Small Farm Magazing, October Edition...

Lorray being milked, tonight...

Had a phone call from our bovine breeder today and Judith asked me if I had any photos of me milking Lorray. I said that I had some that were from a distance but that Russell could take some more of me milking her tonight. Well he did and I sent off two photos.

Judith is doing an advert in the Small Farm Magazine's October Edition and I am going to be in it as well. I am rather stoked really. The reason the picture is going in is because apparently it is rather unusual to be able to just put down a bucket of grain and start milking without a halter and/or leg rope. I must admit when Lorray first started being milked I used both but stopped after about a week as she didn't seem to like it all that much. I didn't either.

As soon as we dispensed with the practice all has been great since. She just stands there for me and lets me do what I need to in order to relieve the pressure in the udder... lol

She is a good girl too. I milk her once a day now just on dusk and still walk away with about four litres of milk. Sausage is still naughty and trying to get some of the grain, which Lorray is not having any bar of. He thinks she should share, being his mum and all. She thinks he should be happy with his lucerne hay. So do I for that matter. So either Russell or Joshua stands guard for me to ensure that I can keep milking her without the calf upsetting her.

Lorray also keeps leading Lavender up the top end of the paddock at the moment. That is where she gave birth and she knows Lavender is about to do the same thing. Lavender is due on Tuesday, 1.9.09. We had been hoping that she would drop her calf while Russell was home for the weekend but this has not happened. Her udder is rather full and it will happen soon that's for sure.

I will have to watch Lorray once Lavender calves as she may try and steal the calf from Lavender. I had thought of this as well as Judith having mentioned it on the phone this afternoon. Will have to make sure that mum and bub are separate for a day or two to ensure that they bond properly.

Anyway I am off to get some early shuteye as I have not been well for the last week. Tomorrow I find out when my operation on my hand will now take place. Hope it is sooner rather than later...

Cheers Damaris

Growing babies...

One of the babies having a feast on a carrot...

Gave the Guinea Pigs some carrots the other day and guess what????? The babies jumped in and had some as well. Looked so cute. There they were so little chomping on something so big. You could hear the little cute noises that they make as they were chewing... Sooooo cute.

They are certainly growing up fast. They are now about double the size of when they were born 2.5 weeks ago. All are growing and doing really well.

Lavender is due to have her first calf on Tuesday dates wise. She has has some fluid come out within a sack so it must be really close. She made a horrible moo this morning at 4am but we had frost and it was pitch black so No I didn't go out and see what was going on. She is eating everything in sight at the moment and not lying down alot. Don't blame her. She is soooo big. But then she does have a calf in her. I hope and pray that all will go as it should.

Next Wednesday our incubator is due with its 10 chook eggs. They should start arriving till about Friday as I kept adding to the incubator to begin with. The week after the goose egg is due and then just after that the 12 duck eggs. I have the baby animal mash all ready for them all. Wood shavings just have to go into the container and that into the bathroom...

Daisy is due with her eggs in another 2.5 weeks as well. Hope all four hatch as she is doing a great job sitting on them. Chuckie is doing a great job protecting her. The male duck has been locked up a couple of times with food and water due to his ongoing harassment of the goose. Today he is out and seems to be behaving himself so far. Time will tell.

Anyway I am not feeling the best at all this week. Had my pre operation appointment on Monday and that night started getting sick. Arghhh Hospitals. Anyway it has been delayed and should find out soon when the rescheduled operation will be. Off to lie on the couch again...

Cheers Damaris

And the final product was...

One clean plate, one full tummy...

Had the duck last night. Cooked it in the oven as I would a chook. Won't do that again as it was a little dry. Will try the skin on next time as well. Then place it on a rack and baste and roast that way.

I was so happy with the end result though. Russell said earlier in the weekend that he was NOT eating the duck. Was not chicken you see. He is a chicken man through and through...

The reason I was so happy with the meal in general was that it was all ours. All homegrown. Our first meal... Our milk for drinking with the meal. Our potatoes and our carrots. I could have done more veggies but really wanted the all our own meal thing and loved it.

