Our slice of heaven

News on the home front ...

2012-01-21T07:20:00.004+11:00

OK one more post before I get on that Jet plane, leaving tomorrow morning.

Sadly I said goodbye to my gentle suffolks ram Billy, this morning, That's him on the right side of the blog. No more talking to me by the fence, having his ear scratched. Or walking next to me while doing the feeding run, or coming up next to me with not a sign of aggression. (off cause I am not dumb to think it was going to stay like that forever come breeding season or as he got older and cranky) The dreaded Barbous Pole did it again, struck fear into the hearts of all my sheep, two so far have come down with it in the last week. He was Miss lashes's lamb two yrs ago, Miss Lashes is so good natured for a sheep, loving her scratches aswell. Maybe it's just silly to get attached to farm animals.

Now His stepbrother Rowan will be the main Man around here, I will need to spend more time taming him but it's just never going to be the same. Rowan was due for a new home and up for sale, well that solves one problem.

Then there the fox problem, he's back Mr Fox, wiped out all but one of the neighbour/landlords chooks. it was touch and go for her too but I managed to pull her through. Had said to the neighbour she would be going to chook heaven the nextday, but then George got admitted to hospital and that saved her live. Started feeling so guilty watching her suffer, not bringing myself to end it for her, but she came good and is happily pecking away with the rest of my chooks. Unfortunately they are all under house arrest until further notice, as Mr fox has visited twice since and nearly dined on one of the Matlidas. She has lost her beautiful black feathers and had scares to prove where his teath nipped her back.

Our shearer Don was here on Friday and he drenched all the sheep. Miss Daisy took off like a rocket wanting nothing to do with that man or his dogs, hiding amongst the agaphantus all you saw as her head sticking out with those big aeroplane ears. Being a browser I was not to concerned about deworming her because she was done just before Christmas anyway. But she can't hide forever when Don comes back to crutch the sheep in six weeks time.

Well that's it for me, got a few little things to sort out today , then I ready to go. Thanks for the good wishes for Mom. See ya all soon
Rina

Going on a jet plane ...

2012-01-18T09:10:00.003+11:00

Hi everyone,

Just a short post today. This last week has been just a little stressfull, one reason being Mom's not very well and asked I should come back home for a while. My ticket is booked and paid for, just about packed and ready. Will have to start saving again to recope the cost of flight, maybe it's time I go back to work again or take up raising free range meat chooks on a larger scale, maybe both. That's something to think about when I get back.

I will take my camera along and hope to capture a few pics to share. I must admit I am not really looking forward to this trip, Mom and I have not always seen eye to eye about a few things but as she's in her deep 70's, I have to go back. Maybe the problem is we are both strongwilled. Mom's lifestyle is very different from mine and my way of thinking, she would rather sit reading the newspaper or a magazine where I would rather tend animals or make something. This is the time I wish I had other siblings to share the responsiblity of an ageing parent. It's a good 15hr trip, lucky it is a direct flight to Johannesburg (South Africa) The return flight is booked for the 23rd Febuary.

This will be my last post for a while
See ya when I get back
Rina

Cockies come visiting ... oh and the ducks ... kids

2012-01-14T07:24:00.002+11:00

Love the wet face, having fun .... School holiday for Queensland is just about over and my boy flies back to Brisbane this morning.:(((

Second time at waveboarding, the weather was so beautiful

...

Kids having some holiday fun ...

1 of the 3 white ducks at the wave boarding place, I love ducks!!

A male Blue Wren ...

A pair of wild duck taking over our pool, nothing scares them away, cats don't bother with them, dogs don't bark at them, rubber snakes on the paving makes no impression. They feel so at home here, even join the chickens feeding on their grains.

Hmmm don't even think about going into the veggie patch!

Not aiming for the patch but rather the newly mowed paddock. Gosh these bird can be noisy when they want too.

@ Trish ... These parrots are all wild, and have very long lifespans 75 and more human years. And no the ducks are very friendly.

@Eva ... welcome, glad you found me, been trying to find your blog?

@Chris H ... if they do ... well a extra can of liquid chlorine could do the job lol

See ya soon,thanks for popping in today

~~ Full moon in the clouds ~~

2012-01-10T04:15:00.008+11:00

Holiday fun ...

2012-01-06T13:02:00.022+11:00

Sydney Olympics 2000 Regatta Centre

First time for me too, so this is where all the canoeing took place, and it's not going to waste.

If only the boys were old enough to take part! You got to be 12 and they just turning 9 Bummer. A few more years to wait!

Wow that was fun Grandma ...

Kiwi jam

2012-01-05T12:09:00.000+11:00

Ingredients:

3 cups chopped peeled kiwi
1 package dry pectin
1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
4 cups sugar
Directions:
1Combine kiwi, pectin and pineapple juice in a large saucepan.2Bring to a boil stirring constantly.3Add sugar, stirring until disolved.4Return to a rolling boil.5Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.6Remove from heat-skim off foam.7Ladle into clean hot jars leaving 1/4 inch head space.8Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath at altitudes up to 1000 feet.

(TRIED INVAIN TO GET PECTIN AT OUT LOCAL SUPERMARKET, SO ENDED UP USING jAM SETTING SUGAR. Also I let the sugar melt mixed in with the fruit and juice. and had the jam cooking slowly for longer, cause the kiwi's were a little firm to start with, so that changed the colour to a see through gold. The next batch I make I will make sure the fruit is more on ripe and soft side)

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/kiwi-jam-11522#ixzz1i4Pw9Zz9

http://www.food.com/

New Years 2012 ...

2012-01-01T22:54:00.007+11:00

Tanya (the blond one,see not a true blond lol) and Cobi joined friends at Brighton beach to watch the early fireworks for the kids. Lots of fun for the little ones!
While they were having fun we stayed home with the animals. Our neighbour at the back property has a New Years party with a wonderful display of fireworks, the party starts around 8pm and lasts till the wee hrs of the morning. They have fun but not all the animals in our surrounds think it's fun. Chief, Tammy and Daisy sure don't cope well with the noise. I had secured them in safe areas by 9pm and all the cats were kept inside safely on a favorite spot.

Best Wishes for a great New Year for everyone
May you be blessed in many ways
Lots of love
Rina

Tomato Jam to die for ...

2011-12-30T14:46:00.008+11:00

Bottling a little summer goodness. I can't take credit for this pic above or this easy recipe, it's borrowed you see. Had a little hunt around the internet for Tomato jam, some even had grated ginger. Finally arriving at this recipe. The tomatoes were all from my garden, big fleshy fruit. The recipe calls for 4 1/2 lbs but I had 5 lbs.But by the time the jam is ready it has reduced to a jelly with little seeds, so very pretty.

Recipe
Sweet Tomato Jam
4.5 lbs ripe red tomatoes
4.5 lbs granulated sugar
2 lemons

Using a sharp knife, score the bottoms of each tomato in a cross, then plunge the tomato into boiling water for about 20 seconds. Remove and let cool, and when cool enough to handle, peel and roughly chop the tomatoes over a large pot, to catch the juices. (This is not a neat process. You might want to wear an apron.) Discard the skins, and place the tomato chunks into the pot.

Add the lemon juice to the pot, and add the lemon halves to the pot with the tomatoes. Heat the tomatoes over medium heat. Add the sugar, 1 cup at a time, stirring after each addition, and waiting about 10 minutes in between each addition. Lightly crush the tomatoes, or use a hand blender to puree slightly, and let cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the jam begins to jell and the entire mixture is bubbling like a swamp, being careful not to let it burn. Remove the lemon halves.

Ladle into hot canning jars with new lids, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Makes approximately 2 pints.

Read more: http://savour-fare.com/2011/08/29/preserving-summer-tomato-jam/#ixzz1hzCvTapE

Just had the thumbs up, a little taste testing of the pot left overs. Well I better get to cleaning that kitchen. Tomorrow I am going to make plum jam.
See ya soon
Rina

A Spare hour at Botany Bay ...

2011-12-27T20:40:00.013+11:00

Hi Everyone, Today We had to drop of Elisa, my one day to be daughter in law, what a mouthfull, she's visiting her parents in Perth a good 5hr flight away. And then the boys and myself headed off to the beach, not the best weather, but they still had fun. Then back to the airport to pick up Neal. They had plenty of time for a coffee before the flight.Thought I'd share these pics with you.

We had a lovely Christmas, did the roast chicken and pork, baked potatoes veggies and trifle, was good too. Even make a second trifle for boxing day, finished that of at lunch today.

Well that's it for today
see ya all
Rina

2011-12-23T07:59:00.003+11:00

Good Morning to all my blog friends,

Thank you for all the lovely Christmas Wishes left on the blog, very much appreciated thank you. Lovely to have such wonderful Friends and Followers. And May I wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year. Lots of presents under your tree. Even if it is a little less this year than previous years, we need to remember it's about being with our families, and friends.

The Christmas count down is nearly there, not many days and hours left. Sure the kids have it all worked out too. The menu is all done, now just to take the chooks out the freezer, get the berry trifle made. I like keeping it simple! This year we will be roasting 2 huge homegrown chickens with stuffing, roast potatoes and sweet potato, veggies. A nice salad and a platter of fresh fruit. I baked a double batch of condensed milk biscuits with a red cherry on top (under recipes) and today I am going to bake a batch of chocolate biscuits with a small block of chocolate in the centre. First time I am going to try this one. Will post the recipe and pics later.

Done a little late night shopping last night for the last few presents, now it's just the wrapping I will leave up to Aunty Tanya, she's good at that:))) It's been rather hard this year even just finding out what was on Santa's list cause it seems to change daily. But I think we got it right without breaking the bank.

Well I'll be back later with the chocolate biscuit recipe and a pic or two
see ya later
Rina

We got a trespasser ....

2011-12-16T08:52:00.010+11:00

Someone's got into the veggie patch can you see who that is? And she's found the tree lucerne I am growing as fodder, yummy Mum.

Maybe if I stick my head in this here rasberry bush, Mum won't see me.

Think I just have another nibble at this, very tasty.

Maybe I should hightail it out of here, cause I know I am not allowed to be inside the veggie patch.

Oh darn Mum and that boy are blocking my escape route, I just stand here and look pretty instead.

Opps Mum going to see I trimmed the rasberry leaves too. That was so much fun Mum thanks not shutting the gate properly.
See ya all soon
Daisy

Looks at bit like Christmas ...

2011-12-15T16:07:00.001+11:00

A little tour around the house, packed most of the Non Christmas stuff awag and pulled out the big boxes of festive stuff. Most of them are up now, so thought I just take you for a walk through.

Oh my new rag angel is so beautiful, found her at the Goodwill store, why would anybody throw her out after so much loving work had gone in to make her. Her wire wings are so cute, and love the coffee stained lace collar.

Well that's it for now see ya later
Rina

A few pics of our short trip up to the farm ...

2011-12-11T15:33:00.010+11:00

Fairy on the mushroom looking after the herb/veggie garden while I am not there. She never did a good job cause the possums eat all the rasberry canes up.

Did a little mowing (2acre's worth)but not the whipper snipping. It was getting dark by the time I had finished mowing and had to load the rideon onto the trailer.

We left just before sunrise back to Sydney, managing to capture some lovely early morning pics. See if you can spot the cattle in the foreground. You might need to click on the pic to enlarge it.

Sugar Loaf Mountain

Maclay river winds it way from inland Armidale past Bellbrook and Kempsey to sea At South West Rocks.

Some yummy honey

Rather exhausted after the tripearly night here tonight I think. Thanks for popping in
Rina

2011-12-09T06:15:00.002+11:00

Good morning dear friends,
Sometimes I find it so nice thinking of you all as friends. We visit each other regularly, pop in just to check out what we're up to, cheer each other up when something happens or someones ill, even just to share a cuppa. Ah don't forget, we even let off steam when something messes up our day. Comment are nice to receive but if you just want to read that is also fine by me. I don't always leave comments myself only when I have something to say that is important, so please don't be offended, it's just me being me. Hold on I just need to let the chooks out be back soon.

Hi guys let me just introduce myself I am Daisy, you know the goat, Mum's gone for a min, I better be fast before she gets back Now what was she on about in her last post, did you read it, a little cheeky don't you think. Can I let you into a little secret. Remember she went to a mind, body and soul festival a few weeks ago ... did she not tell you about that, shameful for not sharing! you know she had a reading done, two actually, no I am not going to tell you what was said, but someone mentioned she's going to start writing, then doing the illustrations too no way! her hasen't drawn for yonks (25 years atleast)talk about rusty! You starting to see were this is going ....... oppss this typing with hoove is not so easy Okay Here she comes I better go before she catches me bye

Hmmm see Daisy has been spilling the beans, so now you all know. It is early days yet and yes Daisy is right about the drawing skills they very rusty so lots of practice ahead. but first I must say there's a big difference between writing a blog and writing a book. I am just aiming at a short story right now. Lets just see where this goes before anyone starts ordering books. Oh now this is going to mean i can't back out of it! going have to keep at this writing thing ....... and no just incase anyone thinks I believe in everything said to me, no not everything. BTW we're off to the farm this weekend, just to do a little mowing, haven't been there for atleast 5weeks enjoy your weekend.

See ya later
Rina

Another Amazing Sunset ...

2011-12-08T20:30:00.002+11:00

My bum feels like it been glued to the computer chair, then where's the blog post I hear you all say. Oh She's been a busy girl over at the story blog. no you can't see it sorry but you are very welcome to go visit there, you want the link okay here it is. But before you go heading off there check out these beautifull sunsets we had tonight. It's been raining since yesterday afternoon. and yeah we fiqure out why we ran out of water when it has been raining. I wish I could say we were true blond but we're not. the bottoms of the down pipes need replacing. How can you look at something but it just did not sink in that was part of the problem.All though Tanya say's she had mentioned that to the landlord before. Quess we need to again.

Survival plan, prepping and Rose Cottage ... reposted

2011-12-02T13:56:00.001+11:00

Good day to all the visitors today, well you might recall towards the end of last year I was taking part in a survival story. But towards the end of it I got turfed off the forum (my Ozzie X South African humour did not go down to well) and I got accused of "You should have run out of flour a long time ago, Throwing undersized fish back and even for not cramming 11 adults and 4 kids into a very small cottage." well if it were for real then I might be in some serious trouble with the Law, a few people would be dangling by their ears, so getting a shed or cottage up if you have the building material and a few cans of paint to do some building work would be a priority. One of my pet hates is people wanting to be the centre of attention even if they don't mean too, it's just the way it came across to me And seeing it was just an exercise to see how our grocery stockpiling would hold up for 60 days in a emergency situation. Actually it was rather fun, an exercise like that, need only be done once, trying to milk it again and again is rather silly.

Just did the grocery cupboard tidy up and it made me think of the survival story, and I got to think, what I have managed to tick of my prepping list.

When I put up a pic of my grocery cupboard after doing the tidy up, tinned dog and cat food looked like that was all there was for dinner ... wrong!! My supply of meat was still running around outside, not canned. My meat chooks were just about ready to slaughter as well as being a good battering tool. Having a growing season still ahead meant we could still plant more.

Actually if we had played that game now, I wonder if those Girls learnt anything from it. I sure did. the economy is worse than last year this time for a lot of people but some people (American Girls) do have the advantage having just harvested and preserved and bottled ready for their winter months. Where we have just planted our crops and are just starting to see the first of the ripening tomatoes and the pumpkins are just starting to swell out. A fair way still to go.

(Please note there can't any pics of bottled preserves, salsas and sauces cause they are still boxed and packed away, cause there is no cupboard space. Oneday I will be blessed with heaps of storage. nor have we taken a look at the freezer)

I made a mental note of where my prepping /survival gear was short, making a point of addressing it where possible. Items I purchased through the year are 2 extra fishing rods, gut, sinkers and hooks. Mud crab/yabbie traps. 2 light fittings and nets to go on top of a small gas bottles. A large 5 ltr kettle for boiling hot water on the stove. Filters and buckets for a homemade water system. updated the first aid box, labelling and boxing, sorting and added heaps more stuff to it. I also had a good look at the seed storage box and replaced a few seeds. Seeds like Mangles & turnip/swedes,(for pig food) sunflower, milo for chicken food and corn for milling to make flour.

Larger items included 2 single mattress and frames $900. A gas smoker, a secondhand bread maker from the Goodwill store, a plastic vacuum pack bag sealer and 5 rolls of bags and a electric meat saw. Electric knife sharpen and a chainsaw blade sharpener, a new axe. New Corrugated roofing for part the cottage and new deck. Treated timber sleeps for 10 veggie boxed. We carted trailer loads of horse poo, chicken poo and mushroom compost to the farm. Serious plans enclosing the kitchen area and hopefully parts of the new kitchen, and to extend the cottage are underway. The septic tank has been installed but not connected. Replaced the shower cubicle after the other one got damaged when a tree came down on it and bought a new toilet for the bathroom. Lots of work needs to be done over Dec/January holidays.

You might wonder about all the electrical stuff and yes we can run a generator when absolutely necessary. The last few times we have been doing a bit of works at the farm, the generator packed up and needed to be brought back to Sydney and now after a major service, carbbie service and a cracked head or something, it should be fixed finally.

I think we have done well for 2011.
It's never to late to start a stockpile, just a few items every week, just remember to rotate and keep a watch for used by dates
See ya
Rina

PS. I have posted the whole survival story in order of days below if anyone is brave enough to read it. Thanks for visiting

Intro ...

2011-12-02T09:29:00.002+11:00

A few of us have been playing this survival game over at ___, a bunch of nice girls too. Anyway it's how we would cope with just what you have in your pantry at that moment, animals in your backyard and what you have in your garden growing. The point is that you can't run to the shops to buy anything cause there is non, no electricity so there is no way you can keep anything cold. It also means you don't have heating or air conditioning depending where you live. Don't forget there are lots of people that don't have much and would do anything for food. I think we're to start another round soon but you can play with a few of your blogging buddies.

I think survival would depend on your skills for hunting, fishing and being able to process what ever your can find/catch. The girls there have been canning/preserving everything even meat. I admit I have never gone down that road seriously and am willing to learn that too. (I can make yerky) Another element to your success would be how good your stockpiling is. Storage is needed for bulk purchases esp when you looking at your basic foodstuff like sugar, flour,soup mixes & legumes

What we have got out of it so far has been useful for our stockpiling, showing where what we would run out of in a few weeks. By writing daily it makes you think and soon you start living with that in mind esp when you go shopping, you just add a few extras in the trolley. Scan those junkmail adverts for sales and buy only what you need. And finding information on How too do stuff like hand craft, rug making, making cloth nappies, aprons & socks and mittens etc. Doing washing without a washing machine all skills we lost when life became easier when we got power.

It does not stop with food which is the first priority, but safety/security/health/education and craft/skills.Even discuss this with your family (just in case they think you have lost the plot) Mine think I have too but they all know if this did happen where to come.
Anyway this is my story so far.............

3 comments:
becky3086 said...
http://simplyselfsufficiency.yuku.com
Everyone is welcome!

December 16, 2010 9:12 AM
Nilo & Des said...
Ek lees en lees en dag nee man hier gaat iets aan. Toe realize ek dis net 'n storie. Anyway, Dessie en ek sal julle join dan kan Georgie lekker rus terwyl ons die bou werk doen.O ja en Dessie is mos goed met die lektrieks en Solar panels en goete. And don't fortget hy't 'n hele hand vol green vingers.

December 16, 2010 6:14 PM
Rina ... also Chester or Daisysmum. said...
Lol Nilo You are most welcome to join us anytime, just bring everyone with you, plenty space.Love ya lots too

December 16, 2010 6:29 PM

Survival Game part 1 & 2 ....

2011-12-01T21:43:00.002+11:00

Mind if I play along, news filters slowly across the world, but it hits our island with such disbelieve and shock, very few people are prepared for it. Our Goverment tried to hide it, but they never counted on news spreading via the internet, our friends from different eco and simple living forums have put the word out before the TV stations broadcast shortages of food due to crops being poisoned. We're far from the problems and Goverment should have a back up plan, no need to worry to much! The supermarket shelves only stock enough food for 3 to 4 days, it crazy as people stock up on all the packaged goods,fill up their cars and boat jerrycans with petrol. Some folk lost their homes recently or are about to loss them due to the loss of jobs so they can't meet their morgage payments. We lucky our bush block's morgage is very low and we way ahead anyway. But we 6 hrs drive away from it and haven't got a lot on it atm, just an old caravan and a small unfinished cottage and no electricity. There a 20 ft container and most of the fencing is up, a chook house can be easily erected. Our jobs are not safe and with in 4 weeks we woun't be able to pay the rent anymore and we will be evicted anyway. We got enough diesel to get us to the farm. Dear Daughter drives a Territory and she manages to fill up her car and a few spare large jerrycans, Her car is loaded to the brim, even her sewing machines and over locker, useful if there is power but she's not leaving them she says. Her vet books take up a bit of space but they handy incase we need them as reference.

We need to get to the block asap before the masses leave the city. We start packing all the important stuff, food, medicial stuff, animals feed, bedding, clothes. All the livestock to go in the enclosed trailer, chooks go in wooden crates made especially for transposting them they squashed but that's just to bad, cats in their carriers. Everything packed on the suspended floor above the livestock, shade cloth covers the trailer to give the animals some relief from the summer sun. Niffy idea that was too. Count 6 sheep, 5 lambs,1 goat, 18 egg layers and 25 young meat birds. 6 cats and 3 large dogs.
It's time for stocktake, My food cupboard to well stocked and should carry our small family for 4/5 months easily. Before we leave all the fresh veggies need to be harvested and processed if possible. 2 queensized Mattresses and 2 singles get tied up ontop of the trailer's cage. Every man and his dog are on the road, some service stations are running out of fuel and we fill up frequently while it's still available. Nobody is very worried at this stage.

