weathering storms

 1.4.2024

 

We have rain!  Our trees and crops have survived this long dry hot period. I have had to carry water to some trees and carefully look after everything alive but being outside in this weather has been enjoyable so no complaints.

 

We also seem to be surviving another storm.  The rules for micro- breweries have changed plus they are under attack from multi- national companies that buy a few out, make false craft beer and price the genuine small breweries out of the market.  Breweries are closing down at the rate of several a week and Simon and Bo are feeling the pinch.

 

A week ago, Bo was afraid that they might be in big trouble financially.   At one stage we thought all her family would be moving in with us but a bit more analysis and a few strategic changes have put this drama on hold.  Even so it has been a bit of a wake-up call and Edd and I have started working on a project to increase our liveable space here on the farm.

 

Before all this starts, I am doing my ‘coming in for winter’ house blitzing.   I have trimmed back the plants in the solar buffer zone and am now working on the floors out there.  I still need about 2 hours a day to do the garden work. Today I pulled out the remaining sweet corn plants and dug over the bed they were in. I have already moved all the beans and most of the zucchinis as we need space for winter crops.

 

The new chooks have not started to lay yet so it has been good having all the excess crops for the market. My freezer is almost full to capacity. The milk volume has dropped and the goats are coming into season so I am not making as much cheese as usual.  We did not mate any goats last year so we are relying on the ones who milk for several years to keep us going over winter.

Cousins in the pool at Easter

 

Easter

 31.3.2024

 

Today we had an easter family gathering in the huge mud brick house Indi is renting. Everyone came bearing plates of food and we all sat out on the terrace eating and drinking.  After lunch the young kids all played in the pool and had great fun.  I think they enjoyed that more than the chocolate eggs!

 

We have had a long period of sunny dry weather with cool nights but no rain at all.  The chestnut trees are suffering and have dropped all their nuts before they had time to ripen. I spend at least an hour every morning watering but we have been well rewarded with bumper crop.

 

 

 

22.3.2024

 

At last, the dreaded braces are off my teeth and I can talk without pain.  The tooth I knocked out of place seems to be staying in the right places and not wobbling. Where I broke off a bit in my jaw is still sore but all in all I feel a lot more comfortable.  The arm I broke is still week but I do a couple of hours work in the garden which is slowly building back strength.

 

Our harvest of fruit and vegetables is still on and this week I am sending ruby grapefruit, figs, nashi pears and tomatoes to market. We are eating lots of sweetcorn but the beans and zucchinis are about over. The snow peas are climbing higher daily, and there are silver beat seedlings. I have potted up winter brassicas, but they are in trays under netting until the cabbage white butterflies clear off.

 

Last Saturday we went to the Healesville organic market for the 20^th birthday event. It seems strange to think we have been selling our produce there every week for all that time.  

change of season

 10.3.2024

 

The rainbows on the house floor cast by the louve windows are back signalling the change of season.  It is a very odd change because we have finally got some summer weather. We are having day after day with high 30C temperatures and in some places in Victoria it has got into the 40’s.  Edd and I have retreated indoors where it gets no higher than 25C. 

 

The grass has now burnt dry and I am doing a lot of watering to keep plants and trees alive. The fig tree was very distressed but has started to 10.3.2024

 

The rainbows on the house floor cast by the louve windows are back signalling the change of season.  It is a very odd change because we have finally got some summer weather. We are having day after day with high 30C temperatures and in some places in Victoria it has got into the 40’s.  Edd and I have retreated indoors where it gets no higher than 25C. 

 

The grass has now burnt dry and I am doing a lot of watering to keep plants and trees alive. The fig tree was very distressed but has started to ripen the fruit after daily watering. The grapefruit and oranges need using too. I plan to make marmalade but not until it cools a bit.  Today I have processed another batch of tomatoes for the freezer.  There is not much room left in there, even though the freezer is huge.

 

We were due to go out for lunch with friends yesterday but it was a day of extreme fire danger and they live on the far side of the forest so we cancelled and played safe. We are a bit worried about Al and family who have gone to a fringe festival in Adelaide where they camp for the weekend and it is even hotter than it is here, Baby B is almost a year old now but that is still too young to tell anyone if she gets too stressed so we just hope they all use common sense.

 

Bo has organised a family party for her mother-in-law tonight. It is her birthday so we will have one social function this week. Yesterday I took food to our tiny Steels Creek market and met all the locals. We are all busy harvesting food but different crops have failed for different people so I was even able to give away some zucchinis! Their leaves have started to develop mildew, which is the first sign that their season is ending.  The beans too are slowing down but the snow peas I planted are starting to climb up their trellis.

 

One of the ladies at the market has spent years living in America and really misses her life there. She is pro-Trump and sees Biden as being controlled by Obama. I did not quite get down to the reason why Obama is enemy one. None of this is reflected in our media here and we are all dreading the election in case Trump gets back in, so it was really interesting to talk to someone who thinks differently. She also says that everyone in America has to have perfect teeth so she had braces when she was 60 for 8 years to get her look right.

 

Most of us farm folk where a but astounded by this information. Our looks are not a big consideration on a day to day basis though the goats do sometimes get upset if I am dressed very differently to normal.