Late Autmn kickoff.

Yesterday I had my latest WWOOFer arrive.  Seolhee is a lovely young lady from South Korea, with a wonderful happy nature, beautiful laugh and a penchant for being busy.  On her first full day here we spent a few hours in the bush collecting firewood and kindling. Not a problem, she got stuck in and took direction very well.

Later in the evening as we waited for our dinner to cook, Seolhee got busy taking seeds out of the carob pods, so I can dry them for future planting.  I am planning to grow carob trees and use the pods for fodder to give the rabbits.  She was ever so patient in tending to the task and even had a sneaky taste of the pasty gum inside the pod.  "Tastes sweet" she informed me, so of course I joined in and had a taste myself.  Yep,, sweet as.

Today we were up early as I had someone coming to view my ricebubble (another no show). So we got busy in the orchard, tidying up the net and pans around individual trees, mulching and preparing 4 more holes for future planting of 2 more citrus trees and two more fruit trees (varieties yet to be determined).   A big day and we are both tired, sore but pleased with the outcome. 

Seolhee was so proud at the end of the workday she had to show what was done.

We still have about two days of work to do out there and tomorrow will see us with barrows, shovels and rakes in hand, spreading a truckload of tree mulch to help create more biomass around the paddock.  Must say the geese have done a fantastic job of cleaning up the tall weeds and grass that was spreading out in there.

All is well in my world and I am loving Freaky Farm once again.

What a kick off in 2015

Here we are, 5 months into 2015 and the start has been very arduous for myself, my sons and extended family.  A series of very serious accidents began half way through January, when my mother collided with two cars.  No injuries, but her car was a complete write off.  Then the first of February, a date that will forever be etched in my mind, both of my sons had accidents exactly 3 hours apart.  The eldest son hit a kangaroo along a coastal road, his car damaged by the impact. Still drive-able and no injuries thank goodness.  My youngest son wasn't so lucky.  His car hit a cement power pole and the driver's side took the full impact.  He was trapped by his foot, his face had hit the pole and was a little scraped, but he was knocked unconscious for a period of time.  When he regained contentiousness,  he turned to see his passenger non responsive.  He managed to pull his trapped foot free and extricated himself from the car.  Made his way around the other side to drag the passenger out.  Luckily she had only minor scrapes and bruises, but my son had to have surgery to remove a toe 3 days later.  His car is beyond repair and he is now facing major consequences over the accident.  Not long after all of this, my 94 year old step father was returning to his retirement village and as he attempted to get the security gate closed, it collapsed on top of him. He was lucky it fell as it did or things would be worse.  However he had a fractured sternum, broken vertebrae and his scalp was badly torn where he had just had skin grafts done. Who says things only happen in 3s.    We have all managed to get through these events and are trying hard to keep a positive outlook in all ways.  I am the first to admit that we used a lot of black humor to get through my younger sons situation.  I have had a number of health issues and have had to cut back my volunteer work quite hard.  More so the heavy work I was doing.  I still work on shift a week at a local store and continue to build my permaculture system and am increasing my self sufficiency steadily.  I now run geese, chickens and meat rabbits.  The orchard is doing well, although I lost 3 trees during a massive heatwave (must replace those soon).  The vegetable zone is looking very good and is so productive, I am now able to offer organic foods to people around me.  The herb bed has been doing very well indeed, although I would like to extend that a little more and increase the variety of herbs I have.  I am planning to build an outdoor kitchen zone, with a pizza oven and a permanent area to put the spit.  This will be a slow process as it requires overhead protection from rain and hot sun.  Yet another structure to build.  So many changes have taken place here and I have so many more changes planned.  Who knows,  it might take months, or could take years.  I am just living today and enjoying the journey.

Forging Ahead

In the short space of time since the end of November 2014 I have had the opportunity to host two lovely people.  First Dan came along and we had a busy week, laying out plans, revising them and then implementing stage one of fencing off the orchard from the vegie zone.  This is an important task as it will allow the geese to traverse between their night pen and the orchard/olive grove zone to graze.  Why?  For two reasons, geese are grazers by nature and to keep them in a pen is not good for their emotional health.  The second reason is so that they can mow the grasses that will grow in that zone and keep it tidy for me.  Long term benefit for me is less physical work mowing the area (it is a big area).  All the fence posts were driven into the ground, ready to attach the straining/chicken wire. I also have 2 proper gates to finish that fencing off.  Once done I am going to put lattice around the sand pad to the back of the hot house and across to the fence which divides the house yard and paddock.  The actual vegie zone has taken on a whole new look in the last month,  extra gardens have been built and are now planted with summer crops,  the little arbour garden was revamped and planted with annuals that will attract bees for pollination and where I had a raised timber bed, I now have a straw bale bed. That will be used to grow fodder crops for the poultry and rabbits.  Thus saving on the purchase of foods for them at a high cost. My current WWOOFer, Tiphaine is from France.  Such a graceful person with a lovely disposition.  She has taken on all tasks set for her, even if she has problems with the language barrier.  She has fallen in love with the current litter of baby rabbits and is amazed with their growth rate. Tiphaine is planning to stay up to 3 months with me, during that time she is also working for a local Olive Grove in order to get her 2nd year visa.  I have enjoyed all the transformations taking place and that will take place in the next month or so as they all lead to a more balanced and easily managed system of integrated self sufficiency.