The boys also remarked on it and were really proud of the meal. Joshua said it was fantastic. Don't think I would go that far but said thank you all the same. Above is Timothy's plate, all clean and all eaten. He loved it too. There is hope yet...

Cheers Damaris

Love Lazy Days...

Today I am going to have a lazy day. I don't mean not do anything or sleep all day but just spend it doing things that don't require alot of energy.

Yesterday I completely cleaned out the laundry and am aching from it today. A couple of muscles in my thighs that I had not used in a while. lol

All the animals are fed and happy. Made my bed, as if that would stay unmade. scoff...

I will be putting dishes away that are dry and getting the boys to unload the dishwasher. Will do a load of washing and hang that out. Boys are getting kindling today as well to ensure we have enough for fires this week.

I am in the process of ordering plants on line from a Tenterfield Nursery as well so will finish that order. One tray comes with 40 plants on it. Will be getting about three of four trays and delivered to Warwick. That will be a busy time for us to get them into the ground...

Russell is getting another Energizer for the Solar Electric Fence as well which will give the electric fence more of a kick. Next weekend we are putting up more wiring as well to help remind Sausage to stay out of areas that he is not supposed to be in...

Lavender is due with her first calf in just over a week and in that same week we have the incubator hatching hopefully as well. The goose is still sitting nicely on her eggs. Counted four this morning so might have miscounted when I thought there were five the other day.

Been watching the Rosellas and other sorts of parrots in our garden which is an encouraging sign as well. Bees have been around too lately. Can't wait to get my own but will have to get the bushes and flowers going more before then. The hives will go down where the veggie garden is to help with pollination.

Guinea pigs are going really well. Same with the four babies. They are growing and very mobile these days. Also very vocal. lol

Been doing alot of cleaning in the house and have lots more planned for this coming week in preparation for when I have my hand operation on Friday. It will be day surgery only which is good but will not be milking Lorray that night. Will try with my left hand the next morning. See how I go. Will be strange doing stuff with just my left hand and not the right. Hope painkillers will work for me...

Must also do my next month's menu plan this week so that it is ready for next Monday. Love that plan and has helped me so much with organising myself and not stressing. Love it, love it, love it...

I love days like today, being at home and having our gate door closed. Nothing really planned but plenty to do. And that off course includes a nanna nap early afternoon today... lol

Cheers Damaris

And then there were five... Ducks that is...

Ducks coping well...

After sending the gander off to ducky heaven yesterday I wondered how the other five would cope with the loss of such a bossy boots. Need not have worried. They are settling down fine.

One problem that I have seen since is that the other left over gander is now doing what the recently departed one did and is menacing the goose as she tries to sit on her eggs. She is sitting on five now we think. She keeps adding to her brood. Hope she hatches them all out. Chucky is very protective of her and she is doing a great job.

The left over gander is only chasing her at dusk time so for the next little while, Joshua and I have our job cut out for us to shut the ducks in a little early so that he doesn't start on Daisy again. Hope he grows out of the habit that he picked up from the other one.

Have not gotten any duck eggs for the last two days either so am hoping that they will start laying again soon. Love the duck eggs. They are soooo nice. The boys love them as well. Anyway am off to make some custard for dessert. Boys love that. So do I.

Cheers Damaris

Duck roast...

The duck, resting before going in the freezer...

This morning a lovely couple from Maryvale came and got my old mattress off me. They also took all the linen that I had taken out of my linen closet and had earmarked for Charity. They will put it to good use I am sure...

They stuck around and then I mentioned that I was 'processing' a drake today... I was asked if I wanted some help... I did not say no. I loved having their help actually as they have done it many times and I have previously only done a chook, not a duck.

I ended up gutting it and that was really a very strange feeling. Very warm. The dogs loved the wings, innards and feet too. Yummy treat for them...

I ended up skinning it as well and ended up with a great looking duck that is currently resting on the kitchen bench and will shortly go into the freezer. Russell said there is no way that he is eating it so will not have it for the Sunday roast that I had planned but the two boys and I will have it on Monday when Russell is not here.

