Archive for November, 2007

Farmy Army combats drought

Last week, John, in his role as teacher at our tiny Levendale School, took 22 pupils (the entire school) to the Cricket Test in Hobart. The kids proudly went under the banner of the Farmy Army, cheekily altering the pommy term, Barmy Army.

We’re so proud of our country kids. They’re such a brilliant, bright bunch — despite the difficulties the drought is causing for their families.

It’s so dry here our house dam is no longer supplying us with water for the vegies, dunnies, dogs or stock.

But there’s nothing like attitude with a good dose of gratitude for the things we do have in life to keep us motivated —  despite the lack of wet-stuff.

Our kids at Levendale may inspire you with some water-saving tips.

Click here for a cute little movie about the subject. I’ve been keeping a bucket in my kitchen sink and have been gathering that water to keep my vegies going.

What are you doing to save water?

Forget Rudd vs Howard — its Raspberry vs Rhubarb!

Its election time and in our district everyone rushes to the booths at the local hall early.

Why? Is it because they are patriotic and are concerned about the future political path of our nation?

Or is it because of the church fundraising stall?

In my friend Maureen’s words, ‘If you go early to vote, you get the best jams.’

So instead of Rudd vs Howard for us, it’ll be Raspberry vs Rhubarb for us.

Now there’s something to look forward to.

Live and Learn

John and I have a dream to build an ‘eco-shed’ on our farm for us to live in, made from things of stone, wood, wire, tin, rusty bits and old stuff.

I’ve got no building skills at all, but I figure we’re never too old to learn.

The other weekend John, Maureen and I spent a day building a community dry stone wall at Buckland with Anthony McKenzie as our tutor.

It was great to work with stone and to know we’d taken the first step towards our dream.

Such an age-old skill working in stone was both therapeutic and addictive. It’s great to know it is never going to die out with people like Anthony in our midsts.

Wrapped in Ringlock

We love quiet, naturally calm horses.

Here’s proof about the temperament of our Waler babies.

The other morning I went out to the vegie garden to find our Waler yearling, Whipcrack, totally wrapped in wire from back legs to front and over his head, just for good measure.

He’s a curious fellow and often goes exploring. This time he was interested in the pumpkin patch! He stood perfectly happily while John and I untangled him.

No cuts, no drama, no worries.

Sure our horses may not be 17 hands high and eye catching in a show ring, but with these little beauties you can ride along the road back from the mailbox, at a canter with a Bundy can in your hand and new telephone book tucked under your arm. (Via the bar at cricket training – speaking from recent a ‘drink-riding’ experience.)

Attitude is Everything

In 2001 my whole world opened up and my life changed forever. It was all due to a three day course — The Landmark Forum.

This week my life changed for the better again — thanks to a Low Stress Stockhandling Course.

Not surprisingly, the people running the LSS course are all Landmark graduates.

Their vision is to make the world a better place for people and animals, and the great thing is, they know that it’s possible due to Landmark Education.
Read more…

Conservative Country Folk

Stereotypes of farmers show us to be a very narrow minded lot. Not the rural folk in this district though.

Yes we have ‘old fashioned’ values — but there’s a new movement here, thanks to one woman … Katherine Boulton.

Kathy is a normal suburban mum living in Sorell, but she has the gift of healing. And that’s no bull. She’s helped everyone from shearers with chronically bad backs to busy farm mums who can’t quite get back in the saddle after having children, and wee babies with drastic illnesses.

Read more…

Go Girls!

Here’s some ‘sheep speak’ for those of ewe who are interested…

This snap was taken of our freshly marked lambs in our maiden ewe mob. We were thrilled with the percentages.

We got a 100 per cent rate for our large mob and overall we averaged 93 per cent when we included our maiden ewes in the tally.

It’s the best year yet for us! I did have trouble typing the next day after we marked nearly 400 of the dear little lambs and my hands cramped a bit!

The lambs in this photo are mostly South Down rams crossed with Merino ewes.

We used Border Leicester rams over the other ewe mob and will keep the first-cross female lambs from that drop to join with a terminal sire when the time comes.

More rain please!

Our paddocks may look green, but crikey we need more rain if we’re to cut hay this year.

Our hay season failed last year, and it’s set to do the same again unless we get an inch or more in the next week or so.

Today, my horse, Jess and I moved our ewes over a paddock that had been locked up for hay.

It’s got a long way to go if we see a baler on the place come January. Even the creek is dry.

For our area, which normally has really reliable rainfall, that’s very unusual.

We are understocked, so we’re not too worried. I’m an eternal optimist and it’ll rain, soon. I know it.

Tipping the trailer

Wow! I’m a new woman! Thank you to all the people who bought my latest book, The Rouseabout.

Some of the royalty paid to me has gone on our new 8 x 5 tipper trailer.

We were so excited to see it arrive that we had to have a can to christen it. We’ll use it for many things — carting sheep, cattle, horses, wood and nextdoor’s stable waste for our new composting project.

It means many new projects on the farm can now get underway. (And it’s a red one so it’ll be faster.)

The Woman on the Mountain

I’ve just finished reading The Woman on the Mountain. I’m so glad I did!

Sharyn Munro’s book of her true-life tale of setting up home on a remote mountain has inspired me to get out there and get going! Since the birth of my two kids, I’d lost faith in my physical abilities on the farm and my energy levels seemed like they’d be depleted for the rest of my life.

In reading Sharyn’s story of her life as a single woman on a remote mountain inspired me to just get on with living the kind of life I love … a very physical and active one!

Since reading the book I’ve taken up the blockbuster again and driving in star pickets, I’ve been playing sport and riding my horse for stockwork.

In my mind I kept saying to myself, if Sharyn can do it at her age … 60 plus … what on earth is stopping me!

The book takes you to the heart of her mountain and I admired her knowledge (and tolerance) of the native flora and fauna.

From a farmer’s point of view, I couldn’t help but think her a bit naive setting out for a very idealistic life of self-sufficiency but it’s a common story when urban people make ‘tree changes’.

She gets my vote for tenacity and determination, and a great story.

Sharyn’s web site is worth a visit too.