I know I know it's been nearly 3 months since my last post... but I do have a fairly valid reason I think!
I'll try and walk through it as well as I can... you may need a cuppa!
My last post I left you with us signing the contract for our new home! YAY! So of course the following weeks have flown by with all the fun (not at all fun), packing, cleaning, moving, trying to teach school and moving livestock that goes with moving 5hrs from where you were originally.
Our last month at Tilpal involved a lot of packing and trying to get ahead with school! Luckily I had Grandma Sheree on the case to help with all the packing and CLEANING!! Otherwise, I would never have gotten it all done in time and would have been in the corner in the foetal position. I was most days in the school room, getting us ahead so that when we were moving, just the basics and online lessons has to be done.
Poor misguided poddies.
Max, getting his daily workouts. He hasn't had any work for weeks now and will be getting a bit ignorant. I was told I wasn't allowed to ride him before we moved in case something happened and now I've got the wind up me a bit as one of my other friends just broke her wrist from hers.
In all the excitement, missy had her 6th Birthday. Not a big fan fair as it was last year, but there was cake and presents... so our girl was pretty stoked with that.
The cake!!!
If you watch the video, you will see that I actually made two unicorns and she decided she liked the first "dud" one better!! Of course!
Our poddy numbers gradually increased up to 5, but we lost one just the other day and another isn't looking great either. Not sure what's wrong, but he doesn't really want to suck anymore and he was doing so well.
We ventured over to Green Valley to turn out our first mob of cattle and we saw these guys. There are about 3 families that I've seen about the place. I just saw this guy again this morning and his babies have all gotten very big!! They are nearly as big as he is now!
We moved one mob of cattle there a week before our settlement date which was Justin and my first night there in the donga house. His birthday came and went that morning with very little fan fare, as we had a bit to do!
Some pretty trees here.
Turning out our first mob of cattle.
I really need to do some before and afters because to go back and look at how dry it was here and how skinny the wag weaners were, there's been a big change! We've had 9 inches of rain since then. 5 inches for November and 4inches so far for December!
A few final pieces of packing, these beautiful boards were too good to be left behind to go to ruin!
My main helper! So grateful for this lady, not just in this instance, but in life, as a balancing influence!
Sooo we did not go without our share of drama! If I can give you a time line. We made our offer on the 6th September. Took a couple of weeks before they vendors accepted our offer. We went for a final inspection before we signed the contract. We signed contract on the 27th September. And the vendor signed the following day. Sooo for settlement, that meant that 30 days from 28th September was the 28th of October, which was a Saturday which meant settlement wasn't until the 30th October!!! Our eviction date from where we were living at Tilpal was the 31st of October!
As you may imagine!! I was a little bit stressed!!
Fortunately, the lovely people we purchased off, we happy for us to move in a few days before settlement! So on the 29th of October, our convoy left Tilpal, for the very last time. Cattle truck, Moving truck, trailer full of fridges and freezers, horse float and Trine in her little buzz box as our govie for couple of weeks.
As it happened, due to reason which neither us or the vendor could work out, the settlement got pushed back for another couple of weeks. So we were very grateful that the people we were buying off could be so accomodating.
Last drinks in the Tilpal kitchen!
Loading up!
Cats, chickens and one rabbit!
Sad to say that one of our chickens didn't make it, and after being at our home for a week I accidentally forgot to bring the rabbit inside at night, with her being used to our cats, I'm sure that when the feral cat came to talk to her she wasn't at all concerned. The feral cat (now no longer with us), ripped her ear out of the socket and a day later she died. Sheree went to town and bought an apple tree that we planted on top of her, but as I'm not the best green thumb... it's not really thriving! With all the rain we've had, I'd hoped it would be alright. Maybe it will come good. (Should have planted the orange on top of her.)
Next time I'm just burning everything before we move! I'm sooo sick of boxes!
Our first night at Green Valley as a family.
Seemed like a good omen to be moving into our new home on this particular moon.
Justin did not get very long to settle in before he had to leave again to truck cattle here that we were keeping and to send cattle to the sale that we couldn't keep. So while he was here, we were full tilt unpacking all the heavy lifting stuff that I needed him for. I really wish I had some before and after photos.
We had to unpack all of the moving truck in order to return it, the Eastern side of the house had all of that covering it. The Western side of the house had all the fridges and freezers unloaded onto it, the northern side of the house had all the horse float stuff unloaded onto it, because I needed to return that also, aaaaand the southern side of the house had all of the stuff from our shipping container all over it, as we needed our furniture out so that I had something to unpack everything into.
I can tell you, I was so sore and tired and totally over trying to lift heavy things into our house. I kept telling my husband that on our judgement day, he would be made to move house in a short, weak persons body!
Our first muster at Green Valley, getting the wag weaners in to draft.
Don't show my husband that I spilt the molasses. Was very pretty though!
Minty claimed a new home. We unpacked the cats in the dark and unleashed them into a birdcage, not realising that they could easily get out. Anyhow, they all took off... but eventually, one by one, they all came back to us.
These pair make it all worth it sometimes!
Our swamp!
These cloud were really cool! The photo definitely doesn't do it justice!
