Archive for February, 2007

Where’s that bloody Rouseabout got to?

Any day now and the long awaited printed version of my book The Rouseabout should get here! My publishers said they’d have advance copies to me by the end of the month.

Here I am — the last day of February — wondering if I should take a special drive down to our mail box cluster to see if it’s there!

It’s an incredible moment, meeting your book for the first time after it’s been bound and printed. I know I won’t be able to stop clutching it, stroking its covers, getting to know the feel of it.

All that work and emotion, all wrapped up in a book. If I do drive down, I don’t think I could stand the disapointment of finding the mail box empty.

I think I’ll sit tight until mum collects the mail on her way past tomorrow. If it’s there I’ll be able to show it off at playgroup — after all, writing a novel is as painful and as joyful as having a new baby!

The other mum’s can coo and fuss over it and I can stand there feeling all exhausted and yet proud.

A word on worms and itchy bums

Intestinal worms can kill pups. On my next trip to town I’ll get some puppy worm syrup. I’m a week late on schedule — normally we worm pups from as young as 14 days old.

My dog health bible, “Everydog” by Eric Allan and Rowan Blogg (love that surname!) says a good worm program for pups is 14, 28, 42 and 60 days of age.

A dull coat and swollen belly is a sure sign of worms. If you haven’t already done it, get onto worming your pups right away — and do yourself and your kids while you’re at it!

Obsessive behavior in dogs

I took two questions last week on Charles Wooley’s talkback show about dogs being obsessed with chewing rocks.
 
It was a tough for me to answer as I don’t have a lot to do with urban dogs and their obsessive behaviour.

Having had time to think about it I would suggest buying a “Kong” from a pet store. It’s a plastic rubber tube designed for dogs to chew and play with.

I would then fill it with peanut butter or something tasty and give it to the dog so it can be distracted by that instead of the rocks.
Read more…

Weather forecasts — country style

There’s talk in the district that it’s going to get wet … really wet. The conviction that it will surely rain isn’t based on forecasts from the weather beaurea … instead, our locals’ intuition about the weather is all based on the signs nature gives us.

For example Paul has had huntsmen spiders in his house — a key indicator it’s going to rain. Bluey found a heap of frogs in an old posthole when he was fencing.

Chris spotted a flock of black cockatoos down from the mountain. And John’s old footy injury is starting to ache. They are sure signs of rain. All I can say is bring it on!

A day on the hill

Even though we love farming, it’s important to get away from our work every now and then. 

It was such a hot day recently when we decided to take a rest. Here’s how we spent Saturday afternoon … on the hill with the kids at Hobart’s beautiful Bellerieve Oval watching Tasmania vs Victoria in a one-dayer. I was in heaven!
Read more…

The Cliché from Snowy River

As a member of one of the families banned by the Victorian government from the cattle runs in the high country, its always amazed me how the whole debate is lost in translation by the time the media have spat it out the other end. 

John and I have been on protest rides where we’ve tried to present examples of land management systems to the journalists.

They look at you blankly. Sadly our media and political system is set up to want conflict — not the possibility of solution.

It’s a ‘wrong or right’ culture of ‘us and them.’ The environment comes last in the whole debate.
Read more…

Rachael’s Idyllic life of baking scones in the country

As a rural person, every now and then I’m hit round the head with the cultural gap bat!

As farmers we’re fairly isolated in who we mix with, but with my role as author sometimes I’m thrown into conversations with inner-city Sydney or Melbourne people and the results can leave me gob-smacked!

I almost started to hyperventilate the other day when I was talking to a national television researcher who said viewers might be interested in watching a story on my ‘idyllic’ country lifestyle.

‘Idyllic?’ I said to the person, (who was very nice, but just on a different planet from me) ’If you’d have seen my life and this place before the rain at Christmas, ‘horrific’ would’ve been a better choice of word.’
Read more…

Broadband and the wide brown land

Years ago when I was backpacking in Africa and trying unsuccessfully to phone home to my wide brown land, I vowed I would never again bag Australia’s telecommunications service.

But today has left me a tad frazzled. We’re on dial-up and it’s slower than a wet week. (Not that we know what they feel like anymore!) I’ve always run a home business from various regional areas … and in every case, the rural telecommunications service had been a shocker.

Today my tireless webmaster posted a video on this site for me to share with all my blog readers.

Twenty minutes later, the thing hadn’t yet downloaded and it was time to feed the dogs and the kids. I gave up in disgust.

The plan next week is to share with you footage of the film John and I made called Albert’s Chook Tractor.

We’ll load it onto the site, anyway but if you live regionally like us, you may not be able to download it without the line dropping out. Goodluck!

At present we’re looking at satellite options. Feel free to share your tips or gripes about reginal communication in your area on our forum.

Working sheep and ‘dogcam’

This might take a little while to load, but it will be worth it.

Innovation by farmers is obviously universal, and the ‘dogcam’ offers an interesting perspective.

Follow the link, we’ve put it on the next page so that we don’t slow down our country cobbers. [See Rachael's rant above]

Read more…

Forum Fun on “Rural Matters”

Have fun on our farmers’ forum!

I love stories — especially funny ones about farming life. I also loathe our country culture being belittled by those who don’t understand it.

That’s why my trusty webmaster, Allan, has set up “Rural Matters” — a forum for us all.

It’s a chance for you to share country concerns, or play watchdog on the media when reporting country issues.

It’s a place to showcase the silly side of Aussie rural life: tell us about shenanigans from your local pub or B&S, or books you like, or recipes for country tucker.

The forum could be the place to meet your dream girl — one who likes Cascade ahead of Carnations.

Or for the girls, you could meet a hot fella who has dust on his boots and a dent in his ute.

On the farming front we’d love to hear innovations about how you’ve survived the drought, coped with losing your land or how you train your horses or dogs. Or where to get good organic fertilisers or the best in fence posts.

The is a forum for you to create a country voice that is loud and proud.

Its for you … so let loose!

Notes from the webmaster: The first thing to do is register.

It is an easy process and it allows you to post comments on all entries, and allows you to email other participants.