This year I will have been living on the farm for 7 years, I've been visiting for longer, but actually living, breathing farm life for 7 years. 7 of the best years, with ups and downs and big events, four babies, lots of love and laughter. The thing that still amazes me and makes my heart sing is the first flush of green across the paddocks, those first few weeks when the seed shoots and the crops start to grow.
With just the right weather (not too much rain, but not too little, warm days but not too hot and not too cold) those seeds push their way up and out into the sunshine to test their fate with what the weather has to offer. I never thought when I was growing up that my life would revolve so much around the weather, it can mean the difference between a happy Muddy Hubby or a sad Muddy Family, money in the bank or a tight, tight budget. On days that it rains the businesses in town are busy, busy as farmers can't do much around the farm and head into town for 'town jobs'. It's often these days that throw the week into disarray as Muddy Hubby says 'let's go and get this job done' as opposed to the long to do list I had planned for the day.
Just before the weekend's rain, Muddy Bubby and I did a little crop tour while delivering chemical down to one of the blocks for Muddy Hubby. We checked on the Canola and the Lupins and it had been a few weeks since we'd checked them and my how they'd grown! They were starting to power ahead which was a lovely sight to see and cheered me up lots on a down day.
Does your life revolve around the weather like mine?
What's your favourite bit about where you live?
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| Canola, just shooting through |
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| Canola starting to 'cabbage' out |
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| Lupins just out of the ground |
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| Lupins looking good |
Wow, I just loved reading your post. We live in suburban Sydney with all it's fast paced craziness. My 3 boys have no idea what life outside the city is like - and I think that is such a shame. My family live in Adelaide and I love that long drive from Sydney through small country towns and seeing how different life is. Will I ever be brave enough to make that big "sea-change"?
ReplyDeleteGreat feeling to have a happy husband! Rain generally makes them very happy!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautifully written post. So glad you've had kind weather. I love our warm winters up here.
ReplyDeleteI really feel for farmers who have their livelihood reliant upon mother nature. Your crops are looking sensational! I really love where we live as despite what everyone thinks, Hobart is the second driest capital after Adelaide, so our Winters are cold but usually with clear blue skies and hardly any rain.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely post Nat. I suppose it has been 7 years, though it actually seems even longer in my eyes... because you have fitted so many achievements into that time. It is great to get that insight into life around the farm in posts like this. We get to see just how wonderful the various processes are... those little shoots sprouting out of the dirt are beautiful. Good job Muddy family xoxo
ReplyDeleteRelinquishing control to the weather and to mother nature has to be the hardest adjustment about life on the land. I made the move to a cropping and sheep farm two years ago and it still astounds me how liltle control we have over success or failure - such is the power of mother nature. And yet I love living on the land so I guess I better get used to it.
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