14.3.2010
Big steps forward this week! Great drama too, as all manner of big gear arrived to pour the new concrete tank. It is cheaper and easier to buy polythene tanks that arrive all set up on a truck but the water quality does not compare with the stuff you drink from a concrete tank.

Various family members turned up for the bank holiday working B. The old concrete mixer that Edd repaired after the fires was put back to work and together we rendered the first layer onto the dairy building. In effect we are making a building of ferro cement. It was a lot easier than we thought it might be and with so many workers it progressed rapidly. It looks much better with the blue paper covered up.

We all stopped work at midday and set up a long table for a shared meal in the milking area of the dairy. This room doubles as a classroom and dining room when we need extra space. We cooked meat on the BBQ and ate fruit and salads with various breads. Bo had made an orange cake for desert and I had sliced up watermelon so no one went hungry.

Al’s kids had arrived on a bus the day before and spent an interesting night in Josh’s donga. It rained and they woke up to find their beds stood in an inch of water. Whilst we worked next day all the kids got together and made a mud slide into the big dam. Experiments with this took up most of the day and when it started to rain in the afternoon they washed the mud off under the gutter spouts. It seems such a good thing to see all the cousins playing together and getting pleasantly dirty.

Tuesday we were back to building again. This time the big metal that makes the doorframes for the hay shed had to be set in place. On Wednesday we had the first of the class groups from the High school. I was surprised at how polite and well behaved all the kids were. They even helped us move the cows back to the gravel pit paddock. (We hope the fence is fixed enough to keep them in there this time.)

Ben came back on Thursday with a mate. They spent the night in Josh’s donga (I had mopped up all the water). They wanted an early start on the tank in the morning. The concrete and concrete pump had been ordered for midday so everything had to be ready by then. Luckily the weather did exactly what was predicted and we had a dry, cool, day to do the pouring. We will have to wait for the concrete to cure before we see the results.

Friday was also the last day for the builders on this latest stint of work. Johno has a sore back and Edd and I are getting worried because other jobs have had to be put off. I think we all need a change. Now Edd and I have a few days of relative peace before the school kids are back on Wednesday and Josh arrives home from Perth. Josh has completed his first weeks of training and been tested in a placement to make sure he has taken it in. Now he has to do several weeks work experience and write up assignments. I am looking forward top having him home. I might be able to persuade him to help me build wicking worm beds in the big polyhouse for winter crops.