Must say though I am really thankful for the advice and help in getting this duck ready for the freezer. Thanks again... Can't wait to eat him now. Will let you know how he tasted. This meal will be really special as it will also have our homegrown potatoes and carrots in with the duck. Our first Complete homegrown meal. Woohoo... That is what it is all about for us here...

Cheers Damaris

My little visitor...

Lots of painting was going on...

Sunny on my little visitor's shoulder...

Yesterday I had a day at home. These seem rather rare lately and was really looking forward to it as I was going to have a little 2 year old visitor for the day. I picked this little girl up and brought her home...

We didn't make it to the front gate of the house fence as she saw the chooks. Well it was on... We saw the chooks, ducks, geese, patted cows, played with baby guinea pigs. This was done repeatedly. She also painted a picture for her mummy, played Lego, jumped lots on the trampoline as well. When the mail lady came she pretended to give me the mail. Oh she was soooo cute.

When you hear her talk though you would think she was so much older than what she is. Her words are so articulate and she so knows what she wants to do. She is also very sure of herself. Helps I guess to have four older brothers and sister.

Another thing she did was play lots with Bailey and Nova. She loves the dogs and reckons that Bailey is actually her puppy dog now. I told her she could come and visit him anytime but that he had to stay here. lol.

I got the cockatiel out as well. She wanted to pat Sunny so we did. Clipped her wing while we were at it as well. Oh what a lovely day.

She slept three hours for me as well. I kept checking on her though as she was such a quiet sleeper. My last baby, Joshua when he was little, even now, he snores the place down due to his nasal problems. She was soooo quiet...

Must say that I really enjoyed my day and I think she will be back. Especially as we have lots of eggs in the incubator as well. She loves animals and people that's for sure. I hope she took home some lovely stories of our day together. I am now known to her as Maris as she can't quite get my whole name just yet. She made that one up. Am happy as long as she knows who I am. What a sweetheart. I am so grateful that this family has come into my life. I treasure the coffee's with their mum in our PJ's and can't wait to get to know the other kids more too.

Cheers Damaris

Goose is sitting, not on golden eggs though...

Daisy in the middle of producing another egg. Never seen that before...

For the last three days Daisy has been sitting on her eggs. Day before yesterday she added to that collection so currently she is sitting on three eggs. They will take about 28 days before they all hopefully will hatch safe and well.

This is the crunch time for her really. Last year she had been sitting on three eggs and one was born with its stomach outside its body. Off course it died very soon after coming out of the shell. The second one was born with splayed legs. Couldn't move so we had it in the house for a couple of weeks. It was not good to see. The gosling was not doing too bad. Able to move a little to get to food and water but once I put it out with mum and dad again, within hours a crow got it and had it for lunch... The last one didn't hatch.

Apparently when they hatch with things wrong with them such as the splayed legs, it indicates that the goose was not on the eggs properly. I realise that the gander is a reproducer so he can stay but unfortunately if Daisy's eggs don't hatch properly this time she is going to end up as roast and we get another Daisy... Boys are fine with that and understand why I would be doing that.

So the defensiveness game begins. They continually hiss at anyone or anything that gets too close to the house that they are in. It is an old dog house and nice and large for her. I have put cardboard under the nest and then Heaps of wood shavings on top. She is making a good nest so far so here is hoping that all goes well. We will see in a month I guess.

Cheers Damaris

They are here...Baby Guinea Pigs, Four of them...

Out in the cage, one already out investigating...

Timothy holding the two smooth furred babies...

All four babies together...

My boys were late taking out the guinea pigs this morning. During the night they come inside and have the shelter of a two storey wooden guinea pig cage. Lovely and big. During the day though they are outside enjoying the sun. Don't want scurvy in this household...

