Feels Like Home

The soulful tunes of Norah Jones’s “Feels Like Home” is playing softly in the background on the antiquated CD player, a freshly poured glass of gin and tonic is pleasant company along with sounds of the ocean conversing with the sands situated just beyond the caravan park and with my feet up, seated outside the van, I am alone but certainly not lonely.

The gin is a Christmas gift from Daryl, purchased and then imported from England, it is a subtle reminder of good times in my recent memory. The beach, certainly the sounds emanating from its shore, fills me with a sense of belonging, peace and permission to indulge in the world of words whether it be through reading a novel or three or tapping away at my laptop as I am doing now. A perfect way to begin a brief sojourn from the real world. I am most fortunate and a little selfish, to be here. Daryl has just driven back towards the farm, with work commitments making his stay brief but I hope he would say enjoyable. Just the two of us, kids and friends were banned and we took 24 hours out of ordinary life. Later my longtime friend and her two young teens will arrive, tomorrow, my twin sons and daughter, with little people in tow, will join me and the van will be full of stuff and noise once again. I am looking forward to it all, but for now, I will relish in the serenity.  

Hot on the tail of a busy Christmas day, last night we strolled on the beach, watched the sunset and spoke with family from England, whose day was just about to begin. It is so easy now to keep in touch and we were thrilled they were home, albeit rugged up to fend away the winter chill, while we were in shorts and thongs. Our own day was filled with family festivities beginning on Christmas eve as we prepared our contributions to the day in the form of pavlova’s (Daryl's specialty) and roast turkey (my specialty), all the while entertaining two granddaughters so their parents could prepare and assemble gifts too big to fit under the Christmas tree. Celebrations began in the early afternoon, with a visit across the road where the cats will be holidaying for a week, their placement was the perfect opportunity to share a drink and gifts with our neighbour and some of her family, visiting from interstate. The little girls were very happy to play with two other girls and made fast friends. The cats settled, although I doubt they will thank me for their temporary relocation. The catch ups continued to Churchill and ended at the traditional Christmas eve dinner with most of Daryl’s family. Loads of food, kids running amuck is usual and a visit from Santa on his firetruck was a treat for all the little ones. The biggest treat however, by far, was the surprise appearance of my son Damien, who showed up from sunny Queensland, rendering me speechless for a few moments. With my eyes stinging with tears, I thought my legs would give way as I went to him, hugging him so tightly, we could barely breathe. I miss him so much and his unexpected visit seems to have been a carefully guarded secret within my own clan. As I prepared for Christmas morning, knowing all my babies would all be present was a priceless gift, and I couldn’t help smiling as we stuffed stockings well past midnight in readiness for an early start. Despite the fact my youngest baby is 19, they still get a childish buzz out of their Santa stockings, which is now carried onto their own children (without relinquishing their own!). Continuing with family traditions Christmas breakfast was a feast shared with special friends, who

we count as family, a visit from twin Santa’s and the exchanging of many gifts and letters. It is my choice to write each of the grandchildren a letter each Christmas, although they cannot yet read, I hope this will be something they will cherish many years down the track. The reality of feeding 30 odd people is never easy but I have to say my son and his partner did a sterling job getting it all together, and with a little help from the rest of us, we enjoyed copious amounts of fare and a drop of celebratory sparkles and ale. Onward, we arrived at the next feast sharing this part with Daryl’s son’s in-laws. A quieter affair it was just lovely, especially with the addition of their first child, who at only six weeks of age, was oblivious to all the fuss around him.

It was then time to pack and make our way to the van. Our place of rest and relaxation (interspersed with a few housekeeping jobs here and there). It had taken some convincing to get Daryl here for only one night, but he did and it was a good idea.

Sitting here now, I am part way through my drink, the air is slightly cooler and the families around me are filling the air with the fragrance of camp food, namely sausages on the barbeque. The magpies are attentive in the hope of an easy feed, while I can hear the hammering of pegs into the ground where the newest arrivals set up their campsites. Despite the third year of drought, the parks ground is relatively easy to hammer into, and we also spent a short time getting our outdoor flooring and gazebo in place earlier today, providing us shelter but also privacy and protection from the westerly winds, known to rise up and batter sites at its will.

