Karate Chopping Rooster- Latest Article for Southern Highlands News

The other day whilst I was gardening I witnessed the interesting behaviour of our two roosters. I was bent over in the vegie patch pulling out some of the many weeds and, I happened to notice the chooks that were busy scratching around. They were clucking and shaking bushes so I stopped my work to watch them for a bit. The chickens, ducks and geese all get on quite well and can even be found sitting on each others’ eggs. It is always a bit weird to lift up a chicken and find duck egg underneath! I am not sure which birds are the most dominant as they all make lots of noise and gestures. The ducks seem to act as guardians around dusk. The chickens and geese will go into their little house for the night whereas the ducks will sit at the door, half inside and half outside. It is as though they are guarding the door to make sure nothing harms the others. When I go down to put them to bed they quite happily get up and waddle inside.
While watching the activity this day, I noticed that the smaller rooster was sitting on top of one of the hens, holding her neck feathers in his beak and going at it! All of a sudden the bigger rooster cock-a-doodle-dooed from about three metres away. He came running at break neck speed towards the amorous couple. When close, he jumped in the air and let loose an almighty karate kick, knocking the small rooster off the hen and sending it flying! I stood there open mouthed at having been witness to this spectacle. The hen quickly gathered herself and scurried off. I did feel a bit sorry for the smaller rooster at having been knocked off his perch so to speak.

Farm update

This is a particularly hard post to write today. I haven't written much lately due to being busy. As most of you know, we are selling our farm in order to buy a bigger farm. We've outgrown this beautiful place and would like more room to expand and continue on our quest for self-sustainability. The link to our advertisement is here

The reason this is difficult to write is that I am concerned that some of you may be sad to hear that we have reduced our number of pigs from two three to two. It is our goal to eat our own home grown meat and we do this with the sheep and cows but, this is the first time we've had pigs. As you all know, I have grown very fond of the three little pigs. They have been challenging to say the least. They are lovely animals and very intelligent. So, consequently, it wasn't completely easy to say goodbye to one of them.
But, on a more positive note, we are taking responsibility for the meat we eat. Our pigs, and all the other animals, have a wonderfully free life (the pigs more so than the others!). So, it makes me happy to think that we are eating food that has been cared for and respected. Spot has gone. Pinky and Fudge remain.
Sean and Greg, the two calves, are happily out in the paddocks now.They can be seen hanging out with the sheep, and they will come to the fence for a pat when called. They are both looking very healthy and happy.
We've had a new lamb and I think there are a couple more on the way.
The garlic is looking good. The corn and beans are starting to poke their little heads through the soil. The tomatoes are growing fast. The rhubarb is prolific!
Our garden is looking stunning with all the flowers and new growth. After the rain we've had over the last few days, it all looks fresh and sparkling.

Direct Sunlight

Today I am thinking about how all the colours in the garden are shining bright and how everything looks crystal clear. Some days, time seems to slow down and not matter so much. There isn't that feeling of being rushed from one thing to the next. These are the days when we can really enjoy and absorb the beauty around us. These are the days when we can appreciate all we have. We have the warmth of the sun, the sound of the bees at work in the flowers, the colours of the trees and flowers in the earth, the joyous chatter of the birds busily tending their nests or feeding their young. 
In my small village, the clouds often reign supreme over direct sunlight. For this reason, days like today are all the more treasured. I know that this glorious sun is heating up our forty solar panels and therefore providing us with power. Knowing that we can work with nature to provide our basic needs is very satisfying. Using a resource such as the sun helps us to take responsibility for sustaining our beautiful, bountiful earth.
Today I am grateful for all the wonders in my world!

My Secret Garden

When I was a child I lived in a small house,
With a secret garden out the back…
It was an old soldiers cottage that my father lovingly restored.
My mother loved to garden.

I had a dog who followed me about.
We would wander around and get lost in the garden…
There were the prickly rose bushes that we’d push past,
Trying to avoid the thorns.
The scent of roses now, takes me back…

Behind the shed were climbing vines,
Some were passionfruit and some chokos.
I loved the way their tangled extensions groped,
To find something to touch and wrap around.

My favourite place was the giant weeping willow.
My dog and I could hide inside the long curtain of branches,
It was dark and quiet inside,
Our very own world where no one could find us…

Pig scales metre high fence in front of startled onlookers!