Anyway we have been waiting for ages for some babies and last night the stork delivered five. One didn't make it. RIP. Four though did. They are sooo cute. Two are wiry furred and two have really smooth fur. I think I know which are the mums. Only one had indications of a recent birth though. I hope I chose right. I will read up a bit more about babies and maybe put another girl with teats in there with them. Don't want any deaths though. Jealousy or bullying a baby might get killed. Don't want that at all... Neither would the boys as they have already gotten dibs on the babies...

I know that one is definitely a boy. Don't really know about the others. Have left them alone, other than taking lots of piccies of them... Oh they are soooo cute.

The boys have their grandmother coming for a few days on Thursday so this will be a lovely thing for them to share with her as well... They are so excited and just want to tell everyone. School will not know what hit them in the morning... Show and tell is in order I think...

I am off to watch the little ones a bit more.

Cheers Damaris

Poor Lorray...

Lorray this morning, still a little bloated on the left side but getting there...

Yesterday was rather eventful. We were supposed to have a nice day at home fixing the chookhouse fence when I went and checked on my bovines... Sausage was fine, so was Lavender (well as well as she can be with only three weeks to go in her pregnancy...)

Went and looked at Lorray and I got the shock of my life. She had not been eating, was throwing up a bit all the time and was frequently urinating as well as pooing. Her left side of the stomach was blown up like a balloon. It was still spongy but not looking good at all.

AHHHHHH Bloat!!!! NOOOOO. Was all I could think of at the time. Went inside and did more research and sure enough it was what she had... Have to act fast as they can die within a couple of hours of it getting severe. At this point I gave her the last of the medicine from another lot of bloat that she was treated for (but was actually pregnant, yes rather embarrassed about that one still but the vet surely should have known if I didn't???) That didn't work either as she was busy trying to kick the sides of herself and was not eating or drinking at all. She ballooned just a bit more.

Called the vet and they came out straight away. Still 1/2 hour from Warwick but they got there and passed a tube down her nose into the stomach. Air came out which was great to hear. The wind off course also picked up at that stage so made dealing with her a little more difficult. The vet then gave her a drench through the tube straight into the stomach to start working which was a great thing to do. She also got a shot of Penicillin and I have to give her another two shots over the next two days. That should be fun... Not!!!

I have to now give her more of the drench on her lucerne hay every day for three days and the shots as well. She is gonna love me after all this is over but within an hour of the vet leaving, she started looking better. This morning her tummy is still up a little bit but nothing like she was. During the night she also passed proper consistency poo and there were bigger wet spots around as well. Gums are also looking good still. Vet was happy all around and didn't have to put in a cannula which I was rather happy about as that usually has other problems associated with it later when it comes time for healing of the wound.

Total cost of the experience: $281.00 But so worth it as she is ok and getting better each hour. I have her in the cow yard for the next few days and can't use her milk for 72 hours after the last penicillin shot tomorrow but it is a small price to pay... Poor thing.

The other thing that the vet has said that due to there actually not having been any chance in feed that she seems prone to bloat. This is not good. Allot of material that I read over time says to cull those animals and I will certainly not do that but it has made me think of other options.

At this point I am very undecided what we are doing about the cows. Sausage is constantly getting into the orchard and the veggie gardens. Even my flower beds are not safe from him. Nothing stops this little guy. With the new calf due in three weeks that will only double my trouble I believe. They are costing us a fortune in replacement trees and shrubs like I never thought would be possible. Just something that I am thinking of. Though I love to have that time with Lorray when I milk her and watching their antics in the paddock. Lots more thinking to do on that one. But what if I can find someone that will let me buy a share in a cow and I can still have my raw milk. But what if I can find the right butcher to only buy grass fed beef... Will see...

Cheers Damaris

Orchard getting there...

Looking rather bare, but the plants are in there...

Yesterday Russell and I were rather busy. He was busy digging holes and I was busy filling them...

We finished putting in all the berry canes. I will make sure that they don't escape into the wild as some berries can. The boys are so wanting to pick them off the bush but at the moment they are just sticks. They will have to wait a couple of years before we get anything.

The orchard is rather bare at the moment as the calf has still been getting into the area. No amount of electric wiring is slowing him down or stopping him for that matter...

