'Tis the season

Can someone remind me next year that I should have all my great gift ideas more than 3 weeks before Christmas??

I decided just about every important family member should get calendars with all their important people on them. Should have perhaps factored in the amount of time it takes all my in-laws to get pictures of their kids to me, then for me to collage, then order, then start all over again on someone else in the family. Add to that the 40 page photobook I am doing for my Dh and the ones I intended doing for the kids...then 2 markets on the weekend that just about wiped me of cards...and an order for 120 of 10 different farm and Bible verse cards from the local Christian bookshop and I honestly think I may look like a computer!!

Had my AGM for Ladies fellowship today and am happily still President, that is one role I don't get too stressed about...a few other ones are disappearing in 2009, hopefully!

I've found I haven't had enough hours in my weeks to do much of what I like, -sometimes i think working would be a better option than a stay at home mum who is too busy to stay home...so something needs to make way and the family draw the line at them!

The weather has been drizzly so no baling a for a few days, i thought I would show you my excellent (??) skills at raking hay!

Here's my view from the tractor, my job description stipulated that the bar in the centre of the pile of grass there had to STAY in the centre.

Now, my very tough boss should realise that straight line work is really not my forte, it is still quite a struggle to sew a straight line without getting distracted...let alone keep a bar in the centre for a few days!

I just accidentally showed him these pictures and got the look, "how can you be concentrating on keeping the front straight if you are taking photos of the back view"!!! Ha, can tell he's a man and has never applied lipstick while expertly driving a car!! And he just never understands about the need to get the picture for the blog...probably because after 2 years he has not quite worked out I have one!!

Here is the test, vital that the line of raked hay where I have put 3 rows into one, is straight and inclusive...looks pretty darn good to me!

And here comes the baler behind me, picking up those neatly raked rows and ejecting the bales.

The next pics are something we aren't quite as happy about.

We received very little spring rain and the experts have all looked at our wheat and say that despite a fairly healthy appearance, there is no milk in the seed heads and that is what becomes the wheat seed so the heads wont fill. The only way to reap any financial benefit is rolling it all as wheaten hay, so that's how DH is filling in his days.

...it doesn't look bad

...but it's just not right.

We are very much playing the glad game here, however, because we are extremely thankful we have something to cut. If you visit Chookyblue have a look at her harvest, enough to break my heart! She is a long way north of here and about a month ahead in growing seasons.

Here is a visitor who watched my scaring off of the quail with keen interest! It is a wedge tailed eagle...and even though I have to fight the odd one off our orphaned lambs, we love them here. They are huge...wikipedia can fill you in if you are interested.