OAK PARK

GREETINGS

2010-01-10T16:58:00.002+11:00

BEST WISHES FOR 2010

We send best wishes and hope that this year will bring much joy.

We were challenged by friends to create this blog.

It is an easy method to let people, who have the time to waste,
look into our lives.

We don't intend that this will be continually updated
- our lives are not that exciting

but plan to make a contribution every quarter.

Perhaps you will remember to come back in March.

We sent (mostly) electronic messages (late again) to important people.

If you are here, you must be one of them.

The money saved on postage we used as a contribution to a microloan

arranged through a website called KIVA

(well actually we got carried away and spent three times that amount)
A loan was need by a driver in Mongolia.

He needed a part for his veteran truck

to get winter supplies to his village.

This is Sumya. Who could resist a connection with that truck?

FAMILY

2010-01-06T19:31:00.001+11:00

CAROLIN'S CHRISTMAS 2009

THOMPSONS CHRISTMAS 2009

RUARI'S SON IAIN

Who (among many other things) sorts and organises sheds

JANICE'S SON LACHLAN

Who had such a serious knee injury during pre-season training that he was side-lined for the season

We still grieve that our friend and almost brother

SURREY

died in November.

He has left a HUGE hole in our lives because he was so important to us

we are grateful that he has left us with his two grandsons who enjoy visiting

FARM HANDS

2010-01-06T19:14:00.002+11:00

We are fortunate that we have so many friends and family who become willing farm hands.

Iain visits very often and we feel that he is part of the place.

He usually does tractor work but can help with everything.

Fran from a sheep property at Grenfell enjoys a working holiday

Belinda can castrate young bulls

There was even a Girls Camp here - to plant out the pond project

Usually we just enjoy eating and drinking together

Andrew has helped constantly with the pond project

and can be relied upon to be a carpenter, electrician, gas fitter, painter, plumber or candlestick maker.

Here he works out how to fit a cooktop I bought cheap off eBay.

It is not all work here though, farm hands are free to enjoy themselves - at jigsaws

but usually just sitting somewhere talking and drinking

WORKING DOGS

2010-01-06T18:59:00.001+11:00

For some time Ruari has wanted a dog to help with the cattle.

Janice has not.

Unfortunately, on his birthday Janice's brother George offered Ruari a free two month old kelpie.

Good grief.

So Bob came.

He will take years of expert training. We are not experts.

After George visited at Christmas with Bob's brother Jack, it was obvious that two working dogs required less attention than one. They are not pets and are very energetic and too intelligent for us.

Solution: Sam the three month old Collie/Kelpie cross

Now they entertain each other by wrestling and playing tug of war

or, are sound asleep

They nearly obey commands and one day will probably be an asset

HERD

2010-01-06T18:45:00.001+11:00

We are not longer breeding and showing registered Red Poll cows and have introduced black cows into our herd. This is to ensure we stay financially viable in these difficult economic times.

Our working bulls are a borrowed pure French Limousin called Samson

(his owner called him Sammy, but we think he is too mature for that)

and a young black Angus we called Dougall (the black Douglas)

We are sorry that some of our original cows have had to go on the truck

but they have to make way for our young replacement heifers

GARDEN

2010-01-06T18:33:00.001+11:00

We are always working in the garden.

Ruari in the vegetable garden.

Janice in the ornamental.

Sometimes together

We decided to downsize our poultry collection, so a shed was excess to requirements. It was packed and sent to a good home in Grenfell.

Janice had a good idea of what to do with a failed duck pond.

Spent five months digging, moving rocks and gravel, bucketing out water, rearranging rocks and gravel, coping with disaster after disaster. Without Andrew and Mother she would not have been able to go on, especially after the biblical flood. There is still leakage in the system, but this has to wait until after the local Shows. It does look and sound impressive.

FARM MACHINES

2009-11-24T11:40:00.006+11:00

NEW ACQUISITIONS

We went mad and in the last three months have bought a beautiful new mulching mower which cuts the paddocks and leaves them looking lovely and ready to regrow. Also we bought (and have yet to work out how to use) a herbicide rotowiper to enable us to cope with Giant Parramatta Grass, tussocks and Fireweed.

FOAM MARKER

We needed to know where the tractor had been when spraying herbicides . This would avoid missing areas or wasting chemicals by double spraying. This meant a foam marker. They are expensive. So we took a long time to make our own out of 'found materials'. Final adjustments were required before we had a splodge of foam and not long fluoro pink sausages.

NEW CRUSH

We bought a new crush which had to be used by the vet for a calving problem before being fully installed! Luckily the forks on the tractor were able to hold down the frame while the cow was in the head lock.

HAY MAKING

Even though we had a dry winter/spring we were able to have contractors bale and wrap round bales.

We hope to have more to cut in February.