But I do have a secret stash at the farm, toilet papers, towels, sheets blankets, cooking equipment, clothes, canning bottles, gas stove and fridge, combustion stove with an endless supply of wood, water tanks, fuel tank with 200 ltr of petrol for the ride on, generators and other equipment, lots of building stuff and hardware. There's a veggie patch with sweet potatoes, a few fruit trees, bananas and prickly pears, not much to brag about. We do have a few advantages for a small village, a doctor, a local school, a pub, cop station, rural fire station and a river. Farmers in the area have cattle and a few sheep.
We arrive after being on the road for 10 hrs, exhausted ... the sheep have to be tendered too but the chooks can wait till the morning
*************
It's Sonday, we have been here since friday and built a makeshift chook house for the black orpingtons, Harry and all the Matildas must wonder what happened to their nice accomodation. Clyde, 2 silkies hens and Issabella the leghorn have to make do with a A frame home. The meat birds are still in their wooden crate, it's big enough for another week or two. Daisy the goat knows the farm well, she used to travel in the Rodeo's canopy when she was little, only she now wants to sleep inside the caravan with us, not a good idea Daisy. She will need a yard and home too. The sheep have a shed and they happy munching the overgrown grass. Their fencing is well put up from last December, when they came for a 5 week vacation to the farm. I got warned then there were wild dogs and dingos up in the mountains but depending on how hunger they were they could come down this way.Only 1 water tank is connected atm, it's 4500 ltrs and it full.

The farm is overgrown with lantana again, it's a weed here did you know,it grows so densely you can't even get through. The bramble bushes down the creek have plenty fruit on them but to venture in there is looking for trouble atm, Need to get some gum boots/wellingtons and thick clothing for that. There is three problems we have to be aware of here ticks, spiders and snakes, they can make you very sick or kill you. Oh and the marsh fly, his a little green fly that bites ya and boy it is so sore, itches and then turns red and pussy.

We decide George needs to head back to Sydney with the trailer, to load water troughs, chain wire, timber posts and dismantle the chook palace and stuff we needed to bring but ran out of space. Tanya will go with him cause he is a type 2 diabetic and will find it hard doing all this by himself. And he still needs to give his notice at work and get the monies owing to him, he has a well paying job with lots of responsiblities. Lucky for us the owners of the business are money hungry creatures and will hang on to this business until the end. They refuse to give him money, only willing to pay half of his money and would rather give him the 4x4 ute (our company car)which is fully paid for. That's fine by us.

Tanya also needs to get as much of his medication Insulin, needles and swabs as possible. And more chook food and what ever else she can find. I would like my dining room table and chairs and dresser, the meat safe for making jerky, chopping block and carpets, I got no idea how they going to do it. Our friends Nick and Adele have been so kind and put them up for two nights. They renting and have also just lost they jobs, and they at a lose what to do next. George invites them to come live at the farm for a while.

George and Tanya are back by wensday with a full load, and My toy, A done up VW Beetle towing a small trailer, also loaded. God do I love them, I resigned losing it forever. ( if George knows how much I spend restoring that Beetle he would have a heart attack on the spot) They got one more supprise for me, 30 baby meat chookies and heaps of chick starter. 2 huge bags of potatoes that are ready for planting nobody wanted them so that was reduced, 2bags of brown onions, 2 pumpkins and a box of pie apples. More toilet paper and laundry soap.
They are exhausted from all the hard work and travel, they off to bed early. Tomorrow is another day ...
*****************
After a good night's sleep Tanya is feeling heaps better, but George is having a bad start to his day, his feet are swollen and his whole body is sore, I knew it would catch up on him. So today all he will do is sit around giving orders and sleep, tomorrow he should be heaps better. Meantime we have work to do and we need to unpack the trailers. I need to make a list of the food stuff and pack it away safely, lock and key, a key around my neck and one in a secret place just in case I lose this one. There is a lockable steel mouse proof cupboard our friend Des left it at the farm for us, it was used to store tools in but now it will be used as a pantry.

The new chookies need a wooden crate for their home for the next 2 weeks. We'll use the silky's crate for now. The bags of feed needs to be stored in a dry place so it's under the old brass bed in Rose Cottage, plenty of space for now. 2 Water troughs need to be filled up and one placed next to the sheep shed so water can run into them from the soon to be installed gutter. We have a bowl of lentil veggie soup with a slice of bread for lunch.

The furniture and carpets stays on the trailer covered with a tarp for now. Rose Cottage is far from ready to be lived in as a home, all it is a large room with a big deck atm, and a roof better than nothing. We bought a septic tank up the last time we came for a weekend and during the Christmas holidays it was going to be installed. It's rough and it ours. Tomorrow the diningroom furniture goes on the deck and it will start feeling like home. We will have to enclose the deck and make a small kitchen area, and build a bush bathroom/toilet. The caravan will also have to move from under the trees to where the carport will go. It will be Tanya's room for a while, she is already complaining about the storage. And that's what we will do this afternoon.

After dinner consisting of pasta and sauce, we decide do a to do list and that way we will all know what needs to be done and not run round like headless chooks.
Get the gutter up on the sheep shed
Need a house and yard for Daisy for nighttime.Get a gutter on her house too and another trough for the runoff.
Fence off a section for the dogs, can't leave them tied up all dag.
Enclose part of the deck for bad weather with the cypress weartherboards we were saving for the main cottage. Put insulation in and nail liner boards on the inside. (while they take a coffee brake I just slap some paint on the walls)
Unload the meat safe and chopping block and dinningroom furniture.
Then sort out the kitchen stuff, remove all cooking stuff from the caravan, get gas fridge on the deck and reconnect it. What a blessing this fridge will be, no electricity means no fridge and your food will spoil. Move the bush washup sink and fix the drainage pipes, I need another shelf for the pots and pans and some doors please.
George better feel better by the morning cause his list is getting longer.
Tanya loves mowing the lawn with the ride on and tomorrow first thing after breakfast she can start with that. While we dig a few holes for the posts and concrete them in. Start enclosing the deck while the concrete dries, then late afternoon get the fence up. Daisy's house just needs to be reassembled with a few screws and she's right to go.

The cats are being a right pain just wanting to escape the room, but they have to stay inside for atleast 2 weeks, they going to drive us nuts for sure.
Thank goodness we stocked up on hardware and building materials, it's going to come in very handy. It's late and we all tired ...

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Quick answer we just about leaving for work. Meat safe is a storage cupboard with fly screen netting on 3 sides, it has shelves and under the shelves are 3 wooden rods to hang up meat. We make beef jerky very different to what you do and only in winter. Check out my blog for better explanations and recipe. I have been collecting for a long time and have been living the off the grid life at the farm for nearly 4 years so have got a few things to make my life easier. still it very primitive. We have a few gas bottles 4x 9 kg, 2 large ones that should last for6 months just running the fridge. gas stove will only work when there is no other way out. (save gas for fridge.)see ya gotta go
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Day 10 ... I need to journal our progress daily, it will make a great read when everything is normal again, but what will normal be? All ready there seems to be an angry city with lots of angry people asking why does the Goverment not do something, being realistic why must the Goverment be souly responsible for this mess. How about people trying to help themselves too. Fuel prices have shot through the roof and the shops have had to put their prices up too because of transport costs. The shelves are emptied by 9am of foodstuff still coming through and soon there won't be any deliveries. The local radio had a discussion today with our minister by phone, they doing the best they can she says.
The roads were extra busy with people leaving the city, and there is a shortage of fuel, some service stations have got extra security watching nobody takes off without paying for their fuel. I am just glad we left when we did.
We got some fencing done and enclosed the deck, got the furniture sorted out, and mowed the lawn. George had to have a rest by middag, his feet were swollen again, that is what diabetes does to you. Rest ... no such luck for us though. Breakfast was a boiled egg with toast, lunch just a sandwick with a cup of tea, Dinner was more pasta and sauce. That was the last of the store bought bread. Hens layed 6 eggs today

George is worried what we're going to do without an income, it the first time he has not had a job since he started working at 17. I am not that worried about that atm, cause I have been planning our retirement since we bought this bush block. It's here just a little earlier than I expected. While they were back in Sydney I had gone to town and withdrew a far bit of money, it is always good to have cash on hand cause the banks could close their doors and then your stuck without money. (withdrew the money the company owed George for long service, holiday allowance and our weekly wages) They were not very happy with me! wanting to limit my withdrawal. At home I stowed the money away in a few glass bottles with lids and dug some holes under the (It's secret not telling lol). only keeping a few dollars handy.
Tomorrow I will get out the secret stockpiling containers that's been in the container, go through them and get some stuff we need atm and the rest will go back in storage. No need to have it all out, in case we get robbed or something.
Everyone gone to bed already while I am writing this journal by tealight candle.

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Day 11 ... plan on working on the to do list, finish the fencing, screw on the gates and assemble Daisy' house. Get the gutters up I think the weather is changing and we be in for a storm this afternoon. Maybe I should rotory hoe a patch for the potatoes, add the old composted lawn clippings in and get the potatoes planted in the ground before the storm hits.
George is doing better today, his sugar levels are better under control today, just need to watch him not to overdo the physical work. He can have a rest later.
Our friends Nick and Adele with their 2 little girls are due to arrive soon and we need to prepare for them, find them somewhere to sleep. I am expecting them to bring the minimal stuff with them.
Breakfast we had oats porridge and an apple, I always have a few packets in my pantry of quick cooking oats (Low GI food)Lunch we rolled two potatoe for each in tin foil and baked it in the coals. Baked a Damper in the black pot over the coals (damper is a big round scone looking bread great with jam or bovril) and made a pumpkin soup for tea (dinner)
Checked out the seed box and need to start fixing up the veggiepatch for planting. Hens layed 5 eggs today. Can't believe it exactly 4 weeks to Christmas. Just before it starts pouring down we hear a car horn and it's them, they have been on the road since early morning and are starving, the girls love pumpkin soup and even ask for seconds. after a quick wash they fall asleep on a single mattress. News from the city is not good there's riots and trouble around every corner, traffic out of the city is crazy, cars dumped when the fuel runs out not good at all.

Adele brought all her groceries and butter, cheese and powder milk with, and a few bottles of alcohol. Their mattresses tied on the roof racks (thank goodness George told them to do that) and some bedding. Their furniture was put in storage and they had to paid in advance to keep it there. We will need to build a shed/room for them to live in, Nick have done some renovations to his house himself so is handy with a saw and hammer.

(We off to the farm this weekend so no post for the next few days, hve a great weekend Rina)
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It was a great weekend of mowing the lawn , cleaning up and cutting up a dead tree for firewood. I thought of a nice firewood stack like I have seen one a few American girls blogs, stacked all neatly , well I have requested one, now lets see how long I have to wait. George even used his new Alcheapo Electric Blade sharper for his chain saw I bought him from Aldi's awhile ago. Do you have an Aldi's store in USA?

So here goes...Day 13
Where to house all these guests is going to be another thing, we barely got enough space for ourselfs. My worry is how are they going to intergrate and cope with our lifestyle for one Adele and the kids don't eat veggies, that will have to change if they want to live with us. Nick is easy he ate anything I gave him when he stayed with us for 2 weeks about 3 yrs ago. And Adele hate creepycrawlies of any kind.

We decided to turn the wooden shed into a one bedroom cottage, add a little deck on the front, just somewhere for them to sit with the kids and it's large enough to house a double bed and double bunks for the kids and a chest of draws. Later we could add another room and a bathroom to it. Nick and George start the renovations.

Adele keeps the little ones busy while I put together a macaroni, cheese and a little bacon dish for dinner, and an apple pie with custard for dessert. While the boys recharge the battery packs on the tools/drills, dinner is cooking in the small electric oven run by the small generator. It's lighter on fuel than the big one. I find some of the garlic is sprouting and needs to be planted if we to have garlic next year. Hens layed 5 eggs today. A jug of iced tea to quench thirst today. During the afternoon I try to phone my Boys in Queensland from the public phone booth in the village, I am relieved when one answers. They about to head to the farm as well. Jokingly remind me of all my mad ideas so they coming to see if we can all survive there. Yeah right ! That will mean 4 adults and 2 kids extra.

Tomorrow is washday so tonight I will cart water for the tub outside, add soap and sock cloths overnight, then it easier to scrub tomorrow. Tanya helps a little but keeps to herself a lot.
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Day 14 ...
Wash day blues, swirled the washing around a bit, drained most of the dirty water and added some fresh water with a little laundry soap. The girls got into the water with Adele and they walked all over the lighter soiled washingaggitating the water and quess what it was all clean in no time. We wrung most of the water out and placed that in another bucket. Then she added boys work clothes to the soapy water and repeated the process, who needs a washing machine when the little ones had so much fun. A good rinse and wring to get rid of the excess water, and hang it on the line. A third load is put in to soak a little.

All this hard work is rewarded with a cup of tea and some apple and cinnanon muffins, baked while the boys were recharging the battery packs for the drills, there's even a few muffins for the freezer. I just mixed a homebrand cake mix packet with two diced apples, squeesed a few drops of lemon to stop the apples from going brown and sprinkled some cinnanon powder into the mix. How easy was that! It cost only 70cents for the cake mix! The boys were also glad for a treat with their coffee.

The cottage is getting on nicely, they found a small window to put in and all that's left to do is make the double doors, then add the bull nose roofing over the little deck, a gutter and a 45 gallon drum for water. Tonight they will be able to move the mattresses in, tomorrow George can sort out some beds for them.

I still got some mince and decide to make a meat loaf, rice, gravy and green beans mashed with an onion and a large potato. We have a full 10 kg bag of rice and then a small bag which Adele brought with. 3 cups is all we need tonight, tomorrow the chookies can have a little rice too. The young meat chooks are growing nicely, another 3 weeks and we could slaughter a few for the freezer. The babies are nearly 3 weeks old now and eating us out of house and home (not really)
Dinner is a sit down affair, time to gather everyone together and be thankful for what we got
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Day 15 ... (part 2)
This morning I walked over to our neighbours farm, they are a friendly bunch, very helpful too. I got the son to help me put up fencing last year and bull doze some trees and lantana in the crownland next to our property in the name of "fire prevention" Paid him for the job too. They farm piglets and sell them to the Asian market here in Sydney, only now they might have a few spare cause they would be low on petrol. It's just a friendly visit and too see if I could buy a piglet off them. They happy to batter for my 2 silkies hens and 1 leghorn for eggs and rooster and 4 young meat chooks. I think thats fair and we'll deal tomorrow.

The boys drop what they doing and start get a yard ready for 2 piglets, it not very big but it sturdy. I hope I will score in the long run.Give a few months and we will have pork on the table.

Late afternoon the kids from Brisbane arrive, very squashed and tired, the small car is packed to the brim. Michael and grandson Cobi nearly 8 yrs old are not with them, so we very concerned. They left Brisbane a week ago on bicycles, and were going to ride during the day, camp in a small tent and sleeping bags. There was no sign of them on the road. Another well thought idea Michael doing nearly 650 klm with a small child but then he always did things his way in any case. His's one tough boy, did his first cycle endurance race when he was 13, 100klm in 5hrs and that with a normal street bike, we had to follow him all the way by car as he was the youngest to take part for a while. He was laughed at at the beginning of the race, most thought he'd never make it. Now he takes the young one on weekends for long rides in rough territory. Anyway if all goes well it should take them atleast 12 days.

With an extra male Neal around they quickly start work on Lavender Cottage again, just need to change the design slightly to add a second bedroom. That means we are going to be short on weatherboard cladding but we cross that bridge when we get there.There's about a week of work left to do to make it sort of livable. If only the weather stays good they get a move on.
Elize is Italian and an excellant cook so she'll be a great help in the kitchen. we use the dehydrator to dry a bag of onions , making dinner as we go. Pasta Bake with some garkic bread rolls they brought with. Hens layed 7 eggs today

Late afternoon we do some weeding and planting, add more compost to the sweet potatoes and just tidy up the place a bit. The seedlings I planted the otherday are just coming up and I carefully transplant them and water them. There's Comfrey, common mint, Rosemary, chillies and Galangha plants going very well so I sow a few parsley seeds, basil, coliander, lemon balm and thyme. I plant a varity of pumpkins and squashes, carrots, beetroot, turnips and parnips

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Yeh Becky That's exactly what worries us too, only it early days for us into this disaster.
They would have set off around day 8, that might count in their favour. This is something my son would do in real life. He carted those bikes all the way from africa 4 yrs ago. If it not a motor bike it will be a bicycle trust me. Father and son have a wonderfull relationship and spend lots of time riding. My other son Neal is not sporty and would rather read or play on the computer. Elize is his fiance and Luke is from his first marriage. I am in two if Linda should appear on the show?!

Day 16 ...
Still no sign of them it's early days yet. What was he thinking, even if they travel safely how is a 7yr old going to cope? No sense in worring yet, Michael is a smart street wise kid. Soon to be ex daughter inlaw is not worried. Can they patch things up ... don't think so. Tanya is not at all happy with her brother (understatement) or Marna.

The boys are very busy getting the housing in order, only take breaks for teatime then get right back to it. The pace is to heavy for George and he takes a afternoon nap. It the first day of summer for us here in Australia, it hot and humid, the flies hang around waiting for you to open your mouth. They need an ozzie hats one with corks on, so when you turn your head it wacks the flies lol

The girls are bored and they decide to try a little crafting, so we knock up a weaving frame of sorts, string it and make a small shuttle from wood. Meantime they start cutting up some old tee shirts (from the secret stash boxes)in thin strips, join them and roll them into small balls. Then start weaving them into a small rug. They having fun! Tanya joined in too. She does not like Marna atm and just ignores her.To finish it off they add a broad binding around the outside with the sewing machine. I show them how to make a calico rag wreath for Christmas, soon we got 4 wreaths. My material stash just got smaller. Luke and the girls have been reading stories the whole afternoon.

The piglet swap happened as planned and our neighbour Faye was every so happy to have the 3 eggs for the day too. The meat chooks should be ready for Christmas Dinner, they only 3 people atm so one should be more than enough. Faye drives the local school bus, she's not to sure what will happen if the council is still going to run the bus service. She gave me a few lemons from her tree, that was very kind of her, so we will make a little lemonade syrup for cooldrinks.

Hens layed 9 eggs today
Baked a banana bread with an overripe banana.
Made damper and thick chicken noodle soup, a few carcasses from the fridge, added onions and grated carrot, noodles from those 2 min packets I had from the lasttime the boys visited. It's been boiling on the coals the whole afternoon.
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Day 17 ...
Another day in paradise, so far we have been very lucky not having any unwanted guests, it's because we off the beaten track. Our Village is 60km from the main Pacific Highway, towards the mountains, even in the good days it's mostly the farming community and then the canoeists going to 5 Day creek camping grounds, they canoe down the Maclay River, must be stunning up there. The river passes at the foot of our villiage and goes all the way to the sea.

There's a few good fishing spots but that the local fishermen secret, and we not that local! The boys really want to go fishing and decide to try down by the bridge. Early morning and late afternoon is normally a good time here. They don't get anything worth keeping. So return and continue building. They mood is so much better, their step it up a notch.

Us girls keep ourselves busy weeding the garden and tending the animals. Hens layed 7 eggs today. The baby meat chooks will need another home soon they getting bigger by the day, some want to fly out the crate already. There is still plenty of chick starter. Piglets are happy with the uncrowded and non-smelly conditions from nextdoor. They kids think they so cute ... I can see tears coming when we slaughter them. Adele spends sometime with the kids colouring in and reading a story. After dinner we talk about the kids going back to school next year if they have a teacher. Tomorrow we will take a walk to school and have a chat to the teacher. It's have 45 kids at the best of times all kids from the district farms, some won't be able to come anymore due to saving petrol/diesel.

Still no sign of Michael and Cobi ...
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Day 18 ...
After breakfast we head down to the little school, it's only a 10 min walk from us, there's only a few kids there atm and one teacher. She lives in the village with her husband and is going to try keep the school going, Our kids are most welcome to join. They have a veggie garden that her husband looks after and a few ducks. She does mention now that they are not getting paid anymore, she was hoping that the kid's parents will be contributing to maintance and cleaning of the school and yard and maybe in kind to her as well. (Hint taken) There is also a meeting in the park this afternoon, and we very welcome to attend, might be a good idea to introduce all my guests to the villiage, before they get concerned about the new faces around. Dr Paul and Constable Jade will be there to see things run smoothly. The village has a population of 160 so everyone know everyone, mostly are elderly.

The discussion is how we are going to cope without being able to drive to town 60klm away for our needs. Most villiagers have a small veggie patch and a few hens or ducks, meat is no major problem atm The good Dr is very much a tribal leader here and says he expects us to look out for each other and help where possible. Any problem need to be reported to Himself and Constable J, man what a team. Also the school will stay open for now, it's right nextdoor to the Constable's home, so he will keep an eye out for the kids and teacher. The good Dr will keep doing what he needs to do. Medical supplies could run short sometime down the track. They will risk going down to the Hospital in town tomorrow for medical supplies and any food stuff they can find. We are truly blessed to have them both!

Also we will have a swap and batter market every saturday morning in the park. Village security is inportant to everyone, please come introduce any family or friends arriving. The elderly are warned not to just open their doors to anyone they don't know. Keep doors locked and windows closed at night. Constable J will patrol the street at about 9pm, just to make sure there's no problems yet, also if everyone can be at home before it gets dark will help him a lot. Mark his neighbour offers to walk with him.

