Around The Traps Lately…

My goodness it’s been a few weeks between blog posts. I’ve read in a few places about the concept of tilting. Leaning into those areas of life that are currently demanding more of your time and energy, while temporarily moving away from others. I love the idea as, lets face it, a balanced life is hard to achieve. So I have been tilting towards work and family, and away from the blog. Fingers crossed I can tilt back to the blog over the next few weeks. School holidays are only a week away, so I’m hopeful.

There has been so much happening around the traps lately, and I just know I need to fill you in on all that has been happening. Lots of little things can quickly add up to a big thing.

Over the long weekend, we went for a day trip to Junee to visit the licorice and chocolate factory there. On the way the sun came out for the first time in a week, which was so welcome. If you are ever going through Junee definitely check out the licorice factory. You can see the licorice being made, have a go at making a giant freckle (which our kids were impressed with), as well as grab lunch at the cafe and chocolate and licorice treats to take home. The whole factory is in an old flour mill and is very atmospheric. I recommend the chocolate coated raspberry licorice! We listened to an audio book on the way down, and stopped at Cootamundra to see an old steam train shunting (which Toby loved!). The remainder of the weekend was spent relaxing and catching up on bits and pieces around the place. Just what we needed.

I’ve started on a new crochet project. This time it’s a blanket for Meg. Toby has declared my ripple blanket to be his, and Hannah has the globetrotter blanket I made earlier this year, so it is Miss Meg’s turn. I’m making a striped blanket in shades of green and grey, using Cleckheatons superfine merino wool. It is just so beautiful to work with, I’m not sure I will be able to go back to any other wool once I finish this project. Of course, the wool is on the expensive side, so I’m going to have to. When we were visiting my parents recently, I took the opportunity to go to Spotlight and pick up a whole lot of wool for my next project. It’s always good to have a little stash of projects ready to go.

Speaking of visiting the mountains, we popped up there for a much needed (for me at least) visit last weekend. The kids are really starting to get good at travelling for longer periods of time, so we drove with only a 10 minute stop for food and a loo break, and kept on going. Those audio books really help the time to pass! While we were up there, the kids had a lovely time playing with their cousins, Country Boy and I did a little shopping with out kids (very rare), and we went to a reunionof the church which I attended as a child (and where Country Boy and I got married). We caught up with old friends who I used to run around with as a small thing, and we marveled at how we are now the parents, and our children are doing what we used to do. It really was circle of life stuff. We finished off the weekend with a birthday lunch for my 4 year old nephew before driving home in the pouring rain. We had to detour several times on the way home to avoid fallen trees and flooded causeways, and took six hours to get home instead of the usual three and a half to four hours.

The chickens which we got back in February are all grown up. I suspect we have a rooster or two that need to go, but we haven’t got around to actually confirming the suspicion yet. We have put a few chickens down in the orchard over the winter, in the hope that they can keep some insects and pests at bay. Once the weather warms up and the trees begin to set fruit, we will pull them out again, but they appear to be enjoying their holiday. While we are talking animals, if you follow me on Instagram you would have seen that we got a new dog over the weekend, courtesy of a family friend who is moving off farm and can no longer have sheep dogs. Hannah is smitten with her, so fingers crossed Tess (the new dog) settles in quickly.

After four and a half years of living here, we have finally got around to getting our own ute. We used the farm truck, or my FIL’s ute up until now, but having a dual cab certainly makes it a lot easier to fit the family in. Country Boy is pretty happy with it too. Considering how wet and soggy the ground is at the moment, I’m grateful to have a car that will cope with boggy paddocks easily.

The pizza oven we have been planning to make since April is still not off the ground. CB has put the form work out for the base slab, but we have had so much rain, that we haven’t really thought about it since. We have got hold of the special cement needed so the oven won’t crack. Hopefully in the school holidays we will be able to get started.

We are also off to Victoria for the first week of the holidays. Country Boy and I have been to Melbourne twice since we have been married, but I haven’t been anywhere else in Victoria since I was 10. The plan is to drive down to Echuca, then meander through to Bendigo and Ballarat. Help a girl out and tell me great places to eat with the family (I suspect we will need lots of hot chocolates to keep the kids warm), and interesting things for the whole family to do. I’m hoping to hit up Bendigo Woolen Mills, but I’m not sure the rest of the family will be so excited! I remember Sovereign Hill being interesting when I was a kid, so I think we might head there for a day. Give me all the advice please!!!

What’s been happening around your place lately? Have you heard about tilting? Got any tips for what we can do in Victoria?