Just the other day, my city slicker sister dropped by for a visit. She, and her two children followed me around as I showed them all the things that I'm proud of about our farm. Also in tow were my four children and my lovely brother-in-law who had come to stay for a few days.
We meandered through the garden, stopping to watch the chooks, ducks and geese scratching around. The rooster even "cock-a-doodle-dooed" for us! We strolled past the calves munching away, batting their big brown eyes, stopping so that my little four year old niece could pat one of the calves.
Now, when we got to the pigs (I'm calling them pigs now as they are not little piglets anymore) we stopped so that I could introduce Pinky, Spot and Fudge. As usual, my two dogs were with us. The dogs went up against the fence, nose to nose with the pigs, to say "Hello". The next thing that happened seemed to unfold like a slow motion film...
I lent over the fence to pat Spot. As I did this, she stood up, placing her two front legs onto the fence. Usually when one of the pigs does this, I just tap them on the nose and they stand down but, Spot did not get down. She continued to lean on the fence with her front legs, while lifting up her back legs, one after the other until she was literally climbing the fence! As a group, we all just stood there, mouths agape, and watched her climb right over the fence! Spot casually landed on the ground, oblivious to us startled onlookers, and proceeded to eat the grass.
Only hours before, the dogs had been seen talking to the pigs through the fence...the very same fence that Spot had just now climbed over. Quite suspicious really as last time the pigs made an escape, the dogs seemed to be involved. 
Watching her climb, I had visions of all three escaping again and, of me spending all afternoon chasing three pigs while trying to lure them back to their pen...
Quickly my brain went into overdrive as I tried to figure out a way to get Spot contained before Pinky and Fudge followed her lead! Instead of thinking rationally, the first thing I did was to dive at her. I thought that if I could catch her, I could somehow lift her back into the pen (with help of course-she is quite large now). Instead, I ended up on my knees in the grass as she swiftly moved out of the way. She wasn't just going to stand there while a big human lunged towards her!
My apprehension soon vanished when I realised that she did not have any notions of trotting away. She was content to be close by, which was a big relief. 
My brother-in-law tried to direct Spot towards the pen opening but, the dogs were trying to help too. They were rounding Spot up and pushing her towards my brother-in-law! It's all quite funny when I think about it now. Spot was probably secretly laughing at us.
As usual, food was the key to successfully walking her back into the pig pen. She happily joined her brothers in a meal of bread and fruit. And I breathed a sigh of relief, for a moment at least. 

A mixture of chicken, duck and goose eggs!

Last week, I was happily writing away at my desk. I had the door open and I could feel the warm breeze. The dogs were lazing about on the verandah. The sun was golden, the birds were busy. It was quite peaceful.
Suddenly, I heard a loud "Honk!" The noise seemed to fly past the window.
I went in search thinking "Our goose has escaped!" Surely not. 
I walked down and counted the ducks, chooks and the goose. They were all where they were supposed to be. I wandered down to the creek where I thought the source of the "Honk!" may have gone. Nothing there. I then thought that I may have imagined the noise and went back to my writing.
A few moments later, a neighbour from up the road came along and asked me if I'd seen some geese flying by. Three of his geese had escaped. Of course I told him that I'd heard them flying past but had not sighted them.
The following day, I spotted a big white goose hanging around in our opposite neighbour's front paddock. It appeared to be talking to the horse. I wondered if the horse was happy about having a two legged, feathered creature for company. Each time I walked past the paddock I kept an eye out for the goose. It stayed in that paddock for three days. It seemed quite happy to have found a new companion, much bigger and hairier but, they seemed to have a way of communicating that went beyond their language barrier.
The neighbour from up the road, when told of his goose's whereabouts, declared that he did not want it back. The neighbour opposite, with the horse, had also expressed his interest in getting rid of the bird. 
So, it seemed the right thing to do for us to give the goose a new home. My wonderful farmer man walked over to the paddock next door, dodged the horse and caught the goose without too much fuss. It hissed and carried on for a few minutes but, it did calm down once it was introduced to our mob of mixed fowl.
Now, our chooks, ducks and goose had not laid any eggs for quite a few months. Since this new goose has been with us, they have all started laying. We are collecting at least six eggs per day. We're getting a mixture of chook, duck and goose eggs which is absolutely lovely! I think that they are all getting along famously.