It hard having elderly residents around, extra care needs to be taken for them. If we look out for each other we might get through this thing together. It's the Aussie way! Christmas Carols will still be held in the park, it's a bring a plate affair (that means you need to bring a plate of something with you if you can afford it) Tea will be supplied.

Walking home we all feel a little relieved that the villiage is going to work together, and everybody was welcomed into the fold. We got to meet the dairy farmer cross the bridge and made arrangements to get some milk from him if possible. He want to batter milk for help around his farm. Dennis the Menise, that's our neighbour across the road, planted watermelons and rock melons which he normally sells from the back of his truck, it's just to dangerous selling on the highway atm, gives them away too anyone wanting any. He also sells firewood in winter.

Not a lot was done today ... dinner was some pasta and bolonaise sauce.
Still no sign of Michael and Cobi
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Day 20 ...
Washing was done early this morning and hung up, the big girls took turns in the tub, good thing it's not winter here, their little tootsies would have frozen off. I think their just wanted to give the furniture another coat of paint, lol nothing like having your own space. For girls they have got on reasonably well. Tanya will not forgive Marna easily, nobody c..... on her brother and gets away with it, no love lost there, but I take it with a little more understanding, Michael is not the easiest person to live with, besides she did give me the best little boy ever. They will have to sort out their own problems.

Late afternoon the bed frames are ready and the boys carry them in, they start scheming for more bits of furniture lol, will have to talk to George, his wood stash has had a good workout. My secret stash boxes are next to be raided for extra bedding, shampoo/soap, candles & towels hmmm I need to watch them lol. A simple coat rack and a boot stand is needed too. One thing he does have to do is a small kitchen with a wash up basin, shelves and place for the little gas stove I used to use before I got the nice chef I bought with my small change challenge money. It's just for making warm drinks, cooking is done over at the Rose Cottage.The 3 ltr gas bottle will last 2 months if they carefull. They still need to add the bathroom and a hot water system of sorts. Woodfire & Beer kegs!!!! They trying their luck for the camping fridge to keep their milk and water cold, should I give in, it means extra gas useage? Come winter then they can use a bucket with water, in the shade, that is so cold the milk is fine for a few days in the water.

Tomorrow the kids start school again, it's nearly the end of the year, and it's good to keep things as normal as possible. Would have been great if Cobi was here already. They can atleast meet some of the kids from the village.

We need to use the candles sparingly until we can make more. The garden solar lights come in very handy, charge them during the day outside and bring them inside at night.

Firewood needs to be collected and cut it up with the chainsaw, stacking it properly. The weather is building again for a storm, I don't mind it raining at night. Today we saw our first snake a red bellie black, he just wanted to be on his way, not very aggressive but very poisoness. He's the good one of the snakes around here. The building materials and yard need to be cleaned up, no hiding places for Mr & Mrs Snake and their babies.
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It's not wastefull at all, a treat is good for the spirits and gives a little hope too. A more balanced meal if possible is better, so stockpiling more legumes, rice, pastas, soup mixes, stock cubes, spices, and salt is important. If you buy homebrands they really are not that expensive. Portions should be just smaller, no seconds or heaped platesfull. thats my motto! We need to try cook for a diabetic so have to have more balanced meals.
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Day 21 ...
The kids got up early they very excited going to school and meeting new friends, For morning tea they got an apple muffin each and one rockmelon/watermelon cubes on a stick each and a bottle of water. The mums walked them down to school something that they probably never did before, everyone drives and drops off these days.

It's good exercise for the mums too and great for their moods. Tanya power walks them around the villiage. She's a Zumba intructor and likes to keep fit, lack of exercise is maybe part of her mood swings. The Boys decide to try their hand at fishing again, lets hope better luck this time, they going to try further up the river and with earthworms.

The kids can't stop talking when we fetch them around midday. It's very different to their regular classes being all different ages and levels and only one teacher. The bigger kids help the little ones with their reading, and maths, then they get to have sometime to draw, while the older kids do other subjects. Then it morning tea break and run around a bit. Afterwards the little ones have a rest, while the older kids do some more work until 2pm Tomorrow they going to do Aussie history and maths.

The boys return successful with 2 bass, George fillets them and there's fish cakes for dinner with rice and a few peas mixed in from the freezer and tomato, 1grated carrot, diced onion and a little fresh chilli salsa. Apple pie for dessert and a small scope of ice cream Now that's finished too. We need to start emptying the freezer for those meat chooks we got to slaughter the week after, then they will be 8 weeks old, that should cut down on the chick starter too. The fish was nice and our fishermen promise to go fishing again soon.

It nearly bed time when Michael and Cobi announce their arrival by yelling and calling us from the road. They're in good spirits having just completed 650km from Brisbane. It joy you haven't seen in sometime, we all crying and laughing at the sametime. I look at Michael with such warm proud feelings "My Boys made it, he knows that look too". They a little skinnier than before, and they're alive and in one piece. Tomorrow we hear all about their adventure. It's a light meal for them tonight, bath and then off to bed.

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Day 22 ...
Morning comes and we can't wait to find out more of the adventure. Michael is up early but Cobi wakes up at 9 am. The other kids have gone to school already. We all sat down with a cup of coffee and rusks (will give you the recipe later)and dunk will we listen to Michael.

They were very lucky and early on in the trip got a lift from a truckie going to Ballina about 180klm from Brisbane. Michael meet him at the service station and begged a lift. They rode for about 10klm out of town and looked for the nearest farm, where they knocked on the door and asked if it was ok to camp there. Explaining what and where they heading too. That area is topical and they farm with macedania nuts and avocado pears, coffee. Before Michael left he went to thank them and they gave him a few green avo's and two ripe ones. Micheal had made a small enclosed trailer to tow behind his bicycle and on top he had a spare bike for them each, spares for the bikes and a few tools and a foot pump,a small tent and a billy, some fishing line and hooks,2 tin plates and mugs,sharp knife 2 spoons and 2forks and 2 towels & soap,2 sets of cloths for them each. Energy bars, 2 min noodles, pck soups, 3 tins of bully beef (spam),salt, a few teabags and a small container of sugar, a little powder milk. and some apples. From his boys scout day he remembered how they make bread on a stick on the fire, so he took a packet of self raising flour too.They had two bottles of water on each bikes. Sun screen and caps

They road early morning before the heat got to them, have a midday break,eat and rested under a tree , then later did another 10 klm before they looked for another farm to camp at. That way they were reasonably safe, always offering to do small jobs in exchange for the night's safe camp. Sometimes he had to chop wood or help fix a fence and Cobi helped feed the animals. Some farmers invited them to join them for a meal. Wifes normally got Cobi to have a bath and wash his hair (typical women), one even washed his cloths.

They did a little bit of yabbying (like a fresh water prawn) with a bit of road kill (dead animal hit by a truck) at some of the river banks. Tie a piece of meat on a hook and handline, dangle it next to the river bank and slowly bring it in. Yabbies can't resist soon they got a few and drop them into boiling water until they turn pink. Peel and eat yummy. One afternoon they had a far size catch and decided to take the yabbies to the next farm and present the farmer's wife with some. They all had a feast that night.

At Coffs Harbour they got a large hand of bananas from the indian man and gave him 2 avo's. He let them camp but not close to the house. Next stop was Grafton, now we heading into the sugarcane area, farm houses are not close to the road, so they stay on the edge of towns. There is a bit of trouble at some places only we stayed as far away as possible. Somedays they had a few flat tyres, more patches than tyre, someday none. One day rolled into the next and he had lost track of what day it was. Cobi did not complain about the distance cause of all the different people, animals and swimming and fishing along the way. Just the flies!!!!

Just outside of our nearest town, another farmer stopped to give them a ride and asked them where they heading, cause if your heading up to the purple caravan. He can offer you a ride "They expecting ya Mate" He must have been at the villiage meeting.
Someone must have been looking after my 2 Boys, a silent prayer of thanks to Him for keeping my kids safe.
Today Grandma is going to cook a nice meal, a lamb leg roast with half a pumpkin, potatoes and rice/gravy. I been hanging onto that roast for today.

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Day 23 ...
First we have to get their clothes washed after socking them over night, boy they are stinky! Cobi decided he also wanted to go with the other kids to school today, sure he would have told many a story to the new friends and teacher. There are stories of looting and protesting that Michael did not tell yesterday. That is why he could not wait to get here fast enough with Cobi, they could have been in all sorts of trouble if it weren't for the kind farmers letting them camp on their properties. He had a few avocadoes left and some overripe bananas, and a bag of pecan nuts, he traded for a avo and a three bananas.

The to do list needs to be looked at again, most of the jobs have been done, and everyone has a bed to sleep in. Still a couple of little finishing touches to the cottages like painting, putting up the veranda railings, a gutter here and there, and connecting rain barrels/tanks. It will happen as there is spare time available. One of our biggest problems will be water for everyone, baths are limited a basin fulls, more a wash than a bath. The kids get a plastic sandpit shell with a few inches of water to splash around in all day, cause it is hot even in the shade, bath time they have a little wash in the basin. All water get saved for the veggie patch. Today the boys concentrate on the roofing and gutterings, maybe just in time for the storm brewing.

I decide to set up my bookcase, most books I have read and was keeping them to sell at the Bush Market once a month. Only now the girls might want to have a read instead. There a variety of kids book and activity books , recipes and craft books too, I need to speak to George about a book case. Tanya might want to add her vet books and so freeing a little space. George is happy to make one and soon it painted and drying too.Tomorrow we'll fill it up with books and puzzles and games. Starting to fell more like home everyday.

My first attempt at baking bread was succsessfull , not very large loaves but tasty. Everyone attacks the tasty bread, smeering it with a little butter and veggiemite. We open a small jar of bread and butter cucmbers, and they polish that off. Served with a little tea. We're going to need milk soon and will have to go see the dairy farmer tomorrow. Neal and Nick offers to walk with me. Dinner is Pasta and sauce, Jelly and tinned fruit, we still got some rock melon left over and cut that up too. After Dinner Tanya and Michael take a little walk down to the creek, it's like the old days, they spending quality time talking and laughing. I am sure she was upset about him taking Cobi on such an adventure, her favorite nephew.

It's been a long day for everyone ....
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Please remember this has a Copy write on it for those persons that think this is worth anything ..... Thank you

Answers to your questions ...

2011-12-01T19:54:00.000+11:00

I love the questions asked on ALS about the survival game. The one that I liked most so far is.
I was interested in your survival thread. In your first post you touched lightly on the fact that you husband was a insulin dependant diabetic. (Type 2?) Have you made any plans to deal with this? Have you included anything special to help him cope? I would really like to hear as I am a diabetic too and have wondered what I could do. regards,

That is a great question cause half the population will have diabetes the rate we are consuming processed foods, junk food and "soft drinks etc"Lots of sugars and lack of exercise. I am the first to own up to lack of exercise. We do need to look out for their needs too by making sure we planned smaller balanced meals,Low GI foods. Hell I need to listen to my own advice sometimes.
My aim in this Survival Game is to list as many meals, trying to keep it as balanced as possible.
Besides keeping as much insulin as we can lay our hands on, we have to keep them cared for esp their feet and legs, as they have bad blood circulation at the best of times. A while back George landed in hospital with two foot ulcers, it has been 6 months to get him healed so far. So a good supply of dressings, bandages, footbath to soak the feet ... yeah I know it's not adviced sometimes but bear with me. Tape for the dressings, pure lanolin cream, vinegar, a scotchbrite soft pot scourer. Our specialist runs an ulcer clinic once a week,but it was through her that we got to meet the most amazing Dr Grace Warren, who still at the age of 83, get to be a guest speaker at Conferences all over the world. She gave us her book Dr 49 all about her work with lepers in Asia, India, Korea. She even got introducted to Prince Diana We left in Awe of this Lady.

It was her advice to soak his feet in vinegar water, scrub lightly with a soft pad to get rid of dead skin cells. Blisters, callouses etc are where the ulcers hid underneath the skin and they burst open into angry ugly volcanoes, (ulcers)Magnaplasma ointment on the dressings changed daily. And good old pure lanolin cream for their feet and legs.

Which American forum did you mentioned in your post? I'd be interested to have a look ... You're most welcome to have a look.

If there's more questions please email me, and I try answer the best I can.
Seasons Greeeting to every body
See ya Rina

Survival Game part 3 & 4 ....

2011-12-01T19:49:00.004+11:00

Day 24 ... (part 3)
After breakfast we let the big chooks out to free range, get the little chooks feed and watered, they doing really well, havent lost any yet. The bigger meat chooks need another 2 weeks before we can start slaughtering them. There's not much left in the freezer alittle bit of bacon pieces, puff pastry, frozen peas and carrots, chicken wings and some lamb bbq ribs.

We discuss what we going to do about the helping the dairy farmer, bartering our labour for milk. Neal and Nick have teamed up deciding they don't mind helping with the milking in the morning and evening. I am thinking of fresh milk, butter and cheese, buttermilk rusks. Even the little piglets and cats are going to benefit from this arrangement. And something I can barter with! The kids can do with some fresh milk too.
I walk with them to the Dairy Farmer's place cause I spoke to him at the villiage meeting, and we come to an arrangement. He also needs a hand at fixing some of his sheds and we decide the whole boys crew will go over and help with that the next few days.

That leaves them with a little time for fishing before the evening milk, bringing home 3 bass for Dinner. Elize helps with the fish cakes and offers to make a fish stock with the heads and bones for some soup for tomorrow. I try my hand at baking bread again and make a few veggiemite scrolls too,(marmite spread on rolled out dough, roll it up again loosely and slice into 6 or more pieces & bake)Tomorrow we will go yabbing for Elize's soup.

Marna , Adele, and Tanya are busy with the rug making again. And walking the kids to and from school. They discover a bush lemon tree on the crownland next to our property, (I knew it was there all along)and bring home a bagfull. We make some more lemon syrup/cordial for drinks. Boy it another boiling hot day.
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Yabby is a local fresh water crayfish found in our river systems. Yabbying is catching them, done with a handline with any sort of meat on a hook. You drop the line so it drags in the water against the river bank where they dig into to make their home. They cant resist the meat a bit like the crabs they catch on deadiest catch TV program all going for the big fish. You cook them by dropping them into boiling water, no sauce is required. Size 1inch to rare et12 inches depending.
I have seen nice sized bass in our river that would feed 2 comfortable so 3 would be plenty if you made fish cakes with it.Heads and bones cooked in water with onions, carrot would make a nice stock for fish soup, you would need to use a colander to strain it, and then strain it again.
Lemon syrup/cordial or lemonade as you'd know it ... juice 6 lemons, add 900mls water, 3 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon citric acid, 2 teaspoons epson salts.Strain lemon juice, add to other ingredients, stir till disolved. Cool and Bottle. Dilute with water for drinking. Keeps indefinitely.
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Day 25 ...
It's friday today meaning we should go down to the swap market tomorrow, we don't really need anything atm but it will be nice to see whats available. A few veggie would be nice and I know Dennis might have a few rockmelons and watermelons. Leslie his wife sells jams, I know that cause I gave her a heap of glass jars a few times. Could swap him for a meat chook. Then there's the Pom and his diabetic wife next to the park, they have a good garden too. Had a good chat to him over the fence, and gave him a few sweet potato runners last year.

We off to the river early after dropping the kids off, before it gets to hot. Success we catch 15 med sized yabbies and George catches a small bass. Elize is happy with that, it smells wonderfull ... Garlic and a little tumeric flavour. She makes a bowl of penne pasta with basil pesto and a dash of olive oil. Gosh this Italian girl is a good cook. No wonder Neal has a spare tyre lol. Before those bananas Michael brought are too overripe I need to bake a few muffins for the kids lunches. The girls take a small loaf of Banana bread and 6 eggs for the teacher. The hens are laying 10 eggs a day now.

The boys see to the hot water fire for baths and the dishes. They have the hot water system going ... remember the beer kegs and fire, it's worked a treat. They built the outdoor bathroom and skullery next to the hotwater system. It stands apart form the cottages so everyone can use it. The 2 x 1000 ltr cube water tanks are connected to the
roof.

Tonight after milking the boys bring 4 lts of milk home, the kids are just loving it esp Cobi who wants a second glassfull. It's no cause I would like the milk to settle so I can scoop off the cream tomorrow for butter. Got to save a few days worth of cream for the butter.

Need to get up early in the morning ...
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We don't smoke so it could happen to us to, it does in Sydney when we have a blackout, got candles but no matches lol.

Day 26 ...
It swap market this morning, we don't need anything urgently except maybe some pumpkin & carrots if any ones got any. Maybe a bottle of jam from Leslie and a rockmelon or two. Going more for a sticky beak (look) Looks like everyone is still stocked up, that's the thing with country folk here, they used to having days where they stranded cause of flooding or bush fires, they prepared for anything. Can't say the same about our city cousins. The regulars at the pub are just a little annoyed that the pub won't have any beer soon, yeah right. Someone's bound to make their own brew or start making some.

The boys decide to go fishing again taking the kids with them so they can try yabbying. The kids have more success with the yabbies while the fish are not biting, wrong time of the day maybe. Well they will have to go into the rice dish (spanish paella)with a few chicken wings, onions, tin of tomatoes and lemon juice& wedges. today it's missing the peas, capsicum & calamari rings. It's still a big dish and everyone has seconds.

It's full moon tonight, so we up till late just chatting, everyones had a nice day
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Day 27 ...
Today 's Sonday, after the morning milking The two N's (Nick and Neal) return with some yummy fresh milk. I made a large pot of oats for breakfast, the kiddies love it with sugar and a little milk, It's George's favorite breakfast too. (Chooks will be happy too)And a cup of coffee with a rusk for morning tea. Today we going to not have one hammer going, just silience from the generator charging batteries a little piece.

We girls decide to pick some berries from the bramble bushes, not a easy task, watching for snakes and spiders, and thorns. We well protected and come away with a small bucket full, having only made marmalade before, berry jam will be a first, it's not to bad when it all cooked over the fire, bottled up and cooling. Only 3 small bottles better than nothing!We open a bottle of bread and butter cucumbers and a small bottle of pickled beetroot that I made just before the cricis started, with our potato, sweet potato,onion and bacon pieces baked dinner. Piglets are happy with their boiled potato skins

Tinned cat food is running low so it's only one can a day with a little dry food and the dog food is a little low too.Jellybean is the only cat that hunts so she looks after herself pretty much. The others are old cats, one does not even have teeth anymore, they have never hunted at all.

We will have to kill a kangaroo for them and freeze the fresh minced meat.Roo is a very dark red lean meat only ever bought it once at the supermarket George hated it cause it's a skippy the kangaroo. Only now I know how to tenderize it so maybe I can get away with it this time.I have heard it's best to try shooting them at night when they come to the road, sitting in the headlights, boys need to go for a little drive upriver tonight after milking.
We have nearly a 3 cups of fresh cream saved for butter making. Nick pours it into a glass bottle and starts skaking it, he hands it over to the girls and they shake until there's little yellow blobs and soon it thickens up nicely, add a little salt and work it with the paddles.It tastes good for us inexperienced butter makers. We save the liquid from the butter in the fridge.

The girls have finished their rug and and sewn the blocks up
and have added a binding around the edge. It's colourfull and feels nice to walk on.
No Kangaroo tonight they will try again tomorrow.
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Day 28 ...
The kids head off to school after breakfast with the fitness team of mums, Tanya upfront. It's just a warm up to the school, then as they march on past the homes a few ladies join them. It's become quite the thing to do here. Us older ladies just stare after them, there's no way in hell you catch me doing that, my sore knees and feet woun't make it up the first hill at that pace.

The hens have been laying 10 eggs a day like they used to, thats great. Normally I would have sold 3 dozen eggs a week covering the chookfood bill, and still have a few eggs for ourself. Now we need to use them wisely and mostly in the baking. There's eggie bread for breakfast (french toast) and coffee.

While they out walking I have started making another batch of bread and soak the beans for a bean soup, Now this always causes a bit of a problem, so I need to make another soup for the ones that refuse to eat bean soup. I don't like it much cause you fart alot from it lol. So a packet of chicken soup powder with diced onion and instant noddles and a small can of corn kernels. An apple pie with custard for dessert. That takes care of today's menu.

It's getting harder to keep the meals balanced without fresh meat, but I refuse to slaughter the weatherer at this stage, he needs another 3 months to grow, even then I might not do it. It's not long to go before we slaughter the meat chooks, so we will just have to fish more often. And wanting a kangaroo for the animal food I need a little space in the freezer, we might even try some ourselves. Lots of marinade and gentle cooking.

The veggie patch is producing nice sweet potatoes, garlic is nearly ready to pull out, even found a cherry tomato plant with lots of ripe toms. The passion fruit vine has lots of flowers on and from experience it bears well. The small fig tree is forming 8 little figs will have to net the tree from the bird. The quince tree has a few yellow fruit on it, nearly ready to stew. This is still a young garden, so we not expecting to get much from it yet. The soil is still poor and it needs more composting. Our potatoes we planted a few weeks ago are coming up nicely, so that should be a good crop. We spend our afternoon watering and weeding.

