May 2012

As I’m flicking through my photos for May’s blog, it’s apparent that winter has seriously arrived since April’s blog.   We’ve already had some stonking frosts, and the trees in the photos are now leaf-free.   We’ve also reduced our cattle number by 3 and our pigs by 2.  Only Butch and Woody, and Smoko and Supper are not in the freezer.  

Yesterday day we picked up 4 Wiltshire lamb ewes from a farm near Ward (18kms down a windy unsealed track to the farm – quite a drive), and today we took temporary possession of a ram.  He’s on loan from a friend and I’d say he’s quite a catch.  We’ve nicknamed him ‘Rambo’ and the girls were already interested as soon as he arrived.  We’re a bit worried they’re too young, but that all depends on whose advice you take.  If their hussy-like behaviour is anything to go by, we should have lambs by the end of the year.

Peter’s ordered 2 young Galloway cows.  He wants to breed ‘Speckled Park’ cattle which are a new and therefore very expensive breed.  He’s learned that they were developed from Galloways, so hopes to set up a breeding programme and eventually end up with what would be classed as pure Speckled Park.  You can buy Speckled Park semen straws, and he believes that, as a midwife, I should be able to perform the artificial insemination.  Just a case of long plastic gauntlets and cervix location apparently (yeah right).   Having cows also raises the possibility of milking at some future stage.  Then I’ll definitely have to give up work.  Here's Peter constructing a small shelter for any animals that need a cosy home.

The veg garden is enjoying its green manure, and my happiness was complete when my new and carefully constructed compost heap began to steam one chilly morning.  Peter’s extended the fencing of the veg area so I can create some new beds.   The dividing fence is still up, so there was somewhere contained and close to the house for the sheep.  Once the sheep settle I’ll be able to get started.  I’m feeling thoroughly inspired by the Permaculture course I’ve just completed as part of my Go-Organics evening class – so it’ll be a mandala system (circular beds) with wood chip paths. 

The wetland is looking quite bare now – partly because it’s winter and partly because Peter’s mate Murray (ex-logger) has been round and chopped some of the whopper crack willows down.  We’ve kind of abandoned the drilling-holes-and-inserting-Round-Up approach in favour of the lop-them-all-down method.  We’re planning to do the Round-Up thing when new growth comes up from the stumps, in the hope that we won’t need half as much Round-Up.  There is already a mountain of twigs, branches and trunks to be sorted.  We’ll use what we can for firewood, some of the straighter logs for building stuff, and hope to hire a big wood-chipper for the rest.  That should provide enough woodchips for the veg garden paths.  Just like that.  Another 5 minute job then. 

Bob’s discovered his ability to cock-a-doodle-doo very loudly at sunrise, and the chickens have finally started laying.  Quite amazing really, since it’s winter and I’d assumed they would wait until after the shortest day next month.  What’s also amazing is that they shunned their own nesting boxes - lovingly-prepared and lined with soft wood-shavings.  Instead they found their way into the bathroom in the garage - used by the teenagers – and laid the first egg there.  They haven’t been back since, and I’d like to think that they were pretty shocked by the level of hygiene of the place, and sought superior accommodation. 

The turkeys are becoming much braver, and wander around by the house where there’s a chance they can pinch food from the chooks or the pigs.  They all roost together on the gate, which is quite a sight when the car headlights illuminate them.  They produce large volumes of poop, and gobble loudly whenever there’s a noise.  That means every time a vehicle passes, every time we open the box (creaky door) where the stock-food is contained, and every time we gobble at them.  They (usually the females) also scrap with the chooks.  Bob usually has the upper feather in any dispute, but not always.  Quite entertaining at times, and frustrating at others.  We’ve pretty much decided that the turkeys will end up in the freezer soon too, and we’ll probably not continue keeping them unless we get round to building a very large run which contains them.  I’m hoping that ducks will be less trouble and produce fewer poops (what do you mean - ‘yeah right’?).

The soldier-pines are still there, but probably not for long.  The property will be really bare once they’ve gone, and I’m itching to plant more trees.  I’ve added a few fruit trees to the orchard, which is really filling up now.   The inedible remains of Breakfast and Dinner are buried under them.  I have managed to eat some of our pork, but it wasn’t an enjoyable experience.   Somehow it’s easier to distance the origin of beef from my mind, but not the pork.  Probably it’s because I spent a lot of time feeding the pigs.  Anyway, I’m the only one on the house who dwells on it; everyone else just eats up and enjoys.

Roll on the frosty nights and sunny blue-sky days, and the endless days of leaping onto an inflated tractor tyre as it's being pulled by a go-kart.  Of course I've had a go too, and have to admit it was pretty darn cool.  The boys reckon they were kind to their old ma and didn't go fast enough to throw me off.  Or maybe I clung on too well?

Fingers crossed the sheep are still here in the morning...