The Sun Comes out at the Silk Road...

It didn't start that way though... halfway through a beautiful morning walk the skies opened up and I was once again huddling under a tree and taking photographs through a hole in my raincoat pocket! But it was a beautiful walk none-the-less. (I heard Aussie and Layla had come looking for me but they didn't find me.)  The bush is alive with early blossoms of purple, gold, yellow, white and orange.  Everytime I walk there I get impatient to clean up the walking trail but it is just not a priority at the moment (and it is beautiful as it is anyway!)

I had a closer look at the trees that Gary discussed - the Blackbutt that he suggests should be felled is huge and would be enough to build chalets or a future guesthouse.  We could even use it for the new house floors if it worked out significantly more cost-effective than the jarrah.  It is a beautiful timber and I would look just as good as jarrah.  Options to weigh...

Speaking of floors, Ross and Jack have made good progress as the picture shows - I stood on one of our bedroom floor beams to take the picture of the ducks having their morning swim in the dam - this view will be the first thing we see every morning for the rest of our days - I think that is pretty special, don't you?

Our neighbours' house is coming along too - ground foor walls are up and the fence is down for the building of the "kangaroo fence"!

So you are wondering when sun came out?  Not until the afternoon actually but when it did, the Silk Road glowed with light and I remembered why we chose to live in the south-west!
So making the most of the beautiful outdoors, I got busy in the paddocks - added about 30 new plants to the amoebas, fixed up their fences and built a new one around amoeba three (good job if I say so myself!)  Gave the mulberries and everything else a dose of beetle powder; continued clearing and building the burn pile behind the tree line (that's going to be a biggie!)  The paddock is still extremely wet - even my waterproof boots get wet down at the mulberry patch and driving the quad down there with a trailer is touch and go - I have made a dozen different tracks across the paddock trying to find the least sodden route!

Big news of the day is that pole position in the Harmans Mill Bigus Dickus Championships has changed hands with Puller Emmet bagging the checked flag yesterday.  His new purchase of an 8-tonne tipper truck puts him firmly in the lead and leaves the world wondering what No-Bog Sheahan will need to come up with to get back on top!

A quiet night was in order... made a fresh pasta with mushies from my little farm (felt like I was in a tuscan farmhouse!) with a beautiful white - my taste for wine has been rekindled thanks to the Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay from Ghuhen and Shufaa (it is now my absolute favourite wine!)

This morning I had a wonderful sleep-in (had the alarm set for 6am but for some reason it didn't go off).  Have been making cups of tea, feeding the birds (a very shy female rosella has begun to visit) and cleaning up the house.  I registered to do the freeway ride but decided it was a long way to drive to ride such a short way and return transport was a difficulty.  So my alternative adventure is to cycle over to Rob and Maree's block and plant some trees that I have promised them.  It is raining again (of course) but as soon as it stops I will get on the road.

Trish rang again - the Men of the Trees are giving us 900 trees!  That is way too many to pot so I will be going like a madwoman to plant as many as possible in the paddocks over the next weeks - it is too late in the season really but will make the most of the gift - can't believe they want to give us that many!

Have found the skype microphone and camera - Rob and I will be able to talk for free now instead of mounting up ridiculous global roaming bills - fantastic...