After dinner the boys go looking for a roo again. Success this time with a young one, it's late by the time they get in and now they have to clean it up and put it in the freezer till I can sort out the cuts in the morning. Nobody knows how to cure the skin. That's not good so nexttime I see Derick I can ask him.
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Day 29 ...
It wonderful having a little freetime from the kids, all the noise and the mess.Trust me I love my grandkids and they enjoy working with me planting seeds and collecting eggs etc ... If only I could send everyone away for one day for a little peace and quiet, A little time to read might be nice. I find running the ship hard sometimes, cause even now some people think it will just happens, dinner will be on the table, I just wish I don't need to always be doing something to make this work. My crew don't really have any survival skills and keep looking at me for ideas. Hell can't they think for themselves, the boy's did great with the building, milking over at the Dairy and shooting the roo last night. Thank god they don't read this journal!
This morning we are going to have a meeting and it's time they start doing more around here. It's not a holiday!
But first I need to cut up the roo into small pieces, I have decided to mince everything except the legs and the tail, that I want to try cook like oxtail very slowly and with a little vinegar after I marinade it. That will be for Wensday's dinner. The boys cut the pieces small enough for the hand mincer and take turns if they have too. With the spices and herbs added to the best pieces it gets rolled and flattened into burger patties. We have two meals from that. Fresh roo for the cats are made into small packets and frozen. The rest of the meat and liver is minced and cooked with a packet of pasta, dried split peas and garlic & olive oil, gravy powder gets added when it nearly ready, will be cooked outside. I refill the empty cans as a measure so we feed them the right amount of food and then fill the large freezerbags and seal. Somewhere I had a recipe for dog biscuits.

After the meeting, some people decide to start doing more, esp as their make a really nice pizza from scratch (I'am not going to name that moody person cause already I am deep in s--t for even mentioning it to her father) it's always been that way ... Everyone needs to do their bit. The acrylic nails are growing out fast and there is no salon to go to (bugger)

I send them yabbing and fishing for dinner. But make a lentil soup and a damper just incase they don't catch anything. It's been a long day for me.

Day 30 .... (part4)
I am losing track of what day it is, they just seem to roll into one another. The girls want to make another rug for one of the other cottages, it's a great idea. It's nearly Christmas and the wreaths go up on the doors. While they took their morning walk, one of the ladies offered a little Christmas bush foliage ( very pretty redish bush foliage , comes around this time every year.)I got a few pine cones I sprayed gold last year to add to the decorations. A string of fairy lights (solar) to add a little sparkle at night. Cat food tins become lanterns with little holes punched, lit up with a tealight candle inside.

Tomorrow is school holidays and if all goes well will resume in middle of January. I raid the secret stash box for the suitable pressie, Some nice smelly soap and hand cream, a bottle of jam and caddy of tea and a set of hand knitted dish clothes. We decide to bake a double batch of condensed milk biscuit with red cherries on top and some sweet star shaped biscuits and divvy it up into small bags, tie with a little piece of string attaching a small greeting card to it. Card stock and Paper raided from my scrapbooking box. Tomorrow the kids can deliver them to the elderly residents in the villiage.

The boys chop wood and stack the wood room, it's full, the rest gets stacked for the hot water system fire. They decide to build an outdoor workroom from treated timber posts, shade cloth and lattice screens. A place we can cook preserves, bake and process the meat. The old rayburn woodstove can be installed and used to bake in. And a basin to do the dishes in ... one thing leads to the other and soon the camphor laurel wood slabs have a purpose as bench tops. No complaints from me. With promises like that, I am happy to cook a really nice meal on completion of this outdoor kitchen. Starting tomorrow. This will be the last project they will be able to do as the building wood supply is nearly gone, lucky there is still a bit of roofing left that Des brought from work, we should just make it. The veggie patch needs a little watering and weeding.

The chookies are happy with the bottom of the pot of oats from breakfast , pasta and tinned tuna with some cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced onion and a little mayo salad for lunch. Dinner ... Rockmelon and cup of soup with a slice of damper. Hens layed 9 eggs today

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Mushrooms are a good idea, my favorite is button mushrooms. Thanks Veggie PAK.

Day 31 ...
After breakfast the boys level out a site not to far from Rose Cottage, and cement in the corner posts, doing a little form work with old wood crates brought up from work, to be able to pour a cement floor, lay the mesh down(I had bought a large piece of mesh for the bean garden but never used it, had to dig it out under the overgrown lantana). They were a little worried that the cement would not be enough, so had broken up a lot of old bricks and paver and put that under the mesh. That took all day waiting for the posts to dry. Tomorrow the boys will mix the cement, pour and level it ... thats a bid job by itself.

Well it time to try that marinaded leg of Kangaroo sure hope it going to be tender, Michael and Neal get to make the fire in the Texas smoker, and soon it hot enough to put the meat in, wrapped in foil and on a old baking tray. They have to look after it and keep the coals going, while working on the outdoor kitchen. The kids and I dig a few sweet potatoes out in the veggie patch and peel an onion & potato for each, some garlic and olive oil drizzled over it, that goes on another tray with tin/alum foil. Dinner should be quite a treat tonight.

George has used a bit of redwood/recycled wood we got given many years ago that was used as railings from the Old Canterbury Race cource. We been carting it around for years and now is going to be my new outdoor kitchen.A old cast iron sink that nearly found it way back to the tip gets to be a main feature again, it's a creamy buttercup yellow same as the old rayburn wood stove.There's even going to be a pantry with doors, a place to hang up spoons and spatulars. OMG I am so excited ...

While the boys are busy there, us girls have the lattice screens on workhorses and crates painting them, cause once they up it is very difficult to paint them with the shade cloth attached. Posts get a slap of paint too so they can dry overnight.

We buggered come night time, it's been a very busy day.

I added some photo's in my album for you to see, so you might know what I talking about here ...

Day32 ...
Kangaroo meat was not that bad esp if your hungry lol they polished it. Well tonight we going to try the dreaded tail, not so nice on the nose, and hard to cut too. It been marinading for a few days now, give it another go at cutting it into smaller pieces. Going to cook it with onions, garlic, no salt at this stage. We 'll see how it goes, maybe the dogs will have it for dinner........... it's cooking on the coals outside even the flies have come to this party.

After breakfast the boys get the concrete mixer out and start mixing, pouring and leveling, they need to work fast and in sections. George is no help to them, so gets on with the woodwork instead. I just need to paint, what can I paint...have to just sit back and wait. Maybe I get on with feeding the animals and I will do some weeding instead.

The girls wanted to do a little knitting after cleaning up the breakfast things,then raid the wool tubs for some 8 ply and no 5 needles, good thing I have a few set of no 5's, so they are going to knit squares to sew together. Winter's still far off but it will take them that long to get a few finished.

The garden is coming on nicely, potatoes are up and growing fast, shovel extra soil around the plants. Really need a few small tree trunks to raise the beds a little, beg them to cut some later. The corn are 10 cm high now, I planted all my spare seeds and more I dug out of the chook food bin, cause I need chook food as well. Milo seeds are up and the sunflowers are coming on too. it is really looking good. The carrot, beetroot, beans, chinese broccolli and bok choy are growing fast. The assortment of pumpkin seeds & zucchinni are doing well, starting to get flowers on them. The little boys shovel soil into the little trailer hitched to the ride on, then around the potatoes.

Elize got the bread making done for the day by the time we finished in the garden, yummy bread with a little of Lesley's jam and a pot of tea. Poured the water off the meat and pour in some fresh water, onions, garlic, aheaped spoon on curry powder and olive oil, it smells better. Adding a little vinegar to it again, next a few potatoes and baby carrots. Cook a pot of rice to go with it.

There's a storm building sure hope it does't rain tonight. Maybe tomorrow we need to top up the tanks.
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Day 33...
Well yeah it did come bucketing down, you should have seen us, running for the tarp dripping wet like ducks gone for a swim. Just had to get the floor covered cause the cement floor was just setting nicely. We should have screwed the roof on as George adviced but it was nearly dark by the time the boys were done cleaning everything. Not to worry it did not last long before moving off again. Still need more rain to fill the tanks again.There's no stars tonight cause of all the clouds still hanging around.
Michael was kind enough to cut a few saplings and drag them over for my raised bed in the veggie patch.

Can't say I enjoyed the tail much, dog meat nexttime. I need some cooking inspiration so consult my grandma's old book, wow I haven't had dumplings and stew for a long time. Maybe I make that tomorrow the last of the lamb ribs stew. Just get a pot of soup going so long. The kids and I can go yabbing this afternoon for a bit, take a rod with incase I catch something.We can't be to long as it Carols in the Park tonight. Only a few yabbies and 2 bass. We did see a small turtle swimming.We cook the yabbies and refriderate them and clean the fish, to the freezer.

We all toddle off to the Carols with our plate of crumpets and lick of jam ontop. It's nice being with other people. Only upon returning home, the dogs seem a little edgy, everything looks ok but the kids can't find a sleeping bag, I can't find the matches and the coffee is gone. Everything else looks good though.That's not good... now I wondering if it's the same person that stole the small tent, candles and medical box a few months back. Again the place was tidy and you'd never say anyones been there........ Maybe someone need to be at home all the time

The animals are all accounted for except a meat chook, dinner for sure!

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We do really have a survival guy, ex abbitoir worker/murder convicted Malcolm Naden who murdered two of his cousins and a mother of two (girlfriend?), he escaped in 2005 and has been sighted a few times since then. He lives in dense bush and moves around alot. Breaking in when he is sure no ones around, all you find missing is food and such missing, he cleans up and even locks the place again. And thats no lie! We made the front page The Sun-Herald January 18th
He has been at my place too, I am sure cause for 4 yrs since we had the place not once did something go missing only recently. He got a small lightweight tent, candles and my big medical box. He left everything like radio, cloths etc. That tells me it's someone like him. Constable J also agrees with me. You must all be having very bad days not to post anything lol I am beginning to feel very lonely here!
Day 34....
Everyone here want to know who this person is and the whole story, I only know what I heard and read in the paper, and that he's been spotted in the area a while ago.At least he will sleep warm and have a nice roast oh and a cup of coffee lolThere was really not much food he could take cause the cupboard was locked remember. Just the coffee and tea, a little sugar was out. There's hardly anything in the freezer to feed a big man.And he woun't want kangaroo for sure.
We agree to always have someone at home just incase he or some other not so nice person comes around.Also to lock the animals up at night with a lock, even the sheep. Their shed is just on the otherside of our cottage, so if anyone is busy there we'll know about it. It locks and bolts time!
Lucky there's still a few tins of coffee ...

Later I just go tell Constable J what happened, when we head to the river to try for more fish and yabbies. Paella tonight if we're lucky
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We only Just started , a few more parts to go
Remember it is copyrighted so please don't post this anywhere else or you know ....

Comments
Homemade Quilts by Granny said...
Keep your doors locked sweetie...Have A Merry Christmas. God Bless Trish

December 22, 2010 2:19 PM
Rina ... also Chester or Daisysmum. said...
It lucky it's only a survival game Trish. We quite safe. A Merry Christmas to you too, enjoy spending time with loved ones Regards Rina

December 22, 2010 9:23 PM
Nilo & Des said...
Love your survival story Rintjies! Keep it commin.
Hope you have a Very Merry Christmas.

December 22, 2010 9:57 PM

Survival Game part 5 ....

2011-12-01T18:23:00.000+11:00

Day 35 ...
What I won't give to sleep in a bit, darn Harry the rooster, he's got the biggest crow you have ever heard, and it full moon so he's been crowing during the night as well. Some people think he could be very tasty for dinner, but he's safe he's needed for protecing the Matildas and a baby making machine. Two hens have gone broody, hell not now girls then the lot start getting broody again and we got no eggs again. Breakfast compliments of the Mathildas and a bowl of oats each. The boys brought home more milk last night, and I took most of the cream of the top and added it to the cream I had already saved. We need some butter again. I want to bake a few gingerbread biscuits tomorrow. Only 3 more days till Christmas. The time has come for us to slaughter the first chooks,they still a bit small for my liking, so we'll do 3 chooks for roasting.

The girls have never plucked chooks before, it's going to be something alright lol. We get the big pot with water and set it on the coals to boil. Then drag a stump of wood closer and get hold of the chook by the legs. George does the honours and chops it head off, the girls just want to run a mile, George holds it till it stops kicking and finally bleeds out. Then it our turn to start the dunking in hot water and plucking it clean. Cut it open and pull out the intestines, cut the fat glands. It's not as fatty as I thought it might be but save the bits anyway. Hmm there 2 more to go .... Afterwards they go into the fridge to settle/relax overnight and tomorrow into the freezer. Remember the old days when you chopped the head and the headless chook would be running around the yard till it finally stops dead. lol Collect the fatty bits and freeze it.

Funny how it does not worry me heaps that we were robbed last night, I don't think he would be coming back again, he just needed a few supplies and he's gone again. He does not want to be found. He can look after himself quite well otherwise they would have caught him by now. (5 yrs on the run) Constable J mentioned that he broke into Lesley's place too and took salt and few bits of food.

Our little trip to the river was very successful, 18 yabbies and 3 bass, we head on home and start dinner. It's always a big feast. We picked a bowl of cherry tomatoes and the hens laid 8 eggs today.
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Having a few blond moments sorry. I fixed the link and sidebar one too.Maybe I need a few more cups of coffee lol
Day 36 ...

I was so tired last night, rather than write in the journal, I went off to bed. After my second cup of coffee and making the breakfast, finally a little spare time. The girls are doing the washing and getting it hung up and doing the dishes. While the little boys are feeding the meat chooks and letting the big chooks out to freerange, they done it enough times with me to know what to do by now. Actually they really enjoying this lifestyle esp Cobi. Luke still misses his XBox and games. What I did not tell them is we had actually bought an Xbox for them to use at our place with some games during the holidays, and just had not got round to giving it to them yet. Maybe it will be a good surprise on Boxing day. They can play when the small generator is running to charge up the battery packs.

We have been so busy with the building work and getting everyone sorted for accommodation, that we haven't really spend enough time with the kids. There's a few more bits and pieces we bought them for the toy box and some more poster paints and canvasses. I glad for all the school stuff I stockpiled.Michael had sorted out the bikes and they started cycling again every afternoon Luke is still a little small for Cobis old bike but gives it a go anyway.

We baked our ginger bread biscuits and decorated them, the kids just loved that. And old fashioned sweet sugar biscuits, rolled out and cut into shapes, got a big tin worth. We just going to have a big pasta, tuna and cherry tomato salad for dinner. Open a tin of baked beans and beetroot.

The roof went up first thing this morning! The outdoor kitchen has a wood stove now and the kitchen cupboard framework is in, sink has water connected and an outlet. The lattice walls with the shade cloth to keep the flies out is just about up . Only got the doors to go for the cupboards and and screw on the safety/fly screen door. then it's just the fiddly stuff. And bring in the meat safe and the chopping block from Rose cottage. They have really done a nice job of this kitchen.

You would not believe how the container has got freed up from all the stuff we had stored in there, now finally George can spend some time getting it sorted and turned into a storeroom/workshop/garage for the ride on. Even the extra feed for the animals can go in there now. and locked up safely. Still only 8 eggs Had to kick those two hens off their nests and put them in a small box for a few days to get over their broodiness.
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Day 37 & 38 ...
Yesterday was George"s Mum's 83rd birthday but this year we can't even call her, here's hoping she had a good day in South Africa. Let's hope they not having it too tough over there. We had a nice day down by the river, first catching a lot of yabbies and then the kids and a few adults went swimming. Just hearing their laughter is good for the soul. George stayed at the cottage.

Elisa made a double batch of bread dough, and divided it into two, one was baked as bread and the other into round balls which were cooked in oil, it's called "vetkoek". You would take a handful of bread dough and sort of pull it flat a bit, then drop it into hot oil, and cook it until it golden brown, drain it on some paper towel. You can have it hot with a savoury mince, or Vegemite. Elisa was surprised as the italians make something similar only it got sun dried tomato, olives or anchovies stuffed in the middle then cooked in oil.

Tanya ,and the girls wrapped a few presents for the boys, while I popped the yabbies into boiling water and then cleaned them. Michael went looking for a few lemons and brought enough back to make a little syrup/cordial again and for the yabbies entree.
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Day 38 ...
It's Christmas morning, Cobi and Luke and Adele's kids can't wait to open their presents, but there is not many pressies, just a little something for each. The XBox and games makes it appearance and they just over the moon about them, until they realise there is no power, what a let down. Grandpa promises to run the generator of a few hours late this afternoon and evening a bit so they may play on it and we can have a little light too. Then it's all excitement again.

The 3 chooks are roasting with some potatoes, rice and gravy. We manage to make a little salad with some cherry tomatoes, onion and a little lettuce from the patch and the cold yabbies. A little jellie, custard and peach slices will have to stand in for the traditional trifle. Everyones happy and very relaxed after a late lunch. A cricket bat and ball appear (from the secret stash) and it game on. Everyone has fun playing or just watching. What would Christmas be without a cricket game, no cucumber sandwiches only cold lemon iced tea.

It has been a most enjoyable day ....
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We in between trips to the farm, so I thought I just catch up a bit,we're off again Saturday with another load of wood for chook housing, roof sheeting and washing machine, old pine welsh dresser.

Day39 ...
Boxing day turned out to be another peaceful day, after the morning milking, the boys brought some fresh milk home. I left it to settle to scoop the cream off the top, for making butter. The kids did the morning chores feeding the chooks and then wanted to go for a bicycle ride with Michael,down to the river and have a swim. After he'd seen to the fire for cooking and hot water.

The girls did a bit of washing and got that hung up to dry, while I took the time out in the veggie patch weeding. All the seedlings are coming on nicely, and some needed to be stacked like the tomatoes. The beans have plenty white flowers on and are a buzz with bees pollinating them. Another few weeks and we'll be eating beans. Here's hoping for a glut of veggies so I can bottle a few too. The zucchini's are looking like they will flower soon, then I can make Lebanese zucchini stuffed with rice, pine nuts cooked in a tomato based sauce. The golden nugget pumpkins are flowering too.

Today we going to have left overs with gravy adding a small corn kernels, fried onions with 3 dice potatoes cooking, and a puff pastry (from the freezer)rolled out and cut into pies rounds. Left over filling added and more pastry on top. Our own version of a pie. A pot of chicken noodle soup is also cooking, with the carcasses from the Christmas chooks' just needing to add a grated carrot, diced onion and a bit of herbs. I make a damper just to make sure there's enough for everyone.

George has a cat nap after lunch till the boys want to play cricket. Life is just about normal for us.

Day 40 ...
Awoke to grey skies this morning, so we get the chores done before breakfast. And just as we start brekky, the skies open up. Everything is covered that needs to be and we can just enjoy the rest of the day. Elisa has baked some fresh bread and made some Vegemite scrolls. And we take out the kangaroo burgers for dinner. The other have to clean her dishes only fair.

The girls decide to build puzzles with the kids, and entertain them with a stories and a little crafting. Their knitted squares are nearly big enough for a single bed. (Well I thought they would have given up by now)

Today I had this bright idea and was paging through the cheese making book I bought but mislaid it with the move. It was still a skill I needed to learn and never got round to. With all this fresh milk maybe now is the time to think about it again. Buttermilk would be lovely for making rusks, only now instead of scooping the cream off, I need to pour the milk into the butter churn and turn until the butter separates leaving me the butter milk. Maybe a simple cheese is possible too. Going to attempt it

It's still raining and the water tanks are filling up nicely.
This kind of rain can go on for days here and being in the mountains, the water comes up real fast and covers the bridge, leaving the dairy farmer and anyone else stranded on the other side. Maybe I wait with the cheese making experimenting, but will give the buttermilk a go first. At least we will have butter and be able to bake rusks then.

Hope you not to bored yet

Survival Game part 6 ...

2011-12-01T11:32:00.000+11:00

Day 41 ...
It's still raining and looks like it's not going to give up soon. We're happy for the water the tanks are filling nicely, all the troughs have been scrubbed for algea and new water put in, the tanks connected to the little shed roof, arent very big so fills up real fast, we got to make use of it for cleaning stuff. The bath tub get filled to the brim, the caravan was needing a good scrub from standing under the trees so long,and the rain will do the rinsing for us. Alls clean and sparkling by the time this rain is over.Late afternoon there's a break in this weather.
Tomorrow is George's Birthday and New Years eve, there is still a few cake mix packets left, so we'll bake a large cake, and cover it with caramel and sprinkle some hundreds and thousands on top.
The boy's go fishing and yabbing for dinner, and the rest stay home doing craft or just keeping themselves busy cleaning. I finally picked the quince and make a little quince jelly, amazing how the colour changes when you cook it, fill 3 small jars full. They caught 4 Bass and a catfish which they released and a few yabbies. Hens layed 10 eggs today.
I made a little milo today for myself cause I got the chocolate munchies, will have to do with milo.
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Day 42 ...

The sky was still a little grey this morning but cleared up about midday, and we had a humid afternoon. George had a little cake with his morning tea break, the rest got polish by the kids but not before they did the morning chores feeding and watering the chooks.
Today is also New Years Eve, this year has held a lot of surprises for us, strangely this is one of the better ones for me. You could ask why ... well I tell ya even if you don't want to know.
This scenario, living in the country, with my animals, my grandkids learning what is important in life, having my kids realise their mother is not crazy when she warned them things can not carry on like they have before. Even if there are other scenarios like this one all have the same result, No job, no place to stay prices go up or worse still no food... homelessness and hunger! My husband having to take a break from his stressful job, and retirement is not the end, but the beginning to another phase in our lives.
My retirement plan is workable!

Anyway enough of those thoughts It's nearly evening and the dishes have been washed. This year we will miss the fireworks and the masses of people down by the Harbour ... Not!!! We could even go to bed early only some bright spark would probably fire a few shoots in the air at midnight, Scaring the living crap out of the animals causing heaps to run away like usual every year.

