Another step toward self reliance

Over the last year I have worked toward learning new skills.  This weekend I managed to fit in one exercise that has achieved that.  My friend and I went shares in some goats to kill and dress.  Once that part of the deed was done, we got busy with a mincer and sausage stuffer and made over 10kg of seasoned goat sausages.  The end result was great and I have even managed to learn the art of tying the sausages off.

Pretty chuffed with myself and I am now confident enough in the task that I will endeavor to do chicken ones in the near future.
Today I also spent about an hour researching and pricing mincers and stuffers so that we have extra equipment to cover big production days.  Having 2 sets of equipment means we will get the job done in half the time. Our aim is to provide meat products for 4 homes.  Almost like feeding a village when you think about it.   Sharing costs, work input and then at times enjoying the end result of all we have done, together.  Over a fire pit, bbq or even at times using the spit to do whole animals.
I am planning on introducing meat birds in the very near future, that will increase the food production by at least another 15%.  These birds can reach weights of 2 kg in just a matter of 10 weeks, when they are culled, dressed and processed. I will dress some out as roasting birds, some as chicken pieces and some as mince for sausages. The infrastructure is already in place so it will not be a huge task to prepare for their arrival.
I already have a small flock of ducks roaming through the orchard, where they clean up the pests that can be detrimental to the fruit trees in there.  I am also planning to only keep two ducks and a drake for future breeding.  The offspring with then be processed in various ways to be shared amongst those in my circle.

Where I find Joy in Life.

I have thought long and hard about where I find joy in my life, the things that make me smile and feel as though the days have been better than those past.
Today was one of those days where this was reaffirmed in my eyes, through several happenings.
The first thing I had happen, upon walking around the corner of my house, my breath caught, my heart sped up and I began to sweat with fear.  I saw a long tail against the back of the house and could see nothing more of a creature that was hiding behind a bucket.  Thinking it was a tiger snake (very venomous) I cautiously moved forward, only to discover it was a blue tongued lizard.  For those who don't live in Australia, these lizards are the largest of the skink family and usually harmless. They are known for keeping the snail and pest populations down in the gardens, hense a good critter to have around.  This particular lizard has been living under my house for the last 3 years, she is due to give birth within the next 3 weeks and may have up to 20 young.  Her offspring become very self relient within the first 3 days and will not stick around.  I am very lucky that both my cats respect her presence and don't bother her at all. Infact the will take a wide berth around her and let her do her own thing.  This year Lizzy measures around 40cm long, I haven't weighed her as I don't believe in handling her, pregnant or not.

The second thing that made me smile and feel like my world was a good place to be, was watching the ducklings puddle around in their little tub.  They are all quirky and have unique personalities.  When you see them together it can be a bit of a surprise, they are all the same age, from the same clutch of eggs and yet they range in size so much.  I have given them all names (from Outlander characters) and each seems aware of what I call them.  The biggest has begun to get his feathers in and at present looks very scruffy.  The photo below shows them at just one week old,  they are now 4 weeks old and have at least tripled in size.

Something else that has given me the opportunity to breathe,  my son who had the accident last year finally has his license back, his new car is registered and at the end of the week he will be back on the road.  Finally I can cry freedom for us both.  It has been a long and testing time for us and I believe we have grown stronger for the experience

Regrouping and forging ahead

Now almost at the end of another year and I have had quite some time of inactivity due to cancer treatment.
Several things that have happened, firstly I had to withdraw from the Open Garden day as I was unwell and my property was flooded a month before hand.  So it is now necessary to make good some repairs, do some rethinking and regroup.
I am finding my energy levels are increasing, albeit slowly.  The warmer weather is helping in that
regard, I am sure of it.
So,  with nicer days and plenty of plans I am tackling things, task by task.  A week ago I went to the local market and bought 5 muscovy ducklings, that will be introduced to the main system, once they are big enough to free range in the orchard.  I have given them all names from the characters in the Outlander series and they are showing their little personalities off more and more.  The main pair are Jamie and Claire.  They tend to stick together a lot and are constantly snuggling up in the run and brood box.  Jamie is the large one with the dark head and grey saddle, Claire is the pure yellow one. At this stage they are only a few weeks old and still have no feathers, just down.

