Sunday, November 22, 2020

Hi everyone! A pretty peaceful Sunday in my world. DH has to work, and DD hasn't come upstairs yet. I've had breakfast (tea and 3 macaroons, which I logged) and lunch (egg on 2 point piece if toast, and some blueberries in Greek yogurt), and read the Sunday paper.

I made it to both Costco and my regular grocery store yesterday. Since there are 3 adults eating all their meals at home, or packing a lunch from home groceries, I feel like I'm hauling home bags and bags of groceries every week. It's like grocery hunting and gathering is my second job! We do get take out once or twice a week, but we usually eat it on dishes, adding to all the other dishes that need to be washed and put away, and oh my gosh, the trash we are generating!! I accepted this cleaning merry go round as a necessary part of life when I had a young family, but I left a great portion of it behind when we became empty nesters. There is much to miss about pre covid days, and one thing I miss was how much we went out to eat. No kitchen clean up, and left overs for lunch! On nights DH worked late, I would often have peanut butter toast for supper. Very little clean up :) I could make it easier by using paper plates, but I really do enjoy eating off nice dishes.

Once daughter shows herself, we'll bring our care package to our friends. By the time we get back, I'll need to start thinking about supper. I've decided not to cram the day with a list of chores to get done. Another good thing about working from home, I can throw in a load of laundry during the day, or unload the dishwasher, or throw something in the crock pot during my lunch break. Spreads things out a bit. And I can shift to home life the minute I'm finished, instead of packing up and driving home.

Weight down a bit, but still up 0.2 so far this week. Tomorrow's weigh in will be what it will be!

I sold my cordless phones set (I got rid of the landline) and a couple of puzzles yesterday. $30. Fun.

The backyard got pressure washed yesterday and my unwell hedges sprayed with neem oil. Nice to have a clean slate again. Ferg did not get a bath, but I did find an enormous mat behind his ears, I clippered out. His behind the ear fur is the softest fairy floss - but it mats like crazy. And I used the nail grinder in him. Maybe a bath for him today?

I'm afraid that's all I have today... hope you all have a good one!

Good Morning All

Back after an exhausting weekend at the farm...... Drove up Friday night, via friends to drop off some items I had grabbed for them. Onto farm via supermarket as it was determined I was doing dinner for everyone. Got to the local supermarket 15 mins before closing and they didnt have a lot left. So I cobbled together cold meats and a range of salads with fresh bread then cantalope for dessert. It was very hot and all the boys had been carting hay since mid afternoon - hot work ! Dinner was 9.30pm - farm life is long days

Our new calf is actually a girl (heifer) and refused to feed off her mum nor the bottle when we expressed mums milk. So to keep her alive we force fed her 3-4 times a day after milking mum. Not fun but necessary. We decided that we would go and get a day old dairy calf to try and put onto mum to reduce the risk of her getting mastitis. 4 hour round trip sunday to collect him and bring him home. Expressed off mum and fed him - hes still not attaching to her whilst shes in the cattle crush but we will work on that. She isnt taking him on and charged at him slamming him against the cattle yard fence. Poor little man but he survived thankfully and DH has called him Tassie Burger - due to shape of Tasmania on his forehead. The little heifer then decided after 3.5 days of no interest in feeding to attach to mum and drink like a champion. Queue happy owners - shes going to make it. I have named her MINX as she is a little minx and shes happily running around the yards this morning. DH will continue to milk our mumma and force feed the male dairy calf till he hopefully gets the idea of a bottle.

Saturday we spent 10 hours at the butchers place while he cut up our steer. Our estimates of his weight - well lets say way off ! Happy to report we now have 380kg of grass fed Angus in our freezer - all Vacumn sealed and labelled but man was that a marathon effort.Cme home twice to check the mumma cows for labour and to milk mumma and feed Minx. Then over to SIL to help cart the last of the hay but thankfully the family had finished. So we ate pizza at 9pm and crashed at 10pm. Thankful to be able to grow our own meat - I worked out the cost of the butcher - made it AUD $2.10 per Kilo - to put into perspective - mince is around $10-$14 per kilo at the moment - let alone the cost of steaks etc

Today is another busy one.... I have to update my CV as Im applying for a job near the farm. Cant say too much atm but I may be out of a job down here due to cir****tances out of my control. I am a big believer in things happen for a reason so Im just going to dip my toe in the water and see what happens. Whats the worst that can happen - I could be offered the job and have to refuse it. I will chalk it up to good experience - more on that as it unfolds. Also hoping to pull up some of the Beetroots if the rain eases and pickle them tonight. I am going to get my hair cut and coloured after work so that will be nice.

I will post some pictures in TT of the new calf - hes a Gurnsey and very cute. Will also try and catch up on everyones news

Love to you all and stay safe xxx

S

I love your enthusiasm Shirl! And that heifer definitely is a Minx. She just wanted you all to jump through hoops for her!