By the time we wake in the morning it will be 2011 ...

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I'M GOING TO CARRY ON WITH MY 60 DAYS IF NO ONE MINDS .... SO WON'T START ON COLONY 2 .... HARD TO IMPROVE ON THE FIRST STORY ANYWAYS.
Day 43 ...
We having so much rain it's hard to do anything around the place for all the mud. Trying protect the animals as best we can, with left over corrogate sheeting, so they can have a dry spot to sleep in. Lucky it's not cold just wet. The rain gauge shows 28mm the day before and 64mm (4inches i think)yesterday and no sign of it clearing soon. Lucky the boys still went milking last night and brought home fresh milk, lot's of milk. The river was rising steadily and was just 1/2mtr under the bridge. So this morning it surely would have covered it. I always wondered about the markings there's even a 9 mtr (27ft +)marking as if it would get there. With all this rain there's sure to be flooding down at Kempsey and low-lying areas as the river winds it way down to the sea. It's the mosquitos we going to have to watch, Ross river fever and other deseases. The bull frogs & smaller tree frogs must be loving this weather, Maggie the magpie (big black & white bird with one very pointy beak must have been handraised, cause she's rather tame) also takes cover under the veranda. She's hanging around for a feed.

We cope as best we can with a makeshift washing line on the veranda, dodging wet clothes is no fun. A big pot of soup is on the boil in the outdoor kitchen and a loaf of bread is baking in the woodstove, a packet of cake mix is ready to go in afterwards. Breakfast was a pot of oats.

The girls do a little craft working on the squares they nearly ready to start sewing another one together. The boys decide to play board games with the kids, that gets them out of our hair for a few hours. George catches up on a little lost sleep.Eliza and Neal look a little worried, but won't talk about it.

We're all a little worried how long this scenerio is going to last and what we going to do in the long run. There's no news from the outside world anymore, everones just staying where they are. Looking forward to the swap market on saturday, we are starting to running short on flour and yeast. Maybe my friend Jenny would have a spare 5 pound packet for me, she would be needing a few things herself by now. Their kids from Grafton are living with them atm.

Please remember there is copyright on this blog and if you want to link to it your'e most welcome
Rina

survival game part 7 ...

2011-11-30T22:14:00.000+11:00

Day 45 ...
Somehow I forgot day 44, oh well .......
The rain is never ending, it just keeps on raining steadily, the river has pushed up over the bridge this morning there was no way anyone could get across. By midday it had crept up and covered all the rocks, and covered the concrete sides of the bridge. The closed road sign went up. Debris and logs came rushing down the river. The trees all got flattened with the force of dirty brown water.

There's not much we can do but keep ourselves busy. A little cheering up might help, so we decide now is as good a time to slaughter a few chooks for the freezer and get busy with that. Today we'll do 8 chooks, that's going to be full on, each one has their own chook to pluck, while George did the honours with the ax. A new experience for the girls too ... I chose 2 hens and a rooster to keep for future breeding. The man from the hatchery told me you should slaughter them all but maybe he just wanted me to buy more birds from him. When all's done, they go into the fridge to rest overnight, ready for the freezer tomorrow. All except one that is for dinner.

The 1000 ltr tanks fill up real fast and we have to pump the water over to the big tank, must look at finishing the work on the tanks. Lot's of bath water, and the kids pond also get cleaned and filled with clean water. The laundry gets a soaking too, then human feet treatment, rinsed and wrung ready to go up to dry.

Dinner is a chicken pasta bake, and small green salad with cherry tomatoes from the garden. After dinner Neal gets me one side and tells me Eliza is a little worried cause she late this month. Well that's bound to happen when you run out of prevention tablets. That's something I never considered when I stockpiled, prevention/condoms ... does that offend you, I sure hope not, for that is life. Time will tell I'm sure ...
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Day 46 ...
The full force of the brown water has crept up to 2 mtr above the bridge, boy it's a sight we hope not to see soon again. We meet a few villagers all come to have a sticky beak, dressed in their "dry as a bone" rain coats and some men look a little wild with their bushy beards and old akubra's on their heads. All that's missing is the brumby's (Horses), it's like the movie scene's from "Man from Snowy River"...
The rain is clearing a little later this morning, and the odd ray of sun shine shines through.

A pot of chicken noodle soup is cooking with a few carcasses of the chooks from yesterday. Cutting up the chooks in portions sure saved space in the freezer. A few sweet potatoes and normal potatoes, onions get baked together for dinner.
Tomorrow is swap market day, so we'll take a 6 baby chooks and a dozen eggs with us. We could do with a veggies, few pumpkins and carrots, a little flour and yeast. The veggie garden is going nicely and gives fresh greens, Chinese broccoli is ready to be picked. Maybe take a little bunch of that too. No fishing for a while until the river is settled again.

It's time to get the little boys out there riding in the dirt with the bikes, something Michael is good at, there's not a clean spot on their faces by the time they come in for a wash. But first the bikes need a clean too. They look tired and will sleep well tonight. Neal looks after the fires for the hot water.

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Day 47 ...

It's swap market day, so we head off after doing the morning chores, George stays behind to keep an eye on things here. It's nice to meet up and have a yarn (chat)Pete our Constable's wife is a bee keeper and sells yummy honey, hmmm would love a little. I get a small jar for 2 baby chooks and the small bunch of Chinese broccoli. Jenny only has a half bag of flour to spare, while she needs eggs and 2 baby chooks. Her hens aren't laying so well atm. A large pumpkin swapped for the last two chooks from the farmer up the road, he drove down with a heap of pumpkins on the back of his truck and is looking to swap them for anything he can get.

I going to get the boys to enlarge the run for them to free range a little with the few bigger chooks. Have to slaughter the rest of the big meat chooks tomorrow. So it will be only the rooster and 2 hens with the little ones. They 5 weeks old already!
It's all going to help with reducing the food bill for the little meat chooks (still got 20 or so) as the crumble is running short.

Piglets are growing up nicely, and nearly a good size to slaughter, maybe in another few weeks. Can't wait to try out the new gas smoker sitting in the container. I miss my bacon. We spend the rest of the afternoon doing weeding and planting a few more seeds.

Dinner is Chicken a la king with rice, Chinese broccoli steamed and green salad.

Survival game part 8 ...

2011-11-30T21:17:00.000+11:00

Day 48 ...
Harry the rooster, let the world know the suns up at 4.30 am, time to rise and shine. Thanks Harry, boy his got a beak on him, nothing wrong with his crow! We up early anyway, having a mug of milo and maybe just manage to catch another hour of sleep too. It's the normal morning routine, feed and water the chooks, talk to the sheep and give Miss Daisy a scratch behind the ears. Serve breakfast, do the dishes and then have a second cup of coffee. Asked the boys to work on a run for the young meat chooks, they started one using some school fencing, bird wire tied to it and over the top, (for protection from the lace monitors/goannas)and covered it with some shade cloth. I wonder if they have seen the claws of a lace monitor lately, he will just rip it apart if he wanted too. Lucky I haven't seen one for a while.

Today is nothing different to any other day. I find a little time to study the Home Cheesemaking book by Neil and Carole Willman some more, I can kick myself for not having done a cource in cheese making, haven't got half the stuff needed but have to improvise I think. Some fetta would have been nice. The butter and buttermilk still looks the easiest. We have to make butter soon anyway.

Fishing is still a waste of time, the river has gone down but it's running to fast. You won't even get a nibble and might only have caught a cold. lol Maybe this afternoon I spend a little time sorting out the pantry and taking stock. This morning I get George to chop the last of the bigger meat chooks heads off and get them plucked. Except the chosen few kept for breeding purposes, that might be a bad idea but worth a try anyway.

Well there is one bright highlight for the day, it was only a false warning, Eliza is all smiles again. Darn a little girl would have been nice!

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Day 49 ...
The yesterdays stocktaking went rather well, all the shelves have had a wipe over and jars have been filled up with half packets and we still looking alright atm. A huge dent has been made but the veggie patch is starting to produce a little, green beans and Chinese broccoli, sweet potato, still getting some cherry tomatoes. I'll send for some lemons again to make a little syrup/cordial for drinks. Without the extra food everyone brought along we would have been in a sorry state by now ... Every bit helped.

Talking about the veggie patch, those potatoes I planted when we first got here have heaps of purple flowers on them, so not long to go before they die off and the stool dies back, then only can we start digging the potatoes up, a few stools at a time. Next swap meet I take some with. Later today We'll bake a cake for Luke's Birthday tomorrow, (it's mine as well, our wedding anniversary and George's dad died on the same day) so maybe now you'll understand why it never a good day for me. Can anything else happen on that day... not!

The boys need to collect wood again to keep the supplies up, cut and stack, that should keep them out of trouble for the day. Atleast the rain has stopped, but it's humid. We took a walk down to the river after breakfast and the water level is just under the bridge. So tonight the boys can head off to help with the milking, maybe bring extra milk home. I want to bake some buttermilk rusks and we'll be needing a little butter soon.
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Day 50 ...
Daylight comes and it another beautiful morning, a group of kookaburra sit laughing at us while we having breakfast. (Cheeky birds.)That's the one thing about living here, there's birds lots of birds. At night you can hear the Tawny Frogmouth with his deep voice calling. And if it dark enough you can look up and see the whole milky way, it's awesume. We all sing Happy Birthday to Luke, and share a slice of cake with him.

The morning chores are soon done, the Matildas present us with 9 eggs for the day.
The boys continue collecting wood, cut and stack, they must be thinking let's just get this over with so we can go fishing again. Truth be told I would love it if they could catch a few fish for dinner. Tonight we need a nice meal to go with the celebrations, so I marinade a few chicken breasts with masterfoods portugese marinade and cook a pot of spicy rice and make a green salad. Eliza makes a loaf of bread, 4cups of flour with sundried cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs through the mix. It smells so nice. Life is good with our family and good friends to share this day with us.

We even get to open two bottles of wine to go with dinner ...

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Day 51 ...
Today we'll bake some veggiemite scrolls for lunch, it only uses 4 cups of flour to make them, we'll have to watch our usage of flour from nou on. Use the homebrand cake mix packets for making muffins and just add required fruit to them. It works well enough and there is still 8 vanilla and 4 chocolate pkts left. Tanya used to buy heaps at a time cause she loves making cupcakes. While the ovens still warm from the scrolls, a tray of chocolate cupcakes are ready to be baked. I found a tin of caramel to spread over and chocolate chips to add to the mix.

Another task is washing that never seems to end, atleast that is done for the day and hanging on the line. Then there's the weeding,the cooking, washing up ... it never stops does it. Tanya decides it's time to mow the yard a little and it takes her an 1/2hr before she's done. The sheep have done a great job of the first paddock and they just about ready to be moved on to the next. We don't have a ram to service them this year or just have to make do with another breed's ram which I would rather not do. There's 1 weatherer ready to be slaughtered but that's not going to happen before easter cause there really is no space in the freezer with all the chooks. So it's going to be chooks and fish for a few weeks still.

We might start thinking about another kangaroo for more dog and cat food, still enough for another week. The ones we have around here are not very big, so it does't go to far. Only this time we'd just make burgers with some of the meat. Can't say I like the taste to much. Well that's another day survived ...

Survival game part 9 ....

2011-11-30T17:39:00.000+11:00

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.

Survival game part 10 .... the end at last

2011-11-29T14:21:00.000+11:00

Day 56 ....
After breakfast I call a meeting with the "family" now that we know what our future plans are going to be, we need to start preparing for it. My boy's need to help me with some of the work and collecting wood is one of them. George is not really able to do a lot of the physical work of hauling wood, cutting and stacking so we need a good supply to see us through the winter. A good 2 day's work. And it gives them something to do while they waiting to put their plans into action. This is where I am going to find it the hardest doing myself.We might have to look at getting some gas heating for the water or get the solar panels up and working,that means getting a gas booster and tank. A lot of the work is now going to rest on my shoulders again.

Under normal circumstances I would have paid Dennis to deliver wood by the trailer load. Another paddock needs fencing for the sheep to rotate them, and also a crusher and ramp to load them if needed. For that they just going to have to fell some trees for posts. Dig a few holes and plant the posts, add a few rails and make a gate of sorts. Buying a steel crusher is just to expensive and this wooden crusher, will work well enough for our needs. Loading and off loading the sheep has always been a problem in the past.

My secret plan is to get a 2 Bobby calves, now for those not in the know, that is male calves born to milking cows. It's a cruel world out there when they get ripped of their mom's teat, so we can drink the milk that they so badly need to grow strong on. Some get sold at the markets for a "Bob" as it was known in the old days cause they worth no more than that, very sad. So We will need a small shed for them to shelter under, next to the crusher, the boy's think they just adding a little sheltered area.

The girls are weeding and watering the veggie patch, a job that I love. We dig up 3 stools of potatoes, and are rewarded with about 1 1/2kg worth of potatoes. There's nothing like a fresh spud with butter, Yummmy if only we had a little savoury mince, grated cheese and sour cream to go with them. We harvest enough silver beet/spinach that we're going to cook with a little onion and 2 potato as a base for a quiche, 5 eggs and a few cherry tomatoes in a pastry shell. Maybe not a true quiche but it will do. Jenny sent over a few baby pears for the kids to snack on but I have a better idea and make a pear pie and a little custard to go with them for dessert. A feast of chicken drumsticks, were defrosted and roasted with herbs and lemon, served with the quiche and pear pie for dinner.
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Day 57 ....
The boys are doing great hauling wood and even found a few straight tree trunks for the posts (12), it's hard work. George and I decide to measure out the area and dig the holes ready for the posts. That should save time when the boys get back. We're so lucky to have 10 acres of crown land around our place. Where we can cut dead trees for wood. Coffee and rusks on demand this morning. And large bottles of water cooling in the fridge. George making sure the batteries are all charged, so the generator is running again. That is my chance to get the slow cooker on making a mild butter chicken. The rice won't take long to make. The kids get to play Xbox so that keeps them out our hair a bit.

We"re all exhausted and happy to have a swim in the river late afternoon. Peaches and custard for dessert.
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Day 58 ....
Us girls get lessons on how to use the chainsaw, on the smaller branches and get them hacked up and stacked while Michael and Neal chop up some of the larger pieces. Chop and stack, it's team work and soon the jobs done. We won't be using quite as much wood as what we have been cause we'll be fewer people needing hot water. A hearty breakfast keeps everyone going, by lunch time a light pasta salad is served with a slice of watermelon.

Late afternoon the posts are all in, there's no cement to concrete them in, so the job cannot be finished, Tomorrow I'll visit Russell the plumber and see if he's got any, or maybe the builder that's just finished building his small retirement home, a better bet I think. If not then the job can wait until we can go into town and get some there.

The kids want to go for another swim so we head down to the river. Taking the rods and hand lines with just in case we lucky and catch something. no fishy bites but a dozen yabbies will make a good lunch tomorrow.

The tubs get filled with water for the washing and the dirtiest clothes get soaked overnight. Exhausted from the heat and hard work, everyone glad to get to bed early.
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Day 59 ....
Another wonderful cool morning begins the day, after the first cup of coffee the milking boys return with a few litres of milk for our breakfast. I get thinking about what I going to do about milk, may have to buy it off the farmer until we can get regular milk or powdered milk. Sure going to miss the fresh stuff.We'd better make some deal .... After breakfast I head on over to Ken and Russell's place to ask about cement, it's 8 bags between the two and I happy with that.

The girls have the washing done and hung to dry by morning tea, it's a larger wash than normal cause they starting to get ready to leave. They spend the rest of the day sorting out their little homes and doing a spring clean. The generator gets taken over to the cottages so the Dyson vacuum cleaner can be used. And even the windows get a clean, anyone want to do my cottage? I better see to the meals while all this is going on. Yabby and pasta salad with cherry toms and a few greens. I make a loaf of zuchinni bread with sunflower seeds on top.

The boys concrete the posts after drilling holes for the wire to go through, then it's just wait for the concrete to dry. It's not quick drying so tomorrow they be able to pull the wire between the posts. Nick gives his car a wash and shine, vacuum inside. That starts the others off too. It better not rain tomorrow! Late afternoon the boys head off to go see the Constable to see if he's heard anything new.

They report back that the power came on that morning, went off again and come back on again this afternoon and it's still on. He's been listening to the cop station for any reports, or news. There is still problems in the cities, trying to get supplies throw. There is very little food on the shelves cause of the lack of petrol for the big trucks. But they working on it. The West of Sydney is know as the food basin for Sydney, and the farmers have pulled together and decided to take their produce straight to the veggie shops and independent supermarkets and sell direct. That is a smart move I'd say. Bakeries have started baking again and bread is available at most small bakeries. Deliveries of other products are slowly happening again.

He says people are asked to return to their homes and jobs. The trains will be running free for the next 2 weeks, no matter where you come from or going too only you still need to book. It's getting better but far from right. The national guard will still patrol the streets with the police force.

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Day 60 ....
The boy's decide it's time to make a move, and today they will finish off their jobs here. Do the last milking tonight and leave early morning.Nick has decided to take the train to Sydney cause they have another car there in storage. His train leaves at 11am tomorrow, it gives him a few days in Sydney to get organized again, go see friends and maybe stay with them until he can find accommodation again. He calls them from the local phone booth and manage to find them at home. His job is still waiting for him which is just wonderful ... Adele and kids are sad to see him go but Nick will be back in a few weeks to come fetch them. He will get a lift with Tanya and Michael to the station.

Michael & Tanya decide to leave for Brisbane with Neal, Eliza & Luke, who is dying to see his mum. Linda has been with her parents and grandparents. And will be returning to her old job and unit. Tanya will have to start over again in Brisbane, maybe start looking for a job somewhere. Atleast she's nearer her brothers.
Anyway it's for them to sort out. Before they leave I make survival parcels up with the basic foods and toiletries enough to see them through for a few weeks. And some money for petrol. Micheal has left his bikes here for now. Marna and Cobi have stayed behind until he sorts things out that side. Cobi is safe enough with us here.
Monday School starts again and the 3 kids will be there bright eyed and bushy tailed ....
The house feels so empty without everyone around, We're all a little worried for the family that left, but I know they can't live here forever either...

Soon it will be just the two of us here, oh and all the animals to keep us company.

Quick Tour of my garden ATM ... livestock

2011-11-28T20:47:00.015+11:00

I need some help ID this pumpkin. Thought these were an amish pie pumpkin but being my first time every having purchased some seeds, I was not to sure what I was growing. Love the idea that these are white pumpkins.

Lots of green tomatoes, very pleased with them so far

The first of the Cherry tomatoes

Did you call Mom? Last count was 16 sheep and 1 adopted pony.

Thursday morning these 32 babies go for processing. I had 8 birds that did not make it, 3 just gone missing presumably cat food, 3died of heat exhaustion and 2 died within the first week. Not a good rate this time. 22 birds are sold leaving 10 birds for my freezer. I woun't be starting another batch before early March

Come for a quick visit? ...

2011-11-23T08:54:00.002+11:00

Good Morning to all my visitors today,

Well where's the post I hear you ask?

Well, come on over to my other blog,

What you missed it!

See you there

Rina

Explanation of God ....

2011-11-22T08:33:00.002+11:00

Got this from a friend...

It was written by an 8-year-old named Danny Dutton, who lives in Chula Vista , CA . He wrote it for his third grade homework assignment, to 'explain God.' I wonder if any of us could have done as well?
(and he had such an assignment, in California , and someone published it, I guess miracles do happen!)

... EXPLANATION OF GOD:

'One of God's main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. He doesn't make grownups, just babies. I think because they are smaller and easier to make. That way he doesn't have to take up his valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to mothers and fathers.'

'God's second most important job is listening to prayers An awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times beside bedtime. God doesn't have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this. Because he hears everything, there must be a terrible lot of noise in his ears, unless he has thought of a way to turn it off.'

'God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn't go wasting his time by going over your mom and dad's head asking for something they said you couldn't have.'

'Atheists are people who don't believe in God. I don't think there are any in Chula Vista . At least there aren't any who come to our church.'

'Jesus is God's Son. He used to do all the hard work, like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn't want to learn about God. They finally got tired of him preaching to them and they crucified him. But he was good and kind, like his father, and he told his father that they didn't know what they were doing and to forgive them and God said O.K.'

'His dad (God) appreciated everything that he had done and all his hard work on earth so he told him he didn't have to go out on the road anymore. He could stay in heaven. So he did. And now he helps his dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of and which ones he can take care of himself without having to bother God. Like a secretary, only more important.'

'You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to help you because they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time.'

'You should always go to church on Sunday because it makes God happy, and if there's anybody you want to make happy, it's God!

Don't skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This is wrong. And besides the sun doesn't come out at the beach until noon anyway.'

'If you don't believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonely, because your parents can't go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can. It is good to know He's around you when you're scared, in the dark or when you can't swim and you get thrown into real deep water by big kids.'

'But...you shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and he can take me back anytime he pleases.

And...that's why I believe in God.

Sunset ...

2011-11-20T22:17:00.005+11:00

General update ...

