It's a mellow Saturday here at Rivergum. On this rare occasion I am home alone, if you don't count the animals, and I'm not doing anything in a hurry today. After a full week navigating work commitments, health issues of my father, bureaucracy of corporate organisations and life in general I'm stretched and starting to twang. Enjoying a leisurely sleep-in (yes, 7am is a sleep-in) I didn't actually get up for a bit longer but I enjoyed the opportunity to read The Big Issue, surf the net, with no particular goal in mind, stare out the window and have a few conversations with my cat Meep, who seemed determined to get me out of bed to feed her, and her buddy, Lilly. Cup of green tea made, an essential each morning, I have pottered around the house noticing how neglected it has become in the rush of the week. The washing piles (yes plural!) are overflowing, the grass is long, the dust is well settled on all the furniture. The washing will get my attention but the rest will have to wait. Today, I have other plans, well at least good intentions to complete some book work for my studies. However, before rushing to that task I have enjoyed a walk outside, with the three pooches in tow, fed the hens and given a cursory inspection of the cows, all very contended
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| Entertaining me |
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| Mellow cat style |
and relaxed in their paddocks. The sun is shining but the wind chill is crisp. Our newest trees, planted this week, are looking healthy despite the dry soil they have been planted in. We have experienced small spurts of rain, enough to keep the plants feet moist. We lost a dozen or so young sapling recently and its hard not to get frustrated at times. All that work gone in a matter of hours. But, dwelling on disasters is not productive and we can only move forward with each setback. Sitting here at my desk this morning, I can appreciate the serenity, the view and the blessing it is to have such space around me. Chatting to my hairdresser last night, also a farmer, we both agreed that if you can't enjoy what we have, then farming is simply another anchor around your neck, weighing you down causing back ache beyond measure. So, a little down time and reflection is good for the soul and certainly good for my health. I have a condition which raises its ugly head as a warning, inflaming the muscles around my chest, it makes it hard for me to breathe and eventually it renders me useless until I remove the stress factors and rest. Recently, the chest is tightening again and I am heeding the warning signs to back off and stress less. Well, at least for
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| A distracting view |
today anyway.
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| My workspace |
Last night was whole different story. We received a call from my father's nursing home Thursday morning telling us he had "a turn" and wasn't very good. Naturally as luck would have it, I was working in Melbourne and Daryl in Traralgon. Having conversations with staff, the expectation is that sensible steps would be taken to ensure a diagnosis and then treatment, but its seems that in aged care that is not the case. I will not bore you with the details except to say, there followed numerous phone calls and lengthy visits to the facility, finally ending in terse words and subtle threats to take steps to a higher authority if the medical care was not forthcoming. Amazingly enough my father has finally been assessed and is being treated accordingly - more than 48 hours after the fact. This is what we have to look forward to, if we are unfortunate enough to end up in a nursing home. At ten o'clock last night after the final phone call ensuring my father was in a better state, I was even too tired to have a glass of wine. Today, he is stable and is expected to improve with each passing day. I'm not sure why it's all so hard, we pay a fortune for him reside in this facility and yet they are under resourced, and staff are stretched to capacity. It's just not ok. However, let's move on to nicer conversations, my chest is tightening just typing this portion.
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| Curious creatures |
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| Happy hens |
Rivergum update: We have finally decided on a label (pictured) for our egg cartons and I am so excited for the final product to arrive in our mail. After umming and ahhhing for some time, we have gone for simple and bright - much like our hens, who after weeks of feeding, they are starting to produce some eggs, albeit small in size for most of them, the eggs will no doubt increase in volume and quality over time. In the meantime they are being well guarded by our two alpacas who are also enjoying a feed of hay in their new hay feeder today. We have started to feed them pellets and they are slowly becoming more friendly. Ever curious, they are funny creatures who it seems can be easily trained. Maybe we could get a few more, to keep the foxes at bay and away from our calves.
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| Ready for a new home |
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| Ready for planting |
Our most recent additions have settled in well into the farm. The 13 steers are keeping five heifers company as we need to keep them (the heifers) away from the bull who has come to play with the cows for a few months. The heifers, who are just gorgeous and fat, will go to a new home on Monday, having just sold them privately. We are contemplating changing from breeders to steers, maybe keeping a couple of cows, because I like having the little ones around.
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| Inspecting the work |
Fattening steers can be less work and certainly less stressful without the complications of birthing. We are still in the research phase on this one. Despite some welcome rain, it is too little, too late and we will be unable to cut hay this year. The growth is sparse and not worth the expense of contractors. So we will be on the lookout for good quality pasture hay soon. Around the house the plumbing works, which of course became bigger than anticipated, are completed and Daryl can finally concentrate on the footings for the carport, which is how this whole plumbing project started. While hay is not a goer this year, the rain
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| Plumbing pain |
has boosted our fruit trees and they are blooming and budding all over the place. We are slowly replacing the citrus that died in the frosts and it is inspiring to see the new green shoots on each plant. The same goes for our gum trees that are also rejuvenating after being hit hard in the recent frosts. Speaking of rejuvenating, the same cannot be said for our house windows which are in the throes of being scraped and sanded and painted to give them a new lease of life. Four have been completed but I still have nine windows and three door frames to go. Motivation come at me, because I can't find you!
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| New growth |
While I have been typing, my tea has gone cold and the sun has hidden behind the increasing cloud cover; the breeze floating through my window has chilled. It may be time to move onto my next project for the day.
Wishing you all a moment of serenity and time for reflection sometime today.
Until next time,
N
It's a mellow Saturday here at Rivergum. On this rare occasion I am home alone, if you don't count the animals, and I'm not doing anything in a hurry today. After a full week navigating work commitments, health issues of my father, bureaucracy of corporate organisations and life in general I'm stretched and starting to twang. Enjoying a leisurely sleep-in (yes, 7am is a sleep-in) I didn't actually get up for a bit longer but I enjoyed the opportunity to read The Big Issue, surf the net, with no particular goal in mind, stare out the window and have a few conversations with my cat Meep, who seemed determined to get me out of bed to feed her, and her buddy, Lilly. Cup of green tea made, an essential each morning, I have pottered around the house noticing how neglected it has become in the rush of the week. The washing piles (yes plural!) are overflowing, the grass is long, the dust is well settled on all the furniture. The washing will get my attention but the rest will have to wait. Today, I have other plans, well at least good intentions to complete some book work for my studies. However, before rushing to that task I have enjoyed a walk outside, with the three pooches in tow, fed the hens and given a cursory inspection of the cows, all very contended
