Survival game part 9 ....

Day 52....
We wake up to another beautiful day, there's not a cloud in the sky. Breakfast is a bowl of oats and a little weetpix for the kids, they getting just a little sick of oats and begged for some cereal this morning. Not so fussy anymore heah, no fruit lops or cocopops at grandma's house, they got way to much sugar in them anyway.

Morning chores are soon done and the boys are back from milking with some milk. There's enough to try making buttermilk and butter, sure hope it works. We could do with a batch of rusks for our coffee. Well today is the day.

A little bit of weeding is needed in the veggie patch and watering the veggies, but by lunchtime we know we're in for a scorcher(heatwave) for sure, the birds have all disappeared, it's just the bush buzzing with sun beetles. Everything dies with this heat, even the weeds hang their heads from thirst. I am so thankful we gave the veggies a drink, and later this afternoon we will have to water again. The patch has afternoon shade so that should help.

The animals need their water checked and filled up. The meat chooks need to be watched carefully for heat stroke. I remember reading about it somewhere, you need to dunk them in water and keep in a cool place to recover. Making sure they get a drink of water regularly. I get the hose out and spray the floor/ground and chookhouse to drop the temperature,inside the runs. Even the birds are happy for a sprinkle. It's 42 by 2pm. Two chookies need extra attention badly, first aid for chooks, they get the whole treatment and after 3 hrs they are steady enough on their feet to walk again, snatched from deaths door.

It's a full on day for me, some don't understand why I bother reviving them,they just chickens. I'am please the girls decide to make dinner. Before going to bed I check on the chookies again, they doing heaps better with the cool south westerly blowing. I am buggered!
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Day 53 ....
Today is wash day, the girl get it all done and hung up after breakfast. Need to make use of this lovely sunshine. The ingredients for the rusks are mixed and placed in baking trays, while the boys get the wood stove ready. Pots of water are filled and warming on top for the dishes. While they were doing that I had been watering the veggies, and getting all the troughs filled. And getting the chooks sorted, one meat bird did not make it through the night, looks like it got trampled. always sad when that happens.

We're all flat out with the day's chores, preparing food and keeping up with the cooldrinks. It's another hot day, but not quite as bad as yesterday.
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Day 54 .... The south westerly broke the worst of the heat last night, nothing worse than waking up with a headache from the heat, lack of sleep trying to keep cool. The chooks all made it through the night thank goodness. Today promises to be cooler and maybe we could even have a storm this afternoon, that would be great.

After lunch we have a visit from the constable telling us their power came on for a few minutes last night, then died again. We have no power to our property so would not have known about that. It could only mean the world out there could be trying to fix things, get the power up and running again. Everyones excited about that, and start brooding what they going to do. At dinner they express their thoughts about their plans, but George thinks it's way to early to make plans. People are still without food and very protective of their space. So he convinces them not to rush out without testing the waters first.

They decide to wait until the power is on properly before going down to town for more news. I wonder what is going on in my husband's head does he want to go back as well? I decide to stay no matter what happens..........

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Day 55 ...

School is due to start soon, and the kids are getting real excited to going back. After breakfast we decide to go yabbing and fishing down by the bridge for what ever we can find. It's more a picnic than a real fishing trip, the river is all gentle again, the swimming spot is soon invaded by little kids and parents splashing around.
It feels like we all on holidays again, refreshed we head on back to the farm empty handed.

Dennis from across the road, calls with a watermelon on offer for some chain and bar oil for his chainsaw if we got any spare, that we do have and make the swap. It's soon cut up and in the fridge ... cold watermelon is most welcome. The kids nag to play cricket and soon we got a match going.

The hens have not been laying that well atm, must be the heat getting to them too. No one mentions the power thing again, not wanting to spoil the mood. Today was really relaxing and fun.
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Day 56 ....
We decide to try our hand at a little fishing and yabbing again, the kids are quick to catch a few yabbies, then a bass decides to take the bait, and another can't wait to join his mate, dinner for sure. A few more yabbies to go and we set. An eel thought to join them but he was not welcome. It's the first time the kids have seen an eel and one to many for me yuk! soon we decide enough for today and start for home. They can't wait to try a rusk with their coffee even if they not quite dried out enough , they taste so good.

Morning chores are soon done, and everyone can relax a little. Talk of when the power comes back on starts again, and it seems Nick and Adele would like to go back to the city. But they worried about the rioting and lack of food and work. They decide for Nick to go first and sort things out before Adele and the girls join him. That is a wise move I reckon. Micheal and Marna are happy to leave Cobi with us until they know what's happening in Brisbane, Maybe they will even move closer to us.
Neal and Eliza have decided to go back to Brisbane because of Luke and his mom Linda. But there is no hurry for anyone to leave. Tanya decides to join up with Michael when he leaves. That leaves just Cobi, George and Me, Adele with her two girls until she joins Nick.

George finally decides to tell me what he wants us to do, I only hope he has seen the difference this forced rest has made to his health. I for one am not going anywhere, This is now My Home, I am going nowhere ..... he can go if he want to, it's his choice.

With that sorted, I need the boys to do a few things for me before they leave. Firstly a good supply of wood, cut up and stacked for the winter. Another paddock to be fenced with posts and wire for the sheep. We will be needing a kangaroo for animal food, so I send them shooting tonight. Tomorrow they can lend a hand butchering it.