Sheep, sheep and more sheep!

The school market has come and gone, made $9500 this year, $1500 up on last year, which was $1500 up on the year before. Very satisfying result for the organizer...Now I don't have to think about the madness again until about next February!

The lambs basically started arriving about the day after the market. Dh puts the crop in while I handle the sheep, so here's a little explanation to where I have been of late...

A VERY rare photo of me...and holding my first 5 babies. Feeding them about 5 times a day at present...I actually did paid work teaching school today, so had to take the two youngest with.....the others could now last but 1 day olds can't! Kept them in the sports store in a plastic tub and got them out at recess and lunch to play with the kids and have a feed.....I felt like the olden days when I taught a few days while DD was a baby and I had to express to feed her at lunch! Well....okay, it wasn't quite the same!! These get formula!!

I go around the sheep on the motorbike, I have been blessed with great weather but still, with cold, frosty nights and clear days you get some orphans/neglected babies. I've been bringing lambs home for about 30 years, but I have never had a result like the one coming up...

I saw this fellow in the grass, dead supposedly. I hopped off the bike to see if he was missing a tongue...a sure sign of fox....and felt a slight sign of life. He was stiff but I jammed him down my vest and bought him home

warmed him all day in my kitchen window on a hot water bottle and under a light..

Still not a lot of movement..used a funnel to pour my home made colostrum down his throat and here he was the next night....

Out in the barn with the others, up and happy and drinking. I was a happy lamb rearer. (In the photo with me it is the one facing you second from the right.)

If I bring them home fit and well I try to foster them onto another mother, but if they are struggling that's tricky. I've fostered about 10.

I've now got you up to speed on where I've been...there's some quilty stuff next post...thanks for staying tuned! Cheers, tracey

Of exercise, finished quilts and a fast approaching big day!

Wow, has anyone tried to fit in a good amount of exercise into their life lately? Really sucks up those few precious "spare" hours that I would normally have stolen for sewing. I wonder, in the comments, whether you think it is difficult to be thin-ish and a quilter as well, do the two go together?

Now, why would I do such a silly thing as sacrifice sewing for exercise, well, 1. It's good for all of us AND 2. I have tried and tried but cannot invent a suitable machine that I can exercise on as I sew. But the big point number 3. is that I have only 2 and a half weeks left until I hit a very big birthday...and I can't keep calling it baby weight if the baby just turned 9, can I??? So, since about last birthday I have been doing the odd gym class, definitely got fitter, but haven't appeared magically slim. How much of a miracle can occur in less than 3 weeks...probably not much! Luckily clothes size doesn't make the man...or in this case, woman!

The cards are keeping me busy, thanks to all those who have ordered, many on their way and more being mailed off hopefully tomorrow..Narelle!

raining again tonight, but we had enough let off this last week for Dh to get back on a few more paddocks to get some more barley sown.

When shifting him from paddock to paddock I spotted a few unexpected visitors,

I tried to get nice and close to these Brolgas, but this is the best I could do. They hang around in pairs, around wetlands. I don't think thse are nesting here, still flying around deciding where to settle.

And these black swans are doing the same thing, back through the same wetlands, except there isn't enough water for them here, this can be a full swamp. DH hopes it doesn't fill because that means a wet year for croppers! There are plenty of other lakes for them to nest in around here, they build fantastic nests in mounds in the swamps, last few dry years it is a race to see what happens first, the water dry up enough for the foxes to get to them..or they successfully get the babies hatched and away.

Bushfire blocks/quilts continue to call back in here and disappear again-to many homes. Kath from my quilting group recently gave these to me, anyone recognize their blocks?

A star block stack and whack.

Kath's sister-in-law donated this post and rail in muted green shades.

Now, were these start Libby's? Think so,I will have to check, look fabulous as a table runner.

Well, quarter to midnight..again! Even without cricket on I am up too late! Shouldn't mention the cricket, a heartbreaking loss last night, oh well, 3 more tests to get it right!

Have a great day,

Farm work

I know chooks are always a favourite so thought I'd share these today.

