Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Working Hard at the Silk Road...

This morning it was worth getting up early.  Instead of waking to howling winds and pelting rain, when I opened my eyes the birds were chirping and a ray of sunshine was just peeking in my window.  I sprang out of bed and got dressed for some serious farm labour!

My first task was to finish bagging, fertilising and mulching the trees planted in the rain yesterday - 20 blackbutt along the western fence line and 27 kunzea (similar to a red bottle brush) bunched around the melaleuca and where the water flows out of the mulberry paddock.  Also another 14 blackbutt on the eastern fence.
With this task complete, I wanted to whippersnipper around the melaleuca and each new tree so I loaded up my trusty trailer with machinery and PPE and headed back to the paddock (the little quad can barely move through the watery quagmire on that side of the farm - it would be quicker to walk!).  However the first rule of using machinery is that they require fuel and the whippersnipper was actually empty.  Back on my bike...  All fuelled up I got the whippersnipper started and tackled the first patch - but it was not to be.  The minute the head touched the grass the cord ran out and it was back to the shed.

Rob did give me a very clear instructions on loading new cord and it looked very easy at the time however I must admit it took me quite some time to load up and put the whole thing back together again.  Anyway, all done and back to the corner for the third time.  Started up, pointed the machine at the ground and sure enough, the cord just tumbled out of its case like spaghetti.  At this I thought I would consult an expert and took the thing over to Haydn.  To cut a long story short, we worked out I had lost the spring so it was back to the shed to find the missing bits.  Found them but have absolutely no idea how to put it all back together again.  Result was no whipper snippering today.
So mowed instead for about an hour and a half (tried to do behind the tree line but still very wet) and gave Molly a thorough washdown at the end - I am sure it wasn't all my dirt under there!
Continued work on the garden bed - came across the first "sleeper spider" - I have been waiting for it!
Took decisive action against my furry little friends in the back yard and blocked three of their holes using cut logs then filled in with dirt.  I don't really feel like a murderer - I am sure they have a dozen "back exits"!  Sure enough at least three were eating out on the grass when i came in tonight.  Tomorrow it is the traps...

2 comments:

  1. Wow, what a lifestyle!!! Sounds like hard, exhilarating, sastifying work!!!! You need a glossary for me - what are: dugites, 28s, the amoeba???

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  2. Glossary: dugites are a deadly west australian snake - they will be on the move now that the warm weather is nearly here. 28's are beautiful bright green and yellow parrots (rosellas are also parrots - bright red and green) Ameoba... just a name we use to describe the shapeless, flowing mounds of dirt we are turning into gardens in the paddocks! Thanks for your interest!building ,

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