As Christmas approaches, I am trying hard to source a wwoofer to help me around the property, so many things I would like to achieve here.  If I am fortunate to have one come, it will be good to include the person in our Christmas gathering.  Always nice to treat them like family.
With the onset of fire season here, our fire pit days are in hiatus and we are going to have to use the gas barbeque etc for entertaining people.  We just can't afford to take risks with the extra amount of undergrowth around, due to higher rainfalls we got this season.
On a personal note,  I am assessing my own life and looking at what options are open to me.  I hope that this year I will be established enough to run a few workshops from the property, to expand on the blitz group a little and also to allow myself a bit of a holiday at some time.
I have kept a bit of a watch on the travels of Micheal (mentioned in my last blog) and how he has fared.  I am glad to be able to say his walk to Canberra culminated in the submission of papers to parliament and that there has been some progress there.  He is an amazing man and should be lauded for his efforts.
If I don't get back to this blog for a while.  Please take care of one another during the festive season. Travel safely and be sure to love your kinfolk well.

My Obsession and Plans For a Cash Crop

I have a confession to make.  Of late I have begun to obsess over mint plants, all kinds of mint plants. At this stage I have around 8 varieties and am still seeking another 6 to increase the types of tea leaves I can dry and package for sale. I don't plant mint(s) in the ground due to their invasive nature.  Instead I plant them into wicking tubs, made from food grade plastic drums.  They do very well in them and I am so impressed with the growth rates and the ability to harvest, dry quite good quantities at a time.  My only issue now is to design the labels for the packaging.  Not sure if I should go for stickers or swing tags, but that is another issue altogether and one that will solve itself.

This is the apple mint in one of the wicking drums.

This is the chocolate mint in another wicking drum.

Each of these mints are used in  two ways.  They can both be infused in hot milk to make a tasty custard, but also steeped in boiling water, cooled, strained and placed in a drink dispenser with ice for a cool refreshing drink on hot days.  Mints are quite an under rated plant in my view.  

This is a slice of feijoa loaf with apple mint infused custard drizzled over it.

I also have the first hedgerow of chamomile planted, which is another future cash crop, dried for tea.  Very excited to be going into this field as it will help me to boost funds for future projects around the property.  Down the track I also plan to grow crocus (saffron) and dry it as a cash crop.  I have the room and it seems like a good way of utilizing empty spaces.

Chance Meetings

It is amazing how connections can come about.  Today I was driving to a nearby town to deal with a phone issue.  Along the way I chanced upon a gentleman walking along in the heat,  so I stopped to offer him a lift.  Once in the car, Michael and I shared some interesting conversation and stories.  I learned that he was walking from his hometown to Canberra to make a submission to Parliament.  A long journey to undertake on foot and one to be admired.  I hope the rest of Michael's journey goes well and that people who may see him, hold out a hand and offer him a ride.

In regard to my goings on here at the property.  Due to illness, treatment and constant rainfall during this winter, most of the property became a little wild and overgrown.  I am lucky that two dear friends and my younger son came by with whipper snippers in hand to help tame the wild weeds.  I am now able to walk around safely, without the fear of falling over or encountering snakes in long grass.  Time and lovely sunshine has come around and I am now working on a planting programme that will encompass a lot of trees, shrubs and plants to feed the bees year round.  Yes folks, I am going to get bees.  Can't wait for this new phase in my little permaculture system.  All the safety gear and equipment are on the way and I am now in the process of purchasing my first Top Bar Hive to put in the upper half acre.  I have come to know a gentleman from a near by town who is an apiarist.  What a stroke of luck,  he has offered to teach me all there is to know about bee keeping.   Such a good person and a great journey to come.

Today while walking in the main street here in town, I stopped to photograph a lovely tree that I hope to plant in my house yard very very soon.  I love the colour, shape of the foliage and the fact it is a deciduous tree means an added bonus of compost from the leaf fall.  I found out later it is a Smoke Bush,  unusual name for such an attractive plant.

As my female meat rabbit passed away a while back, I am now searching for a new girl to introduce to the breeding programme here.  My male is a very gentle buck and just loves people time, even if he is a heavy weight.   I haven't had any kits for a while and there is no meat left from the last lot, so definitely need to get this back up and running again.

I am also very close to getting the much needed ute back on the road.  She has been sitting up the top paddock waiting for a new motor for some time and I have finally found one.  It will be a good day when it is running once again.  I will be able to collect firewood, produce and so many things I need for the property. BRING IT ON.

