FEBRUARY

This February the 2 folk and the dog were quite social, day trips in the country with friends, spectating at the local leg of the Flock Ewe competition with a night at the local pub to celebrate the winners. The tractor sadly sat idle.

It’s early morning as we skid around the corner in a very rattly ute, pulling up outside the shearing sheds of a friend. Today is a big day. It is the annual Flock Ewe competition between local wool producers showing their maiden ewe flocks. The top 5 winners are displayed at the local agricultural show for the visitors to marvel at, kids to breathe over and entrants to analyse. A most public acknowledgment of what is a rather solitary livelihood. With the local show canceled due to Covid this was a rare chance to see how other folk run sheep.

We were there to help our friend get his flock into the yards in preparation for the on-farm visit by the judges and spectators later that morning. As we come around the corner we take in the bucolic picture. Early morning light falling through old Eucalypt and Cyprus trees, dappling the backs of the contented ewes milling about in the yards, magpies warbling and ever vigilant kelpies coiled ready to work at the slightest hand gesture. We are stilled. Not needed. We accept the compensatory coffee and drink in the loveliness of it all before joining the convoy striking out to the first of 13 farms scheduled for that day.

As the sheep are pushed up into the race, the dust rises and hangs in the air, hooves, and boots scuffing the dirt floor of the yards, creating plumes of dust that hang in the air. People, entrants, spectators, judges, sponsors, shearers move up to the tight-knit ewes and start to run their hands over the bodies, gently spreading open a fleece to glimpse and feel its colour, style, and nourishment. The ewes suffer it steadfastly, as long as they can feel each other they will stay calm. The farmer starts to quietly give an overview of their flock goals, performance, and constraints. The judges deliver their insights to the farmer in front of everyone. We all lean forward to hear what is said, concurring or disagreeing, there is a reason they come from outside the district. As the last word is said and the judges depart, side conversations pop up with plenty of laughter. It’s been a good season, the farmers are relaxed and enjoying the camaraderie of this life. The ewes are in the middle of it all. With conversation milling around them, they start to visibly relax and listen in, their ears up, their bright eyes watching and inquisitive.

And then the group are peeling off, onto the next property to do it all again. Like me, I bet they are hoping morning tea will be served at the next one.

pics by Em Callaghan emcallaghanphotography.com

house build

I admit to disproportionate responses at any advance in the house and garden build. Just the laying of footings for a garden wall sets me daydreaming of ‘Grand Designs’. You can appreciate then the fidget level of excitement when Co-Captain presented me with a set of plans for the FINAL stage of our house build. This small but major step means decisions must be made on floor heights and finishes, groundworks, footings, ceiling heights, and window placements. Excellent daydreaming fodder. He did loose me at guttering talk. Onwards!

Kitchen garden

The kitchen garden continues to provide us with herbs galore, including parsley, mint, rosemary, sage, bay, tarragon, thyme, chives, spring onions, and basil. I’m in that end-of-summer abundance quandary of harvesting herbs to dry for use in winter and berating myself for not living more seasonally. Who am I kidding, we grow kilos of tomatoes primarily for use ‘out of season’! Edible salad greens are in abundance with new shoots of lettuce, spinach, endive, and rocket coming up everywhere. We are now down to weekly test picks of the apples. A friend has spied a wild pear tree, heavy with fruit, the race is on now to beat the possums and birds. Thankfully this is one fruit that ripens off the tree so we stand a good chance. The small army of bean plants continues to thrive. We have flowers so there are high hopes for some beans. The Brassica feast is on schedule with seedlings of cabbages, cauliflower, and even more kale are almost ready for planting out and hardening off, in addition to the broccoli, brussel sprouts, and rapini.

Autumn crocus coming through, such a fabulous way to herald the change of season regardless of the date on the calendar.

Booklist

A fabulous book this month, “The Erratics” by Vicki Laveau-Harvie. I was held by the relationship between the sisters and their parents, all spoken as adults. The mother is devilishly delusional which is revealed via a series of seemingly acceptable events but culminates in a desperate and disturbing grab for power over anyone. The writing is highly effective and efficient and darkly funny. I quote from Chapter 14, after an experience involving aged fathers and very fast traffic which I am sure many of us can relate to:

“I am momentarily unable to make a sentence that contains a verb and does not include poo.”

final word

Because I live in the countryside, I want a building that encourages me to have a fully formed relationship with the environment. It gives me an opportunity to not just be inside or outside, but in a range of contexts.
Kevin McCloud