New Years Day 2017

The older we get, the faster each year seems to go because time flies when we're active and doing what we love.
I hope all of you dear readers had a lovely Christmas, and are ready to embrace this coming year. Well, it's here, whether we're ready or not!
I'm blessed to be able to say that every year, as it happens, is a good year for me. Sure, there are challenges, but what doesn't beat us makes us stronger.
I feel for those who lost loved ones last year, or who suffered from illness, and I wish for you a year of healing, good health and happiness.

 Christmas Day in South Australia was very hot, but two days later we experienced cyclonic weather that knocked trees over, drenched us with 45mls of rain, and left much of the state without power, phone or internet coverage.
Mother Nature is certainly giving us some attention lately.
One of a pair of Golden Robinia trees at the front of our home fell over, leaving a big gap in the garden. The above photo shows how big it was with the remaining of the pair still standing.
How lucky we were though, with the tree crashing in the only direction that caused minimal damage. A metre either way and we would have had serious structural damage to either the fences or the house.
In true Brian spirit, the chain saw had a work out, and all fallen and damaged trees were dealt with before morning smoko. Fortunately, he was on annual leave for the days between Christmas and New Year, so was on hand to get into action immediately.

Lavender has been our number one concern ever since her fence jumping incident and with treatment every day, she is recovering well.
After a five day course of antibiotic injections, we waited for more than double the with-holding period, before drinking the the milk.
For those of you who regularly read this blog, you will know that we don't use antibiotics or conventional pharmaceutical preparations on ourselves or our animals, but in this case, and under the guidance of our trusted vet, we had no other option. For smaller injuries and ailments we always use Vitamin C injections for the animals, and this is the first time in twelve years of cow raising that any of our animals have received antibiotics.
Having had so much treatment and endured such pain and trauma, I am amazed that she still walks into the dairy every day and allows me to put the milking cups on the remaining three good teats.
In fact, in the last few days, she has been easier to bring in and we have confidence that she will return to the easy going cow that she was earlier in her previous lactation.

 The milking cups are on three teats while milk still runs from the injured teat. I put a container underneath so as not to waste it and give that milk to the pigs and dogs.

The cup that's not attached to a teat needs to be blocked so the milking machine doesn't lose compression.  Brian took the teat from the calf feeder and inserted a piece of plastic into it to block off the hole, the artificial teat is then inserted into the spare milking cup. We can remove it when washing out the machine and insert it each time we milk Lavender.  This has saved us from having to permanently adapt the machine and cups, for when we have another milking cow and need the standard four cups.

We decided to pull down the fences in the area near the dairy, and build post and rail cattle yards. Brian hired the Dingo for two days, pulled out posts and droppers, leveled the ground, and started digging new post holes.

We changed the layout, and finished up gaining some paddock space as there isn't the necessity for such a big area now that our cattle numbers are less.
Over these past few years we have learned from our experiences of what this land of ours can comfortably manage. We have learned about what we want from our land, how we prefer to manage it, and what our needs are. We observed how the cows and sheep prefer to move around this land, what feels more natural for them, and so we have adapted our new yards to suit.
We call this "evolving" with our needs and our gained knowledge.
Those new rails are covered in Creosote, so poor Brian suffered horrible burning skin on his arms from the fumes as it was he who did all the work there.
Those days were hot, and I was in the kitchen preserving cucumbers and during the heat of the day,  doing some of the other jobs that keep piling up,. I confess I have nowhere near the stamina that he has.
To soothe the skin on his arms he's rubbing on organic coconut oil that I use for cooking and for all of our skin care. He's also taking Milk Thistle capsules as a liver cleanser to help rid his body of the toxins absorbed through the skin. Our skin is our largest organ, and everything that goes onto it is absorbed into the blood stream. I'm also making him green vegetable juices and making sure he drinks lots of water.

 The finished stock fence with new double water trough for each side of the fence. The wire mesh will prevent sheep from escaping too, and from small calves getting through.
A twisted willow tree was planted in the corner to provide shade when it grows tall. The leaves are medicinal and contain natural Aspirin. Stock will eat them when they feel the need.

They have to pass through this yard on the way to the dairy and this is where we feed out the hay.
It's wise to have an area like this where stock can be enclosed if needed, for treatment, for moving, or just quietening them down and getting them used to being handled.
I'm stunned at the number of people who buy farm animals, but have no infrastructure in which to enclose them if needed.
What happens when the cow gets a grass seed in it's eye? How can it be treated?

