We have had some welcoming rain and a real big storm Sonday evening. Normally our dogs stay outside cause of all the cats being inside. Juliette is the least able to defend herself, her little body hurts too much with stiff joints and back legs that just don't want to work that well. She is not a cuddly cat and hates being held, so we just leave her to do her own thing and come for love when she wants to. The other cats are all a little weary of her, she can gives them a good wack if she feels like it.



Do you remember Chief the goldie, our last rescue dog. Well we figured out why he kept running away from his new homes. He is terrified of storms, lighting and thunder scares him like you would not believe. Even when he is let inside he just does not want to settle down, hides behind the couch. So New Years fireworks is also going to be a problem but we do lock the dogs up anyway. It is sad how many dogs go missing because of the fireworks, very sad.

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What other news do I have for you ... George's foot injury is going to take a few months to heal by the look of it, meantime he is putting his leg up at work and using the intercom system to summons everyone to his office. He does have crutches to hobble around with but that tires him out to much. Meantime I am the driver, and get into heaps of trouble leaving late for work every morning so far. Tomorrow is end of month and we are always flatchat trying to get the last minute orders out, so we really have to be at work by 5.30am at the lastest tomorrow.

We were going to head to the farm this weekend but rain is still forecast for the weekend, it has been raining for 2 days already and the ground is soaked through. And there is no way we could leave before 4pm and then we will hit the traffic. So no we will give it a miss. Rain, tired and nightdriving not a good combination for me.
Have a great weekend everyone
Rina

Tonight a week ago ... foxes

The twin lambs at Gail and Frenado's are doing great, they having a ball chasing each other around just like little lambs do, then dashing to feed on mom Dolly and catching a little nap in the sun close to mum. Unfortunately another lamb born this week died after her mum got a bit carried away munching on the umbilical cord, no one was around to save the little one. Very sad ...

I did mention our ewe Bella's mum was making strange little noises the other day but we still waiting ... That evening I went to bed rather late expecting something to happen only to be woken up by the Blond One at midnight, informing me our dogs very going crazy barking at something. (I am a little deaf so did not wake from the noise)She investigated and found 5 sets of red eyes looking straight into the beam of the torch. That meant only one thing Foxes, a whole pack of foxes. The sheep were all standing huddled in one corner sensing danger.

Well we don't own any weapons/guns so shooting at them was not an option. Man I really want to learn to shoot to protect my animals. Might get my mate Alby to teach me sometime, so next best thing was to light up the enclosure as best as I could. We decided to build 2 fires and keep them stoked for a while, that took a lot of moving around fetching and carrying of wood. We sat rugged up warmly by the fires, sipping on Hot chocolate and munching on some raisan toast, while the fog came rolling in. After a while the foxes must have moved on with empty tummies, no lambs or chickens to be had here tonight, (around 4.30 we decided it was fine to go off to bed.) We could heard dogs barking in the distance!

I heard on the radio that donkeys are being used to protect sheep and goats, they don't like dogs and will try to kill them if the dog gets in their enclosure. Farmer are adopting donkeys esp for this reason, wild dogs and dingos are a real pest. Now what do you think of that. I thought alpacas are great protectors for a sheep or goat flock. I wonder where I can find a sweet heart like Cookie ...

Thank you for all the Get Well wishes for George, he is finally out of hospital but we still off to the Doctors until the skin repairs itself. So what happened ...

He messed coollant on his work shoe, which soaked through to his sock and onto his foot, and continued to wear the shoe and sock causing a huge 2 inches wide burn/blister on the side of his foot and another on the side of his little toe. He never noticed it until the blister popped a few days later, by that time he was running a fever and the infection (Blood poisoning)was creeping up his swollen foot and leg.We carted him off to the emergency dept and he was admitted. They just wanted to amputate until the foot specialist decided to try save the toe. To cut a long story short he was so lucky that the doctors managed to save his toe. The staff at the Public hospital were so nice and caring, we definitely don't have any complaints about them just the food was not "fresh"

George is doing better and it will take a while before the skin grows back, only he is not allowed to drive and has to stay off the foot. His Doctor is a woman, senior head lecturer at the uni and with more Certificates than I could count, so one very clever little Cookie. He has to see her again on Tuesday and until the foot is healed.

