Renovations at Rivergum

Not a bad backdrop 

It's been a busy day here at Rivergum, well at least the evidence suggests it has been. My contribution was small in comparison, with only a couple of hours, after work, left to help out. Daryl and I finished felling an old pine tree which was in the exact spot our new fence needs to go, that and the fact it was rotten, were two good reasons to get rid of it.

Rotten to the core

I have no doubt the possums we see in this tree each night, when we lock the hens in, have jumped onto the surrounding pines and made new homes.  So this evening, that tree hitched securely to the tractor, with a lengthy sling,  fell easily into the open paddock and thankfully not onto the new chook pen fence. Phew!

Slinged up & ready to fall

Apart from adding more fuel to our rather large bonfire pile, friends Carol and Zac worked with Daryl to cut a couple of tonne of wood, despite the humid, muggy conditions this morning. They also trimmed up some older Cyprus trees clearing the laneway to the cattle yards. Our chances of losing an eyeball or scaring our faces with wayward, low hanging branches are now significantly reduced.

Daryl, Carol and Zac certainly had their farm workout today! No gym membership required here.

A small sample of winter fuel

Keeping in the theme of knocking things down, some minor renovations are taking place inside our home. Gone are the ugly bricks behind the combustion stove, and a couple of walls are now missing. It's a bit messy right now but in a week or so it will be nearly normal again and hopefully looking fresh and light.

Open space, lots of dust

Different angle

Seems pizza, in bed, is on the menu tonight (C & Z have gone home, just to clarify!). No way either of us have enough energy to cook or make space in the mayhem to find a spot to eat.

Bon appetit.

Until next time,

N

63 days

River running

Midst of the morass

It's been 63 days since my last blogpost, I'm not sure where those days and nights went but here we are mid March and it's still hot! High temperatures, hot winds and little rains, are setting us up for a poor Autumn growth season. With no feed on the ground, in the cleared paddocks, our herd is fortunate to have 80 acres of bushland to graze during this extended scorching season. Daryl has continued the bush cleanup and we now have tracks around the entire river bank, allowing us greater access to check stock. Last time I took the dogs for a run around the boundary I ended up lost, and what should have been a 15 minute quad bike ride ended up being over an hour. Sore legs, sore backside and tense, tingling arms were the end result of that adventure. The other day I did the same ride and managed it in 25 minutes, the dogs dipped in the river at every opportunity and I still ended up with sore arms from hanging onto the quad bike as it drove over the unforgiving landscape. But it seems the cows don't mind the tough ground, and I found them grazing happily in the shade of the gum trees. Not a snake in sight, unlike on previous occasions, I was relieved to not cross paths with the slithery sort this time round.

Eggs in abundance

Happy hens

Despite the lushness of the morass we have begun feeding out hay, a couple of times a week. They are keen to get their scratchy tongues around the feed and its a good chance for us to make sure they are all accounted for. With the girls all in calf (I hope), it is essential we look after them, and keep them well nourished, ready for calving to start in May. We have also been feeding them bread, collected weekly from a local baker, the cows and hens are enjoying fresh bread rolls and loaves. Our hens have increased in number and after losing one unexpectedly the other day, we now have 50 chickens. They are free to roam most days when we are home and enjoy the space of a large pen when we are out. Despite space, grass, shade and water some of the girls insist on escaping. Amazingly enough they have not been picked off by the foxes.

Ugly brickwork to go

We marked two years since moving onto the farm in February and it is nice to look back and see the progress made. The 'big' clean up continues but we are starting to build and create the farm the way we want it.

Combustion stove's temporary new home

With our former home finally sold we are looking forward to FarmWorld to get some bargains. Daryl has enjoyed his first major negotiation buying a new farm ute. Three car dealers were in the final running and I suspect Daryl loves the chase nearly as much as the final purchase. I'm looking forward to bringing our new wheels home this week.

This week will also see the beginning of some new renovations, making the dining/living area more open, spacious and hopefully welcoming. We will tidy up the old, ugly brick work which backed up the combustion stove and modernise the area, without losing the country 'charm'. At some point the kitchen will get an overhaul and then the floors will get some attention. It's very exciting to do some building as opposed to destroying.

Father & Son

This exciting progress follows swiftly on the tails of a fabulous event - the first wedding of one of the offspring. We enjoyed a delightful weekend in early March celebrating with family and friends as Jacob and Amy tied the knot. It's hard not to get nostalgic at weddings and it is especially evident when your own children are the stars of the show. Daryl did a sterling job making the father of the groom speech and he managed to get most of us to shed a tear or two.

R & R 

During the last 63 days we have celebrated Daryl's birthday, the twin's birthdays, a number of family events, enjoyed a weekend away with friends, thanks to our fabulous farm sitter (who enjoys pulling down fences - who knew!) and even managed a few nights out, just the two of us.

In between the social and farming pursuits, I have changed roles at work and have given shift-work a sharp shove, gone back to day-

Cheers!

work and spend my time working  as a rehabilitation and transition officer. It is a full time job, which leaves me drained at the end of each shift. But I'm a happy little vegemite, with no complaints. At least none that a little rain could't fix and a temperature drop of at least 10 degrees.



Til next time,

N