Saturday 2 April 2016

Getting things done


It wasn't so bad once I got started, but oh boy, I've been putting this off for weeks. Now I'd love it if everyone I know pays us a visit so I can show off the clean windows at that end of the house.
These windows are very high off the ground and requires balancing on our tallest ladder, so this old girl was pretty pleased with herself after completing the job, with no more difficulty that when I did it last time. (Approx a year ago... sshhh don't tell anyone). You will gather by now that cleaning windows is not high on my list of priorities, but Oh how lovely it is now that it's done.



Morning coffee on the side verandah has become an institution here on weekends. A break from our busy day to sit and watch the cows eating from their hay rack in the paddock before they wander off to one of the grassy paddocks for the day. A time for us to refresh, discuss our plans for the remainder of the day and to appreciate all that surrounds us on our patch of paradise.

The summer time shade cloth has been rolled back to allow the sun to shine on the new winter vegetable plantings. Lots of composted manure and straw was layered onto the soil weeks ago, then topped with mushroom compost.
This is the part of the garden that Brian manages. My part of the garden at the other end is not quite so orderly. I tied up some of the raspberry canes today, but have another two rows to complete tomorrow.
Today he planted onions, garlic, peas, lettuce and bok-choi.  During the past couple of weeks he has planted cabbages, cauliflowers, broccoli, parsnips and beetroot.
Celery, kale and sweet potatoes are still there from the summer garden, and in the glass house are basil, parsley, capsicums and lettuce.
The pineapple plants are still there too...no pineapples yet!

The last of the tomatoes are ripening on the vines in my kitchen garden closer to the house.  These were the plants that I grew from the cuttings of the first tomato plants that Brian planted in early October. Last year I posted about how to grow new tomato plants from the prunings of tomato plants here.
It was so worthwhile planting that second crop to extend our season of fresh tomatoes, as Brian removed all of his plants weeks ago. One of my favorite simple lunch foods is home made sour dough bread slathered with home made butter and slices of fresh tomato with pepper.  There is nothing like the taste of fresh tomatoes grown in our own garden, and I will extend the season for as long as possible if I can. I flatly refuse to buy a tomato from the shops, and would never ever buy a tomato, or any fruit or veg, out of season.
Last year we tried growing a variety of late tomatoes in the glass house to have them almost year round, but were not happy with the results, so we appreciate the season while it's here.
The butternut pumpkins that I planted in October have ended up completely taking over this small garden, not that I mind at all. The rhubarb still managed to grow well, as did the tomatoes and cucumbers.
Now, you may well ask what those stripy looking pumpkins are, and so do I ask the same question!  This is one of the joys of pumpkin growing as the cross pollination of varieties produces some interesting vegetables and I can tell you that the flavor is butternut sweet and the texture is extra creamy smooth.  What a winner! Now my only hope is that they will be good keepers because I think I've harvested almost a year of pumpkins.
The birth of Daisy's new calf is imminent and we are checking the size of her udder frequently, (like every few hours!) so there will be more news on that in the next blog post.
News came today that the calf that we have ordered from our  friend's dairy farm was born early this morning, an Angas x Friesan  bull calf, which will spend the next couple of days with its mother, drinking the colostrum she provides for her newborn, before we can pick him up and bring him home.
The plan is for Daisy to accept him after her own calf is born, but meanwhile we will bottle feed him with some of Lavender's ample milk supply.
I need to come up with a name for this new arrival. Any suggestions?

Thanks for dropping into Jembella Farm dear reader. Like any letter writer, I love getting your comments, so please don't be shy.
Cheers for now, be well and be content.


13 comments:

  1. Hello....Love your blog and the pictures that you provide. Our growing season here is just gearing up so we are in "garden mode"...Although we do not live on a farm, we enjoy a garden that provides for our home and some "give aways" to others. We can as much as we are able - Do you can your food and if so, what? I look forward to more posts/pictures/info and appreciate the time it takes for us. Thank you - Chris

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    1. Chris, your kind words are appreciated and I'm glad that you enjoy the pictures although, snapped with my phone, are not good quality. I'm wondering where you live, as my friends in USA say canning when we say bottling and preserving. Yes I certainly feel like I do more than my fair share of "canning", about which you will find various stories in previous blog posts. One of the points of this blog is to acknowledge those, like yourself, growers and makers who don't necessarily live on a farm, but get things done and appreciate the value of doing so. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.