So you folk out there with Diabetic friends and family please look after them, even a blister can mean big trouble. Now finally after heaps of arguments about how he likes his food, socked in butter, sugar and oils, we can finally start cooking the rightway. His has had a huge scare and now promises never to complain about my cooking cause hospital food is crap he says. Now gone is the rich food, in with smaller portions, no more large pack of chips and litres of PepsiMax. Now he will be eating more correctly for a Type2 Diabetic. Best of all I might be able to lose some weight too ... there got to be something for me in it!

Until nexttime and have a great weekend
See ya
Rina

What a bargain ... craft magazines, general news update

Now that's one thing I can't resist is craft books, esp when they on sale, or those specials when you get 2 or 3 magazines in a bag or the same price. It's the quilts and stitchery books I am after. Just to droll over the lovely quilts and great decorating ideas, still to make a big one one day. My first stop was a quick visit to a little antique store just up the road where I rummaged though a box and found 5 magazines at a $1 each.



So here's what I found 8 books for $2 from the hospital, last week they having a fundraising sale in the foyer. Lots of books, wooly things & knee blankets, cakes and jams, and a few small toys. All raising money for much needed medical equipment.

My old man is still in hospital, so until life gets back to normal I won't be posting much. My day is very full on, 2hrs travelling a day, still working 5hrs a day, then off to see George at the hospital which is close to work cause all his doctors are there. Then come home to feed the animals again. Now I off to the produce store too find out about the new septic tank I bought for Rose Cottage ... I hope they have ordered it by now.

Sheep update: I am thinking we might have news there soon, Bella's Mum is making little grunty noises this morning but no other signs yet. I left the spot light on over night, as the sheep were very restless. Damn foxes!

Have a lovely weekend and see ya all soon
Rina

Lambing season is here again ...

The first lambs of the season were born last night, twin boys, Mom Dolly is doing a great job so far. These sheep belong to our Landlord, Gayle and Fernando. Aren't they so cute .... Dolly has a history of having twins. Already the foxes have picked up the scent of new lambs, one got shot with an air rifle today to scare it off. Mom and babies will be keep in a small enclosure,it is still possible for the foxes to get close but the spotlight is shining on the enclosure, soit is very light up.




Gayle took a few photos of the birth and just after. This morning before going to work I took a few more. Sorry but it's not pretty for those people that don't like blood ... But check out those little hooves and nose just popping out.




Now we waiting it can't be too long before our ewes start lambing. Miss Lashes, Bella's mum and Bella look very pregnant, so maybe 3 lambs this year.If we lucky to have Bella's Mum have a little ram, he will not have his nuts removed but sold off as a handsome boy ready to sow his wild oats.

It's sad to get old .... Con was once a young man.

I want to share this with you, it's from my other blog, so sad to think we will all one day get old, and maybe have to leave our homes to live in an care facility. I sure don't want to go there ...

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I take my hat of to nursing staff at hospitals and old age facilities, they should all get a raise, the money they earn is not enough to pay for their care they give. My Old Man landed in Emergency last night with blood poisoning, chest pain and to top it off he is a diabetic, so we just got to be a bit more careful. But this is not about him, btw he seems to be doing better.It was way past our bedtime when the Blond One and Myself took him in, and now I can tell by my sore red eyes, and big yarns it time for bed.

Only I got to tell you about this little greek man, dressed in his pj's, his name was Con. Physically there seems nothing wrong with him only the old brain does not work to well. He had his own minder, an young irish nurse, first they chattered softly, he told her his life story. Then he started asking about his wife, who was also admitted to hospital, only she was already in a ward and sleeping. Staff told him she was upstairs and sleeping, only he got more determined to go to his wife, getting out of bed and carrying his bag around desperate to go find her. Staff told Con if he got back into bed they would call his wife and ask her to come down. No he said they better stop taking photo's (with the mobile phone?!)He stood next to another ladies bed staring at her before asking her if she was his wife. How sad is that

Nothing they said could make the little man get back in bed, he was on a mission to find his wife. Staff tried coaxing him into drinking a sleeping tablet, but he point blank refused. He is not allowed to take any tablets cause he was told not to cause he will die. Eventually reinforcements were called to help out. It was past 1.30 before it got a little quieter around emergency and we left to go home.

Cleaning the wool basket .. and Cobi visiting for the holidays.

Miss Daisy resting on the solar panels.