I will see the New Year in from here and will be joined by Daryl, some friends and anyone else who chooses to come up. It will be a causal event, with a roast on the Weber, drinks and a game or two of cards. I expect we will see the New Year fireworks from the shores of Red Bluff and will ignore the crowds who will gather at Lakes Entrance. This is my kind of party, with as little fuss and fanfare as possible in the company of good friends and family. If you’re wondering who looks after the farm while we do all this relaxing, despair not, the animals are well tendered to with our trusty farm-sitter employed to watch over the ever-browning grass, the flock of hens, their protector alpacas and our small herd of cows with their young calves, in our absence. At last count we had 15 young babies running around, kicking up a lot of dust, so before we left the morass was opened and they all hoofed it down the paddock to feed on the green grass amongst the gum trees that will provide them with ample shelter in the upcoming days of heat. Temperatures forecast in the low 40’s are becoming more common and with bushfires already burning across thousands of hectares of Australia we are always mindful of the risks during the summer season. This year our fire season started early, interstate, with a ferocity we have not experienced for some years. For now, we are fine but vigilant.

The opportunity to take a break also gives a chance to put the paint brushes down and leave the chaos of house renovations for a time. They are coming along with the new kitchen now functional and I must say, looking fabulous, with our red gum bench tops and new oven. The laundry has also had a makeover and is not only more pleasing to the eye, it is far more functional. Never a fan of painting, I am enduring the process and grateful for every moment of assistance from family and friends. The process, like many major life events, has been the catalyst of a few flared tempers and fiery exchanges between Daryl and I in recent weeks fuelled by the end of the year fatigue and my resignation from my job, I am pleased to say we have made it through relatively unscathed. Leaving my former employer of three years was another major decision but I have no doubt it was a good choice given the instant relief of tension from my body and mind once I said a final farewell. Blessed to have secured another job I am excited about a different future.

With a new decade knocking on our figurative door, I am hopeful 2020 will bring opportunities for change, challenge and contemplation. I turn 50 next year and while this is not a significant event for some – it is for me.

Whatever 2020 means for you I hope it is just perfect.

Until next time,

N

When a loss makes a winning opportunity.

 I lost a bet a few weeks ago. Richmond versus Collingwood. Long time AFL rivals and a silent part of our marriage. You see, Daryl is a staunch Tigers fan and I have barracked for the Pies since forever, so when we wed the rivalry continued year in year out. This year, Daryl decided to sweeten the game and throw in the suggestion of a wager - the loser takes the winner out for tea. I suspect he knew he would win and planned something he would benefit from in no uncertain terms. For me, I wasn't too fussed, didn't even watch the game but noted the score with a little more interest than usual. As luck would have it, the Pies dive bombed and the Tigers roared, I was now responsible for a night out on the town. Having started a

new job at work, the last couple of weeks have been hectic and I have been fatigued and I suspect running on adrenaline. As such, planning dinners out was not on my priority list. But not to renege on a bet, the loss niggled at my subconscious. At some point during this last week I decided that this bet offered me an opportunity - a chance to create some "us time".  A short getaway, designed to recharge the batteries and enjoy some uninterrupted time away from the responsibilities of the farm. So in a few hours I had booked a night away, with views over the water, near the beach and a room with a spa. A combination of the things we both enjoy. The sounds of the sea, the taste of salt in the air, the clear blue sky dotted with seagulls in the air and the elegance of the swans in the lake create a backdrop of relaxation and romance. Dinner out at our favourite

restaurant along with a cocktail or two and a bottle of red, made a beautiful night seem magical. A late check out the next day afforded us a sleep in. At the end of a long week the timing was just perfect. My loss gave us the chance to talk, to laugh, to remember how much we care about each other, and our life as a whole. We talked about how fortunate we are to share common goals, dreams and aspirations, the joy we share with friends along with the struggles and frustrations that fracture our days. Seems to me my loss was definitely a win for us both. The Lakes Entrance economy also benefited from our presence!

