Holidays are Over

Back to work today after a scorching few days. I spent Saturday in Twba with Meg, sitting in her aircon and catching up on my 2013 365 (and having thai beef penang for lunch). I had thought twice about doing a 365 for 2014 (my fourth) but I do enjoy the creativity of it so will keep going.

Yesterday G and I put 3t of water (3 trips) into the new tank in the top paddock to stop it blowing away in a big storm (predicted for the next few days) until he finds time to plumb it in and fills it.

There was a heavy smoke haze towards the Bunyas. I watched it from up the ladder whilst holding the fire fighting unit hose in the tank hole.



Farm Dog No 1 watched encouragingly from the back of the car. Farm Dog No 2 laid on the back seat. It's hot for dogs too.

J came and did some welding. I record these things for future reference.

The mesh on the gate is now permanent. The wire and baling twine have gone.

The frame for the sheep trough is in place, welded and cemented, awaiting it's cover.

The yards are almost secure again; a few minor adjustments and all will be finished.

I think I've mulched and covered these guys with shade cloth a little too late - I've got fried green tomato plants from Saturday's heat.

The pond and her plants love having the sprinkler on low - the water hits the hessian bags and falls gently over everything.

We laid one roll of black weed mat over some of the permaculture pathways. After a few days in the hot sun I'll cover it with a thick layer of bark chip.

We also did a little plumbing at the new house tank to create a first flush overflow.

A Taste of Life in Geneva

It's still cold but the sun is out in Geneva!

Zombie monsters, talismans.

Lounge through to kitchen.

Some Folk Think

Some folk think I don't have a sense of humour. I find some things mildly amusing and I might raise a smile but it's true that I don't often laugh out loud - it takes a lot to amuse me - and this amuses me. Cracked me up. It's entirely possible that this will happen at our place one day; it's just how we roll.

We've got the makings for it.......

Meanwhile, here in Geneva

It's still raining and rather cold. Drew has been out for a stroll around the lake, been grocery shopping and found the UN.

Babysitting

This is what you babysit when you're an empty nester with no little people in the family (I'm totally cool with having no little people for quite a while yet, thank you).

We've got them for a week; the cat is not particularly impressed and as long as Coco still gets fed, she's ok with them. Poofy just wants to play.

One of these doesn't have a home. I think it's owner thinks I might fall in love and want to keep it. Whilst they're really cute my next dog won't be a Jack; it will be a totally frivolous white fluffy little thing that will make a terrible farm dog and get lots of prickles in her coat - but will be totally adorable and will be able to wear a pink (or red) ribbon in her hair.

The Last Few Days

We're on the countdown to the end of our holidays. We start back at work on Monday; G flies south for a few days to inspect agistment and feedlot cattle and I will head to the office to begin paper and cattle shuffling for the 2014 year.

This is the very big block of cement on the bottom of the pole from the yards. It's gone to the dump.

This is what I'm enjoying reading. I really need to get out and ride my bike more. This year's Cycle Qld goes from Agnes Waters to the Sunshine Coast. I plan on pedalling in my third CQ.

We heavily mulched the Spartans. Actually, we've heavily mulched every tree we've planted.

Tomatoes in Permaculture 1.

Someone was late for breakfast.

The flock spends the morning resting in the shade of the trees near the water trough. In the afternoon they head down to the other end of the paddock.

I planted a passionfruit vine at my silkie pen. I wanted to plant a choko vine over the pen next door but they're not in season until March.

I planted the 7 dark purple agapanthus in the tree line between the bottle trees and kurrajongs. They're small now but will look great once they get a bit of size about them and begin to multiply.

My Xmas bird feeder.

My Xmas cart. It's a great little vehicle and I've used it a lot already.

New Year Fun

It wasn't all work today. There was some fun, some cooking and some travel.

A quick kiss of encouragement.

You can't really see it but Coco is kicking up dust, chasing a wallaby across the laneway. It wasn't long after I took this photo that I saw the cows and calves running toward me.

Meg had a fairly quiet night and spent all afternoon in the kitchen in Twba, cooking up meals - butter chicken, pasta bake with sausage, teriyaki beef with couse cous and mashed pumpkin, carrot and broccoli. Then she laid in the spa bath, reading. Hmpf.

Drew watched the New Year click over in the Abu Dhabi airport. After 28 hours of travelling he is in his apartment in Geneva. This is the view from his balcony - Lake Geneva in the background. It's freezing. He was heading off to have a look at the Lake and find a little cafe to have something to eat. He landed, got through customs, caught the bus and tram to the apartment all in an hour - then took nearly two hours to get inside. No-one was up (7.30am New Years Day) and he had to borrow a stranger's phone to Facebook the girl who was supposed to meet him with the key.

It's a New Year

and some things never change. I went fencing this morning. Now that Drew has gone I've resumed my position as the resident apprentice/labourer/gofer. If you need a tie wire girl, I'm her. I'll also offer you advice as to whether your posts are straight or not. It's entirely up to you whether you choose to take my advice. Ahem.

I managed to get most of the bulbs planted over the last few days, some around the wisteria and a bunch in a line in the big garden, just in front of 9 agapanthus from the old house. I gave Mum 50 bulbs to take home.

I took a walk up the back late this afternoon and met the cows galloping down the laneway towards me. They'd discovered the open gate near the tank (where the fencing is happening) and thought they'd make their bid for freedom. Not sure what I would have done if I'd been at the house and seen 50 cows and calves running past. While I'm offering you advice on whether your posts are straight or not, I can also give you some advice on closing gates. My advice is free. I don't charge for it. Although sometimes I think I should. Like when I suggested that we should put water down the hole where the cemented-in post at the yards wouldn't budge. The kind neighbour who brought his tractor over this morning said to do that before he got there. The post is now out of the ground. So is the enormous chunk of concrete that it was attached too. You can thank me later.

We had a beautiful pink sky to end the day.

Hopefully the new fence will be completely finished tomorrow and we'll have the extra paddock for rotation.