The morning routine

I thought I'd write an article about our morning routine as far as the animals are concerned. It's quite a lovely ritual each morning, especially on a gorgeous sunny spring morning. The promise of summer is in the air, the sweet scent of spring blossoms gets up your nose and happiness is floating in the breeze, ready to inhale.
As I make my way to the door to go outside, I am followed by the cat. She is the superior of all the animals as she is the only one allowed inside at night time. At the door, we collect the two dogs as we make our way to gather the food from the shed. Picking up the chook food and pig food, the three animals and I walk down towards the calf stable. There, waiting for us, are four big brown eyes, batting their lashes, mooing softly at our approach. They are grateful to be let out and come immediately to me to nuzzle and push in the hope that I will give them their milk. They have to be content with grass in the mornings now as we're weaning them off their milk and only give it to them in the evenings. 
Next stop is the chook pen. With a cat, two dogs, and two cows in tow, I head into the chook pen to let the chooks, ducks and geese out for the day. The other animals wait patiently outside the pen while I feed and water our feathered friends. Once they are sorted, it's time to go down to the pig pen to feed and let the three scoundrels out. 
I must look like the pied piper as I meander along with a cat, two dogs, two cows and a mob of egg laying folk... It's a happy gathering. All the animals are curious and content in each others' company. Well, most of them...our Kelpie has a nasty habit of wanting to eat the chooks so I make sure she is close by me so there are no disasters!
The pigs are waiting for us. It's hard not to hear us all approaching! Now that they are bigger and stronger, I stand at the side of the pen and open the gate to let them out, otherwise I get splattered with mud. They become extremely excited when they know they are going to be fed and tend to jump up and down, which can be messy for the person letting them out! 
Once the pigs are done, the other animals and I head back up towards the house. The cows, chooks, ducks and geese all disperse at this point. They tend to spread out on the grass while the three domestic characters follow me all the way to the house. Upon reaching the verandah, the three of them plop themselves down in the sun to rest after their morning jobs. 
This routine is very similar each morning and it is both comforting and pleasurable. It is a wonderful start to my day!

From the land to our plates

Today I have been thinking about sustainability and what it means to the individual person. Here on our small farm we are trying to find ways to become self-sustainable so that we do not rely on others for our needs. We are a long way from becoming self-sustainable but, we are conscious of the need to be able to supply ourselves with what we need on a daily basis. This journey can be confronting and I wonder if it is the reason why many people are still happy to go to the large supermarket chains to buy their meat? I am not about telling others what to do, nor would I try and influence decisions. I only know that I did find the idea of growing an animal, so that it may be eaten down the track, repulsive at first. What we eat is an individual choice as is where we obtain our food. Having made the choice of growing our own meat, I feel glad to be able to provide a happy life for our animals. I am also proud of the fact that we are taking responsibility for our food. It feels good to see the whole life of the food we eat, from the land to our plates.
Not everyone is fortunate enough to have the means to grow their own food or even buy it. I recently spent some time with my cousin Sarah, who is an advocate for social justice. She has spent many years in Sydney teaching young children. Recently moving to the Blue Mountains, she has decided to help homeless people in need of food. In doing so, she has created Earth Recovery Australia which is dedicated to reducing waste and helping people in need at the same time. It all makes sense! I am very proud of my cousin.
Everyday I am grateful for my family and the wonderful environment in which I live. I am inspired by people and things around me. There is so much to notice and to think about. It is important to slow down occasionally and recognise the simple beauty right in front of us.

Photos

This is looking out towards the garden from my desk. Pink weeping cherry and blue forget-me-nots

From my desk, looking out East towards the paddocks

Loyal Elf

Puppy Inu

New little lamb and mum

I mentioned in a post a couple of days ago, the view from my desk. I've got some pictures here that show you the view. I've also taken a photo of the new lamb and each of our beautiful dogs. The dogs are my companions, they follow me everywhere!

The view from my desk

As I sit here at my desk, I am able to look out the window towards the garden in one direction, and to the paddocks in the other. 

In the garden, the bright blue of the forget-me-nots is stunning in the warm sunlight. The blossoms on the weeping cherry are out and their lovely pink says "Spring is here!". The pale heads of the daffodils stand tall and proud, announcing the arrival of the new warm weather. The calves are lounging on the grass.