2011-11-17T08:33:00.004+11:00

Conserving water is one of our priorities, esp here on Mulgoa farm 2 households using one 22 000 ltr tank. Only thats not always possible with a heap of washing, 6 troughs to fill regularly between us, and then topping up the pool. We have all become rather lazy this last year, not doing the water run, filling up a 1000 ltr tank from the villiage hydrant and carting that home, which becomes such a pain to do. And then hoping it rains enough to keep topping up the tank. Well the Landlord is in charge of keeping a eye on the level of the water, only we all got caught out on Monday afternoon yes you guess where I was heading, it ran out. What a mission to get a water tanker in with 10 000 ltrs and only at 6.30pm last night the water arrived. (could have kissed the driver)

No eggs here ATM, just sbout all the hens have gone broody they drive me crazy. Bought 5 leghorn hens just 10 weeks old 3 weeks ago and am hoping they could come into lay and help with a steady supply of beautiful big white eggs when they are old enough. Lost 3 more meat chooks, am thinking it could be our killer cat Jellybeans who may have finally worked out they could be her dinner, (expensive dinner) still to catch her red clawed.

The veggie patch is going well this year. The tomatoe crop looks ever so promising so far. Need to plant a few more seedlings now that I have cleaned out the bed with all the plants that went to seed. Just work it over a bit and see what comes up. The corn I planted last week have started popping up everywhere, am very pleased about that. Planted some beans but they did not come up well and will need to get back too them.

Inside I have started on all the UFO's and repairs , thats going well hoping to update my other blog with pictures soon. well I better get back and start doing some chores ...
See ya later
Rina

Strawberry jam ... & new CD ...

2011-11-11T18:24:00.006+11:00

What a bargain 5Kg of ready to go strawberries for $10.00 ATM they still sitting in the pot with 2kg of jam sugar mixed in, drawing out the red yummy juices. Then I add 8 tablespoons of lemon juice to the mix and cook it up for 15 mins. Do the testing thing with my nifty candy thermometer. What a mission to find a thermometer, not every store keeps them, supermarkets only have meat thermometers, even found a milk one for cappuccinos, not what I need sorry. Eventually found one yeah now I can make my jam without guessing.

One good thing came from shopping I bought Susan Boyle's new CD "Someone To Watch Over Me" it's so beautifull, very different to her last two CD's. Well I was secretly hoping to get it for Christmas from one of the kids, even if we only do presents for the grandkids.

Be back later with pics of the jam making ...

Hi Debbie, it really worked a treat mercury was at 105C according to the recipe, found it on the internet. There was more instructions on the back of the packaging for different stuff so maybe save it for later reference. Another good idea from the same person was, to wash your bottles with warm soapy water, rinse and shake dry, then pop them in a warm oven to dry until you need them.

2011-11-10T09:38:00.007+11:00

Well this is the first time I put up a video and it's taking for ever to load. Do you have the same problem? let me know please

Thought a video would be nice of the latest batch of meat chooks, got 40 chicks again in the September school holidays, two died within the first week. Then another died two days ago with heat wave we are having, it's amazing I haven't lost more. Dog food I thought why waste it, so did the whole butcher thing and cooked it up for the dogs. Weight it first and it was 1,25kg. Still got a fair way to go.

Over the weekend George cut in a backdoor to help with ventalation and we also enclosed a new yard for them to run around in. Most of the day there is some sort of shade available. But still not enough so I found some old workhorses and a bullnose corragate roof sheet and put that up too for them to hide under. What I really need is shade cloth to provide more shade.

Last night before closing them up for the night, I could see they're still sitting with their little becks open and wings spread, tempature still to high. So decided to put a old box fan in the chookie barn. and checked up on them at 11pm before heading to bed myself. that fan will now be part of the chook raising equipement lol.
Well finally it done
until next time
Rina

A quick tour around the veggie patch ....

2011-11-10T07:28:00.020+11:00

Good Morning to everyone visiting today, No I know roses don't go in veggie patches but these are destined for the farm, with the asparagas and yesterday, today and tomorrow shrubs I bought. The roses are so pretty and have a lovely perfume too.

Hmm look at them yellow queen peaches, grow babies grow. The leaves on this little tree have got leafcurl, unfortuneately I never sprayed for it in June/July according to the nurseryman, just have to live with it until next year.

Strawberries anyone? A small variety of sweet strawberry, the other tub has pink flowered strawberries bearing larger fruit ever so yummy.

Look what I spied, The first of the Rasberries.

In the backgound there's a healthy crop of spinach is growing. The cherry toms are doing good too, great for summer salads.

Going to be a good crop of tomatoes this year. there's cherry toms and beefsteak too

Some beetroot destined to be bottled.

Aren't these too sweet, they have self seeded from last year.

This whole bed really needs to come out, only most of it has gone to seed which I will be collecting. Italian parsley, rocket, beetroot and chinese broccolli mixed up. The lemonade tree needs to go to the farm, it was a mother's day gift from Tanya

Farmers Expo at Richmond ...

2011-11-08T17:12:00.013+11:00

Catering mostly for the small hobby farmer, this Expo was well supported and in todays market that is good to see still. We planned going first thing in the morning but time got away a little with a few chores that needed doing first. Richmond is a good 45 mins from home, the sun was shining what more could you ask for. We are still looking for a smallish tractor with a 4 in one bucket and a rotary hoe at the back. This little Massey Fergason, ticked a few boxes but the price did not, oh well we keep looking.

So hard which one to choose

Antique Farm equipment and old trucks

A sheep herding display, first working was the older dog then a 4 month old pup just showing off her natural instinct. Keeping the mop of sheep together weldone little Amy. Her Brother also had a go.

Lots of baby moo's

Some great poultry on show.

This doe and kid angora goat stole my heart, now that was always my first choice goat, never mind Miss Daisy is still a keeper.

We had been wanting to go to this Expo before something always gets in the way, this time we did and it really was a lovely day I got rather excited about the lovely fleeces some ladies were spinning and the the knitted items made from that lovely fleece. Did buy a home cure meat book hoping to one day grow a piggy or two to make a little bacon.

Until nexttime
Rina

Halloween Display ...

2011-10-31T10:28:00.010+11:00

The boy's clay pumpkins which they painted orange and the scary masks stick up on the netting, bummer they not here to see it. I love decorating my entrance according to the seasons.

Add a few bats and it's done

The witch's broomstick is just to the right of this pic, some dried flowers stuck in it. Ah the lastest kitchenalia purchase was rather handy for this display "A farmhouse water tank"

Painted the scarecrow and few years ago, come in handy today.

Just love my pumpkin made from an old red golf shirt, might make a few more of these.
You might not take part in Halloween but it is just a fun thing. I hope you had a fun time too.

See ya nexttime
Rina

Weekend at the Farm ...

2011-10-24T12:55:00.013+11:00

Excuse me but did you see the size of this Lace Monitor! Then you might understand how my heart was racing when hearing a noise and then this monitor's mate climb out of one of those veggie boxes and scaring the living crap out of me. Me yelling my head off cause it was heading straight past George where he was digging a hole to plant some trees for me. All he saw was this flash passing he's feet, making it way down to the creek. This one in the pic got a bigger fright, when this mad woman yelled like that, stopping in it tracks, turned and headed back the way it came. I had no problem find it after getting the camera. They woun't just attack you unless you corner it. Huge don't ya think.

Well after this we spotted a baby red belly black snake, while clearing up the rather overgrown veggie patch. It lived to scare us another day.

Just have to show off my 6 new raised veggie boxes, making a total of 10 boxes. and 1 more to go. Ran out of sleepers. These are rather deep taking up a fair bit of chook manure and soil. I will have to order in another truck load of garden soil to fill them up and top the other boxes as well.

What is this I hear you ask ... The outside of Rose Cottage got it's first coat of paint. "Eucalyptus" Only one wall has the correct cladding on ATM but I had to give it a lick of paint lol. Same colour as the water tank.

Veggie boxes working a treat, Zuks are growing well and we have already had 3 large ones. Pineapple sage is going great too, not long and there will be little red flowers.

Our rather tame Magpie, charming us with her songs all for a little piece of chicken. Maggie was hand raised and set free, now made our place her territory.

Dinner for two. Bruchette with sour dough bread, Chicken kebabs and grill sweet corn. And a glass of Portuguese Rose wine.

News on the home front ...

2011-10-20T20:43:00.006+11:00

Hi My blogging buddies, Long time no see, Been a little quiet here the last week. Our joy was short lived with the young one and his Mom moved back to Brisbane. Once again a huge cash problem showed it's ugly head, $11 000 which we just did not have to throw away at our education department, wanting it's share, suppose to be equalant to how much each child is subsidied, Private or Public school, and then the school fees. Being on the wrong visa/bridging visa ... a long story, nothing we can do ATM. Once again the green car will wait until next year to go on the road, no rush. The little boy has gone back to his old school for now and is living with his Dad.

With this nice weather we having this weekend, we decided to take an extra day off on Monday and making it a long weekend, so we're heading up to the farm. Leaving tomorrow afternoon. A stop at the Hardward store to buy a dozed threated sleepers for raised veggie boxes down the one side of the fence. Woun't be able to fill the new boxes up with soil until I buy more garden soil and have it trucked in. I have a dozen Rasberry canes that could do with a new home,so will need to find a spot for them. So looking forward to get the last strip of flooring in too, it's a small gap of not wider than 6cm and then finally the critter wount't have easy access to the cottage.

I'll be putting up a pic of pretty crochet dress for Nilo's grand daughter, it's slightly different than the pattern Link provided if you prefer the original one. A work still in progress. Well that's it for today
Have a great weekend
Rina

Rina's Toy

2011-10-09T15:20:00.006+11:00

See I am Mom's toy car, been camping in the carport with a blanket over my back keeping Miss Daisy company while she has her daily afternoon nap. Well I am finally going to hit the road again. It's been a long time since 2005 that I had my last trip.

Now this is what I looked like a few hours ago until I got a wash and vacuum. So much better don't you think. Wow Dad thanks man.

I got a job to do , one little boy needs to go to school and I am here to get him there on time, thats after Dad takes me to the repair shop for a little TLC.

Well come on hop in and lets go for a drive.

Random News update ...

2011-10-05T09:52:00.003+11:00

We got more meat chooks, they're nearly 2 weeks old now and already I have lost 2 chicks no idea why. This time I think I will raise them to 12 weeks then they should average 3.5 kgs each plenty enough chook. Most of these birds are sold already By that time it's December and we should already be in our hot summer season here.

My big news is My Grandson and ex-daughter-inlaw has moved in with us, they are from Brisbane. There are a few problems we need to overcome before things are rosie again. Also we will have to pay school fees again, it's like starting all over again.

The house has been turn upside down to fit everyone in. We gave up our bedroom and moved to the smallest room. It is a bit of a joke George need to climb over the bed or roll in from myside lol. Tanya our daughter Alias the Blond One, has the main bedroom and a big spare which is her sewing room and office and it overflowing with stuff I just shoved in. Already got "The Look" when she arrived back yesterday from a month away working in Darwin. Tanya sews costumes for shows and has a heap of orders waiting to get done asap. Well I beter help her sort out that room.

Dogs need a good bath and haircut before the summer, I normally just trim as best as I can. Another job on my already big too do list.

Not sure if I mentioned before we bought enough roofing to go over half of Rose Cottage and will be taking it up shortly. Just have to wait for a break in the rainy weather we having ATM to get the new roof up. Another thing we managed to save for to pay cash. Slowly but surely we will get there.

My brains not functioning to well today, I know there is more news than this, so I might pop in later and add to this post.

A good read ... Link is working now

2011-10-04T15:41:00.007+11:00

I don't like scaring anyone, but take a look at this article , can't happen you would say well it is and it's not over yet.

I post this on a forum this morning ... Hi ladies, some of you might remember me, some woun't but I still come for a visit every so often. I found this post on FB and just wanted to share with you all. I believe most of us here would be able to take care of our families, that is why we are here on forums such as Rhonda' D2E I had no idea it was this bad already and am probably not the only one here either but have a look at this. Don't believe it could happen to you?? Non of us are safe! We are the 99%. Thanks for taking the time to read a few pages of this article

I think if only we can learn one thing out of this article that should be to be more prepared, and take it seriously what you and I are learning here. To be happy with what we got, even if it's not the mansion. Do for ourselves as much as possible, learn skills that can be passed down from our Grandmothers. We are all heading for tough times!

Warning bells for all of us
Rina

a few more train pic ...

2011-09-25T08:02:00.027+10:00

My Favorite train. So pleased you enjoyed the last post so I have added another post with pics for you. You might also want to have a look at another post on Railways Stoney Creek Tressle Bridge down in Victoria, it's a narrow rain system. Click on Stoney Creek Tressle Bridge and Short trips and holidays under labels on the right, thanks.

This train was to carry wages, it was fully restored by appentices from Skilled Engineering and on display at Central station in Sydney for a while, Now it's at Thirlmere Train Works

Again part of the coal carriages

That old wrought iron work is so beautiful and check out the break.

First Class Travel. Those seats look so comfy, lots of leg space. Check out the pressed tinwork above the wood panneling, it's in the dinning cart as well.

heritageexpress.com.au for more info
Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment,
See ya next trip
Rina

Train Works, a Boys Paradise ...

2011-09-24T18:38:00.012+10:00

In the Theater, the whole story of this little engine is shown from before the WWl, WW2 and to where it ws used to shunt coal in the Hunter Valley.

Great lighting in the theater.

Transposting coal.

I'd say sheep were tranported in these old carriages being a double decker.

Boy's behind bars in the carriage carting the convicts
Not a bad place for them keeps them quite on the return trip home, wishfull thinking :))

A good day for Riding ...

2011-09-22T09:08:00.008+10:00

Finally got our first lesson in for this holiday, Tuesday's lesson was cancelled due to Gail force winds.

Yesterday turned out to be a lovely day, just a slight breeze, perfect day.

A good picture if you did not cut the kids head off, oopps

Next week we'll try fit in another lesson.

Enjoy the rest of the holidays for the Queensland kids, NSW kids only start their Sept break on Friday
See ya soon
Rina

School Holidays are here again ...

2011-09-18T19:33:00.006+10:00

Yeah that really your's truly finally an up to date pic lol, How about those two boy's making fun of their grandma with double bunny ears hmmmm

The big baby boys flew in from Brisbane on Thursday the 15th, and that's when all the fun starte. For the next two weeks, I don't think there will be a lot of time to blog but I will try share a few pics with you as we go along. Friday was not very eventfull except George had another eye lazer treatment, so far that makes no 5, two weeks ago he got an injection into the same eye for swelling then only could they carry on with the lazer treatment.

Saturday we went of to the local Catholic School Fair, no we're not Catholic but it's local and it's heaps of fun for the kids. Great school, well layed out and it's got a great reputation.

Today we stayed home, Grandpa was not feeling to crash hot, I'll just take the boys to the train musuem during the week by myself. We having great weather ATM, lot's of backburning, getting ready for the fire season, that does mean a fair bit of smoky haze over Sydney

Hope to be back with some more pics for you soon
See ya
Rina

An Orpington Hen named Matilda ...

2011-09-14T10:08:00.006+10:00

I'll be honest all the orpington hens are named Matilda, there's a few of black hens. But this special one was easy to pick out why you'd ask. Well there was something very wrong with her crop. Being big birds, with huge feet her crop always got in the way when she walked. That crop was hanging down like a small seedless watermelon. It never caused a big problem until the last few weeks, she still got about and layed the odd egg. I could see she was struggling to get to the leftover snack pasta or rice, so made sure she got her fair share. the last week she let me pick her up and carry her to her favorite spot where she just sat looking very sad. Closing the chookies for the night, I found her, on her side dead, gone to Chookie Heaven. She was one of my original trio. Even here on this pic it easy to pick her out of this group see the one on the right.

New blog ...

2011-09-10T10:41:00.000+10:00

Ta Da I present you with " A Shack In The Country " Well it up and running so who's going to visit me at the new blog. I am going to be a busy girl just keeping up with it all. All progress on Rose Cottage and craft projects will be moving over to that blog. So please follow me and join me in my journey to The Shack In The Country

Thought I would bump this notice forward and maybe you missed the big announchment lol.

Have you ever cooked Oxtail ...

2011-09-09T07:47:00.003+10:00

Just seen this post,about cooking Oxtail Soup over at Just like My Nan Made Well I have never made soup from oxtail and it sound very nice.

I cook oxtail with a good dash of vinegar, bay leaves, as a main meat dish with rice. brown the tail add chucky diced onions, add a few small bayleaves, cover with water/cube of stock if you want(opp, add a dash of vinegar. Cook on med until the waters gone, add more water and a little more vinegar it takes a good 3 hrs to cook it that the meat falls off the bone. Add a little salt,I add chunky cut up carrots and potatoes the last 1/2 hr, don't want them to fall apart. Add a little water to 2 tablespoons of gravy powder in a cup and mix that into the meat, just for that extra gravy, season with ground black pepper and salt. This recipe came from my Mom who got it from my Grandmother, who got it ... never mind

Enjoy making either of these recipes
see ya later
Rina

a good day's work ...

2011-09-07T16:04:00.010+10:00

It's done , all weeded and composted, dug up, raked, stackes in place for the bountyfull crop of tomatoes I've been promised. More stacks and reinforement wire for the beans, more beans, cucumbers and yellow button squash.

Planting list: snake beans, climbing beans and yellow butter beans.
Candy striped beetroot,
large white ribbed silverbeet,
baby sweet corn for stirfries,
Bulgarian carrot peppers (hot).
Cucumbers for bread and butter pudding. I used Rhonda's recipe
(from Down to Earth) last year and my neighbour just wanted more
after tasting the bottle I gave them.

Tomorrow I want to get the other patch dug up and get the zucchini, Amish pie pumpkin, golden nugget, butternut, Queensland blue and gem squash. I am dying to grow some giraumon turban pumpkin as well just for the heck of it, I grew this tiny one last season sure it's got to be bigger than that. Just got to get the last raised bed filled up with more soil then plant some real sweet corn in it.

What else is growing atm, chillies, globe arichokes, rosemary, oregano, lemon balm, italian parsley, rocket and chinese broccoli. Rasberry canes are coming up everywhere, no one warned me about that!! it just gives me one less bed to work with until they stronger and I can pot most of them.

The frost killed all the leaves of the dwarf bananas but there seems to be new leaves coming out. The two queen peach trees are in blossom, they so need to go into the ground at the farm but now it's too late I think. The lemonade tree has blossoms as well.

Now for the next job on my to do list for the day "Clean the oven" got leftovers for dinner tonight.
That's all for today
see ya
Rina

Veggie patch need a lot of work ...

2011-09-06T16:09:00.002+10:00

Springs here for sure, it's warming up nicely and now it's time to get out in the veggie patch again. The 6 tomatoe seedlings & yellow button squash I bought at the market on Saturday, have gone straight into the half 44 galon drums, after adding a lot of mushroom compost to them. The bloke promised a good crop, probably a hybrib variety. A few beefsteak seedlings and cherrytom have self seeded, they got moved to a fresh drum too. well thats a start if nothing else, tomorrow I plan cleaning the rest of the patch up.

The rasberry canes got a pruning, I really need to transplant a few canes into pots and take them to the farm. A lot of weeds have taken over the patch this winter so it's going to be a whole day clean up tomorrow, love getting my hands dirty. There's a whole bag of spuds hust waiting to go into the ground too

Right now I waiting for the shearer, Billy the ram is really not well I don't want to dig a hole for him he's too cute Photo's to follow soon.

see ya all soon
Rina

Trip to Berrima ... on Father's day

2011-09-04T16:28:00.025+10:00

Australia is celebrating Father's Day today, so I thought it very appropriate that George could take me out for the day and where better to go than antiquing lol

Rows of old quilts, neatly rolled up.

Kitchenalia, these shelves are empty as they are closing shop, most items are half price. A huge saving but then I only came for a milk glass mixing bowl, nothing else.

Imagine wearing one of these cotton dresses, would they have worn with a dark pinnie over them?

Hefty price tag for old children's shoes.

No idea what this bush is called but the flowers are so pretty

Selling all sorts of teas, jams,lollies and honey. Pina I think there could be Japanese tea sets there, should have checked??

That would be so yummy on toast. Looks like your looking through stained glass windows.
.

Pink, plum and white blossoms everywhere

Sand stone is used in most of the buildings in the area

The Shearer was here today ...

2011-08-31T22:08:00.006+10:00

Done all the tails and nuts of the lambs, got their vaccinations done too. The boys sure aren't to happy with the rubber bands, but it needs to be done. And then to top it all they stuck tags in our ears...

Everyone else had a haircut, got drenched and vaccinations and purple ear tags.

And then we discovered there's one more ewe pregnant, she only a young ewe and still has a fair bit to go. Let's hope there is no complications Oh and we got Barbuos Pole again, this time Billy has come down with it, the others will have a mild dose of it too then. Raggedy Sally looks better with all her fleece shown off and I even managed to get a bad pic of her neck. The wound has just about healed totally.

That's it for now
See ya
Rina

The Chook Business ... is taking off

2011-08-30T09:56:00.004+10:00

My last customer who took the 15 chooks invited me for afternoon tea, and then placed her order 15 birds for her , 6 for her sister, 2 for mum ... and so on my head started to spin, needed a calculator to keep up. Slow down Susana I can only do 40 birds max lol.

Well The next lot are on order and should be in next week. so there I go again. and it looks like as soon as these babies are 4 weeks old , I will have to order the next lot of birds. Rosa with the leukemia son also wants another 6 birds and then there's still nothing for my freezer. ATM the weather here in Australia is still cold at night, days are very pleasant. But it changing and it can get so hot that the birds can die of heat exhaustion.

I have also invested in a few more egg layers and hope fresh eggs will do well you can only but try.
It is a lot of work and constantly being around but you can taste the difference, so worth it. Thanks Annie from The Journey Homesteading Forum for the good advice. You will find her link on the right hand side and Annie's blog That was my lucky day when I found her.

