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Showing posts from May, 2014

Loving my city/country lifestyle, walking along Bondi Beach!! #bondi #eckharttolle #mindful #lifestyle

 Yoga on sunset - I will be back for another walk in the morning! Bondi is divine!!  I am in Sydney once again and the weather is a delightful 26 degrees as I meet friends for breakfast and head off for a walk along Bondi beach. There are surfers sitting out on the smooth water and I realise that they must just like sitting out in the salty sea because there is little hope of a wave this morning. I can understand why they would get hooked on being down here because it is absolutely magical. This farmer’s wife blends in well, with my jogging gear on, phone in hand. A girl roller blades past with four dogs on leads, running beside her. Some people are jogging on the sand while others are walking along the footpath. The Bondi lifeguards are out and the flags are up for the early swimmers. The last of the pink sunrise sits across the sea line as the sun sparkles across the water. I have to keep stopping to really enjoy the view, looking out for the dolphi

I have my hat for the Ascot Races and when the crop is in, we will leave for London! #ascotraces #london #hat #friends

My bedroom floor is lined with my favorite dresses as I decide what to take on our trip overseas this year. Once sowing is over we are heading to England and France, with our first stop being the Ascot races. While feeding the sheep Howard and I have conversations about the gorgeous places we have always wanted to see, rather than how many sheep are being sold or when the wool will be delivered. It is refreshing. The excitement is building and we get the feeling this is going to be a trip of a lifetime. My fist step is to plan an outfit for Ascot. I look on the internet at all the wonderful hats and dresses everyone is wearing. The men are in tails and top hats, the women in beautiful dresses and it’s a bit daunting wondering what to wear myself. The local shops in Young are fabulous and I find a lovely red dress at ‘Cint’. It feels important to buy locally although we are in Sydney so much. When I ask Lisa Schaefer if she could design me a hat fo

Shearing with Luke Dickens and admiring the huge team effort in the shed this week. #lukedickens #shearing #tobeaustralian

I walk towards the wool shed and an unfamiliar sheep dog greets me at the door. It’s the last day of shearing and I want to call in and say hello, as I haven’t been near the shed all week. This is an incredible atmosphere as the shearing is in full swing when I arrive. There are muffled conversations rising above the music that is spilling out the windows and the humming of the machinery as the sheep are pulled into position. There are 4 shearers working side by side. Each sheep is held so it can’t kick and the hand piece slides along its body so the wool can slip off in one layer. There is a man sweeping the floor constantly, two men at the table working on the final fleece presentation and another pushing the wool into the press. The wool press ensures the weight of the final wool bale is just right. Each bale is labeled according to its quality/grade. By the end of the week there are over 100 bales ready for the sale. Howard get

What can the farm teach me about harmony? Shearing, rain, sowing and all the rest in between. #australianfarming

The doors of the wool shed are open and the place is buzzing as shearing begins. It’s a late start due to the rain and the wool is well and truly ready to come off. The sheep are directed into the hill on the first night as it is cold and the protection of the trees helps. It’s a shame to take off their jumpers now but we are influenced by the wool market and the sale times, as well as lambing in spring. Their protective cover will build back up before mid winter. Howard spends a lot of his time moving mobs of sheep from the paddocks to the wool shed and back. We have around 4000 sheep to shear so if the weather clears it will take another week or so. Out on the farm the oat seed is planted but the plant isn’t up just yet. Next we will be sowing the wheat and barley. Brooke arrives home from school, jumping off the bus and running to change into her horse riding clothes. She grabs the horse’s blanket and hitches a ride with Howards brother,