The wallabies are also happily munching on some canes that I put in the ground last weekend. I had to replant five plants that had been stripped of little leaves and had been ripped out of their planting hole. But thanks to a wonderful friend I am going to try an organic homemade spray that once they smell the cayenne pepper in it they will not bother them again... Here is hoping.

I also dug allot of holes in the backyard as well. Had the two dogs for company and they loved smelling the soil as I dug out the holes. We have some shrubs and trees growing in there now which will make it nice and a little shady in years to come.

We are getting there... I wish in a way that it was spring as I really want to get into the veggie garden but there is no use as we are still getting frost. Have not for the last couple of days but we are expecting more this weekend. So will have to be patient... Hard to do when there is so much we need to do...

Cheers Damaris

I think I am hooked...

Timothy looking for more rock treasures...

The agate that I am working on at the moment...

Timothy and I spent the usual Wednesday afternoon at the Warwick Lapidary Club. He had fun looking at what just might be new as far as rocks at the club were concerned. He loves looking through all the buckets of rocks to see what little treasures he can find...

So I thought I would also have a go. Why have Timothy have all the fun??? We have a family membership anyway so I knew I was covered as far as being allowed to try out some stuff. And so I did. I actually had a ball. Was not fun that Timothy wouldn't stay with me as I need to supervise him because he is under 18 years of age and he was too interested in seeing what others were doing.

We got one of the lovely men to cut a thunder bird egg in half for us. That was rather exciting. Another lady helped us with rounding off the sharply cut edges. And then we put it on the wheel with grit so that we could get the cut edges nice and buffed. We used the grit number 80 and 200. We still have 400 and 600 to go and then we can polish the cut rocks and see what we come up with. There is allot of agate in them so should look really nice.

The other thing that I did was glue a stick onto a round cut piece of rock and I am shaping it currently. Will put up a picture when it is more 'done'. I think this might be a way to go as far as Christmas presents are concerned. Will be practicing allot along the way but think I can do it.

One thing I love about the Warwick Lapidary Club is that everyone that has been there and doing it for so many years, and some have been there for 40 odd years, are sooooo willing to help you along the way and show you what to do at each of the stages. For them it is exciting to have young people interested in something such as rocks and for us learning it is wonderful to have the expertise at your fingertips, so to speak. I can't thank them enough for the help that they have given us so far. Have just yesterday renewed our family membership for another year and they are happy to have us, as Ann said. I love it there. So friendly and willing to help us learn what we need to.

I know that Timothy feels right at home there. He loves it too...

Cheers Damaris

Biscuits, everywhere...

Yummy, yummy for my tummy...

A couple of months ago I joined Simple Savings. Great place for information on making it simpler living wise. Also a great place for fabulous recipes. One that I got off there was for:

120 Biscuits for $4.00

I did a double batch and made allot of mine a bit too large so didn't quite get that number but very close. Will next time also use sprinkles on top and Timothy wants me to use some chocolate chips in them as well. If you don't use all of the dough you can always form into a roll and cover and freeze. That easy. Was a fun Sunday afternoon activity with many disappearing over the course of the afternoon and since off course.

Will make sure the boys make them next time. Such an easy recipe that I can just sit back and watch...

Cheers Damaris

Ooooops, Damaris...

Trailer load of Lucerne hay... all 19 of them

I did a fantastic job on the tyre hey???? NOT... Not one puncture either.

What a wonderful day it started out to be. The sun has been shining here beautifully for a week or more now. No cloud in the sky. Just lovely little hobby farm animals around the place. Picked up a duck egg this morning as well. Was wonderful...

That was until I went to get Lucerne hay... We usually have about 12-15 bales in the back. They are heavily packed and I get loads of biscuits out of just the one bale. With three bovines I end up using 1.5 a week, if that. Anyway back to my story...

