State of the Nation....

Took a long walk around the property yesterday, checking the state of things after a week of wind and rain (which by the way has not abated!)  Lots of water on the ground and branches down all over the place - very messy but no real problems.  The road is very boggy in places.  Kevin has ok'd us to take some gravel from his stockpile to fix this and Ross / Haydn are organising it as we speak! 

Am keeping my eye on the "widow maker" and think it is slowly separating from the main trunk.  Haydn has offered to remove it and I have also spoken with a guy called Gary (who owns the mobile mill we have heard about and can produce boards for flooring on the spot - he is currently working next door and will pop over if needed).  I will think on that one and take one option or the other soon....  Will also have a think about floorboard options - Gary would fell and plank the jarrah, then take it for kiln drying and "tongue and grooving" in Busselton. 

Our little creek behind the dam has become a raging torrent with the water literally pouring into the lake next door. I can't wait to raise the dam wall and create a beautiful walking path through the peppermints...

The mulberry paddock is in a terrible state - still very much underwater and growing wild without our friends the sheep to eat it down. The mulberry trees themselves are surviving the weather but are better suited to a jam factory than a silk farm at the moment - loads of fruit but no leaf!  The moriculture bible has a chapter on leaf promotion which I am avidly reading at the moment! My mission for this week is to grab any break in the rain and at least whipper snipper and mulch around each tree.  I might think about some wind protection for them too - that is the leaf killer I think!  Meanwhile I have potted an additional 70 cuttings for a total of 130 new trees and have my fngers crossed for their strong and productive future!

On other matters, the paperwork for Adam is signed, sealed and delivered and 39 should settle as planned (think it is 6 October).  Another drama closed!!

Planted 6 more acacia in the amoebas and bagged / mulched / fertilised them, plus re-potted about 20 more tubes.  The reason for re-potting is that it is late in the planting season and it is unlikely we will be able to get them all in the ground before the rains finish.  So they go into a bigger pot and can live there happily until next May / June and the next rainy season.

Thats the Silk Road Farm Report!  Stay tuned for an update on the "caretaker development", the showroom and business administration matters.... it's all good fun!!!