On my last day of the holidays I thought I should put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard?) and do a quick update of the goings on on Tearmunn Farm. Time has flown -- this tends to happen when I don't have to fill my days with dreary computer work! I won't go into too much detail of my holidays, but here is a short version.
I met Lieneke in Cairns on 20 December. I must admit I was a bit worried - what if we didn't have anything to say to each other, or nothing in common anymore... but my worries were unfounded. It was as if 18 years hadn't happened at all. We had so much fun, I think we spent most of the time laughing our heads off and making really silly movies of ourselves which apparently no one else has seemed to want to laugh at but us. We got back to Tas the day before Christmas, and had a lovely few days here as well. We milked Ems on Christmas day, Lieneke suggested we put on our best frocks but I thought better of it, knowing she can have rather explosive hmmm... well you can guess it. We walked up to Hartz Peak, went down to Port Arthur via the Sorrell Fruit Farm, visited Bruny Island (at last!) and before we knew it, it was time for Lieneke to go back home via Sydney where her sister had lived for a while. We agreed we wouldn't make a scene at the airport, but I confess that I did wipe away a few tears on the way home, as being with her made me realise yet again I am a stranger in a strange land, facing an uncertain future. Maybe it's even our sense of humour or being able to talk Dutch again, or even being with a friend from high school, but all of a sudden I saw Australia through the eyes of a visitor again and was a bit homesick. As Lieneke said though, things aren't so fantastic in Holland either, and she reckoned I saw Holland through rosecoloured spectacles and the truth is rather different. I guess this is what happens when you're away from home for so long. She reminded me that I absolutely hated Holland when I was 18 and couldn't wait to leave, something I seem to have forgotten somewhere along the way. Thankfully it didn't take too long before I could look around me and take in the views around our place, which brought me to my senses soon enough as there is no way that we could live like this in a crowded place like Holland and there are no mountains either. I'm happy here and also know full well that if I'd go back home now I'd be a stranger there as well - the curse of the immigrant!
We had a day to ourselves and then my friends Moira and Lorna came to stay with us a few days. I know Moira back from university in London. She ended up in Perth because her partner is from there, and we both lived in Perth for 7 years before finding out that we were in the same city. She is another person with whom it doesn't matter how long we haven't seen each other, we can just pick up and go on. They went to Hastings Caves one day, and then the next day we ended up doing 'farm chores'.
This is a funny thing. I have noticed that everybody who stays with us just loves doing 'chores'. Everybody wants to milk Emma, even the men, and everybody likes to know how to make cheese, butter, pasta.... and so we end up actually doing what we'd be doing anyway, but with people helping out and working with us. Doesn't that tell you something about how alienated we are in our current lifestyles? A lot of people also acknowledge they couldn't do what we are doing, but I often feel that you just have to make the first step and then you'll surprise yourself immensely (and end up feeling rather quite good about yourself too). I could not go back to the city, I just love our animals and working with my hands (and I don't mean computer work, even though it seems I am still in a job).
Satchmo was another great hit. He was so good and friendly with everybody, he wasn't fazed at all with the amount of people passing through and staying. We had to take him to the vet for his vaccinations, found out he is carsick the poor babe, and then finally could take him to meet other dogs as well. We took him to Ursula and Ian's to meet their four border collies. I was super worried of course, as it was the first time he would really meet other dogs face to face, but Ian is very good with his dogs and under supervision we found that Satch and Connor, one of their youngest dogs, got on really well and loved playing with each other. Satchmo was totally pooped on the way home and slept like a baby that night. I have a feeling Ian would like us to take Connor off their hands, as he is the bottom of the pile at their hierarchy and gets beaten up a lot by their other dog Spook, but I don't like the herding instinct in border collies (my cats would have a short life for sure) and two males... I don't know. I am still thinking of a second Maremma but it'd have to be a girl and of course her name would be Ella :)
Here is a garden update as well: Lieneke wasn't disappointed. We've been eating lots of lettuces, spring onions, silverbeet, herbs and garlic. We've now nearly harvested all our garlic and onions (brown and red) and have eaten all our potatoes. We're planting more, as they were delicious and basically we ate them all in the space of 3 weeks. We've also eaten beetroot, carrots, sugar beet and cabbages. The edible flowers are coming up really well as are the pumpkins, courgette and tomatoes. PJ has planted out baak choi, radishes and melon. Everything is looking good despite the weather being awful (we are lucky to have our toms in the greenhouse!) and everything has just tasted wonderful, it's been a most enjoyable and edible experience. And if we can do it, so can you!
We've also had a change in our herd. PJ managed to sell Rabid Ruby and her equally rabid offspring Billie to someone who absolutely adores Dexters and couldn't wait to get his hands on some. We nearly died getting them there, lots of escapes from R & B, lots of swearing from us, lots of running up and down, but finally, finally we got them off to their new home. And what a relief it is! She really was an awful cow, all beady eyed and nasty (I can't count the amount of times she was eyeing me up yesterday, wondering if she should run through me or not -- luckily for me she didn't). Her calf, however cute she looked when she was born, has turned out to be an absolute neurotic shit, just like her mother, and there has been no possibility to handle her. We are hoping that now she is the only cow + calf in her new home, maybe she'll like being made a fuss of, and hopefully she'll turn a bit nicer. If I ever wanted a second milker, it wouldn't have come through Ruby that's for sure.
Anyway... just an update to let you know all is well and we're still alive and kicking. We tried my first cheeses and they are lovely, particularly the Gouda (the full fat ones) which are just so tasty and creamy. The Edams are nice too but nearly like an old cheese and I found they are nice to grate over some homemade pasta.
As for 2009, well, it didn't take long did it, for the world to get into yet another mess. It looks like the next war is going to be fought in the middle east (no surprises there) and we are still in the downward spiral to a different world.
A few links:
- Milking Emma
Here is one of the video clips of Lieneke and me. We thought it'd be useful that she would teach me how to milk a cow since I have one. I'm forever greatful for her instructions. Unfortunately the clips are in Dutch (apart from the strawberry one as they are Tasmanian strawberries) but I'm sure you'll get the drift. It also features Satchmo and Emma! Well worth a watch!!! The best video for 2009!! Oh what the heck... to see all our videos, just go to the Nodding Guide to Oz and enjoy. - Holiday photos
Shots from Cairns and Tearmunn Farm, with our various friends visiting. A lot of these photos are made by our friends, it's also really quite nice to see our place through their eyes. - Last time I started to photograph making cheese and forgot to take pics halfway through. So here is the full sequence of making a Dutch cheese.
- Michalea's blog
Michalea lives in the US (not the most enviable place at the moment, I know) and we met through work. Although she's moved on to bigger and no doubt better projects we have maintained contact and are following a similar path across the Atlantic. She is also setting up a vegie patch and trying to become more self sufficient, same as we are trying to do here. She is lucky to have the help of her daughter, also called Emma which is of course a fantastic name because I have my own Emma here. Maybe they'll meet one day before the airlines collapse, who knows. I saw that Michalea has been working hard and has been making lots of progress over the holidays. So here's looking at you!
I won't yet depress you with the world news that I've been following right at the beginning of the year, there is plenty of time left for that!
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