Out towards the paddocks, the soft whisper of a cloud sails by against the blue sky. I can see the sheep lazily grazing. There is a new lamb, just born judging by it's unsteady gait.

I can hear the magpies calling messages back and forth. There are insects flying around, bees buzzing, leaves rustling. So much activity on this glorious day!

Pictures of our lovely calves

Sean and Greg with their orange bucket

Greg still looks hungry while Sean is sleepy

Pictures of the new little lamb having a drink

Little lamb is having some milk while Winnie stands guard

Pirate is being patient and Winnie has lost interest

Our new babies

Lately, we have had some new additions to our farm family. Beautiful cuddly babies.

On Saturday we had a lovely girl lamb born to our ewe called Pirate (she has big black patches around both of her eyes). Both mum and baby are doing very well. The lamb has fitted right in to the gang of lambs that wander around together. They jump and play with each other and wander as far away from the ewes as possible. All the while their mothers keep a watchful eye. Winnie, the alpaca, is supposed to be the guardian of the flock but, sometimes he can be seen to be chewing on grass while looking in completely the opposite direction to which the lambs are heading. We haven't had a lamb taken by a fox in a while though so, he must be doing something right.

Our other babies are two calves by the names of Greg and Sean (named by the children, after friends of ours). It does seem quite silly to be calling out "Here Greg, here Sean" when I go out to feed them their milk. They are two weeks old and need to have milk twice a day. When they spot the orange bucket from which they suck their milk, they get very excited! I love their 'cuddles' and see them as a sign of affection when in actual fact, they are merely hungry! They will suck on anything within their reach. Even each others' noses. They have tried to suck on the dogs ears and noses but, the kelpie and collie were not impressed.

It is lovely to be around them as they are so gentle. Their eyes are big and wide. They bat their eyelashes when they are sucking on the milk teat. It really is gorgeous to watch.

The Three Little Pigs are at it Again!

On Friday afternoon just gone, I received a phone call from my lovely neighbour Stephen, from Cloud Farm. He politely informed me that there were three little pigs at the top of his road ( this being approximately a kilometre from our farm). Immediately my thoughts turned to the previous week...

I had been walking along the track towards the pig pen and not long before I reached the pen, I stopped and hid behind a nearby tree. I could see Elf (our Border Collie) and Inu (our Kelpie) on the outside of the pig pen fence. On the inside of the fence, Spot, Pinky and Fudge were nose to nose with the dogs. It looked like they were deep in discussion. There was the occasional grunt, as if to acknowledge a good point made. Tails were wagging excitedly. The five animals looked as though they were planning to orchestrate some kind of secret operation. In my position behind the tree, I was able to observe their goings on for a minute or two. After that, I decided to let them know that The Boss was around to quash any plans of escape that they may have. They quickly dispersed at the sight of the human approaching...

Now, facing the dilemma of  three pigs on the road, I remembered their little gathering. My suspicions became reality and I felt duped! Had the dogs helped them escape?

Forming a plan in my mind as I gathered the necessary bits and pieces, I called to the boys. They were instructed to go down and open the pig pen gate, then proceed to the yard gate and stand guard. They did their job well.

My Mum had come for a visit and a cup of tea. She certainly got more than that. I asked her to carry a bucket of pig pellets, and I grabbed a loaf of bread. Together we set off up the hill towards Cloud Farm. It was a long walk up the steep hill. The weather, which had been lovely and sunny, suddenly turned cold, dark and started to rain. It was an ominous sign. Would we make it in time? Did the pigs have plans to reel us in and then dart off in some other direction? We trudged on and on... 

Finally we reached the spot where the three scoundrels stood grazing on grass at the side of the road. Stephen (our loyal neighbour) gave us a wave. By this time, the wind had started to pick up. I called to Stephen to thank him but, he could not hear me. He waved again, smiled, and then climbed into the warmth and comfort of his car, and drove up into the clouds. 

The pigs looked up towards us, their ears flopping in the wind. Their sharp vision focused in on the bag of bread. I had their one weakness in my hand. Food! The three of them came running towards us. Ears flopping, tails wagging, grunting and squealing with delight. Pinky lunged at Mum, who was holding the bucket, and nearly knocked her over! I acted quickly and threw some bread pieces on the ground. This worked well. The pigs followed the bread trail eagerly...Wee wee wee, all the way home!

