"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
We went to Darwin where our son was working, and had a trip round the
NT with him..then Cairns (Barrier reef, wow) and rainforest, then
Sydney, fast detour to Blue mountains and that was it..not nearly far
enough or long enough. We loved it all and were very amazed when Dan
(son) returned to the UK (chasing girldriend). They've since split up
and he's talking of going back..he loved working there.Youngest son is
setting off there in the new year to see it for himself :-)
That's the posh end of Oz, they have the barrier reef ... we have a pile of
tyres, they have a rainforest we have multi story carparks with plants
painted on the outside.
(sob) I thought you had abandoned us for ever and ever; also, too busy
yakking on it to Fran :-)
OMG you're not suggesting that women talk a lot are ya? :-)
... can ya knit me a sweater?
Aran sweaters = the Irish Aran island, with one R.
Ahh I thought they coodnt speel proppa, I blindly followed the link from the
arran page to a company in arran making aran sweaters......... trikky innit?
.....I feel so mislead now
Anyway, I can only
knit dishcloths. You wouldn't look your best in it even if I sewed
several dishcloths together.
I dont even look good IN my best so I doubt anyone would notice ....
What have you been up to? Have you still got pigs?
No we've eaten em all ... Peggy (the mad one) and Pumba were the last to go
and I have to say Peggy tasted sooo good. serves her right too....
We are almost animalless a couple of hosses a few dogs, a budgie, a
parrakeet (which has decided to stay), a few zebra finches and a
quail....thats it
No pigs, goats, cows, sheep ducks,chooks or geese left.
Maureen has been getting into endurance riding quite seriously and she drags
me kicking and screaming along to the rides where I obediently cook, pick up
hoss poop, and generally try to while away the hours till she comes back and
I have to wash the hoss, feed them both, pass things and stand around
looking radient till she zooms off again and I can relax for another 4
hours.
Permaculture has been the last thing on my mind mainly cos I havent been
around the garden and we don't have the animals... so the garden has been
fending for itself and setting any seeds it decides to anywhere it decides
to, which has made for a bit of a jungle ... and not an altogether
productive one at that, but any growth is welcome I just wish I had the meat
animals to take advantage of it all.
Snake season is here now and I've been hacking my way through some knee and
thigh high growth which would have been better inside an animals belly but
the seed production (grasses and grain) will no doubt set the foundations
for a good growth next year .. thats something I've always struggled with
when grazing the animals ... making sure the seed doesnt get eaten before it
can drop ...
Animal prices are pretty high at the moment ... even chooks ....it seems
that most people downsized in last years drought cos feed was either non
available or very expensive, and now the demand for new stock has driven
prices up.
I'm not really too worried at the moment about getting any more stock, I
eventually want a couple of pigs in an area which used to be the worm beds
but has spread into what we now refer to as Chatsworth Park (an English
stately home) but I'd like it to get a bit bigger before I put pigs on it
cos I've seen what they can do to an area in the time it takes to close
their gate and turn to admire your new pigs....
I know I've said this before.... but I am NEVER going to breed pigs
again....... 2 pigs.... fatten em and eat em..... thats it..... then get 2
more........ no breeding. no huuuuge boar ... no killer mother pig ... just
2 little sweet (yum) and handleable pigs.............
I miss the goats they were real people animals and so useful, and the milk
output was well above the input of feed and care needed, but our lifestyle
at the moment doesn't allow for having animals which need milking every day
so ..... one day but not for a while yet.
This past year has been one of personal turmoil for us so we feel proud to
have made it out the other end still in one peice, at the moment we are just
settling down to what we used to refer to as our normal life, although we
nearly forgot what that was like...even though I like to whinge about the
horse rides they have been a much needed diversion from other things.
Thats it.........my life in one page ..... this weekend ...another ride but
I'll be sneaking off to fish at some of the best fishing spots in the state
which just happen to be very close to the ride base :-) so the hoss and
Maureen will have to feed emselves....
take care
Pete
---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (
http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.524 / Virus Database: 321 - Release Date: 6/10/2003