2013 ends

January 2 2014

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Today Edd took Wayne to the airport to catch his flight to the UK. He is off to meet the siblings he has never known. We knew when we adopted Wayne that he had four half siblings but we thought they were all adopted out as far as we knew. This was basically correct except that the eldest sister was rejected from her adopted home and the youngest I am not sure about. By the wonders of the internet they have all made contact and now Wayne is off to meet them in person. He is not allowing himself to get his hopes up too much in case it does not work out, but really he is very excited. Edd and I were not sure that he would really go until he set off! I half expected him to get cold feet.

Wayne has been very careful not to upset our feelings but actually all we feel is joy for him. We are also happy for JJ who is deeply in love with the girl who he met at an Audiological conference in Perth. The two of them have stayed with us for several weeks now and have survived living together. Next week JJ returns to WA and R heads back to Qld to do her PhD. JJ is trying to find work in the East so that they do not have to live so many thousands of miles apart.

This means that after months of having guests staying Edd and I will be alone again. We have a lot of work to do so this will probably be a good thing. The sheep are shorn and I am in the middle of the cheese making season. This year I am experimenting with an Italian style starter. I am really confident at making feta and cream cheese but the hard cheeses are hit and miss. The trouble is that they take so long to mature that it is difficult to assess the feed back from tasting and know what works. I suppose I should keep good notes.

It is a strange year. We have had so many cloudy days and the grass is still green. NT and Qld have heat waves but it was icy here this morning. Some how the weather is ominous and rather threatening. The UK and US are having terrible storms. A is there now looking after my mum whilst my sister is on holiday but P should be almost home. She says she might come over tomorrow. She needs to collect the dog from Bo.

I am still worried about Fukishima where the situation is getting worse by the day. The pollution that some people are talking about in the pacific ocean seems to horrific to contemplate. Will we have to stop eating all seafood? With the obvious climate changes and the pollution from radiation and oil spills humanity looks to be set on a course of self -destruction. Not a happy situation at all.

End of an Era

October 8 2013-10-08

This is the final chapter in my family story that covers the years after the 2009 bush fires. It is time to talk about the point we are now at and then move on. Edd and I are very happy with our new cave style home. It stays a very constant temperature and is small enough to be cosy and has spaces large enough for big parties. Edd is now making the internal doors from thick recycled Oregon. I have made the front hall into a workroom and am sewing the massive curtains for the windows. The idea is that they help damp down sound as well as provide privacy.

Josh has almost completed his intern year in Audiology in Albany. We phoned him a couple of weekends ago and he was quite thrown off balance because at that stage he was equal first in a new audiologist competition for Australia. Josh hates fuss and even refuses to celebrate his own birthday so he was horrified at the implications of winning anything. He never went to his own graduation ceremonies so you can see what he is like. On the other hand his boss was keen fort him to win and Josh was worried he would get stick if he failed to do well. It was better when he never knew that there was a competition!

Wayne has had a new romance but we fear it is not going well. We did get to meet the girl this time so this was a serious relationship. He has also had a problem moving house and got very depressed for a while. His job seems stable so at least that is a blessing. He even played football again and all his mates love him for that.

Bo is very busy at her restaurant which has a very good name and she is also writing and recording songs. This is her real passion. She seems to have regular singing engagements at weddings concerts and other events so altogether she is usually flat out. Her kids have moved to the Lutheran school and she is much happier about how their education is going now. Simon is keeping fit and even has a personal trainer. As far as we can make out the brewing business is going very well. Edd is off down there now to pick up more of the used barley to feed our stock.

Al has had a stormy year but he is now happier. His broken neck healed well and he is still working to make his tiny home more house like. The big news is that he and Pia are planning to get married next March, possibly at our farm so we have a big event to look forward to next year. India has nearly completed her training year up in the bush and will be back here at Xmas time. She visits us and phones regularly so we never feel out of touch.

Arden has turned a real corner and is working well at school.  His marks have sky rocketed and he is aiming to go on to university. Ti has had his first year at High school too. He is getting taller by the day and has just turned into a teenager. I took all the grandsons to a film in the school holidays but he sat with his own friends at one side of the cinema and the rest of us were in a group at the back.

On the farm we are really into spring. We have three lambs and the goat Mellissa looks about to kid any moment. Edd is putting out posts ready to be banged in for the next stay of refencing. The vegetables are growing at an amazing rate. We have lettuces galore, beetroot, broad beans, kale, silver beat, spinach and I planted out the first tomatoes today. The chooks are also laying well and Edd has returned to the market and did sold a lot of produce last week.

Our friend Beni is getting ready to move into the new house she has brought at the end of the month. A few weeks ago she seemed to be avoiding us but she later told me she was getting her head around the thought of living alone and away from other people. I was worried I had offended her! She has been a great help this year and has always been willing to feed animals if we are stuck. We will really miss having her around.

