Our budding photographer

On the weekend we went on an excursion to the Seymour Expo (about a 2 hr drive each way). We were primarily going to talk face to face with many of the suppliers (sheds, water tanks, worm farms etc) that Quentin has been “talking to” over email but I’ll let Quentin fill you in on that later.

MacK was far more interested in trying to climb on all the huge tractors and farm vehicles and pat the animals that were there on display as well as the ones in the actual “patting pens”.  So while Quent was talking solar panels and water tanks MacK and I visited the little patting zoo that had pigs, chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs, ducks and geese. I was going to take some photos of MacK interacting with these animals however he had a different idea!  MacK asked if he could use the camera and these are some of the pictures he produced!!  I’ve decided that he has many different artistic influences… The “heads cut off” – thank you Aunty Clare (not that you’ve done that for ages), the “foot shot” – thank you Leigh, and I’m thinking the “extreme close up” has come from Aunty Jacinda (thank you) who occasionally takes beautiful macro shots of flowers and plants. 

(Heads cut off - and yes, for some reason the ducks had sequin skirts on around their necks…)

(Feet - above)

(Extreme close ups - below)

 Pig

 Lamb

 Lamb

 Rabbit

Sheep/Wool

He definitely seems to be interested in the different textures you can find all around you when you really look! Or he could just have been super excited to be using the camera… Either way I think he can definitely work on his focusing and framing (hahaha). He was so excited to be taking photos that I think his finger was holding down the button and the poor camera was having trouble focusing on what he wanted it to.

I’ve included a few photos that I took of him taking photos so you can see his sheer joy!  I think I know what we’ll be getting him for his birthday this year… 

Fisher Price make a kid’s digital camera, right???

A real Aussie Drop Bear

We drove up to the farm last weekend, as we needed to survey the farm block and confirm exactly where we would put house elements. It was ridiculously hot when we arrived on the farm, and everybody up there had taken the path of least resistance and looked for shade. Our arrival seemed to be the required signal to open beers, which we were pretty happy with.

We went to the river (Belubula) at the Northern end of the property, and spent a couple of great hours in the river under the shade of old conifers. The river is a silt bottom river, so will never look crystal clear. The water is clear, and on a day like Saturday, there is no worries about the water! Sam and Simone had WWOOFers from Japan and Italy, who were really good value, and MacK naturally had a brilliant time. 

The neighbours next door have a wee boy who is 10 weeks older than MacK, and both are learning to share and play with others at the moment. MacK was devastated when we had to leave on Sunday, and just wanted to "stay with his friends".

MacK and Floyd. Eventually they played nice!

We had a great night on Saturday, with a communal dinner, and then a relaxing sleep. I woke before the heat of the day, and surveyed the farm. It is all very dry at the moment, and rains are very much needed. Still, that is Australia in the Summer.

MacK also showed off a new trick over the weekend - demonstrating at the same time his strength, dexterity and coordination. He became the great (and often much maligned) Aussie drop Bear, climbing trees to the top. he had an instinctive ability to test branches before putting his weight on them, and just had a blast. Apparently clothes were optional…

Despite the farm and house block being dry…

… it is still just as beautiful as ever, even if it is too hot to be outside at the moment during the heat of the day. This is MacK and I surveying the house block to see where we might position the house and shed on the block.

A couple of other things of interest - One of our neighbours has a woven (Aboriginal) fish, as do Peter and Phyl. We though this was a fabulous way to make it a functional piece of art-

We did have a few chairs that I had made out of wine barrels, but we decided to repurpose/upcycle them, as they are just too heavy for Jane to handle. We now have five wine barrel planters. This is ideal, as we can't plant a vege garden where we are in Wodonga. At the moment they only hold dirt, but we will keep you updated as we start to plant out herbs, vegetables and strawberries! MacK had a great time helping me put castors on the bottom of the pots, and was sure that he could hold the drill by himself!

Australia Day weekend

We took the opportunity of the long weekend to drive back up to Canberra to spend time with Jane’s family. We had a lovely relaxing weekend, and Jane got to duck off with Melissa for some ‘girlie-grooming’ by way of a pedicure.

We got to eat ridiculously good cheese with Sam and Steve, and made kumquat brandy with Leigh and Clare. A couple of other highlights for the weekend were a visit to Costco and to the National Aboretum.

 Phillip became MacK's private ride. Let's just say he got a workout!

 MacK escaping the heat with some light watching!

Costco was good to visit to know that I don’t want to be a member. I found that the stuff that was cheap wasn’t what I would generally want (who can eat five litres of rib sauce), and I definitely don’t agree with their packaging policies. Sustainable they aint, and I just couldn’t bring myself to support them on a regular basis. Hypocritically, I did buy a pair of jeans for $18 that are probably the most comfortable pair of jeans I have ever owned, and I am going to get another couple of pairs.

The Arboretum is a must see experience if ever in Canberra. They have large areas planted out to single species, so you can see the natural behaviour of the trees as they grow. Most are only a couple of years old, but this place will be very special in the years to come. The Village Centre has a good café, and a whimsical kids playground. Needless to say, MacK was in his element and played for a good couple of hours before we could drag him away. They also have an excellent display of Bonsai – interesting trivia fact – Penjing is the original Chinese art of manipulating tree growth that is the base for Bonsai.

The acorn inspired playground 

 MacK and I in one of the top acorns

The door to door drive is four hours, which makes it a very easy weekend trip. The farm is also about the same distance, so we are very fortunate with our current location.

The halfway home

We are now well and truly ensconced in Wodonga, and as always have thrown out the welcome mat for any friends and family venturing through this part of the world. We are close to the mountains, with Falls Creek Ski-field only 100 km from us. Other attractions include the historic villages (think Beechworth, Stanley, Yackandandah and Rutherglen) and the brilliant local wine regions.

We have also been particularly taken with the quality of the produce here. It is so much better than what we have had access to for the last couple of years, and the prices are good. We frequent farmer’s markets where we can, and I do regular happy dances! So far this year, we have made black currant jam (I will leave some for Dad – both of them!), apricot jam, kumquat marmalade and brandy, and I am looking forward to partaking in some traditional Italian sausage making classes while we are down here.

We are aware that winter will be cold, but that is what clothes, and proper layering is for. I would far rather put clothes on to get warm, than take them off, as there is only so much you can take off without getting arrested!