind the stove and the rest is bare lime render.  On our trip to Mornington we called in on Metric tiles and I finally found the colours I have been looking for.  All the local stores sell is a selection of different shades of grey.  

WE had a party at Bo’s house for her birthday and Al and Pip came up with Baby P and stayed the night on the farm.  Baby P is growing enormous but seems a particularly good baby.  Perhaps it is just that his parents are managing him well. Wayne’s daughter is also very well behaved. Maybe having older parents helps. We were in our early twenties when we had our kids.

This year we are really trying to get the last remaining rebuilding jobs sorted.  I have organised someone to build the west side wall and do the paving and Al is working on plans for a car port at the east end.  My car looks very ropy.  It actually goes really well and has given me nine years of trouble free driving but the gaffer tape holding on the side trim is getting to the embarrassing stage.  A place to put cars out of the weather would be a big help.  We can put them in the shed, but rats and mice can do a lot of damage and the new cat has changed its mind about wanting to be a farm cat.

Venison Feasting

Last night we had a huge frost but today and yesterday were warm and sunny with endless blue skies little wind.  This was really fortuitous because as a compensation for putting up with the occasional, alarming, bang from a big gun we were able to join a group of food and wine enthusiasts for a venison cook up.   This started at midday and went on into the evening.   We took a large plate full of goats’ cheese, pomegranates, and mandarins, and others brought wine, cakes and cows cheese.  Be brought bread, honey, and large bottles of his olive oil for people to try, so a very large number of people got a very special meal.

We all ate, drank and talked in the winter sun.  The view across the vineyard was great and the company interesting.  Kids and dogs romped around harmlessly, and everyone relaxed. It was a wonderful way for the community to enjoy life in the valley.  It is a great thing to live in a wine producing area with so many wine makers around.  I wish I had some photos, but I was too busy having fun.    It must be venison season.   Bo is also serving it at the restaurant tonight.

Today Edd is trying to get the large round hay bales back from where he left them down the road last year.  He needed something to lift them on to the ute and trailer and something to unload them here.  It has taken him a long time to get everything aligned and today after the frost skiddy would not start.  We need skiddy to get the bales off when they get here.  Lynne has gone to help him, so I am working on accounts and making more feta cheese.  We are pretty low on cheese supplies after all the socialising we have been doing.

Winter is usually a time we get pretty much to ourselves, but this year has been much more social with loads of visitors and events.  I wonder what has changed.   People are amazing creatures.   Just as the powers that be think they have us all regulated and controlled, we seep out round the edges and have a glorious time.

Mid winter

 marking out.

At least winter means green grass

We have now passed the shortest day, but the worst of winter weather is usually in July.  We have had snow settle on the ground here twice in forty years and it has been in July both times.   On the plus side, the house is very warm, and the jonquils are coming into flower soon to be followed by the daffodils and native wisteria.   The winter will pass soon enough.   I have been avoiding outdoor work when it is really cold and have instead worked my way through most of the years accounts and tidied up odds and ends of craft projects.      All the carded wool is now spun into yarn and ready for use, and the wool from last year’s shearing is sorted so it can be processed.  I was hoping to have lots of the work done for me but there is too much wool to afford to have it all carded, let alone spun.  

Most of the family managed to get together for Ella’s third birthday.  Danni had organised a party at an hotel on the coast near their home and we all met up there.  It was a huge space with an indoor play area, so the kids could run around whilst the adults socialised.  Al and Pip turned up with baby P who had grown enormously since we saw him a few weeks ago. Bo , Simon, Wayne, Edd and I visited a local brewery after the party and relaxed but Al and Pip had to get their baby home. We had to get home to feed the animals before dark but that was OK.

Edd has braved most of the weather and has been working clearing up fallen trees and old wire in the top paddock.  He has taken a load of the old wire to the tip and a load of fire wood to a friend in Healesville.  It is much too cold for anyone to manage without heating and most people do not have an underground house, like ours, that stays warm.  It will be amazing to reclaim the top paddock after so many years.

I have been planning how to make the garden to the west of the house and have marked beds and paving out with pink paint.  Someone was meant to come and give us an estimate for the work today, but they put it off until Monday.  I would like someone to do the wall and the paving, but I can probably manage the rest.

A new family member

Yesterday I was introduced to the new family member.  Ollie has a new puppy.  We are all so happy for him, especially after his last dog, Gracie, came to such a sad end. Luca (not sure how it is spelt), is a border collie about eight weeks old and very, very cute.  Luckily, Tommy, Morgs golden retriever is equally pleased with his new friend.

Today the sun returned, and I had a massive house clean out.  I usually do a big clean at this time of year, so we can have a family party to celebrate the solstice.  This has changed since Ella, was born and we now have a family gathering for her birthday instead.  I have also just agreed to do the sustainable house open day again.   I must be totally mad but at least it sets a target for me to try and get some things done for.  There is still a lot needed to complete and maintain the house.

Rain rain and more rain

 The moat in action after heavy rain

 Winter sunlight

17.6.2018

This morning it was very dark outside and all the rain that we have done without was pouring down in sheets. The drive to our house was awash, with the water gorging out channels at one side. Luckily, our dry creek bed works really well and took the flood away from the house and into the dam.  Most of our water tanks were overflowing and Edd opened the valves to let the excess water drain down to the large, old tank below the ruins.

The dairy remained a dry island, moated on two sides, where the water tank that takes rain from the shed roof had over flowed.  We have raised walk ways so that the goats can get from their shed to the milking shed and today they were essential.  Bo tells me that Yarra glen is not flooded yet, so I hope that the bridge on our only route out is still passable.  We have not had this sort of rain since we started to build our house!