life under lockdown

4.9.2020

At last the sun has returned and the world looks lovely.  I sat on the roof whilst the dogs ran around and enjoyed the view down the valley.  The two poplar trees are just starting to turn gold. I am so glad they have survived the drought, fires and changes of ownership.  Bambi was in season today and was very co-operative when I had to lead her to the buck’s pen. We have moved Barak into the yards now because when he lived next to the ram. Rombald kept bashing into the fence between them and shorting out all the electric fences.  So much for my thought that they might become friends!

Bambi is the last of the goats that we want pregnant and she came in season today, so five months from now kidding for 2020 will be about ended.  Edd was not here to help move Bambi because he has gone up to Ballarat to pick up a ton of oats, and straw for the winter bedding, but she was very co-operative.  We are pretty sure that this is OK under our lock down rules.  It is getting essential supplies as well as being work related.  I am very much missing having our usual camps and visits. In fact, I miss the part of my day that I had contact with the broader community. There seems more point in doing the work when it is for other people. 

The last week has been wet and wintery.  There is no one delivering concrete, so the car port never got built and the land is eroding fast.  All Edd and Steve’s carefully placed hurdles have been knocked down by falling earth. It is very disheartening.  When it was too wet to work outside, I have been concentrating on cheese and soap making. I think I have about a year’s supply now. 

The summer vegetables are over except for tomatoes.  We have eaten the last egg plants and beans are few and far between.  The pumpkin leaves have started to die so we will have to harvest them next. We still have an occasional zucchini, but lettuce is the most abundant vegetable now.  We get a few snow peas and there is always silver beat and parsley, so all is not lost.  Edd has planted seeds for winter vegetables but they are not ready to go out yet. 

The most annoying thing is that the sheep market at Packenham has closed.   We had hoped that the spare lambs would have been sold in the first week of April, but this could not happen.  Luckily, we still have a lot of grass but the brewery is not selling so much beer now venues have closed and so there is less brewers grain left over for us to use.