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The story of our journey through the CoViD-19 saga - part 1 - isolation. Read more
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  • Janette and JohnHoliday unprecedented-isolated

    Day Eleven - Good Friday - 10 April 2020

    April 10, 2020 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    Up and out early .. well earlier than recent mornings ... to do a roll call to check cattle were all well and with us. We did lose a calf some months ago and not sure what happened to it - maybe a snake bite - but calf no. 1919 is no longer here. Remaining herd all present although they seemed to be somewhat pre-occupied with the hay (which was last year’s, full of clover, and very good quality) and forgot to acknowledge “present” when called! Maybe our teacher friends can empathise.

    Janette painted (no photos yet) and John went up to get a load of firewood from the tree over the fence. Lots of mushrooms but a bit wasted here - Janette allergic and there are only so many John can eat. Think we can see a circle starting - will take a pic if this happens after rain.

    Couldn’t resist watching a program entitled “ The secret life of cruise ships”. It seems they are ready for every eventuality except a pandemic!    Read more

  • Janette and JohnHoliday unprecedented-isolated

    Days Eleven and Twelve - Quiet Easter

    April 12, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Couple of days with not a lot to report. Normally we would have family up both getting together for a catch up and to help with the Molyullah Sports. We would have had bonfires this year as the autumn break came early for a change. The Cole family celebrated at home with an indulgent breakfast of waffles with all the trimmings.

    Saturday was bitterly cold and extremely windy. Good day to take it easy. Kathy (friend who lives on the border of Molyullah/Lurg/Upper Ryan’s Creek) suggested a movie “Mostly Martha” which John taped for me to watch. Had to pull the blinds down so I could read the sub-titles. Really need these cataracts done when all this is over. Great movie. Also read Tom Keneally’s “The Daughters of Mars” which Kathy lent me. John did some fencing but gave up and came in to play patience on the Ipad.

    Sunday a little better. Easter breakfast included a chocolate and a great coffee from the machine. Chocolate was not the Haig’s quality or the hand made appeal of some Easter chocolate in times past. Just some Lindt Bunnies from Woolies! Gave some plants to Darren & Catherine next door (Hidden Valley) who are setting up their garden. Found a yukka, holly tree, red and pink geraniums, couple of plumbago plants, an elkhorne fern, and an echium which had all been set aside for the plant stall at the Easter Sports which has been cancelled. They are going to a good home.

    John completed another section of boundary fence along the road this afternoon - just another 600 metres to go up a very steep hill.

    We have an evaporative cooling system with vents in every room. As it has turned quite cool decided it was time to put the covers on for winter. Took most of the afternoon up and down a ladder taking out the shutters, washing them and putting them back and then putting the covers on (which have magnetic edges so are fairly easy). Probably should leave washing the vent shutters until spring but I had the time today.

    John took a photo of the Lipstick Maple near the verandah which is starting to change colour. It ends up being a really bright pinky red - will take another pic in May.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnHoliday unprecedented-isolated

    DayThirteen - Easter Monday 13 April 202

    April 13, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Normally Easter Monday would start early and we would run the spinning wheel at the sports. Found a couple of photos from 2016 - just so we don’t forget.

    Made up a list for today so I could keep on track to get things done. Paint one coat on two windows, collect a load of rock and put into some erosion damage, collect a load of morning wood (to save splitting kindling), file or delete items in sent box, do some mowing, and make some chutney. Perhaps this was a bit ambitious but as it turns out nothing can be crossed off this list!

    John was a bit sore after overdoing the fencing yesterday but felt he could plant a few trees. Over the last few years we have been trying to plant for more shade in the paddocks over at Tiger Hill Park. We double fenced the south boundary and planted lemon scented gums we had dug up at Kathy and Peter Z’s farm. We lost about half and have replaced with poplars, peppercorns and oaks - all do well here with very little effort and all free from cuttings or little oaks that grow under existing trees. We have also fenced off a very wet gully which also needed replacement plantings.

