Bredbo Valley View farm - providing quality education in Permaculture and sustainable living practices.

Monday, January 4, 2010

First week of the new year - gone already.



It’s time to get back to work and stop all this laying about. I’m talking to the Cook! We’ve had a pretty hectic Christmas with heaps of visitors, lots of rain and more piglets.



Santa certainly did bring the rain and we’ve had over 80mm since Christmas eve. Everything is lovely and green and we won’t have to worry about fires for a week or two. The river is flowing, but no flooding yet so the pump is safe. The kids discovered we have fish living in our water tank. Looks like carp, I did want to try Aquaculture – but not in our drinking water would have been the preferred way.


Ben had a snake chase him around the chook pen the other day, Saturday I think. Each time he called me the snake had disappeared before I got there. We also spotted a rather large Red Bellied Black in the back paddock on Sunday. He was lying in the sun, the Cook wanted to know if I wanted to get out and have a look – after you sweetheart!


The Chook Dome has been completed and Harald did a wonderful job. It now houses half a dozen chooks a nice rooster and the three Khaki Campbell Ducks. The ducks quack every time we leave the house, but they really enjoy the showers the get from the garden sprinkler. And the chooks seem happy; some one is laying an egg a day so we can’t complain. If my calculations are correct we only need another three hundred and six eggs and the Chook Dome will have paid for itself.



I managed to find time to fix a few of the home fences, managed to strain the back fence and pull over the gate post - the Cook wasn’t very happy with me about that. Anyway, still can’t keep the goats out, which is a bit if a shame. I have fortified the pig enclosures and they are happily producing in the manner that will provide us with much pork this year. There are two whom are marked for bacon which are looking rather good.


We had a rather dramatic end to the week with a car catching fire on the highway in the front of the farm yesterday afternoon. I saw it from the pig yards and thought it was an accident at first, I raced up the drive and was just in time to see the car engulfed in flames, and luckily the two occupants had managed to get out before it was too late. I was amazed as they both lit up a cigarette and stood back to watch. It took the Fire Brigade nearly fifteen minutes to arrive, but the car was burnt out by then, I was grateful that he driver had managed to stop on the gravel and not the grass – even with all the rain the wind would have pushed a fire into the paddocks and who knows what could have happened.

4 comments:

The Duck Herder said...

Hey there Mr BVVF - Happy 2010!
Mightily fine chook dome and MY GOODNESS - what mightly fine ducks you have there. I guess if they are ALL quacking, then you have been blessed with three ducks - and you can assume that they will each lay at least 270 eggs a year so I think they should pay for the dome in no time.

Amelia is sitting again and if all goes well should hatch out some more duckies so let me know if you would like a drake to go with those nice girls.

And can I go on the list for more bacon? (any price, no REALLY it is that good)

Love to you and the cook and the boys and the flock and the herds....


duckie

Valley View said...

Mrs D.

The ducks are just fabulous - The Cook loves them. 270 eggs will go a way to pay off the Dome, and the Cook would love a Drake when one is avaliable, teh girls can have their own toy boy.

I'll mark you down for Bacon - if we can pry it from the kids fingers. The cook is interested in talking to you about making some Blackberry wine once the bushes are out in later Jan - I'll keep you posted.

I hope you and hubby have a great year as well - and whats this "not getting a farm trash talk" ??? We visited teh guy's at Fox Farm yesterday and they have it worse then us - can you believe, their floor is old conveyour belt.

Sad you missed the other day - would have been nice to show you over the place - Em came out with T-roy and they got the grand tour.

We'll have ot catch up soon - cheers,

Mr & Mrs BVVF

Old Nev said...

You'll never guess, Old Di nearly stepped on a 1.5m Eastern Brown while she was putting Jack's feed out last night. It was as thick as your arm and it had a go at her.
How did you like The Edinburgh Tatoo? Old Di went to sleep half way through it - must have had to much good time at Rock Wallaby.
It hasn't stopped raining here since Christmas Day but the Physio people still make me go to the pool.
Hope you and your mates have a Happy and Prosperous 2010.

Valley View said...

The Tattoo was great, the boys and I watched it as is the tradition. Snakes wont bite mother - they are way to affraid, but I but she swore! BTW my arms are pretty thick or thick and pretty, I forget.