I have good news! Finally found the tool that will get me to clean the house!! No, not something I spotted on a late night infomercial, it is a great site for books on the ipod! This fabulous new-to-me site called audible.com and they have all my favourites, even unabridged Georgette Heyer. I had been looking in bookshops and some books on Cd were up towards the $100-and there were very few good titles...that's a lot of normal books! I have been exercising and cleaning to Heyer's "These old Shades" for 2 weeks and it has made those normally tedious jobs a pleasure! You don't have to go just for historical romances though, it has everything, even Janet Evanovich, but Australians are only allowed the short versions, not the long of Evanovich, i wonder why? For the first 3 months it is $7.50 a month to join, which gives you one included book download a month and a discount on the others. I am loving it, and the hardest decision is what i download next. I also have Rebecca, and Pride and Prejudice.

In between all that i have proof that I do in fact do some real work around here. There was noone around to take a picture of me helping with lamb marking, but my boy decided to get some snaps of me and his father sorting the weaner cattle to go to the saleyards.
No fancy Pioneer woman horsey shots of chaps here, just me still in my circuit training clothes, with the runners swapped for workboots!
Rosie the pup escaped and thought she may like to train with cattle!! I am just saving her from her folly ....

Probably not a good career path for a pampered pooch who still lives very close to the ground!
Hope your day is great,
If you have any other book good download sites, feel free to share, Tracey

Feeding time

On a happy note...

Feeding time at our zoo...I really don't have enough hands for 7 babies!

An almost newsworthy set of twins..

.

On a sadder note...

RIP to Grandma. A very tough 3 week journey at it's end.

Finished my hand pieced Lone Star!!

Whoo-hoo...light the fireworks,break out the whisky (any excuse!!) ....we have an identified and competed UFO!!!!!

TA-DA!

Okay, well, that was a slight lie. It is completed in that it is bound, the star is fully finished and appliqued on-AND the star is shaded in...wait for it...drum roll please...real, honest to goodness, HAND QUILTING!!! I am hoping for more hand quilting in the big gold areas, but as it is attached to a pre-quilted back there isn't a desperate hurry for this.
Yes, that is correct, the only thing not done by hand on this quilt is the attaching of the binding to edge-everything else has been completed by these hands that spend half their time playing up on me! The star was all individual diamond templates.
My Dh and I had date night by his mother's hospital bed last night, between that and two kids playing sport I have got a lot of work done on it lately.


It is from Kathy Shmitz's blackbird Village range of a few years ago. It was started a few summers ago and has waited patiently for me to work out how to complete it for a LONG time! I love Lone or Bethlehem stars and am very proud of this one!
Thank you for all the kind comments and support regarding my MIL. There is no improvement, it is my DH's 8th vigil tonight. I am very proud of him. They seem to be rapidly increasing her doses of morphine, but even then she is only settling for an hour at a time.
Too much depressing stuff, not what my blog's point is, so today I took some farm photos for you when i was going around the ewes and lambs. Unlike Scarlett's offsider in Gone with the wind, I do know a bit about birthing babies and I bought these two into the world, then enjoyed the sun on my back and the restfulness of kids at their grandparents and not being able to wake DH at home for half an hour while I watched their Mama go about her side of the deal...

Licking them clean and dry....
Let's just hope for her sake that is spearmint flavoured!!

Cautious first steps..


She's just smelling to check I wore gloves-oh boy, did I ever wear gloves!!
Off to dig up the chutney recipe..I must find the chutney recipe!-and sweep the floor, and do some exercise and clean out the kid's school bags..and wash...sigh!....
Hope your day is great, Tracey

ps, the reptile on my knee last post was a blue-tongued lizard..and I still love them! And yes, they do bite, something my Mother may have taken into consideration but then I wouldn't have one of my favourite pics!

Lamb with tomato chutney....

I am sitting here deciding whether I clean the kitchen or a start a shaggy baby quilt...how do you make that decision!!!

Up to my armpits..literally!...in baby lambs this week! I have been happily whizzing around paddocks on the 4 wheeled motobike, bringing home orphans to feed, and often orphans to foster- left, right and centre. Even with giving a lot of new babies to new mothers I have still ended up with 6 to feed..so far!!

No-one here gave this little darling a chance, but a hot water bottle (and a whisky bottle full of hot water on the otherside for good measure!!), hourly feeds and a heat lamp and it was out with the others by the next afternoon.

Rosie, the new pup, is in full sheepdog training, lol!!



She will be completely fine as long as they don't get any bigger

or stronger



or faster at running!



