Thursday, March 31, 2011

Five Weeks Is A Bit Too Long

As I stand at my kitchen window and look out on another beautiful Autumn day here in Tasmania I watch a perfect jet stream in the bluest of skies. I’m wondering what the view is like this morning from the windows of this jet that’s sweeping above the best place in Australia to live.  I’m feeling a bit dreamy and poetic this morning.  I still can’t believe I live here and I’m not just on holiday like so many that pass by our farm with mainland number plates.

Hubby has been away for the last five weeks sweating it out in North Queensland. Every night when he rings he complains about the heat and humidity and wishes he was back home here enjoying the balmy weather. I know what he means I was glad to wave goodbye to the heat and humidity of North Queensland when we moved down here. I don’t miss it one bit.

Why we live where we live.
 I have been busy looking after our Menagerie while John is away.  I think he’ll see a real difference in how much they have grown in the time he’s been gone. The Pigs are getting longer and fatter. They still make me laugh with their antics they are funny to watch. The Chooks are bigger and have almost got their full combs. Barack the Rooster (no I didn’t name him after Barack Obama it’s because of the noise he makes) is a very big boy now with his very proud tail and comb. He is the quietest Rooster I have ever seen; normally I’m very wary of Roosters. I am still waiting for the Hens to lay.  Might have to stand the axe next to the door to give them some encouragement.  The Geese love their free-range life the Goslings have grown up and it’s hard to tell them apart now. Geese must be the messiest birds ever. I’ve never seen anything poo so much I really don’t enjoy cleaning out the Geese pen. It’s always the wettest and messiest pen. I think I’ll let John have that job when he gets back. The Chook pen is always dry and is easy to sweep out. As for the Pigs well they never poo in their pen. All in all the animals are enjoying their free- range lifestyle on our farm. I enjoy watching them do what I wish all animals could do and that’s wander around in the paddocks without a care in the world.

When John gets back we will have to get very serious about adding to our stock numbers. Oh well at least our paddocks are getting a good spell and regenerating the soil with all that nice growth of grass and pasture. I think the locals have been wondering why we have so much feed growing everywhere and why didn’t we cut and bail it when everyone else did. The land will thank us for not doing so in the long run. John comes back in a few days. Will be nice to talk to another human again. There’s only so much you can say to the Dogs, Pigs, Chooks and Geese. One way conversations are a bit boring. Yes five weeks is a bit too long when you've been used to the love of your life beside you sharing the ups and downs of life for the last 30 years.
Michelle

 Another beautiful view.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Autumn Is Here

A Frosty Morning

Ripening Nectarines
Well Autumn is here again and the days are slowly getting shorter. Plants in my flower garden are slowing down for the Winter. Soon the leaves will be putting on their beautiful Autumn foliage show. We were only 5 days into Autumn when I woke up to a big frost last week. The paddocks were white and beautiful in the early morning light. The day before we had a blast of Arctic Southerly wind. That night I thought no we won’t have a frost tonight so there’s no need to cover anything. But I was wrong. We didn’t loose much thank goodness only my Dahlias in the flower garden and the Fig Tree got hit a bit and so did the pumpkins and corn. All in all not too bad.

On the plus side the Apples are looking beautiful with their shiny new redness. The Pears are getting bigger and the Nectarines are now ripening nicely and they taste good too. There are a few of each on the ground of a morning as the Possums have a bit of a feed during the night. I don’t mind, as I love the wildlife coming into the garden.  From now on it will get cooler and cooler as we roll into Winter. Thank goodness we have our new wood stove on the way to us from the UK. Can’t wait to set that up and start cooking on it. It will keep us warm as well as provide us with hot water. This will be our first Tassie Winter here on the farm it will be interesting to see how we go.
Michelle
Rosey Red Apples
Yummy Pears