The damaged teat is healing well, but now when she lets down her milk for the calf, or when being milked in the dairy, the milk from that teat runs freely.
Only time will tell how this will be managed in the long term, but for now she appears to be happy and no longer in pain.
And all this was only a part of our Christmas, New Year activities.
We ate some lovely food, enjoyed some time with family, checked bee hives, moved sheep to different paddocks on the other side of town, and all of the other daily farm tasks as well.
Is it any wonder that my year flies past so quickly?
Happy New Year and lets get the most out of each day, give thanks for every new day, and appreciate all that we have at the end of the day.

Honey Biscuits

There was no way out, I just had to make a batch of Honey biscuits!
It's not Christmas without Honey Biscuits, and because a few people have asked me for my recipe and how to bake them, I thought it easiest to show, rather than just give out a recipe.

 As with most old recipe books, the instructions leave a lot to the imagination, as you can see here. So for the novice Honey Biscuit baker here is the way I've found works best for me.
I always make half a batch. A full batch takes all day, so I'm going to give you the ingredients already cut down to a half batch.

Ingredients;

1 tablespoon of butter
500g honey
1 and 1/4 cups of sugar
2 eggs
1 and 1/2 teaspoons of bi-carb soda
1/4 - 1/2  teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 small teaspoon cinnamon
1 small teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
Plain flour - approx 4 - 5 cups

 Method;

Melt butter, honey and sugar in a saucepan together.
In a large mixing bowl beat together the eggs and all of the spices.
Mix into the egg mixture, 1 cup of flour and beat until well mixed.
Pour in a small amount of the melted honey mixture and mix well, then add more flour, mix well.
(The aim is not to cook the egg by pouring in the hot  honey mixture)
Add the remaining honey melted mixture and mix well.
Keep adding flour and mixing until it becomes impossible to mix any more without breaking your hand or your spoon.
At this point, more flour is still required to achieve the right consistency, but there's a way to do it that is much easier.
Cover and leave for an hour or overnight, before rolling out and cutting into shapes.
Bake in a moderate oven for approx 10 minutes or until slightly colored.

 Alternate adding of the flour, and the melted honey mixture to the eggs and spices.

Keep adding flour until you can't mix it any more without breaking your spoon.

The dough will look like this.

Cover the bowl and leave for a least an hour, or overnight if you want to. 

When you're ready to bake the biscuits, cut a lump off using a knife.

Flour your bench well and knead more flour into the dough until it reaches the correct consistency, which is just past the sticky stage. It should not be sticky.

Form into a flat ball and gradually press it out flat.

Then roll it out with a rolling pin. Be sure to have enough flour under the dough so it doesn't stick to the bench, and move it around a bit to make sure it's not stuck.

This is the thickness I prefer.

Cut into shapes.

Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. (Frugal tip; you can re-use the same piece of paper over and over.)
Bake in a moderate oven for approximately 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.
When slightly cooled, lift off the baking tray with a flat knife and cool on cake cooling racks.

Save all the scrappy cut out bits and roll into a new ball.

The scrappy bits will roll out again until all the dough is used up.

 

This is the thickness of the finished product. Some people make them thicker, but we prefer them this way.
Wait until cool before icing with a thin mix of icing sugar and water. (Food coloring can be added) Mix well, spoon into a zip lock bag with a tiny hole cut into one corner, and squeeze onto each biscuit.
I find it's easiest to place all of the biscuits out on the kitchen table in rows, then it's a quick squirt and swirl over each biscuit.
I'll ice these tomorrow morning. I don't want to look at another honey biscuit until then!! but you can see last year's Iced honey biscuits here.
Honey biscuits are really quite simple to make when you know how and with a few little tricks up your sleeve.
I hope you will give them a go, but stand back, everyone loves them so you might need to hide some for later. Oh, and they keep well too, in an airtight container or glass jars.
I'd love to know how yours turn out when you bake them.
:) X Cheers!

Christmas baking

Here in the Barossa Valley, South Australia, it's German tradition to bake old fashioned Honey Biscuits   to serve to friends or family who might drop in over the Christmas season for a cuppa, or a schlook of wine, as the saying goes from our past.
They are time consuming to make; the entire day that it takes to mix, bake and decorate
 is just not going to happen this year, so I made Bumblebees instead.

Oh my goodness, they are so quick and easy to make, I'm seriously considering making these our new Christmas tradition.

I used some of my dried apricots from last year's harvest to add a bit of colour, and there were some of those green and red pieces in the mixed fruit that I bought from the supermarket.
No, they're not the usual healthy style of biscuits that I usually bake to go with a cuppa, but it's Christmas.

Packed up and ready to add to the little Christmas gift packs that I give to some of my friends and work colleagues.

And a wee taste for afternoon tea. For quality control purposes only.  ;-)

This is a much loved and well used old book from the late 70's when I was a young married mother with a toddler and lived on a property at Keyneton in the Barossa Valley, South Australia.  (Not to be confused with Kyneton Vic.)