Rosie will be there and in charge!



Even trying to supervise the feeding!



I'm working on my Mother in Law's old ripe tomato chutney brew tonight. We are on our last jar and there MUST be chutney for family Sunday morning bacon and eggs! Aldi had tomatoes for 49 cents a kilo so I have made a double batch. It is about an 8 hour brew. You can see how much it has boiled down, will go down a few more inches yet and get really dark. The first year I took over it's cooking I had to get my MIL to wander over a couple of times to tell me when it was right..felt like I was in Masterchef!! recipes just can't do the trick on these old hand me down delicacies.

Yell if anyone wants the recipe, it is delicious!!
Have a great day..off to make a baby quilt...don't tell DH I'm not cleaning!!
Have agreat day...I see a baby quilt forming! Don't tell DH!.....

Back to farm wife life......

So, what's my excuse??

Well, I consider myself on a month's annual leave. Annual leave from organizing anyway! The market is done and dusted. School made around $8000 from the morning. It was a great team effort. My excuse for the slack posting?...150 jars of jams and pickles, 25 foot of Strudel, 10 slabs of hedgehog, 25 bags of toffee, 25 of Rocky Road, buying all supplies and doing all other necessary coordinator stuff...while fitting in picking up a dog, finalizing raffle quilts...throwing the family food.... You know how it is!

Our lambing began the day before the market so i promised DH as soon as the market was out of the way I would take over the sheep and cattle and he could happily sit in a tractor around the clock and get the crop in. So that's what's happening.

I am watching a lot of ladies sort out whose kids belong to whom..and feeding 3 orphans already.

While Dh got in the Willy Wonka man with his seed cleaning contraption and is now flat out sowing the crops. -In the mornings my house yard looks like the yard of a machinery dealership, I will have to snap a pic next time all the tractors and equipment are here.

Haven't had the proper Autumn break yet, our springs aren't running and it's only drizzling rain. Lots of frosty mornings and clear afternoons. The pets that live outside have developed strategies for this...

Do you think Archie minds Mr. R the farm cat utilizing him like this? Not one bit, I would say! Rosie is still living a cosier life, I am pleased she was a hit, we adore her, my big tough DH and I fight over who gets to cuddle her of a night...now if there was only an easy way to cure the little accidents on my kitchen floor!!

In between trying to rediscover whether my laundry in fact has a floor, and whizzing around my farm on the motobike, I have also done some sewing.

My little niece, Daisy is one already. I dropped her in a bigger quilt than her original "Daisy" balnket a few days ago. That barefoot roses stash is just about gone now! I still like it, even after the fourth quilt top.

Just 2 layers, my sister likes them like that, the pieced DNP top (I love this new block!!) and nice warm cream fleecy on the back. I was running so low on the fabric it has a tiny binding, but it seems to be a success.

She was cuddling it at the party today as well.

I did go just a tad silly about the birthday yesterday( I only have one sister and a few little nieces and nephews...you can't really spoil them!!) and decided to have a go at a baby sleeping bag. Beautiful ones of these are all the fashion here, but deathly expensive. My sister had casually shown me a catalogue, so i had a play....

I practised on baby Born first, just to sort out how to do the zip, the sleeves, neck etc. Baby Born's just has a half zip and no sections for wearing with a seat belt in a baby car seat. It is a little big for Baby born as I did have some idea that it may as well be useful in a dozen years or more perhaps, for it's owner. The real one, on the left, is lined with fleecy, has a two way zip so that you can open it from the bottom to slide the seat belt through, and a bound and velcroed slit in the back where you can put the seat belts through the rest of the way. I also made a flap at the top to cover the zip and protect baby's neck. The only problem with the success is that judging from the interest at the birthday party I may have to make a few more! They will be paying proper money!

Time for bed now, i am still way behind on sleep..I was just catching up and DS had a friend for sleepover last night and from 4 am they were talking and wanting to get up...I had to get up every hour to tell them it wasn't morning and to go back to sleep....

Hope your weekend is great, Tracey

Twas midnight...

Twas midnight the night before the night before Christmas

when all through the house

one creature was stirring,

trying kids not to rouse.

The santa sacks were begun and being sewn with all care

In hope that they'd be delivered at least 10 minutes before Santa got there!

