Animal Farm

Feeling happy!

Me and MG at Dover beach on Aussie Day. I now know where Georgia gets her gorgeous hair from!

"look at mummy! doesn't she look funny" (ha ha) - lovely kiddies giggling

Bonnydoon - serene despite ol' Genny* running on Jerry's** good juice. We have names for everything now. This is how we manage with all this *time*. I say this as I listen to Georgia's sleeping breaths and Genny's low rumble. Little Lucy nibbles at my toes and her soft dark curls tickle my feet.


Let's talk about animals.

Richard aka Dickie aka Fabio

Giddy - daughter of Anna - lovely natured goatAnna - mother of Giddy - lovely natured but a tad skittish

Georgia with Lucy-lou - Cavilky puppy age 9 weeks

We are pleased to welcome to Bonnydoon some bonnie lasses and a handsome lad. Anna and Giddy are two (dairy) goats who are currently chowing down on some thistles. They are eating our weeds before we put them to a buck so we can get some milk. I bought some goat soap on the weekend and that would be fun to make. Handsome Richard (so named after the handsome Richard Gere) - aka Dickie is our cock-shaped alarm clock who crows at 6:20, 7:20 and 8:20am (we usually just ignore him and we wake up around 9am). He really is quite charming and roosts in a bush down in the forest. Today we acquired (bought) some pullets from the most dodgy chicken farm (actually a free range farm but dodgy all the same) and Dickie is doing a funny mating dance for the two girls, who are not interested in him in the least. They are chickens like the last ones we had (bitsas) and no, there are no plans to eat these ones - perhaps we shall eat the sons when they are around 15 weeks old. Want to come for roast chook?

Lucy-Lou (Lucy) is my new Cavilky pup. She is a cross between a cavalier and a silky. She is very sweet and affectionate and fun. I'm already training her. It's a bit odd that we got the farm dog when we lived in suburbia and the lap dog when we arrived on the farm, but since when have I been normal? My plan for Lucy is to find a cavilky mate and breed the pair.

The house is coming along - at least we hope it is. The architect is working on the drawings and I am hoping and praying and being really good in the hope that the house might be ready by next winter because all the locals are telling us how very freezing it gets here. Our neighbour even showed us photos of the 2004 snows on our hills. Eeeek! Monte is lugging wood around the place in the hope of getting a collection ready by winter, but going by most of the neighbours' wood piles, we're way behind and will most probably have to endure the winter on a tropical island like Tahiti or something.

We are settling in well and we are so happy to have some chickens now. They really are very entertaining and Dickie just makes it even more amusing! The children are very happy. Georgia can't wait to start school in 2 weeks. I can't wait either! She needs the structure and the learning. She is doing a kindergarten level workbook at present and is working through very quickly. She's a bright spark like her father. Matthew is really cheeky and finds everything funny. He is being particularly gorgeous and I am still feeding him 3-4 times a day. He is growing a lot and is quite tall and solid with a very cute face and a big smile and a cheeky laugh. He says "ta" repetively when he wants food, but if we have chips he yells "TA" in an agro tone because he is chip mad like his mum! must. not. eat. chips. or. drink. beer. (that's me, not Matty)

I am blissfully happy and excited about this life we have chosen. I love to sit at the table near my hillsy*** overlooking the hills and greenery and the cows. I feel so blessed to have this opportunity and I am really proud of mg who has taken everything in his stride. He seems able to do everthing and he knows so much! I am learning a lot too. So is Georgia - she drives up the driveway everyday.

SO much to say and so little time. It is late now so my incoherent rambling must come to an end.

Georgia cuddles up to Anna. Very sweet!

I wouldn't kiss the dog, it's just a pose. But I do find her very cute! My own little Ewok!

*generator
** jerry can of petrol

***hills hoist