The current view of the vegetable growing zone

Tiphaine watering in the newly built straw bale vegetable bed

Long term I am working toward installing an aquaponic system in the hothouse, but this will have to wait until I can get a large framework built over the entire sand pad and a form of protection from the heat set up.  Due to high temperatures that we get here, the fish would not survive the summer if I didn't do so.  I will also be putting in a small pond ( design and such to be decided) in the s/w end of the orchard so the geese have access to deeper water for the summer months. So many projects and many more plans on the go.  Permaculture is something that never ceases to amaze me.  Designing and refining things as time goes by, perfecting those things implemented in the beginning and then sitting back a while to enjoy the spoils.

2014 What A Ride

I haven't logged in here for a while and didn't realise how long it had been. Time has come for an update and to fill you all in on what has happened here in 2014.  The year began slowly, giving me time to relax before the onslought to come.  In February things to a turn to the left, so to speak, due to my younger son coming to live with me for a few months.  "Only until I find my feet, Mum".  Which he did,  found a nice little flat,  is getting some shifts at a factory in a nearby town, helps some friends of mine with odd jobs and has begun to mix with the community (mostly my friends).

Prodigal son and I

My work at the Community Garden came to an end, as that door closed another opened.  I have taken on the work at the P12 College, bringing the kitchen garden back to life.  It had been idle for a few years and was in need of a lot of TLC.  Now looking as though it is breathing and I do enjoy my time there.

Kitchen Gardens

I have met and made friends with an amazing group of people who are not only like minded, but also live the same/similar lifestyle as I do.  We all raise some/all of our own animals for meat, grow vegetables and some grow grains as well.  Around late October, we all gathered at one members home for a meat and greet.  Amazing foods consumed, spectacular views admired and wonderful company shared.  Many stories told, lots of laughter could be heard and untold support for one another was the order of the day.  Another gathering of the masses is planned in the new year and I will definitely be there with bells on.  One thing that I have done, that I had decided not to do again, I got two cats.  The oldest is Marli, a lovely girl with a long black coat.  She is mild of manner and gentle of soul.  The youngest is Little Dude, a black and white boy who is brimming with mischief. We always say he is a busy boy,  barely rests, has a quirky growl, is a cleptomaniac who steals anything not put away in draws.  Sadly as I type this blog, he is waiting to go to the vet as he was hit by a car a short time ago.  I feel it won't be serious, but he is in pain and needs her tender ministrations.  I am waiting on the prodigal son to come and drive us the 3/4 hours to the clinic.  Our vet is one of the best you will encounter and I am blessed to have found her.

Marli and Little Dude

Leading up to Christmas,  I have a lot of small jobs to clear away in order that the holidays are stress free.  I am building my own butchering zone, this will enable me to tend to the deed with ease and will also ensure that it is all done with complete care and consideration for the meat birds and rabbits.

I have begun to breed NZ white meat rabbits and am finding that they are the best option for my situation.  

There have been some small and some large changes to the permaculture system and I am planning for a huge shift in how the 1/4 acre is set up.  The changes will be implemented in the next few months to allow for geese to graze in the orchard/olive grove and keep the grass down in there for me.  I recently brought two young pilgrim geese home with me after a day at a permablitz in Ballarat. They have settled well and are enjoying being out in the big pen for now.

Pilgrims in their itty bitty pond.

2014 What a Whirlwind

I have been very lacsidaisy here and neglected my writing for some time.  Life does tend to take over and time passes way to quickly.  So far this year, I have had my younger son return to live with me.  Some days are diamonds and others, well, you get the drift.  He has been a drifter for some time, arrived here with just his bags of clothes and feeling like a lost soul.  Recently he bought a car that became a nightmare and is now trying for another.  God give me strength.  I have spent a lot of time pickling and bottling all kinds of garden goodies and the pantry is looking rather good.  Friends call it the mini supermarket,  my pride swells when I take them in their for a look round.  I finally got a lot more shelving for the pantry and things are much tidier, no longer falling over boxes of jars that are waiting to have labels removed. I have learned how to smoke pork bellies and turn them into bacon, how to make sushi, dry tomatoes, make turkish bread and preserve olives. The seed saving has been in full swing and the bookcase is brimming with a variety of seed stock.  My gardens are ever productive and it is no different coming into winter.  Lots of brassicas, onions, garlic, turnips carrots etc.  I do love being able to forage for the goods I want for dinner.  After having lost my beatiful but scarey cat, "Snake" a year ago, I finally relented and now have 2 beautiful cats.  A lovely girl "Marli" and a rascal of a boy "Little Dude".  They bring loads of entertainment, have quite unique personalities and I couldn't imagine the house without them. I have expanded my self sufficiency menagerie even more.  I now have BIG rabbits.  They are NZ white x Flemish Giants.  Along with the quail and chickens, I now have 3 meat sources, 2 egg sources and a great bi product in the mixture of manures and bedding.  I have ceased work at the Community Garden as of last week and have taken on the job of restoring the Stephanie Alexander Gardens at the local school.  It promises to be a challenge as it has been left idle for some years.   I am loving the new direction life is taking me at present.  Last week, I hosted the first organisors meeting for the Goulburn Valley Permablitz team.  We will hold our first permablitz in July, which I am eagerly looking forward to.  As I am the only qualified permaculturist in the group, it will be my job to do the site assessments, write up a client brief and do a mud map for each event.  Yes folks this year is almost half done and it has been a very very busy time for me.  No rest for the wicked they say. Hmmm does this mean I am a little bit wicked?  Maybe,  maybe not.  Enjoy the photos people and journey well in life.

