Saturday, July 16, 2011

New Chooks


One of the most interesting things about having added some White Leghorns to the chicken coop is the difference in the egg colours we are now getting.  The warm brown eggs are from the Isa Browns and the white eggs are from the new White Leghorns.

The other interesting this is that one of the new White Leghorns is actually a light brown colour. I just expected them to be all white given the breed name.


See the paper stuck on one egg?  I use shredded paper in the nesting boxes.  When I clean the boxes out the whole lot goes into the compost.  Good recycling!

Friday, July 15, 2011

Good Wood

We have had some lovely frosty mornings here over the last couple of weeks.  The best part about a frosty morning is knowing it will turn into a beautiful day by morning tea time.  Until then we sit in front of the fire.

Splitting wood with the block buster is a great way to warm up although I do find it a bit hard on the good hard wood.  I suspect I swing like a girl...

I think we will need one more good load to see Winter out.  The trees in the orchard are already starting to bud.  We pruned them last weekend and I suspect we only just did that in the nick of time.


Sunday, July 10, 2011

One

It is hard to believe that we have been here for a year now.  We have loved the past 12 months and are looking forward to the next 12 months too.


We have done a lot of work cleaning up and renovating, and have a large list of things to do both in the house and outside.  Lucky for us we have no time pressure to do anything as it is a slow process.

We celebrated our milestone day by going to Church in town, pruning the orchard and doing a tip run.  Just another regular Sunday really.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Live Export Ban

The Australian cattle industry is hurting due to the live export ban in place after the horrid footage shown on Four Corners some weeks ago.  Nobody denies the footage was bad, but did it warrant a knee jerk reaction to ban all cattle from leaving Australia?  Did you know that there are in fact abattoirs in Indonesia that do meet the industry standards needed to process cattle but they have also been left stranded by our Governments heavy handed tactics.

The links below are all websites, interviews or video footage relating to the export ban.  I urge everyone to spend a few minutes listening to each of them or reading up on the subject as there are hundreds and thousands of head of cattle stuck in the Top End who have an uncertain future at best.  Where is the extra food and water for these extra cattle going to come from?

There is a website Australian's Supporting Beef Farmers which contains some great information on this subject.  There is also an opinion poll, please vote!
 
 
An interview with Marlee Ranacher from Bullo River Station talking about her decision to sell up:

What Kochie has to say on Sunrise about needing to have the ban lifted:

And also George Negus on 6:30:
and again here:

Farmer Facts everyone should know, this is an excellent clip:

Ban Animal Cruelty Not Live Export

WAKE UP TIME

When the shearing sheds are silent and the stock camps fallen quiet,
When the gidgee coals no longer glow across the outback night,
And the bush is forced to hang a sign, 'Gone broke and won't be back'
And spirits fear to find a way beyond ...the beaten track

When harvesters stand derelict upon the wind-swept plains,
And brave hearts pin their hopes no more on chance of loving rains;
When a hundred outback settlements are ghost towns overnight,
When we've lost the drive and heart we had to once more see us right

When 'Pioneer' means a stereo and 'Digger' some backhoe,
And the 'Outback' is behind the house, there's nowhere else to go,
And 'Anzac' is a biscuit brand and probably foreign owned,
And education really means brainwashed and neatly cloned

When you have to bake a loaf of bread to make a decent crust,
And our heritage once enshrined in gold is crumbling to dust,
And old folk pay their camping fees on land for which they fought,
And fishing is a great escape; this is until you're caught

When you see our kids with yankee caps and resentment in their eyes,
And the soaring crime and hopeless hearts is no longer a surprise,
When the name of RM Williams is a yuppie clothing brand
And not a product of our heritage that once grew off the land

When offering a hand makes people think you'll amputate,
And two dogs meeting in the street is what you call a 'Mate',
When 'Political Correctness' has replaced all common sense,
When you're forced to see it their way, there's no sitting on the fence

Yes one day you might find yourself an outcast in this land -
Perhaps your heart will tell you then, 'I should have made a stand'
Just go and ask the farmers - that should remove all doubt
Then join the swelling ranks who say, 'DON'T SELL AUSTRALIA OUT'


Courtesy of Craig Leggett (Ex SAS & 1 RAR)