Funny how sometimes you just not sure what to blog about, like you just hit a wall, but then something happens that is good or fun and you just want to share. My Grandson Cobi from Brisbane is visiting for the holidays ... ah 7 year olds can keep you on your toes ... Aunty Tanya took his shopping for new sneakers and a few things. Entertainment was a visit to the movies and lunch.Saturday a few neighbours got together for a Bonfire evening, a few spare ribs and sausages very bbqed on the coles and potatoes in tinfoil cooked in the hot coals, served with a little butter. A glass of red in hand and a bottle tucked under the arm. The kids all roasted marshmellows and had a ball. Yesterday we were baking cupcakes with Mia from next door helping.

Monday ... Today is a cold and grey miserable day in Sydney, I put on a pot of soup, added all the left overs from the weekend and some more, it's good trust me. And while I got to watch over that I made a pot of beef Stew as well. All bits of beef not suitable for making Beef Jerky with get used for a stew or curry. The next batch of Jerky is just hung up in the meat safe to dry. We are baking another batch of cupcakes. Tomorrow we're off to horse riding lessons. Another week of holidays left what shall we get up to next.

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Craft project of the week: Scarf for Cobi.
But I do have something for you to think about ... a scrappy wool blankie.

Have you finished a jumper or some other project and had these little bits of wool over you not to sure what to do with. Well thats what I did last thursday going through the baskets and looking for bit of wool and stuff I had started and not finished. Unravelled and joined all the short bits together and rolled into a ball. Exciting???

But It gets better. Find a large crochet hook and a big ball of white wool or choose what ever colour you think matches you scrap best. I never realised I buy a lot of blues, greens, purle and pink.

Using 2 threads at a time ... Crochet (8)chains to form a loop and then make on dc, 1 chain dc 1 chain ... 10 times.
Next row 2. *ch 2 trebles 2 ch 2 treb into one chain hole*, repeat in every second hole ... giving you 5 corners for a hexican.
row3. Crochet a corner as above, *1 chain 1 treb 1 ch 1 treb* between the two corners ...
row 4. continue as above ....
That's the whole pattern it lies flat no wobbly edges.

I think this could be a great blankie to use all your scraps

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Tuesday ... We're so excited about our riding lesson, we even went to bed early. Aunty Tanya (also know as the Blond One ... she's not really blond ... it comes in a packet) took Cobi to his lesson with Vicky just down the road from us. He was a little nervous to start with but soon settled down nicely. So next holidays we going to have a few more lessons cause he really really likes it.



Our neighbours took Cobi along to Soccer practice, here he did 3 lapse around the field with the 10yr olds, dribbled and play with them. Totally exhausted!!Some great pics too Tanya.





Saturday ... we were invited to Anzels birthday party, she turned a big 4,so beautiful you could just hug her. Grandpa was crook the whole weekend so he stayed at home. His sugar levels have fallen to low.
Sonday ... Cleaned house cause we got visitors, feed the animals and checked on broody silky but nothing yet. She's sitting on one egg! It's to cold so I really can't see a heap of little chicks atm.I tried moving her with egg to a hatching/rearing cage by herself, but she seems to prefer the small dog kennel with two other chooks.

Tomorrow Cobi is flying back to Brisbane, another holiday gone. Going to miss him XoXoX. Yeh and back to work. Have a great week everyone.
Until nexttime
Rina

Tilba Tilba and last stop Kiama

You could easy pass this cute little village ... here we found this lovely Nursery, old wares and cafe (I had to buy a white towel rail from Lavender Cottage) Not the colour of the cottage, now that's what I want for my cottage.



That's the nursey and gift shop!



This entrance leads to the "Open House" Garden but maybe next time we will go look at it.



I did ask what is going on the arbour and it's pears, so just inmagine it in full bloom.



The owner must live here, it so beautiful, just like I imagine my cottage to look oneday.



Another part of Tilba Tilba, more shops down either side of the road, and another cheese factory.





Thought our crafty friends might like this driftwood thingy.



Pelicans waiting for fishermen throwing them morssels of tasty treats.



Another pic of the blow hole.



General view back to the beach and caravan park. School holidays it always packed with holiday makers.



The lighthouse
Well that is it, promise no more pics. I wanted to leave a few out but which ones? Maybe I just see things the way that a tourist does, can you tell I am in love with Australia Lol
See ya soon
Rina