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  2. Oh clean windows are a treat! My worst job also. ;)

    Your pumpkins are looking wonderful! :)

    We finally have our veggie patch fenced off, now time to start the compost heap and work on the soils. There are two chooks in there that get picked on by the others badly scratching about which is handy. I need to source some manure now to give it a good start. :)

    Its looking good Sally!

    xx

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  3. Sally, we have a high set house which makes it difficult to clean the windows. I get dizzy so am not brave enough to get up the ladder. Regarding names, my grandchildren name our guines pigs and the males are always named after Thomas the Tank engines. We currently have Gordon and Henry. They also love Australia Zoo so we have had a Steve and a girl called Bindi :-)

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    1. Oh the name Gordon is sounding quite good Nana Chel. Thanks for the suggestion.

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  4. I had to laugh when I read your post today. Yesterday I cleaned our kitchen windows after procrastinating for months. We are getting visitors next weekend so the time had come. Like you we have a high-set house so I was on our tallest ladder too. And the pleasing sense of achievement to look through clean windows this morning is warming to the heart.

    We too, have smoko on the verandah each morning and discuss various things. Country life is bliss. Love your 'new' pumpkins.

    Regards,
    Lyn in Northern New South Wales.

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    1. We call it smoko too Lyn, even though neither of us smokes. lol Is this an Aussie thing do you think?

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  5. My mother in law is visiting in June, so I've got until then to get my windows clean! It's a huge job, but always worth it. And a year of pumpkins, what a fabulous harvest. Love seeing your posts on here again. Cathy.

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  6. your gardens are wonderful! such bounties!
    ugh, i don't have a high set house but cleaning windows is not one of my favourite jobs either, well done!
    thanx for sharing

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  7. I'm married to an Angus so I think that is an appropriate name for the little fella!

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    1. Joolz, the name Angus is indeed a beauty, but it was one of the first names we ever called one of our little Angas calves a few years ago. I'm warming to Nana Chel's suggestion of Gordon. :)

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  8. A comment from Merryl sent via email
    Hi Sally
    I have emailed you before and I just wanted to let you know I am not a 'lurker' or anything :-)
    I seem to be having lots of trouble commenting on your website because after choosing an 'identity' my comments get lost so I figured to email you directly.
    My huz and I were in Angaston last week and we drove past your farm and your farm gate. We were impressed. We did not realise there were such nice properties that side of Angaston.
    We live in a new home in Willyaroo just outside Strathalbyn. It is on 5 acres which we are now turning into a cottage garden with vegey garden. My huz Bob has multiple green fingers unlike me who has black fingers.
    Anyway I digress. I was going to suggest a name for your new calf. I don't know if you read 'To Kill a Mockingbird' years ago but one of the principal characters was named Jem (short for Jeremy).
    'To Kill a Mockingbird' is my all time fav book and also with the name similar to Jembella I reckon 'Jem' would be an ideal name for your new 'family member'.
    I do so enjoy reading your website. Oh and before I forget I washed all our windows recently too and they look so much nicer :-)
    Kind regards

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  9. I love clean windows, but seldom have them as it's a job I put off and off until it becomes a real necessity. I think it's because I used to be married to a professional window cleaner and I refused to do ours on principle, so he used to do them for me once a month ... if I was lucky. Luckily my eldest son, who worked with his Dad for a couple of years came to visit the other week and did my downstairs windows and he has just said if we buy a set of ladders he will do the whole house every time he visits :-) YAY!!

    Love all your produce, we are just at the beginning of the growing season here so seedlings are appearing and there is the promise of things to come, but only the over-wintered things are available to eat.

    I've never had any success with Butternut Squash but I will keep persevering until I do, we just don't get a long enough hot spell for them especially since we've moved further north.

    If I had a bull calf arriving I would be calling him Boris ..... but I doubt we will ever be getting calves :-(

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