News on the home front ...

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 ...

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

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 ~*~

Holiday fun ...

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

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 ...

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