September 23 2013

We have had a great weekend; lots of visitors and grandkids all in laughing mode. It is just what we needed.  The paulownias trees are in flower and look spectacular with the bight purple of the native mint and the blue rosemary bushes. The warm wet weather has been great for the vegetables and even the lettuces are ready to eat. Some tomatoes have self-seeded, but how do I know what variety they are? The cherry types usually grow like weeds but I would love some of the large peri form type that was so delicious last year.

worries about Mum

September 6 2013

I am upset about being cut off from contact with my mother now that she is in a nursing home. No one is reading the letters I write to her and phone access is difficult as there is a shared line available to residents that cuts out after a few minutes and is bugged by interruptions. When my mother was in her old house I phoned her for a long talk every weekend and wrote her a long letter with photos once a month. Liz would read her the letters and Olivier would read her extracts from my blog. I do not think Mum is seeing these people so much now. I have started a new blog just in case Olivia is willing to pass on news.

There is not much I can do to help my elderly relatives in the UK but they have all said that they enjoy my letters and blog and they beg me to keep on writing and excuse them for being unable to reply.  I am wondering if I could learn how to read my own letters onto a CD and send that over. Al is also frustrated with the restrictions in communication and he is planning to send over a jar of marmalade. I suppose we are all searching for ways to let my mother know that we have not forgotten her.

Actually we did get a brief telephone conversation this week. It was difficult to hear anything but Mum said that at last a doctor has found a painkiller that has helped. She describes it as an epilepsy drug and on the Internet I have discovered that anti convulsant drugs can help stroke victims with pain and are relatively safe. She says now that she is in less pain she can sleep better and has more energy to try and sort out problems with her new life style. She wants me to ring Beatrix to check that the phone problem is being sorted. I am fighting an infection this week and have a fever and sore throat so I have not tackled this yet. I find my sister is very defensive and I have to be careful how I say things; I certainly don’t mean to sound unappreciative of her efforts.

Tomorrow we have an election and the general feeling is that the Abbott government will get in. I am sad about this because I think the Rudd government did a good job of managing the economy over difficult times. I will never forget that Howard committed this county into the war with Iraq without Parliament of the peoples backing. With the trouble in Syria very careful diplomacy is necessary. I fail to see how military intervention can help the people there be any safer.

On a happier not the rug we ordered in Turkey has arrived and it looks great in Edd’s room. I always worry when I have to guess the size and colour needed but in this case everything worked out OK.

LAST DAYS OF WINTER

Aug 29 2013

Last night we gathered at Bo’s place to celebrate Wayne’s birthday. The green-eyed monsters have changed a lot recently and were extremely civilised. Morgan played his ukulele and sang a song perfectly, which impressed us all. The boys are now at a new school and already Morgan is a different kid. Beth has him on a zero dairy and low gluten diet and she thinks that is really helping.

The sad thing was that Wayne looked so down. He has just helped his team get into the footy finals and is off on holiday next week but his life is bounding out of control again. He is cleaning out his last apartment but the guy he shared with will not come and move his stuff, his new house mate has an alcohol problem and his girl friend has reorganised his holiday into something he has no control over.

We just wish he would ask for help. Bo and I could have easily gone and cleaned out the old place for him. We all need help, but with a big group of us we usually cope.

Today Stevo came and helped Edd put up the doors Edd has made. It took ages because they are made of heavy recycled Oregon but they look great now they are up and replacing the cloth we had stapled up. 

There was a drying wind so I went out on the mower and cut down all the cape weed that takes over from grass at this time of year. If I keep it under control the grass grows and gets dominance soon.

I have also started cleaning up in the garden. It always amazes me how much dead and weedy growth there is to be moved every year.

Al engaged, Ollie 9

Aug 19 2013

It is pretty cold today, but not freezing. There has been enough rain now to fill all the dams to overflowing and the daffodils and jonquils are in full bloom. Edd and I make use of any dry days and work at cleaning up the builders’ mess by the front entrance. The idea is to get the new fences up and plant trees before summer arrives.

I think we have found a good retirement home for Dot. She is a large ginger coloured goat who is now about ten years old. So far she is holding her own in the herd and looking good but she would probably not cope with another winter under these conditions and certainly not if she got pregnant. I thought she was too old to re-home but a friend is happy to take her as an addition to her animals and provide the necessary level of pampering. This is a great relief. I do not feel justified in keeping unproductive animals but Dot has earner her place for so long that I would not feel good at just letting her be pushed aside by the younger, fitter herd members.

Edd has now completed the tree week’s full time relief teaching he agreed to do and starts work tomorrow doing one day a week maths coaching. His finger is still strapped up but he has been able to do a lot more on the farm recently. Today we brought second hand fencing panels so that we can use them to replace the gates that are currently being used for goat yards. We need the gates to put in the new paddocks as they get fenced off.

We are fencing off a corner by the road between us and our new neighbour in the James’ place. Then we can hopefully put up a screen of trees before he starts on building a house and maintain our own privacy. Also in the fenced off section I plan to plant stone pines. I have not found many for sale but I have some seeds that I am hoping I can grow trees from. There is so much to do that I have not started on this project yet.

