happy xmas

25.12.2012

Last night the family gathered here for our traditional feast. This year Pia’s brother, Jonathan and his partner joined us, which was fantastic, and even  Stevo, our building mentor, conquered his car problems to get here in time. The last people to arrive were Simon, and his parents, who put up a surprise, new trampoline for the kids whilst Bo had them here. Al, Pia and Josh (he flew home from Perth the night before) helped us set up tables and chairs in our dining hall in the morning and Bo and I cooked all day, though I think Bo did fit in work at the restaurant as well!

Anyway, all the effort was worth it because we had a wonderful party. Lots of good food, lots of laughs, and after the meal and the presents everyone got out musical instruments and sang songs. The weather was very helpful and the huge heat of last week disappeared to leave a perfect temperature. Our house had actually coped with the weeks heat very well and stayed about 23 degrees, but we opened everything up for the party and had the stove on cooking turkeys all day, so the cool change was perfect.

John had fitted us in earlier in the week and sorted out the area outside the house so that we now have a new drive, better turning circle, and rocks in the moat. It is now more like a dry creek bed, which is the look I wanted. I really had the best day when he was working. Edd did all the farm work for me and I just directed John as to where the rocks were to be placed. We recycled the volcanic rocks from the front of the old house and then surrounded them with river pebbles.

Everyone keeps trying to get me to add all sorts of plants but I have quite enough gardening to do already. My idea is that I could just let the sheep graze around the house if I do not feel like mowing. I have a fabulous jungle inside the house and a great set up at the ruins for vegetables and flowers so I just do not want anything extra to worry about. At least that is how I feel now, but I am pretty addicted to buying plants, so no bets.

14.12.2012

We have had another hot week and the grass is turning gold as it dies back. I have really enjoyed eating fresh juicy loquats every day and I have challenged the parrots have got the remaining few. We have eaten our first tomato and have lettuce and snow peas almost every day. We even have broad beans because they were planted late. The first zucchinis are on the plants and the capsicums and eggplants have small fruit that grows larger by the day. It is a season of plenty.

The goats are producing lots of milk and I am making cheese on several days a week. Today I am working on the first of the hard cheeses and I already have a fridge full of feta and cream cheese in store for Xmas.  The fox killed more than half the chooks but the remaining few lay enough eggs to cover all our needs. If I was any use with a gun we would eat lots of rabbit, they are getting really cheeky.

Arden stayed here last night and this morning he attacked the thistles with the ride on mower. India also turned up for lunch and then they both rode the horses until they were tired out. They have finished school for the year now and are working in Bo’s restaurant in the evenings to help their financial situation. India starts her new job after Xmas and needs to buy some supplies to take with her. Arden has an amazing new phone, which I suppose also needs funding. He has another two years at school and has surprised us by coming top in maths.

Edd and I had two days out this week; we went west to pick up a ton of oats and east to get geo-fabric for outside our new house and bits for the tractor. We also went a bit further to Phillip Island and had fish and chips at San Remo. The scorching hot day had cooled but we did manage a walk along the beach before the rain came down. I was pleased about the rain because the garden had got very dry and it has saved me doing several hours watering already.

Today a huge truck delivered pebbles for the moat around the house. John is helping us landscape between us and the dam. It will be a low care rock garden but that should stop the wind whipping up the dust onto the windows and hide a lot of mud. We are also putting in the turning circle at the end of the drive. It was sort of there because we dumped a pile of chippings on it when they came to film the last grand designs show but only the bit right next to the house was done and the rest was mud or dust according to the weather.