Rain at last and new lambs

 17.5.2025

 

It has rained slowly all day. I should be thrilled, but after weeks of dry sunny days it all seems so dreadfully dreary.  The drought conditions have spread across Victoria, and the water in our tanks was going down, but hey, the weather we were having with perfect day following perfect day was so enjoyable.  I decided to just enjoy it.

 

Edd and I drove up into the Dandenong’s to Cloud Hill Garden and nursery where I allowed myself to be tempted by several desirable plants. We also ate in their café, which was great. It made a really nice change from farm work. 

 

Back home we now have two lambs.  It is earlier than we expected. There is very little feed left in the paddocks and we are feeding out barley from the brewery, so we get a chance to check the sheep twice a day. The wild life is also short of food. Now the evenings are darker the roads are lethal. Indi has done serious damage to the front of her car and last night Edd hit a deer with my car, which I am not too pleased about. I have a smashed windscreen and headlight but Ti has had to order a whole new front panel for Indie’s car.

 

The warm days helped the winter vegetables get a good start Lots of lettuce and silver beet has sprouted and the brassicas and Boc choi seedlings I planted are doing well. Tonight, I am cooking our first pumpkin for the season, and the last of the capsicums. I enjoy eating seasonally and I wonder if it is natures plan so that if there are adverse effects from any particular vegetable the body has time to recover before it is in season again.

 

Ti and family are spending the weekend house sitting for Indi who has gone to Qld for a family wedding. I miss having the little ones around. They are such beautiful children and it is a real pleasure to hear them enjoying the space of farm living.

Summer ends

 5.4.2025

 

Merlin, the new buck, is now happily living in a small croft with two does. Josh helped us catch him and hold him while Edd trimmed his hooves, drenched him and put on his new collar. He was terrified, so we don’t think he had been handled much and we think he was bullied by the other young bucks he was penned with. He has relaxed now and comes up twice a day for feed without fear. Hopefully we will have both does pregnant soon.

 

Things changed fast. Before Easter we had days around 30 C. but now with the hour changed, we have dark evenings and the temperature drops from mid-twenties to almost freezing!  I have started to light the wood stove every evening to heat the water a and radiators. With the cooler weather seedlings of lettuce and silver beat have sprouted and the pumpkins are nearly ready to harvest. Kangaroos are everywhere. One collided with a motor bike near us.

 

Bo has an exhibition of her art work at DB winery but we have not been to look at it yet. I have even started to do art again myself now that we are no longer tied up building. All the family came here for an easter party. The weather was fabulous so all the young kids could play outside. I had hidden glass beads in the house site and then let the parents’ bargain with their own kids to exchange beads for eggs.  This way all the families could control their own kids’ chocolate intake and I could relax.  I had cooked a mega pie and everyone brought food so we had a real feast. The kids love riding their bikes flat out from the shed down to the house because the slope gets them going so fast. Thank goodness no-one crashed this time.

 

Today we are very relaxed because the liberals have been soundly defeated in our federal election. I was terrified people might vote for an American style future. Obviously, lots of others felt the same way. I think the younger voters make a difference.