Spring jobs

 20.9.2024

 

I have found some interesting stuff on line.  It is all about helping people deal with the increasing number of climate disasters.   As our government insists on more gas production and less renewable technology, I suppose all we can do is prepare ourselves as well as possible. We are probably better prepared than most people as we were lucky enough to be hit by the first big disaster and got lots of support so that we could rebuild better.

 

Growing food has got harder this year.  In SA crops were devastated by late frosts and with us the cabbages and swedes have just bolted before they became edible. I have done better with mass seedings of rocket and mizuna that we harvest at a very small stage for salads. This has kept up our greens supply until finally the silver beet finally started to grow. We have had lots of cauliflowers, but it is not a vegetable I could eat every day, so I froze some.

 

Little David, our new great Grandson is also growing as are the lambs and goat kids. The crab apple tree is covered with pink blossom and the paulownia trees are draped with cascades of violet flowers.  Some days are warm and sunny but then the temperature swings back to winter and I put my woollen vests and a beanie back on.

 

Josh and Stevo are busy building. Edd’s shed now has four walls and windows.  The big one in the front went in today and revealed a magnificent view down the valley. On Wednesday it was a warm dry day so Edd went off to fetch more oats and straw. He tries to pick good weather to make this trip so that it is not necessary to tarp the load. I have been working on the accounts, which is dull but I always feel better when it is done. I have started clearing the paths of weeds too.  I am rather slow but I try to do a square meter every day.  Again, the best bit is when the work finishes.

an eventful week

 7.9.2024

 

We have had an interesting week. On Tuesday the local council held a meeting to demonstrate a “game” they have got as a tool to get people talking about climate change and make people aware what the council is doing. Edd, GG and I were among the 9 individuals who actually participated.  Not a high turnout but probably enough for the presenters to cope with.

 

Reassuringly the council is doing something. They are setting up climate emergency hubs, planting urban shade trees and trying to move to an Aboriginal method of fuel load reduction to reduce fire intensity. They are also trying to support the introduction of solar roof systems and batteries.   As one lady in our group pointed out she is in rental accommodation and grants for solar installations are no help to her.  The saddest thing was our presenter, (a young lady around 30) said that she felt it was wrong for her to bring children into a world facing chaos and she could not even dream of affording a house or moving out from her parents.  Many young people her age are of the same mind set with little sense of hope. 

 

Light relief came to the evening when a recorded voice announced that we should leave the building quickly. I thought it was part of the show but when we did all move downstairs towards the exit door, we discovered that other groups were also moving out.  Next a fire engine arrived.  I asked some ladies from an Aboriginal dance group if they knew what was happening. They just laughed and told me that they were using a smoke making machine for their performance and it had set off the fire alarm!

 

On Thursday we had a school group come to look at features in a sustainable house. They were polite but did not engage in any communication. Some took photos on their phones. I got the impression that face-to-face talking is not a thing nowadays.

 

Spring has Sprung

 2.9.2024

 

It is cold again but the last few weeks have been dry and warm. The mud has gone and the trees are in full bloom. Even the oak trees have burst bud and the vegetables have started growing again. We have eaten all the broccoli, but the cauliflowers are now ready and I have snow pea seedlings and zucchini planted.  The goats have now kidded and we have three kids who now trained to drink from a feeder. We have seven lambs who are in the sheep shed with their mothers to protect them from foxes.

 

Mar and baby David are both doing well. Last week Indi went to Darwin as part of her uni course and we had her old dog, Rosa to stay for the week. This went better than expected. Rosa got on well with our dog, Sass, and slept in the kennel where she could get out into the garden if she needed to pee. (Being old she can get caught short at home.) We have a good large fenced area so both dogs could get plenty of exercise too. I think Rosa looked fitter by the end of her stay.

 

Yesterday we were visited by Inshalla and extended family who brought up all the little children to see the kids and lambs. They all arrive in two cars in full Muslim dress, but this time they had footwear suitable for farms. They brought us special Pakistani cakes, which are unusual, but rather delicious.  The older women gathered citrus fruit off the trees with great relish. All the lower mandarins have been eaten by Ti’s children but there are plenty for taller people. 

 

I am not sure if we will get loquats this year. The frosts came at a bad time just as the flowers were opening, which does not bode well. It has been a very odd year for weather and difficult to plan what to plant when. It looks as if all the purple cabbages have bolted too. At least the silver beet is now improving.