There's even a recipe in here with my name at the bottom of it which I will show you one day.

So... a couple of tips for baking Bumblebees.

Don't over cook them, keep an eye on them as they will go from perfect to burnt in seconds. Trust me, I know!

Use wet fingers to squeeze the small spoonfuls together when putting on the baking slide. This stops the mixture from sticking to fingers and helps to stop them from falling apart.

Along with the batch of simple shortbread I made, I think I've got the Christmas baking done and dusted.

From the same book. The names under the recipes bring such lovely memories. This woman, Diana, lived on a beautiful farming property just out of Keyneton. I used to take my toddler daughter over there to visit their pet kangaroo.
A couple of tips for the making of this shortbread...
This recipe makes two free form rectangles on one of my large baking sheets. Saves time, bakes more evenly and cuts nicely into squares. Bring the mixture together, and divide into two balls of the same size. Flatten out to shortbread thickness. It has no rising agent so it doesn't rise.
Score the squares and prick each piece with a fork before baking.
I usually bake it in my wood oven, so at times when the oven is a bit hot, it cooks faster. Don't let it brown, as shortbread should be pale in colour, although it usually browns slightly around the edges.
Immediately upon removing from the oven, sprinkle all over with castor sugar and cut into pieces where you scored them.
I don't think anyone will miss the Honey Biscuits.... will they?

Thanks to all who left kind and caring comments in response to my previous blog. Your words are so much appreciated. I wasn't able to respond to your comments without dissolving into an emotional bundle of useless matter.
Lavender is doing really well with her recovery. We are still not out of the woods and she will never again be quite the same, but every day shows us an improvement worth celebrating.
XX :)

Lavender and Freddie

Lavender is besotted with her baby.

At 11:35pm on 11th of December 2016 this little creature emerged into our world.

There were two nights of very little sleep, and then more tense hours until we got him suckling on his Mum without our assistance. He was willing, but Lavender was so enthralled with his beauty and his presence, she couldn't stop licking him. 

Every time he tried to reach back under her belly towards the udder, she stepped back to lick him some more. The following day we put her halter on, then while one of us held her, the other guided the calf to the udder. After just three of these lessons, they both got the hang of it, and our problems were over.

So we thought...!!

A name was chosen by grand daughter Isla, who thought Freddie would suit. Yes, he's a real Freddie, so Freddie it is.

After two days of suckling Freddie her udder was starting to look very engorged, so while the little guy was sleeping in the grass she walked up quietly to the dairy, with some coaxing, and I took a litre (approx) of colostrom milk to ease her pressure.

She enjoyed the delicious chaff mix, with dolomite, molasses and apple cider vinegar, and some chopped comfrey leaf. After milking there's a rack full of hay for her to munch on at her leisure.

Each evening, she waddles happily up to the dairy, with some coaxing, to get her food treats and to ease the udder pressure.

(She has never gotten over whatever it was that frightened her during her last lactation. No longer does she push at the gate to come into the dairy.  I always have to get behind her and lower my voice to get her to walk into the milking parlour. I thought, and hoped the spell of three months while she was dry, would help make her return to the eager girl that she used to be.)

So each evening for the next five days she was happy to leave her calf in the paddock while I brought her up to the dairy. We were ecstatic to be drinking her milk again too, and the pigs were beginning to appreciate the yoghurt mixed with their food.

On Tuesday evening as I brought her up to the dairy, everything was going smoothly, when suddenly she looked out towards her calf and took a running leap at the fence. Sadly she didn't make it over the cyclone with two wire strands. She damaged one of her teats so badly. It was the most terrible thing that I've ever witnessed in my years of farming and animal care.

We called our vet who's soothing words calmed my shock and disbelief. 

It's still too difficult to talk about, and I think not appropriate to describe in detail, but the long and the short of it is...  She will lose the use of that quarter, and with the help of antibiotics it is highly likely she will recover.

Now we are finding small reasons to be grateful every day, for each small improvement, and the fact that she is still able to feed Freddie. 

I am super relieved every day when I bring her into the dairy to treat what remains of her very painful teat and spray it with an antiseptic antibacterial with a fly repellent to keep the pesky flies away. She lets me put the milking cups on the other three teats!

We are "high five" happy with relief each time we get her in to give her another painful jab of anti-biotics. One would think that, after a couple of jabs while standing in the dairy, she would not want to come in any more.

So at present Lavender is our biggest concern, and the cause of the most joy each day as we reach another recovery milestone. Every waking moment is focused on Lavender.

In hindsight, what could we have done to prevent this kind of accident from happening?

The answer is probably nothing, but in future, if one of our heifers is a jumper, I will not keep her as a future milker. 