With 5 poddies, Justin found me a couple of milker cows and I took a day trip into Rocky to go and get them. I'm pleased to report that they are in much better condition now and Matilda (black) gives me some lovely milk whenever I need.
F stop had a baby and I can't work out if it has a bent nose, or if it's just the markings making it look that way!
Eventually I will get my good camera out and get some nice photos around the place!
With Justin being away and trucking me cattle, I had mini-school approaching and I wasn't too sure how I was going to make it all work. I can't explain how important I think mini-school is for the kids when they only get one week a term to see their teachers and this particular one involved swimming lessons, which they get soooo much out of. I phoned Sheree to talk to her about whether she could collect the kids from swimming while I was driving back and forward to Green Valley to check cattle, feed out hay and run waters. While I did have Trine there to care for the dogs and poddies, it was too much to ask her to be feeding out hay and moving cattle. Anyhow, long storey short, Sheree offer to come out to help me AGAIN for a couple of weeks, to manage it all while I was in town for mini-school.
How beautiful is this tree!
More mustering. With all the hay ready to go and Sheree on the job to receive cattle and run waters, the kids and I packed up and headed to Rocky for the week.
Races dress-up day for school.
Kaka with Uncle Wez.
This doesn't really need words!
Of course we do all our Dr, dentist and chiropractor apts while we are in town.
Aren't these pair so cute!
Back home again and we welcomed some beautiful rain. I know, I know, it's a weed, a very invasive weed, but it is kinda pretty! I can't get over how detailed my camera phone can be sometimes! How good are they!
So nice to see some green grass coming up!
These ranges make for some cool cloud formations.
Wags are happy in their new home.
Bit of fencing to do... J was asking if it was a log worth keeping.... it might make a nice curved sign lol!
We've had some really big long days! I had to bring the truck to our swimming carnival and awards night as I needed to pick up a couple of cows that had calved in the yards where Justin was, so we got up fairly early in order to make it to the swimming carnival on time.
Thankfully they both had a sleep in the truck!
With J still away, and me being flat out trying to teach and unpack and settle cattle into their paddocks. Then when I think I have a moment spare the neighbours ring to tell me there are cattle on the highway or bulls in their paddock.
The first time I went to get bulls back, I got 3 in from different corners of the paddock, having to cut wires and take the kids riding all over unfamiliar country, looking for, no-idea how many bulls. Thinking that I had got them all, as there weren't that many tracks through the fence. But the following weekend, I had another message about more bulls.
So we saddled up 3 horses and trucked out to get them which was a bit challenging as they were a bit more reluctant to leave their cows now, with massive big washouts to negotiate and the cattle they were mixed with were far more used to bikes than horses. Anyhow, we managed to get another two bulls out.
We came back from our holiday to another bull message and a trip out to get another bull, but luckily J was back home with us which made it much easier. We all trucked out and got a bull and a steer! On our way home, in another paddock.... there was another bull out! Which Justin had seen in our paddock, only the day before. So with his horses being the last on the truck, we jumped him out and Justin brought him home too.
So just in case you're wondering.... I'm very much in favour of artificially inseminating all of our cattle next season!!
The cattle on the road were another drama. With the large downpour of rain and me not really knowing what creeks needed to be checked for flood fences, another phone call from a neighbour to let me know of 5 head on the road. This was at about 5pm. So I quickly raced to get them and they were 5km from the paddock they were supposed to be in. Chased them off the highway into the neighbours paddock and then followed them to one of our paddocks. Luckily Justin spends a lot of time tailing them as weaners and they were fairly easy to work. I couldn't take dogs for anything, as they had laid dog baits all around. So by the time they were into one of our paddocks, it was 6pm, then I had to go and find a flood fence, which I had no idea where it was. So 7pm, I'm fixing a flood fence while the kids had a fat time playing in the rapids and we drove home by 8pm in the moonlight which they thought was great fun. Only for me to send them for a shower and I went to run the dogs... to find that one was dead in the cage!!!! Not knowing if it had taken a 10-80bait or not, I wasn't sure if it was contagious or not. Soooo I'm now trying to work out what to do with a potentially very contagious dog (not to mention it being Garrett's dog)!! Into the wheeliebin it goes!
Next morning before school starts, I'm taking the wheelie bin to the dump, in the rain (nothing to see here) and I'm not kidding there were 3 vehicles parked on my turn off! Big fella is messaging me, telling me that it's probably not the best idea to put a dead animal in the local dump. So now I'm fishing a dead dog out of a wheelie bin on the side of the road, to dispose of it in a washout! You can't make this up!!! Trip to the dump to actually empty my bin and the people are still on my driveway! Coming to fix a telecom cable that was exposed, which apparently has been exposed for years, but with the rain, there was no way they could possible get to it to fix it anyhow.....
So yes, back home to get the kids ready for school and no even enough time for a strong coffee!! In hindsight, it now makes complete sense why I feel so positively exhausted.
Anyway..... back to the above photo, and below, this was probably one of the worst days or longest days, but it was only one of many very long days, so I had been trying to make the most of it for the kids with pretend wine and toastie night to make up for the total lack of attention or time they'd been getting from me.
