Thursday 30 April 2015

Puppies, pumpkins, pesto and pesky predators.


Hello! I'm typing this on my phone from my front step! So apologies if the spelling/formatting is all over the place! I have to blog this way as I'm multitasking: Chaperoning the chickens as they free range at the same time! 

Mrs Fox is back! And she's picked off 3 chickens in the past 4 weeks. Last week as Ben left for work in the early dark hours of the morning, he caught her staring greedily into our henhouse; Sitting on her haunches at the door like a dog at a butcher shop window! And she comes right into our yard and up to the front door! Cheeky Lady! 

So no un-escorted free ranging for Lennon and the ladies. Grr. 

But today is an absolute cracker! My washing's on the line, the windows are all open... It's so lovely even some of my daffodil bulbs have gotten confused. 

"This is spring, right..?"
Wills having a lovely day in a light cotton sheet. I've added some warm, boiled barley porridge to his nightly feeds. He's a bit older now, and he needs a bit extra in the colder months. Plus he deserves it ❤️x


I'm knitting up a red neck warmer for Katie to wear with her school uniform and some thick socks for Ben. These are my first socks! And they're cuff-down style - which I believe isn't usual?! - on teeny thin double-point needles. The first one has turned out so beautifully! 



There's just a small problem: I only have one ball of wool left and the first sock took one-and-a-bit. And I found out from Morris and Sons in Melbourne that Admiral ombré 6 fach is discontinued!!! F%#€+*!?&@!!!!! Does anyone know where I can get a ball of this?! 


And the gardens going quietly into hibernation. The last corn fronds are sagging. The last tomatoes are shrivelling up. The last basil is curling and going brown. The bales around the bale garden are disintegrating as the first frosts come and turn the once lush-green baby fronds to crunchy silver-grey crystals. We'll start piling up oak leaf-mulch, manure and compost.

There's a few pumpkins sprawling around, which will come in handy for hot pumpkin soup with fresh crusty sour dough bread. And I've planted a few garlic bulbs, just to see if they come up. The chooks are moulting so we're only getting one egg here or there, but I've been bottling passata at fever-pace: can't let any of those tomatoes go to waste! There's nothing like fresh pasta with homegrown tomato passata, and pesto made from the spoils of the 'Basil Forest'! It's our go-to week night dinner at the moment!

And if you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you'll already know that Hill Shadow Farm will soon be getting a new addition!


Meet little Bluebell! She's only 3 weeks old, but I'm totally smitten. She's pure Border Collie. (Her mother Zoe is an absolute stunner, and super smart!) A pedigree working dog! I can't wait to take her to obedience and agility classes! Keeping Collies active and mentally stimulated is essential, and I'm totally up to the challenge!

So that's us, up to now. Katie's at school, and Tara's napping, so I'm being Chook Shepherd and sitting in the sun.


It's a tough life, but someone's gotta do it ;)
Xx

Friday 10 April 2015

Blessing, bunnies, and blissful days together.




Hello every bunny!

Hope you had an Easter as good as ours! Ours was filled with friends and fun. The bunny came and hid chocolate chicks in our backyard, and the girls giggled and ran about looking for them in their pjamas and gumboots.

Ben baked hot cross buns, and we had woodfired pizzas with friends on easter night. The girls got home thoroughly sticky and over excited, but having had a brilliant day! 

We've managed to cram alot of activities into Katies first school holidays: Family trips to the pool and Eureka Skydeck. There was a Pop Up Park outside the local library, with facepainting and games, we saw the Shaun the Sheep movie, and we went op-shopping. 

But undoubtedy the best thing about these holidays was Ben's CT results coming back clear of cancer. 

That was the very best day. 

His hair is starting to grow back, he's starting to regain some of his old energy and health, and we just feel so so blessed everyday.


 There were quieter days, where we stayed at the farm. Days we collected firewood, baked, removed some dangerous tree branches, pottered in the garden.

One blissful day, the girls and I headed down the back paddock with a blanket and our teddies for a Teddy Bear's Picnic, while the weather is still warm!










And also I knitted some slippers, attempted my first cabling on a beanie for Tara, and am now attempting my very first pair of socks with some beautiful wool from Morris and Sons.



Back to school Monday. The house is going to feel so quiet!

What are you knitting?

xx