Our fences are strong and have two strands of white sight wire.

She was following the same routine that she has done for more than two years. 

She has always been content to leave her calf sleeping while she walked up to the dairy, however, since then I've been trying to round up the calf so he follows her, but that is creating more problems so I've left him behind the last two times.  

Our main concern is to keep her trust in us, especially in me, and to know how hard to push her without upsetting her. Oh my goodness, it's a fine line and I back off just as soon as I feel her tension rise, but she has to know her boundaries as well. A totally spoilt cow, (dog, horse, child) will be of no use to anyone. She still loves me, I know that, and I think she knows that I have her best welfare foremost in my mind. Aren't animals just the most amazing and giving creatures?

Meanwhile, we've placed some temporary higher fencing along the path to the dairy, and will as soon as possible, build post and rail high fences in that area.

Other farm life is going on around us, days are busy and full, but oh, how grateful I am to have our beautiful Lavender.

 

 

Any Day Now

An update on Lavender's condition. This photo doesn't adequately show just how huge she is, as her due date looms,

 In the paddock this morning, with Gordon in the foreground. Ambrose, the other black steer, is just out of shot.
Her due date is tomorrow, seventh of December, so no prizes for guessing what my next blog post will be.
It will be lovely to have a new calf on the place, and best of all, there will be fresh, raw, organic milk. 
Fingers crossed all goes well, but as usual, there is a sense of apprehension mixed in with the excitement.
Cheers for now!

A Small Bit of Honey

All of our bee hives have been here on our home block for the past month, making good use of the Blue Jane (Salvation Jane, Patterson's Curse) on the neighboring properties.

Yesterday we extracted a small amount of honey, but we discovered that some of the honey that was  in the hives when we checked last week at the workshop, had been eaten by the bees.  This indicates that the Blue Jane flow has finished and they are starting to get hungry.
They were aggressive and didn't want us anywhere near them, protective of what honey they had.

 For the first time ever, I felt the need to wear a smock with face covering while extracting the honey. A lot of bees remained attached to the frames when Brian brought them up to the honey shed, and there were lots of bees flying around inside the shed, which is not a very comfortable feeling.
I still managed to get a sting on a finger though.  I touched a bee that was crawling on the frame as I lifted it to put it into the extractor. Ouch..!!!
Brian laughs at me, he has no idea how painful stings are for me. They don't affect him, just a slight pin prick, and he gets a few stings every time he takes frames out for extracting.
I'm just thankful that I don't suffer  serious effects from the few stings I get. It could be much worse.

 We took what we could, only two frames from each box, leaving them enough food stores just in case there is rain or there is little in the way of flowers in the coming weeks.
Just as well we did, because it's raining today and preventing the bees from foraging.

Rain on a Summer day.

The Salvation Jane flow has finished, so we need to move the bees back to the other stand on the other side of the town.

Last night, just on dark, and when the bees had all gone into their hives for the night, Brian closed up the hive doors and secured, with webbing straps, the hives that sit permanently on the trailers. They are mostly two boxes high (a brood box plus super) and great care is needed when driving them to their new positions.
Each trailer has space for four hives, so we can move them to a new location with ease, without needing to lift them up and down every time. They are really heavy! 

 I had intended to get up early to help him move them this morning, and he had insisted it wasn't necessary, the boxes were all tied on securely so all he had to do was hook each one onto the ute and drive it over to the other side of the town, return to collect the next trailer, and so on.
 I felt him get out of bed, it felt like I'd only just gone to sleep. It seemed so very early, so I rolled over and went back to sleep.

I heard him towing the first trailer load out the gate, and close it behind him, and I did feel a tad guilty, but I rolled over and went back to sleep again. It was still pitch dark!  I intended to get up so I could be out there in time to open the gates for the second trip. There are three trailers with bee boxes, and he didn't get any help from me at all as it turned out.

When he climbed back into bed it was still dark. "What's the time?"
"5am!"
So he'd got up at 3.30am!

 Last week another request came to ask us to remove a wine barrel in which a swarm of bees had made their home.  A reminder to readers to plug up the hole in the wine barrel if you have one as a decorative item around your home. Barrels are the perfect home for bees. 

 

 Brian brought it home during the week and when the rain cleared today, he cut the barrel in half so the owner can use the two halves as plant pots.

The bees were transferred into a Nuc box, queen included, and it's a nice strong colony.
Our hopes are high for a good flow when the Red Gums start to flower, because like all apiarists here in South Australia, our honey production is well down this year due to the wet and colder weather during these past three months.
So for now our main concern is to keep the bees happy and the colonies healthy and strong.
Our fingers are crossed for a better honey extraction in a few weeks time.

Cheers, and thanks for visiting.