 Above is the smoked bacon I make.

Above is my first attempt at making sushi.

Above are the sundried tomatoes I bottled

Above, my home made turkish bread.

Above, the pitted olives I preserved.

Above, Marli (the pure black girl) and Little Dude

2013 Winds Down

This year has been one of many twists and turns.  It has seen me go through my third and final round of chemo, yes final round.  The post chemo tests have shown I am clear and free.  There will be follow up tests just to keep an eye  on things, but my life is now my own once again.  The property has taken on a new look, with a great number of projects now done and dusted.  Have had the greatest blessing in hosting Magnus for the third time and when he returns to his homeland in December, my home won't be the same.  Luckily he will return to me in the new year for around 3 months.  It would be amazing if there was a way for him to remain in Australia as is his dream.  I have begun two new ventures in order to produce my own food and a little extra income.  First came the quail, which are now housed in the aviary that Magnus and I worked hard to assemble.

 

The area beneath the shelf will be enclosed with doors, this will be the area used to grow out the young quail for food and sales.

 

I am also investing in another set of breeding cages to increase the number of breeding groups.  So far I am doing well enough with them, in regard to incubating and raising, however will need a larger incubator for future production.  I also bought my first pair of meat rabbits in order to breed them for another food source.  They will be housed in two large cages not far from the quail aviary out in the paddock.  Although still only about 5 months old,  they have grown a lot and are maturing nicely. 

 

 

 

 

The rabbit above is Bugalugs. Thought to be female at first...OOOPS

 

Above is Mokiedokie,  umm thought this was the male,  another OOPS.

 



In a few short weeks we will be looking at the Christmas celebrations,  I am going to spend this time quietly planning what I hope to achieve in the next year around the place.  It is exciting, as there are so many options open to me.  Meanwhile, I will leave you all with my very best wishes for the end of 2013 and hopes of a prosperous and happy new year in 2014.



Reflections

Here it is, the last day of October 2013.  I find myself reflecting on a year that has held many surprising twists and turns.  During the first half of the year, I underwent my third and final chemo treatment.  Then was faced with the decision on when to go for the tests to find out if it had worked.  I procrastinated for quite some time on this and will come back to this part of the post later.  As the chemo ended, of course I had the blitz, a post chemo BBQ and many interesting adventures.  I hosted Magnus and Lucinda as WWOOFers,  then had a few months with nobody around.  The winter came and work on the property slowed down,  I don't do cold weather very well, must be an age thing.  As spring approached, preparations for the Elmore Field Days ramped up and I had the lovely opportunity of hosting Thomas from China.  He was a gentle and endearing young man who was quick to smile and easy to talk with.  He had never had much contact with animals back home, so his first full day gave him ample opportunity to make up for that.  Thomas and I went to a friend's small farm to feed up the horses, chooks, cats, dogs and fish.  He handled it all with such grace and made friends with the 2 small horses easily.

Not long after Thomas had departed I got an email from Magnus, my most frequent WWOOFer, asking could he return a little earlier than planned.  Of course that was no hard decision to make, a big yes from me and then busied myself preparing his room.  He is an amazing young man who has journeyed so far.  He had just done a trip around Australia in his little Toyota Seca hatchback, a total of 23,000 km.  Has seen so much of our wonderful country, had the opportunity to do a great number of new things and met (I am sure) many interesting folk.  Since he arrived back, we tackled a number of jobs (yet again),  made an alteration to the sandpad by taking out one section of timber and turning it into the sandpad and making a ramp for easy access with a wheelbarrow to the hothouse. Removed a noxious bush and some fence posts, restrung the wire on an old fence and removed part of another.

removing fence post

new garden edge and restrung wire, corner where the noxious bush was

remodelled sandpad

 

Magnus is due to head home to Germany in December, I have to say that day will be very hard for me.  He has made a big impact on my life and also become a good friend am blessed to know.  No matter where his life takes him, he will do very well indeed.  With Christmas fast approaching, I hope to have the aviary set up on the end of the sandpad you can see in the photo, where I will house the coturnix quail I am now breeding for food and to sell.  I have also bought 2 meat rabbits, that I had hoped to breed.  As luck would have it, I got two males.  So a swap is in order and I will trade one of them for a doe.  Just my luck really and as I type this I do have a smile of irony on my face.

Coming full circle on this post,  yesterday was the day I got my chemo test results.  It was a moment of an astounding moment really.  I am finally clear of malignancy, I can now breathe a sigh of relief and plan for the future.