Pasty day Party

The sheep are mowing the house site so we have put up a barricade to keep them away from the front door.

1.10.2019

The sun is shining, and the forecast predicts a warm week. About time too. On Saturday it was the football grand finals and Al had organised a party at our place to watch the match and cook Cornish pasties.  The swedes had grown well, and we managed to harvest them before the bush rats.  I made the pastry the day before and Bo helped me get the house ready and baby sit G, Grandkid 1, whilst mum, Indi went for a ride.

Sadly, Al hurt his back and was unable to come but, even missing his extended family, we had 2 great grandkids, 8 grandkid generation ,3 kid generation and Edd and I as the oldies.  On Sunday we packed up a pasty and lots of party food and drove down to Ocean grave so that Al did not miss out.  Al and Pip were in a bit of strife because neither of them was fit to do much, but we stayed the night and did our best to help.  By the time we left on Monday, Al was moving a bit better, though he still could not pick up his baby.

Bo had done a terrific job taking over the farm duties. She had even managed to get the Youngest kids to take a litre of food at a feed, so they are now on twice a day feeding. This is a big step forward.  We had moved last year’s kids in to join the main herd and put the three oldest goats into the retirement paddock. They have all settled down with this new arrangement and the young goats have all learnt how to jump up onto the milking bale.

Tonight, we are going to Bo’s house for Sylkie’s 11^th birthday party.  She had a terrible accident at the weekend when she got some food stuck in her throat and could not breathe properly. Bo had to call an ambulance that came quite fast and talked to her all the way. Luckily the food dislodged, and her normal colour returned.  Bo had a big scare, but even she recovered well.

Spring is really here.  Blossom everywhere and the air heavy with scent. There are blue bells under the old oak tree and the paulownia and wisteria are just about to cover everything with a sea of purple. We had a frost last night, but we covered the zucchini and tomato plants and they have survived.  We have broccoli and cauliflower to eat and the lettuces are ready too. There is more than we can eat but I expect Bo.’s family will devour the excess.

Now we have the rush to get organised for the school camps that start in a few weeks’ time. 

We have just brought a new chook shed that can be put up by the new orchard as a school task.  We can then move the driveway chooks onto the new grass around the fruit trees. 

The sun shines at last

18.9.2019

We have had lots and lots of rain.  Rain is such a blessing that I feel guilty when I harbour resentful thoughts about it. Much of the country is in terrible drought and today the news tells us that Sydney water supply is in danger of running out! Fires continue to burn in NSW and in the rain forests behind Brisbane that were we went with Josh.  This week we have had sunshine and I can only feel relief.

We have been able to get more work done in the vegetable garden and around the farm. I have started working on a retirement area for the oldest goats.  Erin and Ester are 15 years old.  I never expected them o live so long. They are too old to sell now so I will try retirement quarters.  I usually try to sell our older does whilst they are still a good buy for someone else, but I could not bear to part with these goats at a sensible time.

There is more variety of food in the vegetable garden now. We have eaten most of the bok choi, but we have several sorts of cabbage, multi coloured silver beet, lettuce, mizuna, Kale and swede.  I have planted out some tomatoes in plastic covers and some zucchini that I cover on cold nights.  I am hoping for an early crop.  The first snow peas I put in are starting to climb up their sticks and the raspberries are growing leaves.  I have dug up the strawberries (those that survived an animal attack) and replanted them in refreshed soil. There is still plenty of work to be done.

Goat kid feeding has now got easier as they are all trained to use the feeder.  The older goats are taking enough milk that we have been able to feed them just twice a day and keep them growing well.  I have just advertised the males for sale and am hoping to reduce the numbers we are caring for as soon as possible. Then I can sell some of the larger goats to make way for the goatlings who will be entering the herd this year.

On Sunday it was sustainable house day.  It was a cold wet day and muddy under foot, so I was very glad we had decided not to open our home this year. Instead we. Were able to look at other people’s places. We visited a house in Toolangi that was very high tec.  The owner showed us his water and electric systems He had built special rooms and sheds to house walls of technology, all beautifully laid out. It terrified me!  I would not have the slightest clue how to manage such a complex system.  Luckily the owner was a tradesman with the right skills.

We met Al and Pe in Healesville and went with him to a co-housing project he designed. The houses on view were still being built so all the insulation and stuff could still be seen. Both properties we went to were surrounded by muddy drives and paths and all the visitors were only making things worse. I was most relieved that for once this was someone else’s problem.

Kids everywhere

8.8.2019

Goat kids have dominated our life recently.   We now have about 16.  I am not sure if Ziggie is going to kid or not.   She is the only goat still due and unless we got her mating date wrong it is well past her expected kidding date.  Luckily most of the kids are now feeding well on the feeder and some are already only having three feeds each day.   Life will get much simpler when they are all settled into a do-able routine.

We have had some warm spring days and luckily, we found time to prune the fruit trees. They are now covered in blossom and the leaves on the oak trees are breaking bud too.  We could still get a late frost but that is becoming less likely as the days pass.  If this continues, we will have a mulberry crop and the potatoes will have kept growing all winter!

Our Camelia is covered in deep pink flowers.   I always think of my father when I see this.  I remember him getting really excited about a camelia he planted by our family home at Broomfield.  He loved gardening, but mostly he paid someone else to do the work and just stuck to planning.  I really wanted an English style garden around our old house, and it took me ages to work out that without a paid gardener it would be too much work.

Wayne brought Ella up to the farm last week to see the baby animals. She is still a bit warry of them, but she did pat a few of the kids whilst they were feeding.  I showed Ella how she could draw in the wet mud with a stick and she immediately wrote her own name everywhere she found enough mud. How fast she is growing up!  Danni send regular picture of their new daughter who looks like a cute cabbage patch doll!

We have not seen Al’s youngest this week because he has spent the week with his other grandparents. Pip has terrible morning sickness and has not been well enough to look after herself let alone anyone else.  She has been put on a drip in hospital when she gets too dehydrated, but there is not much anyone can do at this stage. We are all really worried about the stress this has put on her and on their whole family.  Pip’s mother was a nurse so at least she can be well looked after when she stays with her parents, which is reassuring.

Today is a wet. miserable Sunday.  Edd and I miss Bo’s restaurant. We always retreated there on difficult days and enjoyed time with family and friends.   Bo is now just as busy establishing her music therapy business but sadly we do not see her so much.  She came over last Sunday for Father’s Day and cooked us all a delicious breakfast, so we should not complain.

Morden spends all his time doing mechanics. He has brought several cars that he is doing up and is going to college to start getting qualifications.  It is wonderful to see a young person so happy and motivated.  There is no garage or at home for him to work in, so he parks on the drive outside his front door. This makes getting into the house a bit of an obstacle course, but we are all putting up with it.