Another Detour ... the scenic drive

2011-08-28T20:40:00.013+10:00

Take the Great Lakes/Tea Gardens turn off just other side of Raymond Terrace, just follow the road and soon you will find this charming little village.

Cruising the river.

Lunch at Nicole's cafe and art gallery at Tea Gardens as in a villiage by the river. Maybe next time.

What ever floats your boat Mate

(Opps forgot to rotate the pic lol) Are you coming for a walk with me?

Did you know that if you have sunburn and need something to put on right away. Look for this plant on the dunes. Break off a few leaves and squess the sap on to the burn, it works!

Went for a little walk on the beach at Hawks Nest, hardly anyone there, just the way I like it.

See anything strange in this pic? That big blob of mud on the tree trunk is a Kookkaburra nest. This looks like a new nest, some are hard to spot cause they look just like a burl on the tree.

This ferry could only take 4 cars max, you had to pay to go on this one.

Pelicans grooming themselves on the river bank.

Hope you enjoyed this little detour as much as I did
See ya
Rina

We said our good byes ... to Juliet

2011-08-27T02:44:00.006+10:00

Remember this post ... I have never introduced you to one of our older cats, Meet Juliet ... she just a tricoloured girl, getting on a little. But she's got big problem, her health has deteriated so much in the last few years, that is nearly time to relieve her of her pain. Juliet is the most skiddish cat we have ever owned, don't cuddle me, don't pick me up, I'll come to you if I want anything. So we just leave her be to come to you when she wants too. She sleeps all day curled up in her basket, only gets up for a little food and water but night time she sits up like an owl, her back legs have never functioned very well, vet called her a wobbly cat (birth defect) and while she was happy we just let her be, Now it has become clear she's not coping even grooming herself anymore or walking to far. It's nearly time ...
Well that day came yesterday, Juliet fell off the bed Tanya just not quick enough to catch her. Jules must have hurt herself so badly, that she lost the last bit of her back legs, just about paralysing her. We have been carrying her where ever she needed to go, picking her up and putting her down, carrying her outside to sit in the sun and then bringing her in again. Just like an old lady which she really was in cat years, a good 14 years old. A decision made and then confirmed by our lovely lady vet. We watched her take her last little breath and just move one little paw afterwards and it was all over
RIP Jules

2011-08-25T07:21:00.015+10:00

Good morning my online friends,
Just realized I haven't been a very good tour guide lately, took a few pics but never blogged about it. Not good at all, so this morning I'll show you a few pics I took the last time we returned home from the farm, traffic reports said there was an accident on the M3 so we did a detour to Wisemans Ferry and came around the backway.

Just one of the many homes dotted along the road, river one side of the road and a few homes on the otherside. Most people living here would stay here because of the livestyle, fishing, crabbing and peace for one's soul.

Picture postcard stuff, one of the private jetties along the Hawksbury River.

Love the colours of the sandstone cliffs with the sun shining on theme.

It was getting a bit late already and would have loved to spend more time around the area. Maybe next time
Enjoy your day
Rina

Bring out the champers ...

2011-08-22T07:03:00.000+10:00

Miss Lashes finally delivered her boundle of fur,a pretty little ewe. Not so little actually it's probably the biggest lamb so far. Mom was very vocal at about 4.30ish Saturday morning and cause we have had extremely bad weather Friday and during the night and more expected today, I was more aware of the pendening birth. But this was her 3rd birth since we got her, and she knew what she was doing, all went smoothly. She was happy to let me pick up the little one to carry her inside the sheep shed with mom following close behind, for bonding time by themselves.

And the old Brown ewe once again dropped during the night and gave us a strong little Ram. His is a nice looking little ram. She is getting on a bit and hopefully this will be her last lamb.

Update pics of Bella's sweet little twins and little ram

While having a coffee, watching them settle in, Billy came and stood next to me, just felt the flick of his ear against my leg. He came to inspect his little half sister. Billy loves a little scratch behind the ear and is really good natured so far. His will get to stay on even if I need to get a few girls just for him.

Here's a question for suffolk owners. Our twins from last year had good parents. Dad Nelson had to move on to a new home this year. That's why we a mixed breed this year. Both twin have all the correct markings only the little ram grew black horns, my plan was to keep Rowan and sell Billy off. But this horn business is a worry. Where does it come from?? Don't really want to take him to the livestock auction, yeah I am still a little upset about the place, maybe advertise him through www.farmstock.com.au

very cute aren't they
See ya all soon
Rina

Prayers for Baby Sebastian

2011-08-18T08:28:00.004+10:00

A Premature Baby's Prayer by Prayers for Baby Sebastian on Tuesday, August 16, 2011 at 7:31am

God bless the little child behind the plastic wall

For all he knows is the ringing of the bells and

the blurred images around him. He has been taken

from my womb without warning and I long to hold him

in my arms.

Lord, I ask in your name that my child be healed.

I am willing to accept your decision no matter what

it will be. I am willing to take on the responsibilities

for caring for this child. I am willing to give this

child love and understanding no matter the cost.

Please Lord help me to accept reality and what has

happened without explanation or warning. Help me

face the fact that this is not my fault and that

I was given a special task to complete here on Earth.

God give my child the strength to make it through another

second, minute, hour and day as each moment is

a blessing and a triumph from heaven.

God, may you give the strength and compassion

to the caregivers and nurses that take care of my child

May you keep my child protected and free from all injury

and pain.

Please take away the guilt and burden from my heart dear

Lord. It is heavy and I feel it is all my fault.

Take it away dear Lord. Sweet Jesus allow me the strength

and understanding I need to communicate with the Doctors

and Nurses.

As you see dear Lord, I am at your mercy for the life of

my child. Please leave him here on Earth and know that

I will provide all the love and understanding that

this child needs. I accept the challenge and will be

your humble servant dear Lord.

~Author unknown~

Please follow the link in the previous post let's let them know we do care.
Thank you and love ya all
Special note to Ava welcome, I left you a small comment on the previous post.

Tiny Angels ...

2011-08-16T10:08:00.014+10:00

I love bloghopping and this morning I found this. I felt like an intruder reading these blogposts but can't help myself. God you can feel the pain of these poor parents. What I am most impressed about is the good that has come from their grief God it is still sad no matter which way you look at it. Please follow the link to other sites on Tyla's Blog. Tyla's Daddy died of Cancer (making it doubly as sad for her mommy)

But before You carry on reading, I ask you say a little prayer for Sebastion ...
Please pray for baby Sebastian ♥ His mommy and daddy waited such a very very long time for him, he was a miracle even before he was born and we pray for him today and all the days after xxx
Prayers for Baby Sebastian
This is a prayer and dedication page for Baby Sebastian van Rooyen born 2 months premature on 28 July 2011 weighing in at 1.56kg. Sebastian progressed very well but suddenly took a turn last night (15th August) and was diagnosed with having NEC or inflammatory bowl disease.
A message on Sebastion and his parents Facebook link would be really appreciated