That mother wished she was nestled all snug in here bed,

but visions of still delivering tea for her harvesting husband danced in her head.

So mamma cooked her beef

(and downed a drop of sap!!)

while she also cooked Church biscuits

and longed for a nap!

When out on the lawn

there arose such a clatter

(around here lately

almost anything could be the matter!!!)

Away to the window she flew like a flash

In previous nights, a fox and wilddogs could be seen to dash

common to see a chicken clenched by the toe...

and the lustre of a half dressed mamma after them just adds to the show!!

But tonight, what to her wondering eyes should appear?

But a harvester or baler

and a family member needing a beer!

Which related driver burning the candle to the wick

(who hasn't eaten before midnight for a week) now needs food..."Quick"!!

The one who to the house has finally made aim...

it's DH, who whistles and calls her by name:

"Now darling, now sweetheart, now gorgeous and lovely...

Jump on motorbike, on mower, on baler or truck'n

Take me to north paddock, to Jim's paddock,

To the top of the farm...... or wherever I call...

Now dash away, dash away, dash away all!

As dry hay before balers the wife she does fly,

when she meets with instructions from workers who're dry.

So straight to the vehicles the good wife flew,

with food and beer for the workers..and Dh too!

That's when she readily realises the proof

that a farm wife life's hectic and that is the truth!

She delivers her food and her hopes abound

...that she may get 5 minutes on the 'net to give her friends a whip 'round!!

___________________________________

....Sorry, the literary talents..(or lack of!!) end there! Christmas really should be at a nice civilized time in the winter! I envy those who are snowed in, nothing to do but rest and enjoy Christmas.....I may start a petition for a change of season-who do i talk to???

..... Harvest is busy but better than expected....,

I thought you may like to see the Santa sacks so far..... They are almost a metre deep, they would do as kids sleeping bags in the off season! They are lined with prequilted bedspreads I find at the op shops. If I had to do all that myself as well as all the appliquing, the Sacks would be way to expensive to justify. I still have to add some embellishments like bells, stars and embroidery to make the presents under the trees have bows...and also some draw strings to some of the pictured ones.

Happy Christmas to all...and to all a good night!! Stay safe and visit you soon,

lots of love Tracey

Daughter's stitchery and linseed crop.

Don't fall off your chair! 3 Posts in 3 days, I must actually be home.

I have a very serious reason tonight....I want to know what's responsible!!
I just watched the world news and New Orleans has snow....I should be out swimming in the pool this time of year and it has rained non stop for almost 12 hours and isn't looking like letting up...yet we had half today's rainfall ALL Spring! I am slightly fearful of Chookyblue's scenario, the first inch is rejoicing, the 2nd involves a little shaking of the head and a 4th and hail would really cap off an interesting cropping year!! hopefully that wont be the case.
So, is it me leaving the lights on and driving the car too much...or have the season's just gone mad, how is the weather there? Normal???
A couple of pics for you....
My girl won the sewing at the local show last weekend, she commented that there weren't heaps in it...I said that was because not many 10 year olds can hand stitch! She is really going well at backstitch and if you can find the right thing for her ...like cats...she works on it quite often.
We have added a turtle to our visiting lizard enclosure, he was found out the front of our house and I think was especially sent to make up for a past turtle disaster that we don't talk of here. This one is big enough to live on land, so means I have no need to ever see a glass aquarium in my home...(and if you don't know that story go back to the first week of June). And have no fear, I have licences for all these critters
.
Here he is watching TV with my boy.

This crop will be benefitting from the drink. Sown late in the season it usually struggles for the water to keep it flowering, but at over $1000 per tonne we usually take the risk!
It's linseed, that food of champions, especially for us women. The blue is a bit of a change from my favourite yellow canola and I thought you may like to see where your little black seeds some from.
Have a great day, Tracey

"twas baby birds....

Okay, you are all just far too clever!!

I found these when searching the sheds for chook eggs, everytime I made a noise they'd stick their mouths open like this, it was priceless! Isn't the rest of them ugly...unlike my chickens who are born so beautiful......

-and I am very pleased there are a few others about the chocolate......I am not feeling quite so guilty here now.

My kids are on Summer holidays for the next 53 days....yay!! Sleep ins and much less running around-I may get to read some blogs...and sew!

Cheers, Tracey