The boys were waiting at the pen, they secured the gate once all three escapees were safely inside.

The three masterminds have been contained once more but, they are not to be underestimated. They are clever, and choose their moments wisely. They must be kept under close surveillance. There are other animals here that may be influenced by these three trouble makers. 

Consequently, the weekend was spent reinforcing the pig pen fences!

Glorious Sunshine

Today was a most beautiful day. The sun was warm and everything was crystal clear. When the air that we breathe is fresh, we can experience a kind of clarity. It's so lovely to see your world on a clear, sunny day. Almost all troubles can be forgotten when the glorious sunshine grabs our attention. It's just a matter of noticing the change.

Spreading the sunshine is easy. It can be as simple as just smiling at someone that you pass in the street. I know that if someone smiles at me, I cannot help but smile back. It's contagious!

Even the animals seem to smile back at me...! The flowers lift their heads, the trees sway in the breeze...! Colours are brighter. Everything seems at ease.

Sharing with friends

What a wonderful day today to be inside and warm by the fire...It is very cold outside. There are grey skies but, every now and then the sun pokes through, creating a buttery coloured light which blankets the garden. It gives hope to the flowers that they may be bathed in sunshine, if the breeze blows the clouds away.

We had some lovely friends come to visit us on Sunday. Steph came with her family and brought some beautiful homemade granola (absolutely delicious!) and a "miracle spray" which I have tested and, it cleans excellently!

The "miracle spray" is made from eucalyptus oil, vinegar, water, and washing soda. So simple! It cleans bench tops and whatever else, whilst also making the house smell divine! I always use water, vinegar, bi-carb soda, and lavender (not all together!) to clean my house. I cannot use chemicals as this would impede the function of our biocyle sewerage system and we wouldn't want that! 

We took our friends for a walk around the farm and introduced them to our animals. The three little pigs put on a good show of playfulness with lots of oinking and grunting for good measure! Spot, Pinky and Fudge get very excited when they see people coming towards them. They know that people means food! It is always such a pleasure to watch their eyes light up and their ears flop up and down as they bounce around in the mud in anticipation. Incidently, I have been splashed in the face with mud...One morning, last week, I was dressed quite nicely as I had decided to go out into town. On my way out I put on my gum boots to protect my legs from mud, and grabbed some food for the three little rascals. As I approached the pen, the three became very excited and noisy (Fudge makes a loud squealing noise when he sees food). I put the container of food on the ground as I fumbled with the latch on the pen gate trying to open it as quickly as I could, all the while the three piggies were pushing and shoving, grunting, oinking, squealing...and then Spot jumped and landed with her front legs in the mud, which of course splattered all over my face and down the front of my nice clean top! So, it was then that I decided to only wear "farm" clothes to be in the company of the pigs, and get changed afterwards if I'm going out anywhere!

Now, back to our friends' visit...After meeting the animals, we wandered out into the paddocks to dig up some potatoes. The Golden haired girl (the little two year-old daughter of our friends') seemed delighted to watch the earth reveal the creamy treasures of the Dutch creams. It is such an exciting experience to dig up the soil in one spot and have bunches of gems uncovered! 

Our friends left with gifts of potatoes, daffodils and kaffir lime leaves. It is a fantastic feeling to be able to share our produce with others!

Gifts from the Garden

Today is my Mum's birthday! I wanted to give her something from my garden. I decided to give her a bag of broadbeans (one of  her favourites). This got me thinking about how much of a pleasure it is to grow one's own food. And how wonderful it is to be able to grow enough to give to others.

I trotted off out to our paddock and picked every last bean I could find. Then I remembered that we are having lamb roast (our own of course) for dinner. Mmm, I wondered, what could I find in the garden to go with roast lamb? I grabbed the old garden fork and started digging for hidden treasure...I uncovered lots! Lovely Dutch cream potatoes poked through the earth, showing their beautiful creamy colour against the browny red of the rich soil. It is such fun scrambling through the dirt, searching for food. My fingernails were filthy but, it felt so good to be touching the earth.