I was loaded up with 19 bales... yes 19 bales! Only thought about it on the way home, Oh that might be too much of a load... Well it was. Got 10 minutes from home, still on the Cunningham Highway, and there I could feel something funny... sounded weird, smelt weird, ooops I had best stop. So I did, saw that I had shredded the tyre totally and there was no way I was getting home on that. So pulled off the road as far as I could and rang Russell. Thank goodness I have a mobile (used for emergencies only and this was one of them.) He came out with the kids and they sat in one of the cars mainly.

Funny thing was that when Russell was changing the tyre for the trailer, he had stated to the boys that he had not done that before, and sure enough he put it on the wrong way...

Then we got it on the right way, checked the pressure and it was below 20psi. So had to keep pumping till both were 35psi till we could go. Oh and yes some of the bales went into the car boot instead of staying on the trailer, seeing it couldn't cope with the extra weight and all that...

So now we are off sometime soon to get two new tyres and use the other working one as a spare... grrrrr. So all in all a good lesson learnt...

Don't overload the trailer and make sure that the tyre pressure is correct and what it should be.

Cheers Damaris

Carrots, carrots and more carrots...

yummy carrots...

When I was driving past the Nursery on the way out of Town I saw a wonderful sign that I new would help me in a big way. It screamed: $5.00 for 20 kg of Carrots. They are juicing carrots but whole cares. They are only going to the guinea pigs anyway. Well that is what I thought.

While down in the vegie garden yesterday afternoon, I saw that some cheeky animal (not one of mine for once) had 1/2 dug out some carrots. They were going a little soft so offered them to Lorray and Lavender. They loved them... I knew that cows loved carrots from ages ago but didn't realise how keen they are on them until then.

Seeing I had two 20kg bags of carrots I decided to get 1/2 bucket full and see what they did with it. hehe. They were in the front paddock near the front gate when I called them. I called them and hey presto there they were running like it was their last meal. I tipped out the bucket worth of carrots and they sucked them down. Funny sight! Nice to know that I can give them some carrots for a treat every now and then. Sausage and Lorray were into them immediately but Lavender took a little getting used to them. She was fine once she realised that she actually had to CHEW them. lol

I am now down to about 10kg of carrots left out of my lot, having taken some to work as well... Will need more towards the end of the week me thinks...

Cheers Damaris

Operation time...

Went to Ipswich Hospital yesterday to see what the results were from my MRI on my hand from three weeks ago. The result was that I don't have Keinboeck Disease, which is great. Would mean allot of more difficult surgery than just getting rid of the ganglion in my wrist.

The doctor I saw was so nice and straight away booked me in to have the surgery done. I am so glad that they have come to the decision that they will operate after me driving to and from hospital a total of 12 hours, an ultrasound, a X-ray and MRI and initial interview. I should have the day surgery within a couple of months. We will see about that one but am glad that it is coming out all the same.

On other things, used only 0.6kWh yesterday which I am really happy about for one of our best Low Electricity Wednesday's. Proud of the boys' effort in helping make it as low as possible. Love the candle light dinners and getting around the house with candles. Milked with a torch last night. It is always funny watching Lorray trying to find her bucket of grain and cotton seeds... lol

Lavender is also now only 3.5 weeks away from dropping her first calf. I am rather excited and don't really care whether it is a male or female. Either way it will go in the freezer anyway. Sausage has also grown allot. Amazing what all that Lucerne hay is doing to him. lol

I also got 4 new point of lay chooks this week. They are not the black ones that I really wanted. They are still coming in a few more weeks. These ones are just the brown and white ones and they are settling in nicely. I also have a little bantam laying in one of the nesting boxes. Can't figure out which one it is though. The baby chicks that I got a while back from the Pig and Calf are also growing. Have only got six left in the doggy house as the others were ready to be introduced to the rest of the flock. Have had one of my guinea fowl run up to our neighbour's block and hope it comes back. That was three days ago so am thinking it might not happen but I am an optimist.

Our guinea pigs are still 8 in total. Hope they have some babies soon. I am getting tired of waiting. lol

Well that is a quick update of what has been happening around here. Am glad that Russell is coming home tonight... Missing him. Been one long week.

Cheers Damaris

When are they coming?????

Hurry up babies...