Of course after all great retreats, reality returns wth bite. Today we spent the day catching up. The cows needed hay, the chooks needed their pens cleaned including removing all the old flooring and replacing it with new sawdust. The old stuff, will make the best fertiliser and is filled with enough chook manure to fill a very large trailer. The task took several hours. Wearing a dust mask and safety glasses we raked and shovelled and got covered in grime. The white masks ended up a putrid shade of black and my hair resembled dreadlocks gone very wrong (although personally I never think dreadlocks go right). In our down time, Daryl thought loading up

the bonfire pile with more random tree branches would be a fun filled activity! Following our morning adventures I spent the afternoon in the kitchen, cooking up a storm of soups ready for quick and easy meals, along with fritters and naturally everyone still wanted to eat dinner, so a main meal was also on the agenda.
Now, after a glass of wine, a delicious meal and all the jobs completed I am well and truly ready for a nap. Daryl is out walking his gun, I haven't heard any gunfire so I suspect he has not found any vermin to shoot, as yet. Another week of work looms ahead of me. Daryl's holidays are over and he returns on Tuesday. We look forward to our next retreat, whatever form that takes; maybe the next time the Tigers and the Pies line up I will be the one getting whisked away for some romantic rendezvous.

Until next time,
N

Sweet scent of autumn

Hello friends, how nice to be back at Rivergum3851.

Sunrise

It certainly has been a while and I wish I could keep up with all the tasks I want (need) to do, but alas, I have failed. I suspect, I am like most people who have high expectations of what is achievable, despite the reality check that says 'Your Dreaming Sunshine' in bright red letters. We become accustomed to re-prioritising and pushing out deadlines. Naturally, I find it gets even harder to be motivated once I've sat on the couch in front of the fire and poured a generous glass of red, after a long day at the office. Oh, how I would  love to only work two days a week, outside of the farm, if only the wage equated to full time pay.
Maybe one day, but for now let me update you with our progress.

Life is sweet here at Rivergum and Autumn is showing her beautiful colours. The temperature is dropping and you can feel the 'crispy' creeping into the air. The scent of the fire draws us home and is a welcome addition to the season. It's time to find the gumboots and remove the spiders, before long we will be trading our steel caps and dust for rubber and mud.

Fencing - Daryl style!

New chook yard

Hens will love it

Since the "tractor incident" Daryl continues to work on the farm-rebuild in between the everyday chores around the farm. The chook yard is progressing and it is exciting to see the new fence go up.  Naturally this project has its challenges. Fencing is always easier with two people, but given we need to pay our bills, I had to go off to work, leaving Daryl to do the hard yakka. Unable to tension the wire on his own he managed to get the ute to assist (see photo for explanation) A fine job in the end. The cows also appreciate it, thinking they now have new scratching posts. I suspect the electric fence will follow swiftly. For now the cows are banned from playing in this area. 
The tractor saga continues and today we finally got the good news it will be repaired and NOT written off as they wanted.Yikes! The damage bill is hefty and apparently close enough to the limit to consider not repairing it. For us that would be disastrous. It would leave us without a good tractor and not enough payout to buy another comparable machine. So the green beast will go for repairs next week and we will get a loan tractor to use (Daryl is not allowed in the bush with this one!)

It certainly hasn't been all work and no play.

ACDC 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle 

Sand and sea

Funny girls - Bek & Beth

Hens helping with the planting

We did get a few days away at the beach thanks to our friends Carol and Zac who did a farm stay,looking after everything, including some naughty escapee calves.  We also spent an enjoyable day at Farmworld bringing home a few goodies including some steel-capped boots for me. Did I mention my toe is not broken, but I have significantly damaged the nail bed - surgeons referral in my bag, along with a good supply of pain killers! We picked up a heap of native tree tube stock to start creating some wind breaks around the house and in the paddocks.


Following our first unfortunate venture into horse ownership, we have welcomed  "Kiwi", a very handsome horse to our home. He is Bek's baby and no doubt shall provide some stories down the track.

And finally Daryl bought an Ag bike yesterday, as you do when go to a clearing sale with your father-in-law!

 Until next time,

Cheers
N