Last week Ollie had his ninth Birthday celebration at Bo’s place and the family gathered to wish him well. Al was very sad that his two boys did not come but Pi made a special effort to drop in on her way back from work. The big news is that she and Al are now engaged but they have not made any wedding plans yet.

Amy comes to stay

July 31 2013-

Al and Pi came to tea here yesterday and spent the night hear so that they could leave early in the morning. We get to look after Amy, the great dane puppy, whilst they are away for a week in Alice Springs. I am envious of them. I have such happy memories of living and working in the desert. We have given them addresses for our aboriginal friends and hope they will get to see them. I worry because so many of the people I worked with have since died. It was very much third world conditions and life is often short.

I spent most of the morning trying to catch Amy who barked and ran away every time she saw me. Last week Al held her whilst I took the stitches out of her foot and I don’t think she has forgiven me yet. I failed to get anywhere near her but I have shut all the gates to our house site and if we can keep her enclosed here she should not come to any harm. The hardest bit is getting our dogs out past her.

Al and Pi left very early and Edd got off to work. I started the farm work about 8.30 and there was still thick frost on the ground, and thick mist. The sun came out ,the dam and the cows started to steam and the mist lifted making it a nice morning to work out side. We are really low on hay and it costs a fortune at this time of year. We will have to get some this week end what ever the cost because the animals need it to keep warm.

My job for the day was to buy the tiles I found last week. I bargained for them and reduced the price considerably. Now I have to get them out of my car from where we stacked them in the back. I should have enough to put a skirting on all the house walls that need one. I also got two more tiles for the toilet so I have enough for that job too.

Yesterday we ate brocholi and cabbage as vegetables. It will have to be rocket today I think. I brought a punnet of Pak choi seedlings and planted that out so that we have more greens coming on. So far the snow pea seedlings have escaped slug damage but I should throw a few coffee grounds round them to give them a helping hand.

July back on the farm

July 30m 2013-07-30

I am working on the accounts. There is quite a bit to do before they can go to the accountant, but I am gradually making headway. I cannot get restarted on my tiling work yet because I need either Edd or Steve to put up the doorframe and architrave so I can work up to an edge. Edd cannot do anything much with his bad hand and he is working full time teaching anyway. Steve has a first grandchild and that has kept him away. Or else he is waiting for Edd, either way my tiling is at a halt.

Today the new chooks started laying. I heard them cackling while I did the milking and when I looked there were eggs. The old chooks produce an occasional egg too, spring must be coming. The other signs are the buds swelling on the mulberry trees and the flowers on the wattle and tagasaste trees. The daffodils are close to opening too.

On the down side we are very low in hay. Edd and I drove towards Bacchus March and brought a ton of oats on Saturday. On Sunday Al came over and helped unload the oats into the old beer vats we use as bins and also got us in more fire wood, Edd picked up another load of off cuts at the bakery last week so we are well stocked in that regard. Yesterday with the sun shining it was mid twenties with out any fire in the house.

I found the latest power bill and was pleased to see that even in winter we are producing more than we use in electricity. The costs here are the rates and the insurance, which just keep going up. I am so glad we got this house built straight after the fires. The new council has got even more strict on building rules and now Craig and Eva find that they are stuck in the middle of a build unable to continue in a similar position to Brian and Lynne.

 It was really due to Al’s help that we got going so soon. We were as shell shocked as everyone else and would be in the same mess now without his help. I feel a bit of a failure over my efforts to get help for my neighbours last year. Down this road Craig and Eva, Brian and Lynn, Lyne James, Steve, Dave and Sally, Judy and Andrew, JB and Erin, the sharps and us lost houses and only the last three and us are now in proper houses. Lin died when her house burnt and the new people who brought the land have not rebuilt yet, two families left to live elsewhere and the Pierces and Montells did not loose their houses. Not really a good success rate for one road full of people.

July 26 2013

I have given up writing all our adventures when we were away because I need to record events here. We got safely back from our travels and found that Bo, Pi Al and Bennie had kept everything in very good order here. The animals were all fit, though the horses had lost some weight. All in all everything was great.

Edd put an end to the peace by getting a finger caught in a calf bucket and having to go to hospital for two days to have it fixed! He now has a small cast on the finger, which is pinned back together, and he is teaching full time at Healesville High School to fill in for a staff member who is away for three weeks. Time goes so fast he has done one week already!

Last weekend we had a party here for Pi, Al and Bo, who all have July birthdays. Bo suggested a bonfire and BBQ, which was a bit dicy given the weather. Rather to my surprise it stayed fine on Sunday night and all this was possible. There seemed a lot of new faces. Pia introduced us to friends, aunts and uncles as well as bringing her parents, and India brought Woolangarra friends.

Wayne came with is new girl friend Danielle, so that was another new face. Bo only showed up at the end, which was sad as she missed her birthday cake and my first ever water melon carving. Everyone ate a lot including almost a whole round of hard goats cheese. Despite this there was food left over and Edd and I have lived off left over’s all week.

India and Erik took the horses up the track into the forest for a few days camping. Again she was lucky with the weather and at least the first and last days were sunny.