I want the guinea pigs to have some babies. Getting rather impatient now and wish they would hurry up and give us some cute cuddly things to play with... Like I don't have enough to do. But you know what I mean. Something new. My Lavender is due her first calf on 1 September so am killing time. All of that.

We did have a couple stillborn a couple of weeks ago and since then have done allot of reading up on baby guinea piggies. Hope they hurry up soon...

Wanna be a grandma again. haha

Cheers Damaris

Jumpers and Jazz, Warwick...

Top: Set up at the Maryvale School of Arts Hall;

Bottom: Some of the Craft Ladies with the decorated tree.

Every year in the last two weeks of July there is a festival in Warwick that is called "Jumpers and Jazz". Lots of Jazz is played, buskers are found everywhere and lots of the city trees get decorated each year. There are usually over 200 entries and there are prizes to be won as well for the best dressed ones.

It is wonderful to see business, community groups and schools to come into town and decorate the trees. Above are pictures of the one that the Craft Ladies did this year from the Maryvale School of Arts. It is a wonderful creation. Lots of frogs. They also had them up in the tree branches as well. Alot of hard work and dedication goes into these creations and you can see the hard work in the end result.

Each year it is a race to see what can be made up and some really far out there projects end up being created. Anything your imagination can think of, it will probably be there...

Can't wait to see what the Craft Ladies come up with next year...

Cheers Damaris

HOG's came to a sleepy village...

Some of the bikers that visited this morning...

This morning I had to be at the Maryvale School of Arts Hall at 7am. Big stuff was happening today...

We had a team of people help get ready for the joint fundraiser. The HOG's were coming to town. The HOG's (Harley Owners Group) go on lots of different rides from Brisbane. They leave early in the morning there and take back roads to get to somewhere where they have morning tea. They then keep going and stop somewhere for lunch and same for afternoon tea before going home again.

Today was our community's turn. We did this as a joint venture with the Gladfield/Maryvale Rural Fire Brigade and it was an excellent team effort. A friend of mine and I were in charge of the food and we didn't disappoint, let me say. We had 140 bikes turn up which makes the numbers close to 200 bikers. They were parked all over the place but all had a great feed and a drink. All loved it and said they want to come back again next year.

It is what they expect from Maryvale now really. My friend started this off at the local school three years ago and they have gotten used to the spoiling that comes along with coming out to Maryvale. Love that feeling of getting it perfectly right. No there were not just sandwiches. There were cakes, homemade sausage rolls, scones, tarts, bikkies, slices, muffins even donuts. All it cost us was $30 for the bread. We jointly made $1379. How fantastic is that for donations and contributions from local businesses as well as from the local community.

I took heaps of photos and the local policeman was even there to say hello. We also had The Daily News from Warwick come out and take pictures and do interviews.

I must say I am happy to be back home again though. As they arrived at 10:30am and are only ever at one place for 1/2 hour. It is basically: arrive, pay, eat, drink, draw raffle and leave... I am also glad that we had so many people on hand to help afterwards to clean up. It was an awesome morning and effort on everyone's part.

Now for next year's event...

Cheers Damaris

Tomato plant trial...

One of my babies...

Am really hoping these survive. We have had allot of frost here lately, especially over the last three weeks or so... It is rather lovely looking over the village from the front door and seeing the sheet of white but it is taking it's toll on my plants. That is one thing for sure...

I was silly, saw the seedlings and thought - oh yes, why not some cherry tomato plants. Silly me. I realize that they would grow so much quicker if only I waited for the soil to warm up... But here they are. There are some in the veggie patch and they are under a layer of mulch. The ones in the picture above are staying at the moment up near the house, where I have a set of shelves with pots and gloves on it. They are kept out of the frost that way as under the eaves but get lovely afternoon sun. I have two plants under there so will see how they go.

This has turned into more of an experiment in the end now as I wanted to see how they would go in pots, in a sheltered position compared to out in the cold garden covered in mulch... Only time will tell. Then off course will put more seeds out in Spring and they will surpass them all. Hehehe.

Cheers Damaris