Dam it

There's been some excavation work going on, on the farm, and I think everyone, including Muddy Hubby, is just a tad excited. On one of the blocks we have always had a wet patch, after the floods and heavy rain it was almost like a swamp with bird life and marshes. Rumour had it, it's where there used to be an old well on a spring, so they've been doing a little digging, and lo and behold they struck water.

So they decided it would be as good a place as any to put a dam, so it has two methods of filling, one from the natural spring and one from the rainwater runoff, a win-win situation really.

They called in the excavator and he dug a test hole, which once he broke through the hard crust, struck water underneath.

 

He then began the digging process, working his way from the centre point of the dam to the outside, Muddy Bubby was in awe of the machine.

 

This is what it looked like by the end of the day.

 

 

This is what it looked like this morning, with water filling from the spring.

 

The sheep will no doubt soon be down to check it out, do a taste test on the water and probably camp next to their new paddock addition.

Grateful for the bus driver

I love the excitement of a first day, all that nervous anticipation, the barely contained nervous laugh as they try to contain both their anxiety and their excitement. We had three kids start school and preschool this week, and I am breathing a sigh of relief as we slowly return back to the normality of a routine (almost).

Amongst the return to normality was my Muddy Puzzler's first day at preschool. We were dressed and organised early, I was going to take her in, but we pulled up at the bus stop for my Muddy Organiser and out she jumped backpack on 'I'm catching the bus Mum'. Now of course I was incredibly apprehensive about this, incredibly. I talked her through it all, changing buses and where the bus would stop before it got to preschool, including the fact that once they stopped at my Muddy Organiser's school, that she would be on the bus on her own and the bus driver would drive her straight to preschool where I would be waiting. 'Yes Mum I'm going on the bus' was her constant reply. On she jumped, not a problem in the world, happy as Larry until of course every other passenger got off the school bus, then the tears started and did not stop til she got off the bus at preschool where I was waiting.

So this week I am very grateful to the lovely bus drivers that drive my kids to school and safely home. To the bus driver who calmly talked to my Muddy Puzzler while she cried her little heart out. I am so very grateful that he has decided to change his bus route just for her and drop her off first before he does the other school drop offs so she won't cry again on him! Yes he is that lovely and I am so very appreciative of his kindness and care for my kids.

And rest assured my Muddy Puzzler was quickly calmed down and off to do craft within minutes of arriving at preschool, confidently telling the staff that she'll be catching the bus home!

What are you grateful for this week? Make sure you check out 52 Weeks of Grateful over at Village Voices where Maxabella hosts a lovely link up each week.

Facebook and Puppy Power

 

Generally when Muddy Hubby, his Dad and Brother have dogs they try to have the same sex ones, so we don't have any fraternising amongst the dogs and we don't end up with puppies we have to find homes for. Sometimes though we end up with both sexes and the result of course is some very cute puppies.

The problem with puppies though is that you have to then try and find homes for them. We had already decided to keep one, friends were taking another and that left 3 puppies for me to find homes for. They are kelpie pups from good working parents, I wasn't asking any money for them, I was just happy to find them a home.

I saw an ad on the local buy swap and sell Facebook page where somebody was looking for a free puppy, so I got in touch and they gave one puppy a loving home. That left me with two. I posted an ad on the local buy swap and sell page offering them free to good home, I had a person interested, but then no follow through. I rang the vet and they didn't know of anyone interested, so I asked the vet what the best thing to do was, they replied honestly with 'Have them euthanased is probably the kindest option', apparently there are just too many puppies around at the moment, that there is no way to find homes for all of them. I asked about taking them to the RSPCA and the response was similar, you could take them there but they have way too many puppies as it is and they would probably be euthanased anyway.

I asked around and sure enough somebody had been turned away from the RSPCA when they tried to take animals to them. So, I was getting desperate, we couldn't keep them, we have no need for that many dogs, I didn't want to have them put down, so I resorted to Facebook, I put the call out to all my Facebook Friends that I needed to find homes for these two puppies to save their lives! Yes I used desperate words, but I wanted them to be loved. Lo and behold the response was amazing (for me anyway) I had offers for people to look after them until we could find homes, I had people sharing my status to all their friends to help find homes, ad within a couple of hours the last two puppies had loving owners.

For me social media continues to amaze me, the power it can have, the response it evokes from people, if we ever end up with puppies again it will be my first point of call to find homes for them.

Curve Balls

When I was pregnant with my Muddy Organiser I worked out of an office in an old house, it was a run down office where the floors creaked when you walked, the paint colours were dark and the carpet was well worn so the only thing to brighten your day was your fellow workmates.  I shared my office with a  bright and brilliant woman who smiled no matter what was going on, she had the most amazing and positive attitude, with a fantastic sense of humour. I can honestly say she is one of the best people I have ever shared an office with.