Having a garden means so many things. Fun, food, beauty! It is a tactile pleasure to be enjoyed everyday. Even half an hour of being outside is enough to provide satisfaction and a feeling of achievement. It is revitalising to be outside in the fresh morning air (especially in Robertson when it is winter!). Today it has been overcast, and now we are having a gorgeous sun shower! The rain is softly falling on the garden, it looks almost like sleet. I can imagine the plants are happy to drink in this precious gift. 

Broadbeans for Mum

Dutch creams for dinner

The garden comes alive in the glistening rain. Colours are brighter, the grass is greener and everything looks clean and fresh! The sun sparkles on the rain drops creating a magical scene.

Five little ducks went out one day...

On this most glorious day in the Southern Highlands, I was lucky enough to be at home and to observe some of our other animals. I know I've been telling you a lot about our three little pigs. They have settled in nicely and are busy ploughing up the grass as I write...Their little pink rubbery noses are miniature trowels that turn over the earth at an amazing speed!

We have five little ducks. They are Muscovy ducks and they are bred for meat as well as eggs. We have Zoro, Big Boy, Princess, Chook Chook, and Fredo (thankfully I take no responsibility for their names-they were all named by the children). They wander around the yard with the goose and the chickens and rooster. It is really lovely to interact with them as they wag their tails like dogs when you speak to them. Today they were spotted having a paddle in the little pond...later on in the day I counted only four ducks wandering around. I thought of the nursery rhyme that I used to sing my children when they were in the bath..."but only four little ducks came back..." My children never tired of this nursery rhyme. I could be draped over the edge of the bath, eyes hanging out of my head from sleepless nights and they still urged me on to sing ("more Mummy!"). 

Well, today, our ducks appeared to be searching for something. Could it be that one little duck had gone over the hill and far away?

I like to observe my animals mostly for pleasure but also for signs of changes in their environment or signs that they may be in danger. 

Fredo was missing and I knew that she could be in danger so, I set out to find her. My first thought was that she may have walked straight out onto the road, into the path of an oncoming car! But then, something in the bushes caught my eye and I turned...I didn't get too far when I saw her scratching around on the wrong side of a fence, metres from the pond where she had been enjoying her morning paddle. Talking to her softly as I slowly approached, I was able to gently lift her up and carry her back to the other ducks. 

Their reunion was a happy one. Lots of tail wagging, tongue wagging and panting. All the five little ducks were back! They waddled off, content, to the grassy area, no doubt to find some snails for afternoon tea. 

Food, glorious food!

My friend Zachary

Tonight I have been thinking about the food I eat. The meat we consume here on our farm has all been home grown. The family and I made a decision a few years ago to grow and eat our own meat. This decision was not made lightly. We had many discussions. Many opinions were voiced and each voice was loud. Children are entitled to their own views just as much as adults and therefore we collectively made this choice to start eating our own meat. As you can imagine, it did feel somewhat strange once the decision was made. This was due in part to the fact that we had a steer called Zachary. Zachary became the first animal that we honoured at our dining table. We had known Zachary from when he was a few weeks old. Yes, we had bottle fed him and watched him grow from a small calf to a very large steer with very large horns. Being animal lovers, we did find it quite difficult to say goodbye to our big black friend. On the other hand, we were privileged to know him and to know that he had had a wonderful life. He roamed the paddocks all day with the sheep. He always had lots of green juicy grass to munch on. Sometimes he would get some hay as a special treat. Going to the supermarket to buy meat for dinner is something we used to do. We knew that we did not want to do that anymore. We did not know where the animal had lived and under what conditions it had lived. We are eating our own animals now and we know exactly what they have eaten and how they have lived. It is amazing to take that responsibility. 

Tonight we had lamb chops for dinner and they were delicious!

How to be self sustainable

Today has been a lovely warm day of around sixteen degrees (warm for winter in the Southern Highlands!). The three little pigs are finally settling in, taking food from our hands and letting us pat them briefly while they are eating. They have quite sharp, strong teeth. I think they sometimes mistake fingers for bread! Some beautiful friends came to visit us today. They met the piglets and were privileged to see them shoving and pushing each other like playful puppies. They truly are a joy to be around.

Whilst walking around outside today with our friends I was reminded of the way I, and my family, have chosen to live. This way is one of trying to generate our own food sources so as not to rely on food that has to travel a long way to get here, or food that has not had a happy life. Choosing to embark on a journey towards self-sustainability is exciting and challenging. Our piglets are the latest addition to our farm and all the other wonderful measures we have in place to ensure that we are living as sustainably as possible.

