Although there are defintely things I am missing from city life (including Neil, strangly enough) I really can’t claim that I’m not having fun up here on the farm! The weather has been good, lots of rain (which is good remember - we’re in drought here) and sunny and warm in between. It’s lovely to be able to wander around the garden picking stuff to eat straight off the bushes, and cook dinner each night using ingredients that for the most part have been grown within a 20km radius of us.
The paddocks are pretty green:
Very different to last year when all you could see was brown. The little kid in the picture is a bottle-fed one, he’s weaned now, but still runs up and down the fence wanting company and attention.
We went into town for spinning group this morning, and I made a new friend! There was a woman there about my age who has two little girls who are also learning to knit, sew and spin. We have all sorts of similar views on keeping traditions alive for our generation and the ones coming after. I’m hoping to pursue the acquaintance before I leave the area - Serena and her husband raise superfine Merinos :-D I met up with lots of other friends too, including Stella, who gave me all sorts of weaving tips last year when I was visiting.
Before the meeting ended we had to rush home as the sky was getting blacker and blacker. We’re shearing the angoras tomorrow and they can’t get rained on or the shearing would have to be put off. They followed us happily into the yards, but it took a bit of shooing to get them under cover. They settled down quitely enough though eventually with some tree branches to nibble on. They won’t look nearly so cute tomorrow nekkid, hahaha!
It was kind of funny, Mum kept saying they’d come running as soon as they saw us, looking for the branches we carried. But we pretty much had to walk right up to them on the other side of the paddock, then suddenly they all rushed over. I’m thinking maybe they didn’t see us…
Perhaps a more frequent haircut would be a good idea.
And for some more cute:
Awwwwww.
Margie seems to have a fairly steady supply of cats about the place, it’s great as they keep all the mice etc away. Wish they’d do the same for the moths, all my knitting is in the freezer after a little scare yesterday. Ugh.
Back tomorrow with more pictures of (probably very offended) goats, and sorry, I still haven’t dug through the free fleeces in the shed and taken pics. But I will.
Ciao! x
March 14th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Looks like a great trip amd all the fluffy things look great - will you be posting after shots as well? Hope you enjoy the rest of the trip
March 14th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
The second angora pic reminds me of alpacas! I don’t have any so hopefully people who do aren’t offended by the comparison!
How fortunate that you get to raise and spin your own!
Eagerly awaiting tomorrows naked goat pics. I mean that in the most non-sexual way of course!
March 15th, 2009 at 9:27 am
Looking forward to seeing the bald angoras! Great to be able to enjoy your trip from the comfort of my sofa! Do the angoras always get sheared this time of year? Am I right in thinking as we are heading into Spring….is Australia heading into Autumn? When do the sheep get sheared?
x
March 15th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
Tee hee, love the angora pics - reminds me of me on a bad hair day!
March 15th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
Now that is alot of cute! Sounds like you are having such a great time.
March 16th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
You can bring a kitten back with you as my present. Thankyouverymuch. :-P