The Seasonal Cycle

Things are just putting along. Planting the odd new tree a little weeding (not as exhausting as Summer) and catching up on odd jobs.

Finished work in the vineyard with some Layering and transplanting last years cuttings. Slowly filling in any blank spots where vines had died or in some cases pulling up varieties not required.

Layering, the rock holding it down until roots form

Last years cutting planted

Down to daily checking of the different herds to monitor calving progress and new calves. Its a bit of a guessing competition to see who will drop overnight. Even though all the signs are there it can be days before it actually happens.

The girls presented them selves for inspection today right by the road negating the need to walk 500 metres to the other side of this paddock.

Two day old bull calf looking very healthy

This girl is showing all the signs of getting ready, moving away from the herd, udder full, swelling at the rear end etc.

The fire is ticking over all day and every night as you settle down to dinner it's warm and cosy with the cats and dogs taking up their choice positions in front of the fire.

Meals are really delicious as there is an abundance of vegetables. Celery for cheese, Cabbages, Kale, Broccoli, The last Eggplant, Daikon Radish, Radicchio, Rocket, Spinach, lots of different green leaves and the best Yellow Sweet Potato crop ever.

Each Sweet Potato plant that we put in has produced a mass of large tubers, very pleasing. Each of the plants was grown from a single tuber sitting in a bowl of water in the kitchen window until small shoots formed and tiny green leaves grew. These then went into a pot until fully established and then transplanted into the bed allocated which was heavily fed with compost.

 

The loveliest Sweet Potato