We have sheep that we breed for meat. Our sheep shed their coats, which are a mixture of wool and hair. They are very low maintenance as we do not have to shear them. The breed we have comes from South Africa and they were bred to be hardy. They certainly cope well with our Southern Highlands weather which can be pretty rough. They survive primarily on grass. Sometimes we give them some hay. At the moment we have six lambs that are all growing well.

Also, we have chickens, ducks and a goose. From these animals we receive eggs for which we are very grateful! I actually say "thank you" to them each time I collect an egg. We feed them our kitchen scraps and chicken pellets which we buy from a pet produce shop. The ducks also love snails.

Our electricity is powered by the sun. Our water comes from the sky and is collected in our rainwater tank. Our sewerage system is independent and what goes into it is broken down and comes out as clean grey water.

Another project just started is our big vegetable garden. We have garlic and potatoes as well as beans, silver beet and Asian greens. Trial and error will be our guide as to what will grow well and what will produce the best harvest. Our fruit trees gave us many apples this last summer, this meant lots of apple crumble! The blackberries and raspberries provided us with lovely jam.

"How do I become self sustainable?" I hear you ask. There is no one way to become self sustainable. There are many things that we would like to achieve here on our farm, and many things that anyone with similar ambitions could achieve. Enjoying the journey and learning along the way is rewarding!

Still looking for a way to escape...

Pinky, Fudge and Spot waiting for food.

Here are the three little trouble makers. They are mischievous but very loveable indeed!

Three little pigs at home

Today I took some lovely photos of the three little pigs. They seemed as happy as...well, pigs in mud I suppose. Having been in their pen for three days now, it is obvious to me that they are settling in to their new home. Whilst they did spend five days on the run, they did not go far. I think they were happy to come and go as they pleased. I was leaving food out for them. They came and ate, and then trotted off out into the paddock ( and who knows where else!) to play. This was not an ideal arrangement, as you can imagine. Three pigs roaming around Robertson may not have been a welcome sight for the neighbouring farms and their gardens. I did have our lovely immediate neighbours on the lookout. They were somewhat relieved to hear the news of the pigs' return.

As I sat in the pen with Pinky, Spot and Fudge, I was pleasantly amused at their antics. They were like three little puppies playing around, jumping and running after each other. In the afternoon sun, I sat with my cup of tea and my book. Determined to keep a close eye on the three masterminds I thought I'd spend an hour with them to observe their behaviour. It didn't take long for me to put my book down and be completely absorbed in these three characters. I gave them some watermelon and carrots to munch on. They loved the watermelon. I could hear the loud sloshing noises as they devoured the soft juicy flesh. They pushed each other whilst chomping away, eager to snatch up every last piece. The carrot was not so popular...I did see quite a few lumps lying in the grass when I left.

Speaking of grass, it is a piglet delicacy! The grass hanging out of the pigs' mouths could've been spaghetti! They were slurping it up like it was a big bowl of 'spag bol'. Their little faces were so beautiful. Nudging me occasionally, their snouts pushed up against my hands. They felt rubbery and warm. Their eyes were inquisitive and intelligent, watching me closely.

Our small farm feels wonderful with this new addition. It is an absolute pleasure having the three little pigs here and I am looking forward to getting to know them better.

I will post some photos tomorrow so that you can finally meet Pinky, Spot and Fudge.

The re-capture of the three little pigs

It's been three days since I saw the three little pigs...today they were successfully re-captured!

It started with a look...The sheep caught my eye. They were standing out in the paddock, all facing in the same direction (they never do this). The alpaca had his head held high, on alert.

I wondered were they looking at the pigs? Could it be? I mentioned this to three of the children who were about to set off on a walk. I told them to be on the lookout for the elusive piglets.

It was only a few moments later when one of the children claimed that she had sighted a pig!!

I became, all at once, agitated, excited, and confused! I called to the other two children in the house and asked them to come and help! I had a plan forming in my mind. We assembled on the verandah... five children, myself and a loaf of bread. We planned to outsmart the little piglets and secure them in their pig pen (which in the last few days had been reinforced considerably).

