Difficult conditions

 3.29.2025

 

Yesterday we had a 30-degree day, winds and our valley full of smoke from burns lit to reduce the fuel load. There is quite a lot of evidence that it does not do much to help and the burns sometimes get out of control and become the problem they were designed to solve!  It makes for an uneasy day and the stink of creosote is awful.  Luckily, we have had heavy rains over night and everything is now less worrying.    The sky is grey and mist hides the hills but we are just getting the tail end of what has fallen in QLD where about a third of the state is flooded! 

 

Edd has gone off to the birthday event at the Organic market. This week we are selling figs and cucumbers as well as eggs. Our chooks are laying less now the season has changed so yesterday Edd and I cleaned out the drive way chook shed so that we can put last years layers in with the older birds and prepare the oak tree chook pen for new point of lays. That should keep us in egg production over winter. Eggs and chooks are in short supply due to bird flu, so we need to get organised.

 

Ti has nearly finished moving his stuff out of the donga and into the place we have built. I am hoping not too much needs to be repaired. Indi is thinking about moving in if she can not find anywhere else better.  Ollie has moved back into the family home with Bo but Bo’s eldest son is trying to buy a house and land package with his partner. It is pretty hard for anyone to make this jump now.

 

Josh has been working at Avalon airport setting up electrics for the air show. Yesterday a small plane crashed just in front of the spectators. Amazingly the pilot survived but he is described as being in critical condition. I wonder if Josh saw this happen. He takes his swag and camps with the other workers when he works so far from home so and he often works through weekends so we have not spoken to him yet.

A beautiful autumn

 3.23.2025

 

Autumn is behaving in a very normal way. Today the weather is glorious. When the sun came up after a cold night the air was crisp and clean. It is just the right temperature to enjoy getting the outdoor work done. This week Edd has slashed the old hay paddock and begun mending tyres on things like the mower trailer and cement mixer.  

 

The nets I have put in the vegetable garden seem to be obstructing pest ravages and we have a good crop of silver beet seedling sprouting. I think even the lettuce might be coming up and the capsicums and egg plants are in full swing. I am wondering if there is time left to grow snow peas.  We have a good crop of pumpkins of various types but the beans are nowhere near up to our usual standard.

 

Easter is at the end of April this year and the family is starting to plan an equinox and birthday party.  Lots of Al’s kids were born in this month. Most are now of an age for parties of friends so we just do one party for family and gift giving. Al invited us for the kids at home parties but he lives too far away for this to be a practical option.

 

Bo has had a hard week with her mother-in-law in hospital and her father-in-law not really able to cope on his own. Things are not looking good for them but they do live in a retirement village where they can get help and entertainment. Some of these places are pretty money grabbing but they place where they are seems OK, so we hope they can get all the help they need.

 

Edd and I would hate to be in that sort of place.   It is so good here with clear views to the horizon and surrounded by the beauty of nature.  

At last rain solves one problem

 16.3.2025

 

We have cool weather for the first time in ages. Yesterday we got rain, lots of rain.     It was totally the wrong day as we hosted a permaculture open day but with the dams and tanks emptying fast any rain was good rain, and no one was complaining.

 

Luckily, we had planned a house tour and shared lunch with cheese tasting. This all took up most of the time and was fun. Everyone brought great food to share and it was all like a fun party. We did a lightening farm tour dashing between sheltered areas as the rain poured down. At least the goats were all in the shed owing to their hate of rain. They were easily seen and even the sheep were in their shelter shed and came out to see us in case we had food for them.

It was probably a good thing no one wanted to look too hard at the gardens. Wildlife has been using our place as an emergency feeding station. To save anything I have been forced to use nets, The ground everywhere is covered in kangaroo and wombat droppings and every blade of grass has been eaten. Each morning there is more devastation. If this continues radical solutions will be needed.

 

Last week was busy. The shearer came and we shore and drenched all the sheep. It was hard with the temperature in the high thirties but at least Andrew could work in the shade of the sheep shed. Edd and I did a big clean up as the building work was over and Indi did a great job working in the gardens

 

Today feels odd. The gardens do not need watering, the house is clean and outside we have got a lot of the problems back under control. It is the first day for ages that I am not under pressure to do anything and to tell the truth I am not sure I like it! It does not feel normal but what does. Today we hear that all the attempts to slow climate change have been abandoned by the US. If the climate scientists are right, we are heading fast into chaos.  I tend to believe what science says rather more than the USA leaders.