Week 44

It has been so wet lately. The grass keeps growing and we don't have a chance to mow it because it's always too wet. It's knee deep in places.

It was dry-ish today. I waited until lunchtime then went out with the weed-eater because I thought I'd have more luck with that than the tractor. I tried trimming around the lavender field but didn't get much done. Things kept getting in the way - the line broke, I ran out of petrol, the dog kept trying to attack the line trimmer. I feel frustrated at how little I achieved.

Attempted to plant strawberries last week. Thought the girls would enjoy helping me. K refused to even come outside. V scraped around the dirt for a minute then took off wandering down the driveway. By the time I went to get her she'd gone halfway down the driveway, about 250 metres, and would have kept going if I hadn't stopped her.

So I waited till yesterday while she was having a nap, and I finished off planting the rest of the strawberries (18 in total because the dog got a couple before I could even plant them). I also made chicken wire 'cloches' over the top. Don't expect they'll last long before the dog destroys them, but at least I've made some kind of attempt to stop the birds from eating the strawberries.

-M

Week 43

Spent today clearing out fallen branches from the paddocks, following the storm last week and also continuing on the work I'd started a few weeks ago, finally clearing up after the storms six months ago.

The lower fields are very bogged down and I have decided that clearing out the drains will have to wait until the weather is a little drier. Following a close encounter with mud puddles at Lake Kaniere a few years back, I am very reluctant to get too close any more.

Have noticed our fields and ones around us are full of yellow buttercup flowers at the moment. I have mixed feelings about this. They look pretty but they are also impossible to remove, especially from in and around the lavender plants. If they weren't such a pain I'd like them a lot more.

-M