    Gathered our gear and trees to plant but found a neighbour’s little calf in the boundary plantation. We walked it along the fence to the gate and shooed it back to the herd next door. It called out for ages but finally found its mother and its breakfast. We worked until lunchtime and finished the boundary plantation. The gully had to wait for the afternoon. Due to the lush grass we found a cow had pushed on the fence so it could step over it - more fencing before we could plant new trees. All done but too weary to even look at my list.

    Saw a ring of mushrooms - pretty small as we have sen them make much bigger circles in the higher country.

    John did a drive around and saw a cat in the bush - no shot of the cat as he didn’t have the camera ... or his gun!    Read more

  • Janette and JohnHoliday unprecedented-isolated

    Day Fourteen - Easter Tuesday

    April 14, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Normally Easter Tuesday is the day we spread all the unused prizes around the family room and do our reconciliation of what was won and what is left to use as the base of prizes for the next year. We write off anything looking the worse for wear and pack up in boxes and store in the shed. This year we got up late then took Molly for a walk to the front gate. Normally I take her about another kilometre down the road but John’s back was bad so we turned back. She took a bit of calling - “really ... is this it, really?” she seemed to be saying.

    The injured cow continues to improve and the heifer is on her feet a bit more but back right leg is still swollen.

    Painted two window frames but decided they need another coat ... damn! It started to rain very heavy droplets despite a blue sky and I had to pull the sun blinds down to protect the freshly painted surfaces.

    Collected mushrooms for a friend who loves them. We have oodles at present and I am allergic to field mushrooms as was my grandmother.

    After tree planting yesterday John thought he might go back to fencing for an easier day but ended up doing firewood in the morning and after lunch took the tractor up the top to clean up a lot of fallen timber. It’s a bit like housework - when it’s first done it looks lovely. This area can be seen from the road so comes under the “show-off” banner so needs to look good. Lex would often comment on various neighbours’ “show off” paddocks as we drove to town. They were either tidy with really good pasture and maybe had a good quality bull grazing or they displayed new equipment such as tractors and hay making gear. To the latter paddock he would say “That bloke must have a tax problem!”    Read more

  • Janette and JohnHoliday unprecedented-isolated

    Days 15 + 16 April 2020

    April 16, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Yesterday started with our trip to Benalla. Shopping for Bev and ourselves and I had cuppa and chat on Bev’s verandah (at a distance) whilst John did some mowing. We were getting some plantation shutters fitted in the house in town - amazing that they arrived from China a few days ago (we didn’t know they were made in China until the installer called in February to say there might be a delay). I stayed in town whilst they were fitted and love them. The installer thinks that as they were ordered before Coronavirus they were not held up as long as the later orders may be.

    Today John headed up to do some more cleaning up of fallen timber - I was to follow and start the bonfires. Bev arrived very early after being at home for twenty two days! She lives alone and needs to be sure her car battery does not go flat. Had a cuppa on the verandah, a cook’s tour of the place, and gathered some mushrooms before she headed home. Mental health visit. Ooops ... she left the mushrooms behind. The wind picked up so we will burn off another time. The paddock looks newly swept! Mick came back to do the crossover so we can now access the south west corner of Tiger Hill Park.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnHoliday unprecedented-isolated

    Day 17 - 17 April 2020

    April 17, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Neighbours, Darren and Catherine, are away for a few days so we checked their cows this morning. Still calving but no new ones today. Went for a drive around and decided a crossover at the top of Burragunyah needs a load of rock as it is very soft and we haven’t had that much rain. Think some of the springs may be rising which is a good sign. After morning tea John took the tractor up with the stone bucket on and collected a couple of buckets of rock and tipped it on the crossing. We will have to smooth it out a bit another day. His afternoon was spent.... you guessed it ... fencing!

    I did manage some painting today - the wrought iron railings on the back verandah. Finding the windows very tedious and easy to postpone but they really, really need doing. Booked preg. testing the herd for 4 May. The preg. testers are still able to work. Took a few photos of the Autumn colour in the garden. It is turning out to be the best autumn.

    It’s Adam’s birthday today - 49 no less. His cake is a baked cheesecake which Guler was making this afternoon. Happy Birthday Ad.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnHoliday unprecedented-isolated
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    Breaking News “Unprecedented at Cottage”

    April 18, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Today’s entry is more about a plan than a “doing”. Decided to get a septic at the cottage. Can hear the ladies cheering and the hunters groaning. The plumber is coming through the week and we hope it can go where the composting toilet is which would save too much extra building. The relatively new long drop building will make a great little tool shed and we hope to then improve the butcher shop as it won’t need to double as a workshop.

