Narelle Hunter RURAL LIFESTYLE

Our garden is calling for some attention but for now the visiting Kangaroos will have to do the 'mowing', we are off to Keith Urban's concert in Sydney! Howard is starting to plan the month ahead on the farm and says it is going to be a huge amount of workload to manage. Lucky he has me this year....Maybe I will have to leave the camera behind and roll up my sleeves! We have started practicing yoga together most mornings as the sun is coming up. It really feels like we are in tune with each other and working together. School has started again so the routine returns to our household...Well after the concert that is!

I searched 'Mindful Living' on the web and 3 1/2 million options appear in 22 seconds but if you watch children play out doors you can work out what mindful living is. One of my daughters is on the new large trampoline at the moment, jumping as high as she can while looking out at the trees and the big blue sky. Her mind is on that trampoline as the hot summer wind is ignored and her enthusiasm sends her skywards. There are lots of reasons 'Living Mindfully' seems impossible. We are all busy but we also bring into each moment opinions, concerns, expectations and interests that take us from Now. The weeks, months and years can become a bit of a blur. So how can we be more present today? How can this be a year to remember? Lets enjoy the detail...try eating one piece of chocolate or fruit slowly...try taking photos of things in our garden that usually go unnoticed...lets breathe more deeply...smile more often...listen carefully...let a few annoying things just slide a

We are having a very relaxed school holiday break with lots of good company, good food and fun but in the back ground, there is still a farm to run. Sorting the sheep is on the agenda this week and Howard's day began at 5.30am before the heat. He kindly let his trusty assistant sleep in but I did help move the sheep back into the paddocks later in the morning. The farm looks really dry now and the dust is starting to trail along behind the ute and surround the stock as they slowly  move along the road side. Two of our four daughters are lending a hand too. They are on the four wheel motor bike and somehow understand Howard's limited directions that go something like this, 'Take them along that fence, through the double gate and towards the paddock with the big dam.' They get it right. I feel more like a visiting photographer today but I do have a blog to set up you know! I open gates, hear about hay prices and wait for a while when Howard is on the phone. A man calls

As promised I am sharing with you what is happening on our farm each season so that means finding some old work clothes and joining my husband in the heat. I bring along my camera and notepad and start asking lots of questions as we drive around the paddocks. Summer in Australia, NSW. Today we are checking the sheep and making sure they have plenty of water and feed. There are 3600 sheep spread around the farm and Howard knows where they all are, what paddock they are to move to next and which mobs are ready for sorting. We check the dams and troughs as he talks about his 12 month stock plan. At this time of the year a huge effort is put time into checking and rechecking the sheep, I will be able to help with this. We shear in March, lots of new lambs arrive in July and sell stock throughout the year. Caring for stock is a big responsibility. Next we gather soil samples and start talking about the sowing plan for the farm. Cropping is another big part of our business. This is also

Bula from Fiji - This seems like the best place to start my blog because this is a very sentimental holiday for my husband and I. We have returned to Fiji for only the second time. During our first visit Howard very nervously asked me to marry him, admitting later he was worried about how he would be able to provide for a family and be a good husband. Well it has all turned out well...we return to Fiji 21 years later with four gorgeous daughters and we are still buddies. We are all having a magic time..the weather has been perfect, the Fijian people are so friendly, the Sheraton Resort is a dream and more than anything - the six of us are together again. In Fiji everyone walks slowly, smiles at each other, afternoon naps are standard and you feel like you have stepped into a postcard. There are a few obvious signs that a hurricane hit just a few weeks ago but overall the massive clean up effort has returned this place to paradise. We head home tomorrow, so this week my online diary