Harry and I crossed the creek to come from behind, while Jack waited on the muddy track and the girls spread bread around the pen to attract the little swines. Pinky, Spot and Fudge (I renamed Blacky and Tan during the long hours I had to think whilst they were away) trotted along past the creek as if they were footloose and fancy free. Little did they know they were about to be ambushed.

We surprised them well. It was obvious they weren't expecting company. We took them off guard judging by their surprised little faces. They looked around from one person to the next, we could almost see their little brains trying to figure a way out of the trap. We held firm, did not budge. We formed an arc around them and slowly but surely herded them into the pen.What a relief!!! They were home at last!

We fed them bread, lots of bread!! They chomped with their mouths open and made little noises to indicate their satisfaction. There were a few loud belches... Fudge even had hiccups afterwards!

And now, as I write this post, I am aware of the possibility that these three very smart piglets could escape again. I can see them safely inside their pen from my verandah and I will keep a close eye on them for a while yet...

Three Little Pigs

Four days ago, my partner and I purchased three little piglets. Since then, our life has become fraught with tense moments and more than the usual amount of stress!
You see, we decided to add these piglets to our growing family of animals as not only would they provide pleasure and entertainment for us but, they would also be a source of food down the track.
Well, after spending a day designing and building a great looking pig pen, we drove with our trailer to pick up the little swines. I don't know if you have ever had anything to do with pigs but, I hadn't...needless to say, they were not the cute little docile creatures I had imagined.
The man we were buying them from did quietly indicate that they may put up a fight. He had placed them in a small pen for easier access. They were hard to catch and made extremely loud squealing noises when caught. It was quite distracting. Their mother was in a separate pen and almost succeeded in pushing through the steel gate that held her back. She was monstrous and scary!
Once we arrived home, without hearing a peep from the piglets on the way, we began unloading them. At first they seemed to like their new home. They huddled in the corner. We watched them for a short time and then decided to leave them alone to settle in. Well... after only walking a few metres away, we turned around when we heard some muffled grunting noises. They had escaped! Already!! They were just wandering around, side by side like they owned the place. So, with the help of our border collie, we rounded them up and guided them back to the pen. We fixed up the hole from which they had bolted and watched them for a short while again.
To cut a long story short, this routine went on throughout the afternoon. The piglets would escape and we would put them back...We even tried some electric wire around the perimeter but, alas, this did not contain them. It was getting dark and we were getting tired but, we were determined to contain these beasts!
We tried so hard but were only able to manage to keep one piglet in the pen. The other two disappeared into thin air!
In the morning, the lone piglet seemed settled and quiet (I know now that this was a disguise). She ate some bread. We resigned ourselves to the fact that we now only had one piglet and that we had failed miserably with the other two. I hated the thought of two little piglets alone in the wild.
During the morning, one of the escapees turned up at the front gate ( the pink one). We let him into the house yard and hoped he would stay. Unfortunately, I was on my way to the vet with our two dogs just as the piglet decided to return so, I had to hope that he would still be there when I got back!
As you can imagine, I came home from the vet with the two dogs looking forward to finding two piglets...

What I did find was not what I had hoped... the cute little pink boy piglet had helped the black girl piglet to escape. The gate to the pen was open. The two of them had pushed their way out!
Therefore, I was left with no piglets! Piglets on the run!
Notifying the neighbours was the next thing I did in the hope that they might spot one or two or three.
Since this time, I have been looking, and looking, and searching...
Yesterday, I spotted all three piglets together ( Pinky, Blacky and Tan), wandering in our paddock! I was so excited I nearly fell over on the way to open the pen gate! I managed to lure them close to their pen with two loaves of bread (this process took about an hour). I had them so close to going into the pen when something spooked them and they all ran off into the sunset! Three little piggies with their tails curled and their ears flopping...walking side by side.
I am hoping to see them again today and will try to persuade them to come back...Wish me luck!

Test

Today I'm just doing a test blog with the help of my friend Denis.

Red Triangle Slug on the water tank

This slug has been the subject of much interest in the past few weeks. It was found late one dark night in the drizzling rain...To learn more about this slug see the link to Denis' blog above where he has posted some interesting information about it.

Today is a new beginning

This day marks the beginning of a new journey. I am going to document changes in my daily life that will enable me to reflect on the process of living more in the moment.