Baby it's cold outside

House dam looking back towards house

Winter is upon us.  After quite a lot of rain we finally have clear sunny days, and cold nights down in the single figures.  The days are quite cool too, unless you are out in the sunshine strolling around the vegies or cutting wood.

We've had the fire lit every night for about 5 weeks, gradually being lit earlier and earlier each day.  The days are short and the shadows are long. Although the cool weather is an effective deterrent to rising early, it is lovely to sit by the fire in slippers with a furry cat on your lap. By 5pm it is dark and the hens are on their perch for the night.  The cold weather hasn't slowed their laying too much at this stage, but we are aware that reduced egg output is common in winter.

The vegies are sown and it is now a matter of waiting for things to grow.  A minor setback to the broccoli due to cabbage white butterfly has been rectified with organic methods.  It is now recovered but no doubt the harvest will be later than it would otherwise have been.  Vigilance is required to ensure it doesn't happen again.  The first pickings will no doubt be the rainbow chard - so good in soups, stews and quiches this time of year.  The winter tomatoes are going very well so far, and we are hopeful of bountiful harvests.

Foreground: broadbeans; background: winter tomato plants

There is also an acquisition to report - a Polaris Ranger.  This thing is fantastic.  Safer and more practical than a quad bike but able to go into just as many places.  There are parts of the property that would be very difficult to get to without it (just ask Michelle about her ordeal through sucking mud threatening to swallow gum boots - while Ian drove through high and dry in the Ranger !!).

Steers supervising wood collection.  Note Ian's lumberjack shirt.

The Ranger even has a tilt tray

We look forward to taking visitors on a tour of the property in the Ranger - rug up though !!