    Collected mushrooms this morning and did a food drop to Kathy & Peter, and also to Bev. All seem to be managing and getting a bit done. We returned with home made muffins and biscuits. Kathy’s lovely lemon muffins were so good John downed three within a few minutes.

    Had to go in to town to sort a few things out as we may have tenants soon. Benalla is short on accommodation and we received a request from the Headmistress of FCJ College via our friendly real estate agent. The school is getting a multi-purpose hall erected and the builders from Melbourne (the locals are so busy we need tradies from elsewhere) have had to stay in a motel and apart from this being expensive, they would like to be able to cook a few meals and do a bit of washing. May or may not work out and we don’t mind but a few extra dollars might help pay for the “new loo”.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnHoliday unprecedented-isolated

    Day 19 - Sunday

    April 19, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    First job today was helping mark calves for the neighbours. This is not a job that can wait too long. Cattle were in a holding yard when we got there so they needed to be drafted. Worked them quietly and drafting went well and very quickly. Darren led the cows away with some hay to keep them happy but hadn’t fastened the calf pen gate properly and all of a sudden I saw the calves running out to be with their mums! Bit lucky we had a few people so with a lot of running, shouting, clapping and generally acting like maniacs we got them all back in the holding yard and drafted them again. More heifers than steers which disappointed Darren a little but as the season is looking good lots of farmers will want to re-stock so he will do well anyway. Back to their shed for “smoko” (although nobody smoked) where we had a cuppa and a snack sitting at a distance around their large fire pit before departing for our own farm chores.

    In the afternoon John lit the fires where he had been cleaning up fallen branches etc. l unpacked the cases of gear we had taken to town during the fire season. Hadn’t really missed much but was happy to see my really soft socks back in the drawer.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnHoliday unprecedented-isolated
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    Day 20 - Monday 20 April

    April 20, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Deadline date for Tattler articles so some time today spent writing up items for our local newsletter the “Tatong Tattler”. The 20th of the month comes around so quickly.

    More cleaning up along the tree line and in the paddocks. Would like to think in the event of a bushfire we are helping some areas burn cooler but the reality is we have a lot of bush ...

    I was resigning from the local Hall Committee this year but due to the distancing rules etc. DELWP (who own the grounds on which our Hall sits) have ruled that no election is to be held - they will carry over existing committee for another twelve months. Happy to hang in there as it is not onerous but will step down next year.

    Took some photos of road damage to send to the local council in the hope of getting some road maintenance done. We won’t hold our breath. Molly came for the ride - she loves coming with me as she gets to sit on the front seat of the ute (she is too heavy for me to lift into the back but she can just manage to jump into the front as the opening is a bit wider).

    Received some pictures of Hugo baking cookies. I wish I could lift one out of the pic to have with my cuppa!    Read more

  • Janette and JohnHoliday unprecedented-isolated
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    2221

    Day 21

    April 21, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Drove up to check on a bonfire first thing - could smell smoke so hopeful it had burnt away and it had. This area will come up a treat as it is near the top of Little Sam’s Creek and has great soil. We also had to check the wombat holes as a chap from DELWP is coming out to see them. They do a lot of damage near the creeks and cause erosion. Hard to get a photo as they mainly come out at night. We don’t mind them but prefer they dig on the hills.

    Found Darren and Catherine drafting the slow calvers out of their herd - we noticed one was being suckled and needed to go with the herd. They then let the bull out. We may use their bull next season - they used our old bull for a couple of seasons and this was part of the deal.

    Second load of road surface delivered today and it makes a difference to the tracks - both in how they look and how they perform. The dirt tracks get very slippery in the wet so it is quite timely. Hopefully the last load will be soon. They are very busy and Tracy the office lady said people are worried and want to get all their jobs done. I suspect a lot are like us and want the tracks right before winter. The young cattle in particular love a sticky beak when something out of the ordinary is going on.    Read more

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