Link to Tyla's Memory Boxes, www.tylatreasuresblog.blogspot.com

~~~ Babybear ~~~
Today is babybear's 6th birthday.

Hard to believe 6 years has passed
since I said hello and good bye
to my little girl.
It seems like only yesterday
and forever ago.

On her angel day (Friday),
I had a few people over for a BBQ.
I made these sad looking cupcake bears.
At least they tasted better than they looked.

The balloon place closed
so I didn't get to do a balloon release.

What I wouldn't do
to have a real birthday party instead.
With a little birthday princess
instead of an angel.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~ A Song for Daniel~~~
Stillborn
by Jean Felice Eilbert (his mother)

When I held you in my arms that day
Born so still, born anyway
How was I to know to say goodbye?
No one knew just what to do
Except tell me I'd get over you
As if forgetting makes it all untrue -- a lie

But I remember to remember
I can't forget just to forget
Your memories are a part of me
Connecting me to what comes next.

And even after all this while
I think of you, sometimes I smile
Memories of my unknown child, fade slow.
I've held you in my heart each day
Life so short, life anyway
Memories are meant to say hello

Maybe I could ask each of you to think about helping make a suitable baby item, Bev's on the right handside of Tyla's Blog has patterns for premmie items, and donate it to a hospital near you or maybe a lending hand with these beautiful memory boxes. Gosh I know it's a big ask but we can do it
Love Rina

Comments not working again I can't reply
Hi Ava, I am so glad I found your blog, It's just the more love and prayer for little ones the better. Right now Sebastion needs all the prayers he can get. I want to give you a big hug and say thank you.
You are very welcome here xx
Rina ... Our Slice of Heaven

August 18, 2011 8:17 AM

Wensday was livestock auction ...

2011-08-13T09:04:00.018+10:00

We headed off to Camden to the livestock auction, registered and got a number, for just in case we actually saw sometime we liked. Being the only two women amongst all those men was not very exciting, characters of all sort, but mostly from the Middle East. A few Aussies and I could count them one one hand. A few hands strayed but mostly they were behaving themselves. One man offered me a squeeze, when I asked if I could squeeze in to have a closer look, yeah right.These are people that would have no problem doing home kills, fatten then up and eat them, kebabs on a stick.

To get back to the auctioneer, he was doing a great job, considering most of these animals were thin as, you could count their ribs.Some poor animals looked like they wanted to keel over and die. Gayle wanted sheep and today I was just there for the ride and day out. Just could not get over their condition, I just wanted to take them all home, esp the baby goats. These pics are disturbing I do apologise.That little one with the colourfull face was my pick, only am not allowed to have any more goats atm.

But one Miss Daisy is enough trouble as is. Living a life fit for a "Queen Goat" and Miss Lucky Nickel has it good too, having a wood stack and an apple tree, spoilt as by Claire the Shepherdess from Nova Scotia, Canada, please pop over to Claire they would love to have you pop in.

Have a great weekend everyone
see ya
Rina

Bella's Twins ...

2011-08-09T22:54:00.008+10:00

The good news Miss Bella finally popped, 2 very tiny little ewes, they so cute but boy so blotchy, just plain not very pretty. That ram next door is a merino and mamma Bella is a suffolk. This is Bella's second season and only one ewe last year. This time there were 3 girls, yes I did say 3 girls, one did not make it. She insisted having her babies under a big tree in the dirt, while I had put new hay down in the sheep shed for her.

Had been keeping an eye on her the whole day and just after the first one was born and on her feet, Bella popped out no 2 and ignored it, well I just went in and cleaned her up, splashed a little cold water on her face. That sort of shocks them and makes them draw in a deep breath, then they right to go, just like smacking a baby on the bottom kind of thing.

Baby no 3, was taking it's time coming and by that time Bella and her twins were safely inside the sheep shed, feed and watered. I had done the feeding round for the evening and had started making dinner, when Gayle our landlord/neighbour came for a stickybeak. Once again no more signs of anymore lambs, but while making dinner, she popped out no 3, Bella never cleaned it's little face, it died still in the sack.Sad but that nature for you.

Now we're just waiting for the brown ewe and Miss Lashes to pop in the next day or so. Little Stella is also expecting but atleast a month behind these girls. Tomorrow I am off to the Camden livestock Auction held every Wensday with Gayle, she's looking at some mixed breed sheep. I prefer to stick to Suffolks.
Well that's it for tonight
See ya
Rina

Nickname and planning a small holiday ...

2011-08-08T11:37:00.000+10:00

Mrs Steggles, that's my new nickname at work cause of all the meat chooks. Steggles grow chooks for the meat market like Rainbow Chickens from South Africa, can't remember who else raises chicken for that purpose, every country is different. Trent was very happy to receive his free chook, and his rusks. He just wants to know what new project/craze I going to get next. Maybe cute piggies who knows! Would love to try making sausages next, salami, chirizo and just plain sausages. Charlie and Anna, just down the road is my man for that. but first we got 22 more chooks to slaughter and freeze. I can tell you they taste like real chickens should!

Before ordering the next lot of chicks, I think I need to go on a few weeks holiday to see Mom in South Africa. My income tax return money should come in very handy and with the exchange rate being good ATM, it could give me just a little bit more spending money. Mom loves to go to the Casino but I get bored there real quickly. Can you believe it she pulled an all night er a few days ago, she's 74!!! I won't make it past midnight ... Mom sent an text message last Wednesday, they had been run into by a double cab ute from behind, her little same car coming off the worst. Her husband of 93 was very shock up and needed a lot of calming down. Mom was driving, they are just a little bruised but otherwise fine.

One of my Face book friends related to Miekie van Tonder the Lion Lady from
Elsa's Haven, who I have never personally meet has offered to pick me up from the airport which I do think is so nice. And they live close to Mom maybe even visit have an up close visit with Elsa. Please click on Elsa's Haven and read the whole story. If you would like to follow on FB then you can too.This time I would love to meet another friend Paula (also meet Paula on the Internet as a follower, the Internet is a wonderful thing don't you think lol) It's sad going back and all your friends have immigrated somewhere in the world. But I am making new friends which is wonderful.

Another Lady Melody has started a refuge for women and children, The Cradle of Hope and is heavily involved with charity work. She is also someone I would love to meet. Now you have just meet one off the most amazing "ordinary women" I know there are a lot more such wonderful people out there all doing just a little bit to make the world a better place.

Looks like it going to be a very inspirational holiday.
Have a wonderful day,
See ya,
Rina

Another Weekend ... finishing off the deck

2011-08-07T22:06:00.009+10:00

A quick trip up to the farm to test out the repaired generator which nearly killed us both just starting it, evenually we got it started, it's going back to the repair shop again. A few marigold, pansies, shallots, geranium planted in box no 1. 3 rosemary bushes, daisy bushes, oregano, asain green?? and more marigolds in no2. A blueberry bush and 2 zuchinni seedlings in no3. I might get two more blue berry bushes and more seedlings. Box no 4 needs more soil, then maybe chillies and cherry tomatoes would do nicely in that box.

Another job on the to do list, a paved strip in front of the raised boxes to the water tank. Well that is my next project preparing the path, with a pike and shovel to get a lot of the soil removed and leveled, cart in a load of river sand and get the pavers all ready for the Man of the house wearing the paver man's hat. I do love how he's so handy.

George doing a great job on the deck. No nail gun used here, each board gets screwed on.

A lot of sanding with the belt sander, a good sweep with the broom, run over with the mop, and then paint on a good drink of decking oil. Making sure the ute/car is packed, and no last minute items forgotton inside the cottage. Cause there's no walking on the deck once it's oiled.

Well that just left a very dusty me with knee pads, trackies and top covered in different shades of paint, to wash the paint brush and close the oil tin. A quick wash and change, hiding behind the water tank if any cars came past, lucky non did! All while Dear Husband was waiting in the car with the radio on the sports channel. He had packed all the tools away and locked the containers We do have a deal, he builds and I paint. Then we're on the road again ...

Reply to comments ... and more ...

2011-08-04T14:53:00.005+10:00

Hi everyone, thanks for the comments

Nilo, More pics this weekend, we heading up to go check out what's been done, and also finish the little undercover deck, give the decking boards a coat of oil. We were truly bless with all your help and really miss you both.

Tim & Kari, we are really boring folk, not of the party kind, don't drink maybe a little wine with good friends. Our Digger man has a big problem in that department!

Simpleton, your right about that, reading and following instructions is a good idea. I am having trouble commenting on your blog, I have tried a few times now, Welcome here anyway.

Lana, amazingly we both kept our cool, it's just one of those things, it happened. I was very disappointed having paid it off on lay by at our produce store in Sydney and then having to cart it 7hrs by trailer. This project just took longer than anticipated, lets hope it done by the time we get back.

I am even having trouble commenting on my own blog sigh.......

Well the generator is fixed again and I will be picking it up tomorrow morning, that deck is waiting. Going to pack and be ready to leave straight from work tomorrow at midday. That gives me just enough time to pick up George's prescriptions from the Doctor, get his insulin, and get the last bit of timber needed. Then we're on the road again.
Have a great weekend everyone and see ya soon
Rina

Weekend full of Disastors ...

2011-08-02T12:24:00.008+10:00

Finally the septic tank hole is getting dug, George supervising, wishing he was the one digging that hole. Dream on Mate your not getting one.

Now I had pics to show you the progress, but then this happened, while filling the septic up with water it went egg shaped because these two bozos forgot to put the lid on. Your suppose to put the lid on, fill it up with a little water, fill the hole with a little sand, fill with water, fill a little sand so the darn thing does not go egg shaped. Instead of them pumping out the water, Mr Digger man thought himself very bright and tried to push/pull the tank with the digger arm. Well it cracked, all before they could think of a better plan. Unable to be fixed, buggered, now it's in bits.

Well true to this Aussie's style, a problem can be sorted out in the pub, down the road, by evening the local builder and his dog also knew about the small problem.

Needless to say the rest of the day was a little slow. Already we were powerless cause the big generator just would not start at all, even with a mini service, there was no power to use for cutting wood for the deck. George has to do things the right way proper cuts on the mitre saw, otherwise he ain't happy. Rough work with the chainsaw is not acceptable. Recharging batteries for the drills was done over at friend's place.

Above boxes were built the previous weekend we were at the farm.

Were is my operator? Well he was on his way to Armidale with his truck to fetch an replacement tank and if all goes well he would be installing the tank as I write this. Well that's to say if driver, truck and septic tank are not crashed down a mountain ravine, cause he was going the goat track as I call it. Safe journey Jason.

There is a bit of work still waiting on Jason, digging and levelling two areas for concrete slabs. Then only can we do the form work and pour concrete. At least I did all my work as planned, mowed the grass and the roadside, burnt the pile of rubbish and painted the rest of the fence. Had plans to paint the rest of the bedroom walls but ran out of time. It only needs one coat of pain cause that is where the wardrobe will be built (when we get to it eventually)Well we decided to return to the farm this weekend with a newly serviced generator, (coil might be gone)and finish the deck.

To do list covered deck by the backdoor, bathroom needs to go up soon, then wardrobe to tidy the bedroom up and then the kitchen. Ah then the rest of the raised boxes ............... never ending list

a little show and tell ...

2011-07-27T15:52:00.018+10:00

Another nice winter's day here in Sydney, been up since very early, the dogs were barking at something most of the night, most likely Remi the pony and the sheep under the tree. I have separated the ewes about to give birth from the rest of the flock. The first of the lambs was born 2 weeks ago and since then nothing, but this weekend 3 ewe's should lamb.

Bella looks huge so maybe we could have twins. Miss Lashes is not as big as previous seasons, so only one expected there. And 1 from the old brown ewe. Unfortunately they will all be mixed breeds this year Suffolk X Marino. Why this weekend we heading to the farm, so that leaves Tanya alias The Blond One in charge. (she's not really blond, only dyes her hair blond ... blonds have more fun???) See that fence destruction caused by Neighbour Ram, we just given up trying to repair it atm, because we don't have a dominate ram atm and his just going to keep coming over. So want to shoot him .......

Really into the crocheting atm, so easy to pick up when you got a spare moment, so much inspiration out there in Blogland. Keep finding projects I would like to make. Must confess I don't like reading the patterns but can copy a picture easily. Saved all the projects in a folder to get to later. This little doily only took a few hours to make, it was a challenge cause of the green stitch connecting to the inner green row (hope that makes sense) Found the pattern at Little Woollie.blogspot.comhttp://littlewoollie.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-05-19T12%3A55%3A00%2B10%3A00&max-results=7 Just highlight the above link for the correct link to the project. What I do love about this blog and so many others is all the bright colour used. There's even a link How to mosaic your photo's. Been wondering how to for ages, no computer nerd here! Just wondering if crochet is on your list of skills. It really is not that hard to do, so give it a try. Sometimes I prefer crochet to knitting but that just me.

Next project is all lined up and ready to go, another really easy one coat hanger covers with crochet roses. or maybe a milk jug doily with some white beads with roses ... told ya lots of projects waiting

See ya soon
Rina

Hi Simpleton, I am having problems leaving comments on your blog, so thought I just say a quick Welcome to my blog, Nice to meet you
Writing is an art, which I keep trying to do lol Maybe one day I get good at it

Glad you found someone that really wanted your loom. Weaving is one of the few things I have never tried.
See ya around
Rina ... Our slice of Heaven

July 27, 2011 10:31 PM

A gift given ...

2011-07-23T21:27:00.005+10:00

Don't we all like a little something in the post, from an old friend or a new one for that matter. I got pleasantly reminder ed of a small cross stitch that found it's way into an envelope in ... wait for it ... 1993, to a dear friend. And now after all these years my friend posted a picture of it on Facebook for me. Knew it was just the sort of homemade pressie that Dalene would have loved to receive, no frame, just the little cross stitch.
"Rina, I think of you everyday because I have this little treasure hanging in my kitchen. You sent this to me in California in 93, before you moved to Australia. You embroidered the lemons and I framed it.....I love it!"
I still love sending parcels,
have great weekend
Rina

2011-07-20T19:51:00.005+10:00

Hi Everyone
Today was just one of those nice days, got my housework all done this morning, even baked a chocolate cake in the my new little heartshaped cake tin. Another Opshop/Goodwill find, it's so pretty and just big enough for a instant packet cake mix, you know the ones you just add 2 eggs and milk, mix and pop in the oven. Easy as one two three, spread a little frosting on top and your done. I know I know cheating, I should have made it from scratch!

Enjoyed catching up on a few blogs, still having problems commenting on some, but not to worry, Blogger will get themselves organized sometime or the other. Did a little revamp on the my other blog it needed a freshen up.

Ah I did venture out in the wind and cold, ran out of buttermilk to make some rusks, found some at the local IGA supermarket. So that what I will be doing first thing in the morning. I did stop off at the Antique shop just up the road for a browse around and found a few Homespun and Craft Magazines for some inspiration in the craft department, 3 for $2.00 so i took 9 for $6.00 and a tin plaque for Rose Cottage. I am itching to start painting and decorating. Our trip this weekend is postponed because of bad weather moving up the coast. Can't dig a hole for the septic in the rain.

Before I go Today is my eldest Boy Michael's Birthday, he's 35 years old, how time flies. Well that all for today
See ya
Rina

A deal done ...

2011-07-18T17:56:00.003+10:00

Well the first lot of meat birds have just left with one very happy customer, she remarked haven't seen birds that big for a while. 6 birds at 3.100kg each monster chooks. After she tastes them I am sure there could be more orders lol.

It's time to start thinking when to order the next chicks, this time I think maybe I will only do 30 birds. 38 Birds was very ambitious, just a little crowded in the chook barn the last 2 weeks. only lost 2 birds so that's not to bad a mortality rate.

Now 2 to a co worker... who will spread the word to his Indian friends ...
and another 15 to a Hungarian customer.

That still leaves 14 birds for my freezer, maybe i should batter with my landlord for those pork sausages they made.

Pansies and potted colour .... and more

2011-07-17T08:47:00.001+10:00

They 're everywhere at the moment, bright little faces. This afternoon (Saturday)we went for a drive to get bags of mushroom compost at a farm gate just other side of Penrith about an hrs drive there and back, Only there was non available this time. Really did need to take another 20 bags up to the farm this coming weekend.

So we just drove up the mountains checked out the view. This pic shows how they digging out soil/sandstone/whatever and then turning it into a wetland area, don't really understand what they trying to prove with it all?

Then on to look for a nursery to take a few nice pics of pansies and but found a veggie shop instead with some potted colour, nice bright pollyanthus.

I found this tutorial on making a crochet pansy flower, which was so pretty and thought that a posie of pansies would go nicely on top of a teapot cosy, for Rose Cottage. Really into this crochet flower kick ATM.

Just a little cross stitch I done along time ago, not the best pic cause it's got Matt glass in front of it. I think I might want to make another one but change the colours to a little more brighter shades. Really enjoyed doing cross stitching for a while, then moved onto the next challenge.

Scrap booking was the new best thing, so I got into that too. This page I did for my best friend Rosemary, on their visit to Australia. We spent the weekend up the Blue Mountains, hired a cottage with a cosy wood fire place. Her Hubby had colon cancer and it was his wish to see a little bit of Australia. I so wanted to capture a tender moment and I think I got it when he touch her gently. It's hard to find just the right one. The young man William, was so special to offer his time for a whole 3 months playing driver, bag carrier and wheel chair pusher, making his Mom and Roy's last big holiday special. These pictures were taken at The Everglades Garden

Remember when we went to Tilba Tilba last year, there was all those cute little shops and a nursery, where I took a lovely pic with pansies . Just hop on over to short trips and holidays and refresh your memory with that lovely spot on the South Coast of New South Wales, so worth the visit.

Well another weekend is gone and most people would be getting ready for another week of work, but not me I am still got time off and just loving it.
Sere ya all soon
Rina

Apple Roll for Tea Tomorrow

2011-07-16T19:50:00.000+10:00

Ah this sounds a treat, one on Mom's recipes, going to try this tomorrow. Is it apple season atm or maybe I will just use a tin of pie apples. Could use apples and pears.

1 1/2 cups flour 1/2 cup Cornflour
1/2 cup sugar 1 1/2 teasp baking powder
1/2 milk 2 teasp cinnamon
3 Tablesp butter pinch of salt
1 small tin pie apples or 2/3 fresh apples peeled and cut up in diced.

Sift dry ingredients except cinnamon, rub in butter. Add milk to get a rollable dough 1/4 inch thick. Spread apples, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Roll dough up careful not to spill apple mix. Rest in the fridge for 10 min to firm up a little, slice into 3 cm slices.
Make a syrup of 3 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar by boiling, when dissolved and a little reduced, pour into a baking dish. Place apple slices in carefully into the syrup and bake at 180 until light golden. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

will updated with a photo soon.

A Tribute to Brothers 29 ...

2011-07-14T11:21:00.003+10:00

Just found this Tribute to the Pike River miners ... it's very haunting but beautiful. Have a listen... Story first written in November 2010.

Flat out getting ready ...

2011-07-05T20:53:00.001+10:00

Now where she off to this time, where else but to the farm for a few days. Lots of work waiting. Lots and lots of weeding and whipper snipping to do. But no ride on rides this time, don't think that shaking will do me any good at the moment. A new garden section to be designed and built, raised sleepers boxes/bed for retaining soil and mushroom compost to tidy the little new garden by the backdoor. A path laid with concrete pavers. Can't wait to plant a few rosemary bushes, Italian parsley and some chilli plants in that raised bed.
We will be back next week Wensday, just in time for Georges second eye appointment on Next week Friday. He is having laser treatment to stop him from going blind, another problem caused by his Diabetes, untreated he is lucky to have another 2 years. Anyway we just need to deal with the problem as best as we can atm.

So he has taken off for a week and we going to do a little bit of work on Rose Cottage. That kitchen window needs to move a little to the right, so the cabinets will tuck in nicely on the left. And with a little bit of luck we won't get washed out again, no forecasts on the horizon.
Well I see ya all soon and promise to take a few pic to show our progress.
See ya soon
Rina

Another project in the making ...

2011-07-03T06:23:00.003+10:00

Come on take a quess what this is? Yeah your right serviette rings for a spring table setting. Don't they just look so cute. I made ten of them because my diningroom table has 10 very solid shabby chic white chairs, A huge white dresser and a kauri pine table that was once used in a workshop. We restored it, replaced a few boards of the top with flooring boards. Still not wide enough to happily sit 2 chairs on the end but when we restored it there were only 6 chairs. Something else on the to do list.

Back to the spring table setting. I have run out of the dark pink bamboo cotton, but will pop in at Spotlight today and get a few more balls of it. Enough to make square place matts to go under the white square dinner plates I bought for Rose cottage. A runner down the middle of the table could work well too, just to stop hot dishes burning my nice table. Have to use a white table cloth under all that.

Ta Da the headband is finished, decided to only sew on 3 flowers cause it was just so busy with the 5 flowers. What ya think?
The ideas have been flying around here lately but all those UFO's need a doing first.

See ya soon
Rina

Lambert reserve on the George's river...

2011-07-02T19:01:00.004+10:00

My plan was to spend a few hours over looking the sea yesterday morning, maybe grab a drink at the kiosh but then changed my mind. So instead took in the peace and tranquility of this lovely river.

Charcoals and stetchpad in hand, did a little bit of this scene below, took a photo as time was running a bit short. Now I can finish it on my own time.

Mr Fox you better watch out ...

2011-06-30T22:03:00.000+10:00

Now I have mentioned before we got a big problem with Mr Fox,he's making a real pest of himself stalking the chookhouse, digging his way in and having a field day with the white chooks, killed 3. If only I could lay my hands on the bugger, I put those dead chooks on a orange bag, tie it around his neck and send him on his way. Oh you don't know how delightful that smell could be after a few day, Mr Fox woun't be able to live with himself. For sure Mrs Fox would pack her bags and bugger off. Oh I can see him begging me to just take it off, no mercy from me ... just give me a gun.

Talking about guns, while sitting in front of the computer having my cup of tea in my pj's and pink gown, see no more poison coffee, a shadow passes the window, this time there's no Miss Daisy's hoove noises on the concrete, strange! It's landlords wife Gayle with a air rifle stalking past the window, heading towards the chookhouse. She had spied Mr Fox from her kitchen window, got one kid to watch while she grabbed the rifle, got it out of the case and loaded it, slipping out her backdoor and heading towards our place. But Mr Fox had seen her coming and had taken off through the fence, all you see is a orange flash jumping in and out the tall grass,gone with the wind he was. 10/10 for trying Gayle, she lost 2 of her hens to that fox and boy she's on the war path.

Now really Mr Fox would not even feel that slug if she managed to hit him, she needs a real gun or maybe shotgun, maybe a visit to the hood, would be a great idea. There you can buy just about anything if you got the money
Maybe not ...

Just a little crafting ...

2011-06-28T07:00:00.010+10:00

Not bad going here 2 scarves and a pretty headband embellished with flowers and leaves.

The first scarf is for me, just a plain feathers scarf, knitted on a size 5 needle, casting on 25 stitches, and my old trick knitting a matching 5ply with the feathers yard just to firm the scarf up a bit. Turns out lovely and warm every time. For this project I used 4 balls of feathers yarn and a cotton yarn from an top that I was recycling.

Bought this yarn at Lincraft, it's very similar to the popcorn yarn available atm, and using size 8 needle which I had to go buy especially to knitting this scarf. First I used smaller needles and got so frustrated with the stitches falling off, I was ready to throw the yarn out. So glad I got the right sized needles cause it has turned out to super soft. Great colour for a young lady.

And now I am just about ready to sew these flowers and leaves on to a crocheted headband in a charcoal, showing these easy flowers and leaves off beautifully.
I am think this should look very cute, well I am hoping she's going to love it.

There is one other project I have be working on a while now, and let me show you, it's a project to use up all unwanted leftover bits of yarn. Using 2 strands of yarn, in this case I used white as the main shade. Just by joining all the little bits together and rolling it into a big ball. Used a 4.5 Crochet needle, formed 8 chain circle, and started making a huge granny square. to end this square a strong dark colour set this off nicely. It's going over the backrest of the couch where the cats love lying.

Glenda's Rusks ... using buttermilk

2011-06-27T20:20:00.000+10:00

500g Butter
300g Sugar
1 x 500ml Carton of Buttermilk
2 eggs beaten
Melt Butter and sugar, then add Buttermilk, remove from the heat,cool and add eggs, careful not to get it to hot, you don't want to cooked eggs.

Mix together the following ingredients
1kg self raising flour
1 Teaspoon salt
3 Teaspoon Baking Powder
100gr sunflower seeds
100gr raisans
100gr bran

Add a little butter milk mix to the dry ingredients and stir
Finally add 100grs of crushed All Bran flakes or Sultana cereal ( or just add a little extra seeds,raisans and bran optional)

Preheat your oven, and spray a few breadpans. A little bowl with oil helps for the dough sticking to your hands. Make risolle/meatballs sized balls and (pack 2x7 if it's the long pans) into the bread pan. You don't want them to spread rather rise upwards (make sense)

Bake for 25/30 min at 180 deg. take out of oven and leave to cool. then pull each ball gently apart, pack them straight onto the oven racks, stick a wooden spoon so the oven door is slightly ajar. Turn oven to it's lowest setting and leave in warm oven to dry out for 4/5hrs. Store in a airtight container. Enjoy dunking these rusks into your coffee ... not very ladylike but who cares lol

Roses ... from a friend

2011-06-26T14:02:00.005+10:00

What a nice surprise visit from my dear friend Pina yesterday and just look what she brought me. arent they just beautiful!!

Where else would I put them but in my entrance in front of the mirrow so the reflection could double the beauty of these lovely roses. Thank you Pina, they are just stunning.

A little update ...

2011-06-22T20:06:00.006+10:00

Lifes getting back to normal around here again, dishes need doing and meals need to be seen to. I am on slow strike, just using the meals from the freezer and reheating where needed. I will be using them most of next week too. Need time to do some craft and sit infront of the TV, haven't had it that good for a while. The lounge room looks like a bombs hit it, stuff everywhere, more UFO'S coming out by the minute. My first project was a scarf for myself knitted with some soft feather thread together with a soft rose colour cotton. The cotton thread was a small summer top I knitted for the Blond one about 10yrs ago, one worn a few times, then disliked so i unravelled the top. Finally it been used. Now I am on the hunt for a size 8 knitting needles, for another scarf using the popcorn (black and whie shades) wool, then it on to that cute little bag, both for that young lady that's finishing school this year, opps I know 2 young ladies finishing this year, I mentioned this in another post.

Love your comment Kari, only the boys are in Brisbane some 1000klm away.
The cat family is expected to increase again, with another 10yr old burmese male cat arriving next Wensday.His mummy Rickie is most unhappy giving him up but they are trying to have a familie and the Boy has a very bad habit of cuddling up to and over faces, Mummy is also this year recovered form a very aggressive tumour, she is a surviver after some major surgery, only the Dr warned her not to go near litter trays, incase of infection. If it was anyone else's cat it would have been a no for sure. As soon as he's arrived I pop a pic up for you all to see.

But first I need to tell you all what a good job George did fox proofing the chook house with only some chain wire fencing, tent/camping pegs and a few screws. When we built the chook house we should really have made it more secure. Well we finally paid the price 2 years on losing the 3 chooks. digging a wide flat trench around the chookhouse. He cut the fencing in half lenghtwise, cut to size of the sides, lay it ontop of the trench, peg it down and screwed the side closest to walls down. Now Mr Fox should find that very unwelcoming. Sure the chooks can sleep with both eyes closed now.

Daisy thought her picture today may just brighten your day so she nagged until I took a picture of her early this morning before she finally decided to get off her panels. She had taken a dislike to her house, prefers the chookie barn but there really is not enough space in there for her too atm.

Daisy does apologize for the dirty chin, just can't stay out of the studmix with molasses feed bucket. It just such a smorgas board of animal feed to choose from it so hard finding just the right breakfast, lunch, dinner and midnight snack around here. And because of all this choice she has a few extra kilos weight problem , just like her mother.
Just promise not to tell anyone
Rina

I am back ... sad news Mr Fox came visiting

2011-06-17T17:20:00.008+10:00

Thank you ladies for the get well wishes, much appreciated. Got taken into theater at Wensday 8am and was done and dusted and sent on my way by 4pm. The nurse did an ECG just to set my mind at ease, and found it normal, so much for that medical I had to go for Eco cardiogram a few years ago where they found problems, go see your Dr, well I kept putting that off did I not, not wanting to know. So now I just waiting for the results on the 22nd when I need to see my Gynie again. Yep I trying to take it easy.

"

Well now the bad news, Mr Fox came visiting this morning, dug a hole under the chookhouse and killed 2 hens and a rooster. They were my first chooks I ever got, poor Ginger, (frizzle) Thelma (silky) and a X frizzle/silky young rooster. Old Clyde looks a little worse having lost a few feathers and the other 2 girls, escaped when the door bust open with all the commotion. Lock was playing up a bit just lucky for them it bust open. Heard the racket and shout out of bed at 4.30 ish with the touch, (forgetting I had just come out of hospital) It took a little to persuade them to go back into their house after removing the dead birds.
Little Ginger was the perfect little mum, here she's with the young rooster teaching him how to behave nicely.

Mr Fox will be back, this was his second killing spree, killed two of our landlords bird, more if I haden't heard the racket next door. Give me a gun!!!

Maybe not today
Rina

So much for free time ...

2011-06-14T05:38:00.002+10:00

Good Morning my Fellow Bloggers,

Well I need to apologize in advance, not much news is going to be coming from this side of the country for the next few weeks. Reason I off to hospital tomorrow, having all the girlie bits removed, they in bad shape and the Gynie wants them out. Now I am not sure if she only going to take the Ovaries and tubes, or we going the whole hog,that she will decide in theater. so it could be just day surgery or I be in there for 1 week. Who knows but i have full confidence in my Doctor to do the right thing.

Either way I have made a heap of meals inadvance, sauces and soups, just incase I am not up too doing much around the kitchen. Yeah I know take it easy, I'll try. Emotionally I have been a wreck for more than one reason, not sleeping that well for the last two months. Also there's this ... I am a Capricorn and find deligating very hard, well who can blame me, found the chook house twice wide open at 11pm with foxes in the neighbourhood, when I have asked for help. My main concern is the meat chooks, you know how hungry and thirsty they can get.

I know not to expect anyone to be doing a spring clean, but boy a clean cup would be nice (sorry I ranting again)
well that's what's going on here
see ya when I see ya
Rina

Meet Juliet and long weekend news ..

2011-06-09T10:42:00.006+10:00

Long weekend again, Queen's Birthday, we had plans to head up to the farm for a few days, even the kids from Brisbane had plans to join us. But we cancelled due to bad weather, expecting heavy rain there for the next 2 weeks. It's very overcast and windy here in Sydney too, A real miserable day.

Harry and some of his ladies, hoping for a little snack.(took this pic a few days ago when the sun was out)

Just got a little updated pic of the babies, with a nice lot of feathers already. Their new digs are a god send in this cold weather, while there's a litlle sun shine they get to sunbake in front of the door. Just got to do a little more permanent fencing in, just low enough to hop over and to high for them to escape. Not really fancing chasing 40 chookies around the outside of their chook barn lol.

I have never introduced you to one of our older cats, Meet Juliet ... she just a tricoloured girl, getting on a little. But she's got big problem, her health has deteriated so much in the last few years, that is nearly time to relieve her of her pain. Juliet is the most skiddish cat we have ever owned, don't cuddle me, don't pick me up, I'll come to you if I want anything. So we just leave her be to come to you when she wants too. She sleeps all day curled up in her basket, only gets up for a little food and water but night time she sits up like an owl, her back legs have never functioned very well, vet called her a wobbly cat (birth defect) and while she was happy we just let her be, Now it has become clear she's not coping even grooming herself anymore or walking to far. It's nearly time ...

And on that sad note
I'll say bye for now
Rina
P.S. Have a great weekend

Pressie for Adele ...

2011-06-07T13:34:00.006+10:00

A belated birthday present for my friend Adele, well better late than never don't ya think. Let's just hope she will like it. Adele loves brown and denim, so I am thinking this will go down well

That's what I like about crochet, it's fast and you feel like your getting somewhere real quick.I did not have a pattern for this , just put up some stitches and went for it. Had to redo the beanie cause it was a little big the first time, and even then the band was to wide the second time so pulled out a few rows.
Well Adele picked her pressie up and she's happy, so I am happy too.......

Tomorrow I think I'll be sewing that little bag ...

A little spare time ....

2011-06-02T09:07:00.004+10:00

Well so what do I do first, any ideas would be welcome. There's the snowmen stitchery blocks for a small wall hanging for Christmas, that's been hiding for 5 years or more. Or the hexi blocks thats been sitting in the plastic tube for a good 10 years. Gave up on it cause I was struggling to stitch them together neatly but now maybe with those new glasses I might be able to see what I doing again. So many projects await..........Watch this space

But there is one little project i am just dying to start and it's a bag from the Australian Homespun Bag Boutique magazine I bought last Friday at the opshop. It's a very simple strippy bag with a little cloth doll pinned to it. That would make a lovely present for a young woman finishing school this year.

This week I think it's going to be some sewing for sure .......
See ya soon
Rina

Finally my last day at work for a while ...

2011-06-01T19:49:00.001+10:00

It's finally here, the day I get to pack away the steelcap shoes and safety glasses,daggy work clothes. To get this smell of collant and steel off my skin and out of my clothes. If you ever worked in an Engineering shop you will understand what I am talking about. Time to be me again
Tomorrow I may sleep in (Yes), not have to get up at 4.30am to be at work at 6am, I may sleep in if I wish.........

Our slice of heaven

News on the home front ...

Going on a jet plane ...

Cockies come visiting ... oh and the ducks ... kids

~*~ Full moon in the clouds ~*~

Holiday fun ...

Kiwi jam

New Years 2012 ...

Tomato Jam to die for ...

A Spare hour at Botany Bay ...

We got a trespasser ....

Looks at bit like Christmas ...

A few pics of our short trip up to the farm ...

Another Amazing Sunset ...

Survival plan, prepping and Rose Cottage ... reposted

Intro ...

Survival Game part 1 & 2 ....

Answers to your questions ...

Survival Game part 3 & 4 ....

Survival Game part 5 ....

Survival Game part 6 ...

survival game part 7 ...

Survival game part 8 ...

Survival game part 9 ....

Survival game part 10 .... the end at last

Quick Tour of my garden ATM ... livestock

Come for a quick visit? ...

Explanation of God ....

Sunset ...

General update ...

Strawberry jam ... & new CD ...

A quick tour around the veggie patch ....

Farmers Expo at Richmond ...

Halloween Display ...

Weekend at the Farm ...

News on the home front ...

Rina's Toy

Random News update ...

A good read ... Link is working now

a few more train pic ...

Train Works, a Boys Paradise ...

A good day for Riding ...

School Holidays are here again ...

An Orpington Hen named Matilda ...

New blog ...

Have you ever cooked Oxtail ...

a good day's work ...

Veggie patch need a lot of work ...

Trip to Berrima ... on Father's day

The Shearer was here today ...

The Chook Business ... is taking off

Another Detour ... the scenic drive

We said our good byes ... to Juliet

Bring out the champers ...

Prayers for Baby Sebastian

Tiny Angels ...

Wensday was livestock auction ...

Bella's Twins ...

Nickname and planning a small holiday ...

Another Weekend ... finishing off the deck

Reply to comments ... and more ...

Weekend full of Disastors ...

a little show and tell ...

A gift given ...

A deal done ...

Pansies and potted colour .... and more

Apple Roll for Tea Tomorrow

A Tribute to Brothers 29 ...

Flat out getting ready ...

Another project in the making ...

Lambert reserve on the George's river...

Mr Fox you better watch out ...

Just a little crafting ...

Glenda's Rusks ... using buttermilk

Roses ... from a friend

A little update ...

I am back ... sad news Mr Fox came visiting

So much for free time ...

Meet Juliet and long weekend news ..

Pressie for Adele ...

~~ Full moon in the clouds ~~