Kids enjoying the rain!
Matilda and Freda. My two saviours! I couldn't even imagine having to hand feed 4 poddies! Goodness.
Garrett wants to call her Pizza! Because of the shape on her head! Omg!
Hanging out at the school house to watch the rain because my house was still completed surrounded by boxes and didn't feel very homely. So I could actually sit here for a moment to drink a cup of tea.
With no built-ins in our new home for the kids I spent one of the rainy days (in between bringing bulls back), painting this cupboard for kaka to put her clothes in. I think it turned out ok. Looks good now with the twisted wrought iron knobs I got for it.
Now it was the last thing we needed to be doing, but it was also something we desperately needed to do. Twelve months earlier we had booked into 1770 captain cook holiday village into a cabin there for a week. It was so good to be able to rest for a while. I think I slept in every morning and I had nanny naps every day! I definitely need to recharge!
First night after the big drive we had some lovely fish and chips!
Catching up with old friends who now double as our new neighbours (few places away).
Oh I almost forgot... our trip was almost forfeit as my caretaker that I had lined up got Covid a couple of days before we were due to go away. So I messaged Sheree (above) and said I doubt I would be coming. She gave me a contact (who I already knew) that I had done the brumby challenge with last year. Unfortunately she couldn't come, but her friend could! I was so very grateful to Clarice who came very last minute to do the dogs and poddies and cats for us. I was also grateful for the rain which meant there was surface water in all the paddocks and we didn't need to be pumping water all the time.
Ash, Jodie, Me, Sheree and Mango. Such a beautiful group of ladies that I'm very blessed to know. I didn't probably get to see them as much as I would have liked, but I really just needed to recharge a bit.
My little mermaid.
With the swimming lessons from school and a week of being at 1770 with them in the pool every single day, their swimming improved sooo much! By the end of it, both of them could swim really well and G Man even freestyle a lap of the little pool. Kaka could dive, right down the deep end to get a ball.
Grandma and Poppy came too with their caravan which was amazing! Oh and Molly of course!
Cousins Jess and D Nash and the mini cousins Louie and Evie came along too, just in the cabin next door. So we got so have some precious time together and all the little cousins play so good!
Boys
Girls
I bought Evie this little Chameleon for xmas, and it was so damn cool!
This pair could be sisters!
Uncle Greer with the goods!!
Adriana and Kaka had fun playing together too! Pair of cuties!
I can't explain how good these were! If you ever in Agnes Waters... you need to go to Zuba's cafe and get these chicken kebabs!
Aunty Wendy even came to stay for a night! We had so many laughs. This pair crack me up!
Girls out for smoko!
My little fisher girl.
Trying to teach her to say that I'm her favourite Aunty!
I'm not sure if he learnt a lesson here or not!
Oh yeh, she just goes and crawls up to him!!
This one popped up on my facebook feed and I'm just going to leave it here! How hilarious!
So there are a few things that I wanted to do at our new home, to know that I've settled in officially.
One of those things is to get back to taking some photos with my SLR and other was to bake some fruit cakes. So I can tick those off my list.
I saw on facebook that there was going to be a meteor shower and by chance I woke at 12:30am. So I pointed my camera at 90 degrees between where the sun rises and where the sun sets, thinking that, that would be north.... ah wrong!!! Anyhow, I did manage to get some nice fire shots and two meteors.
I know, it's a very long post, but like I said, I do feel justified in being so busy and you may now better appreciate the title. I'm pleased to report that my house is no longer surrounded by boxes! I have a number of boxes that are still in the shipping container, but a lot of those are kids clothes that they have never even had a chance to wear and wont even fit into anymore. Plus a chocolate fountain, which I feel inspired to bring out!
I have also managed to find the magical boxes with the xmas decorations in, so we are looking very festive! I'm taking a break now for a week between xmas and new years! I refuse to do any work so if the neighbours ring me about anymore bulls, I'm afraid they will just have to deal with wagyu calves lol.
I feel a bit like the world has stopped turning over the past few months, I've felt like a bad friend who hasn't been checking in on people I should be; I've felt like a bad mother who hasn't been spending enough time with her children; I've felt like a bad wife who hasn't been giving her husband enough attention; I've felt like a bad housekeeper who hasn't managed to get everything unpacking in time; and, I've felt like a bad neighbour who hasn't managed to keep all their bulls in the right paddock.
But now, coming into the weekend before xmas; the house is fairly clean and tidy; all the boxes that were surrounding me are unpacked; xmas cards and numerous fruit cakes have been made and posted; the kids are happy and looking forward to xmas; my darling husband is mowing the lawn for me; the sultanas are soaking for making some rum balls; and, as far as I know, all the bulls are where they should be apart from one rogue who is still locked in the yards for being a naughty fence crawler!
So perhaps I can just ease my way slowly into 2024 nice and gentle like and just sneak my way back into reality.
I hope you have all had some of this wonderful rain, but perhaps not too much as I hear has been up north, and as I've also heard is coming for down south.
Sending lots of love this xmas to you all and I will see you in the new year.
With Love x