As time moves on and the office moved and I went on maternity leave we didn't see each other as much. We would cross paths and have a great catch up chat, she had two babies to my four and we continued to be friends and work colleagues. It hit straight to my heart when I heard her little
girl had a rare genetic condition called Tay-Sachs. With this condition the child develops normally until about 6 months and then their skills start to deteriorate and they have a limited life expectancy. Her gorgeous little girl brings sunshine into my day each time I see her and it has been so sad to watch her slowly lose her skills.

Then just before Christmas my lovely friend was thrown another curve ball - she has breast cancer. She is 36 years old, a mother of 2 children, one with a disability and now she is fighting another battle for her life. I was shattered, I cried (and admit I still cry some days to think of it) but each time I see her or talk to her she is positive, she still gives me a smile and we have a joke and that attitude and her two gorgeous children are what helps her get through each day.

I am amazed at people and the inner strength they find to keep going despite what life throws them. My friend has started chemotherapy and will then undergo radiation therapy. I can do no more than be there for her, she has a lot of people in her corner supporting her and her beautiful kids I just wish that a cure for cancer can be found sooner rather than later.

And Ladies and Gentleman (yes Men can get breast cancer too) please check your breasts regularly, it's certainly reminding me to do mine.

Grateful for Swimming

It's been hot, really hot, here, like mid forties for days on end and I have never been so grateful to put on my swimming clothes and go for a dip. The girls had 2 weeks of swimming lessons, every day we would make the trek into town all loaded up with swimming gear and on those really hot days I'd be so grateful to jump in with them.

 

I am grateful for the two lovely swimming instructors that helped to build their confidence and skills, and were patient with their shyness and anxiety. After last year's disaster where everyone (including me) ended up in tears each and every lesson it has been a nice refreshing change.

 

I don't want them to be Olympic swimmers or anything like that (unless that's what they choose) I would just like them to be confident in the water and able to save themselves if they had to and each day has bought them closer to that.

 

In saying that though I have been very grateful this week that swimming lessons are now finished, we're not driving into town each day and when we do go to the pool, it's for fun! Plus the kids aren't as exhausted and teary at the end of each day, yes for that I'm very grateful.

 

 

Linking up with Maxabella at Village Voices for 52 Weeks of Grateful, make sure you pop over and have a read!

 

 

When friends come to play

I have been promising my Muddy Pixie for a while now that she can have one of her 'best friends' over for a play date. Finally I got myself into gear and organised it. It was set to be a great day, she bought her bike and her swimmers and her mutual love of craft. It didn't take long for things to turn pear-shaped.

You see, what I hadn't counted on was that my Muddy Organiser also considers this little girl her friend and they would start fighting for her attention, for who got to ride their bike next to her, or sit next to her for morning tea and lunch and who got her to play their game of choice.

I tried reasoning with both of my Muddy girls, I pleaded with my Muddy Organiser to just give the Pixie and her friend a little bit of time (even a few minutes), but it didn't stop the tears and the distress.

By the end of the day I was exhausted from keeping the peace, dancing then craft seemed to heal all wounds and keep us occupied for a good 90 minutes before we changed activities and then the day was over.

I am really not sure how to broach the play date in the future, it's not a problem we've had before when we've had friends over to play. Maybe I try to lessen the numbers and organise activities elsewhere for one or the other, or maybe I just have to let them at it and they'll sort it out.

How do you handle this kind of thing? Or is it something that only happens in our house?

Grateful for Chooks

Image by Rob Scotton - Funky Chickens

A few months ago I wrote about losing some of our chooks, we did our best to reinforce the chook yard but not long after we lost the remaining two chooks plus all of our ducks. Muddy Hubby and his offsider spent a day or so digging a trench and cementing around the chook yard to reinforce it for fox proofness. It has sat idle for months, I haven't been game to replace the chooks for fear of it happening again.

I have watched the local poultry sites and kept an ear open for any chooks that could possibly be sacrificial chooks, old girls that don't have much life in front of them, or who are no longer laying. Nothing kind of fit the bill.

Then our neighbours let us know they had some ready to cull. They have a flock of about 30 chooks, and their son (he is 6) is seriously getting into breeding and looking at speciality breeds, so he is keen to cull what doesn't suit. So Voila we now have chooks again.

I am so grateful for the generosity of our neighbours in giving us some chooks to test it out, so far so good.

I am grateful for the fresh eggs we are getting every day. We have made many things that we can eat on our 'Pear Diet', including Meringues and Quiches.

I am very grateful for the joy it brings to the Muddy Kids faces each day to visit the chooks and check the eggs, water down the yard to help keep them cool. Lets face it is also beings joy to me to have some feathered friends back in the chook yard.

So this week while I am Grateful for Chooks, others in the blogging world are grateful for other things. Please pop over to 52 Weeks of Grateful at Village Voices and check it out, Maxabella hosts a great link up every week.