Spring 2016

This year has been an interesting time in my world.
I have continued hosting WWOOFers, although the number available has fallen due to government changes to the WHV requirements and threats to tax WWOOFers at a rediculous rate.  I am hoping this will all change now the tax threat has been taken away.   WWOOFers play an integral role in my journey here and it would be devastating if I were unable to continue hosting.
Recently I had the opportunity to host a young lady from the Netherlands, Tessa.  I found Tessa to be a very lovely person and her time here taught me a lot about myself.  At the end of her stay with me she moved to one of my friend's homes and continued to stay in Rushworth for about 8 months.  I was so pleased she did so, it gave me more opportunities to spend time with her and to learn more about her and the journey of life she was walking.  Tessa made a big impression on myself and all the people she came to know while in the area and will always be treasured as a dear friend.  During her time with me, Tessa met my friend Meshelle, her son Vali and got up close and personal with Willy, the goat.  A very animal friendly young lady, she also won the hearts of my big meat rabbit, Charming,  my two cats and so many other critters around the place.

We have had a very wet winter here in North Central Victoria and it has led to a massive growth of weeds and grasses around the place.  With ill health I found it hard to get out and work, so now with the onset of spring I am in a panice to get things back in order.  I NEED A GOOD WWOOFER. Yep would love a WWOOFer to come along and help out.  

This year I have to refine the rabbit enclosures to make them more bunny friendly and easy to use.  I love the rabbits,  they have unique personalities and can become so friendly and cuddly.

Summer promises to be a mix of hot weather, filled plenty of time spent outdoors tweaking the permaculture system and preparing for the introduction of a beehive or two.  Planting a variety of trees, shrubs and flowers that will feed the bees year round.  I am very excited to be doing this as it is another step on the ladder of self sufficiency and in improving the land here.

My youngest son has returned to work after all the dramas surrounding his car accident and subsequent mini strokes.  He has been given permanent casual status, which is a little more secure than just casual.  Hoping this is the beginning of something wonderful for him.

My eldest son and his lovely dog, Ra, are doing really well and my son is working hard toward funding his own home.  I can't wait for that to happen.  The both deserve so much in life after all their struggles so far.

This is Ra as a little boy.  He sure has grown and become a character.

Life is full of challenges.

This year just keeps giving, in many more ways than I had thought it could.  We as a family have endured ups and downs that are challenging our stamina to the max.  After my son's accident in February, I thought the spell of threes had been broken.  Four big events in less than a month and we were seeing the other side.  So we thought.  There have been times filled with laughter, joy and good things that I am holding dear and using to get me through the tough days.  Black humour abounds and at times shocks those around us, but it is our way.  The permablitz group is still plugging away and hopefully making some difference in the lives of recipients.  I still work at the school garden one day per fortnight, as well as on their special market days.  Along with the shift per week at the icecream shop and the work on my own permaculture system, it has kept me very busy to say the least.  Recently the ride of life took a turn to the left, so to speak.  My son ( the toe less one) suffered a series of TIA (mini strokes) which are directly caused from his head hitting the light pole during the accident.  Mini strokes though they are,  it is a major concern for his future.  Will they worsen, will they impede his ability to hold his job, drive a car etc etc and the list rolls on.  I am working hard to keep perspective and be as positive as possible in his presence.  He needs to be kept focused on recovery and rebuilding things he has lost as a result of his actions.   I think that by sharing this with other bloggers, I am hoping our experiences will open the eyes of others.  So they can perhaps change how they work, live, and what happens in their R&R time.  Please know, it only takes one bad decision to bring havoc to you and your loved ones.  As the end of the year approaches, I am hoping and praying that some of this heaviness, heartache and worry won't roll over to next year.   So many plans ahead for me and so much I would like to achieve.  Work began on the house yard a few months ago, as I planned to participate in the local open garden day.  Ill health pulled me up a bit so now I plan to do that for next year.  It will afford me more time to get the gardens looking good, the paddock and food zone running more productively.  Sadly the ute I bought this year broke down and I am working on getting a new motor for it.  I miss being able to go and do things, pick things up for myself.  I am not good at asking for help, nor accepting it.  A lesson in life I need to learn.
For now, please think about your life, think about what you can do to prevent anything that will bring  you grief and cause heartache to you and yours.  Live well and live long.
On a light note to finish.  This picture shows my Jimmy statue, I finally set him up in the paddock as a feature.  Living on old gold diggings I decided to turn him into a gold pan man.