It has been a promising start to spring with the safe arrival of the first kid (of the goat variety I should clarify) of the season. A lovely, strong healthy girl born to a doting mother with oodles of milk.
I think given all the baby animals in the world a baby Boer goat might have to be up there in the top 10, maybe even the top 5 sweetest babies, although I may be biased. There really is nothing quite like stroking their long soft velvety ears. Perhaps if there was more goat-ear stroking in the world, we would all be less stressed. A worthy experiment for a study if there ever was one, yes?
My freshly rejuvenated garden near the back door is coming along beautifully. It is giving me hope that this year the garden might fare better than last. I'm slowly popping into my round garden for a few minutes at a time clearing it out, ready to add compost, manure and spring veggies. It's taking longer than I anticipated but sometimes that's just how life goes on our higgeldy piggeldy property. The farm has affectionately earned the nickname "Footrot Flats" which is a series of comics and a movie Aussies and Kiwis would be familiar with.
I have been planning out the new garden area I want to build this spring and I really wanted to add some kind of water feature. Preferably a lovely pond with tall grasses and pretty ground covers around it with a simple spout fountain in the middle of it as a focal point. I started googling the price of ponds and quickly grew discouraged. Then as I always do, I hopped onto Marketplace and bingo! I stumbled on a big, sturdy pond liner for free that had just been listed a few minutes prior. Clearly, the thrifting Gods were in my corner that afternoon. The pond is a lovely diameter, but a little deeper than I would have chosen, so we will half-fill it with gravel to ensure it's well within the depth of the child-safe recommendations.
Grant has been away this week for work and by golly we miss him. The boys are being incredibly helpful with the farm chores, which is heartening to see. They are all pitching in where they can without (too much) complaint. A reminder to me that though it can be hard at times, the benefits of this lifestyle and this property outweigh the negatives. The boys are thriving, they love they get to call this beautiful valley home and mostly willingly do what needs to be done to make it work. We are all entitled to our off days. Though poor Elsie has been asking for her Daddy, confused why he doesn't seem to be coming home from work like usual.
On an early morning run to check Mama goat and her brand new baby.
I'm pleased to say Grants new forestry job is going well. It's all very professional, the people are lovely and things are looking promising for a permanent position beyond his 5-month seasonal contract. He finds the work really interesting and it's a place he would love to build a good career.
I am so deeply grateful for the opportunity.
I'm not going to lie, there have been some periods of deeply questioning if we had made the right decision in uprooting our lives and moving halfway across the country away from everything we knew and everyone we love. We moved because we believed it would provide better opportunities for our family. We fell in love with the beauty of the region, wooed by the lush forests and crystal clear creeks. We felt the towns and closest rural city would be wonderful centres for us, with good schools, TAFE and a growing University.
But the reality has at times, been shaky. There have been more than a few discussions about if we should throw in the towel and opt-out for an easier life. One with mains power and a proper, full-size house.
But despite that, something keeps us here. As you come into our gulley, the space opens before you. We wake in the morning to a cacophony of birdsong and wildlife. Kookaburras, magpies, catbirds, whip birds, cicadas, frogs and so many birds I still can't name. This morning I saw a big fat echidna scurrying across the track. This place....Well, it's a bit magical.
Now we seem to be in a period of living with COVID and things are functioning in a relatively normal manner, I have been blessed that Elsie and I have been able to attend a beautiful community garden group, storytime at the library, and our church playgroup regularly. I feel like I am finally making some lovely friends and building some great connections. And our shy, scared-of-everything little COVID baby is becoming more confident in herself, which is a delight to watch. There is a sweet spring fair at the community gardens this weekend, I'm looking forward to going.
Today Grant comes home. I'm also looking forward to coffee in bed and a nice sleep-in!
I hope you have had a lovely week.
I hope you have had a lovely week.
Much love,
Emma
xx
Emma
xx
