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