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Country Life Experiment

Simple Country Living

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The News In Brief

We’re back in the thick of school and work after the summer break. In some ways it seems as though we never stopped, but despite the busyness of the start of the year we are feeling refreshed.

Over the summer we stopped to pick some wild plums growing on the sides of the road. They are always small and sour and perfect for making plum paste. I’m oozing smugness after making 20 small jars of the paste, ready for Christmas gifts for my colleagues and staff this year. Who even am I???

With the summer harvest coming in, we are inundated not only with plums but also, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchinis, figs, and stone fruit. I’ve been putting some of the figs through our dehydrator so that we can make sticky fig pudding this winter. I’ve made a heap of apricot jam (my favourite after one of our friends gave us a big lot of apricots. I’m also about to start making tomato passata. We had 30 jars last year and have completely run out. Our pantry is slowly filling up for next year.

The girls have been busy with their little silkie chicken business and have begun selling some. They have enjoyed raising the silkies from chicks and the silkies are well cared for. The only problem we have encountered is that everyone wants to buy silkie hens but not so much the roosters. We may have some additions to the pot in the next couple of weeks.

Our local show is on this weekend. The kids have been busy preparing their entries. The girls have been doing some embroidery and crafts, while Toby has painted eggs and designed a fairy garden in a saucer. All of them have done some baking.

C and I have put together a few entries as well. I’ve entered a few photos and my hexagon crochet blanket. C hasn’t had a great year in the garden. The drought means that he hasn’t had as much time to tend to the vegetables and we haven’t had as much water either. As a result, he doesn’t have as many entries and he isn’t as happy with the quality of the ones he has entered. Still, win or lose, it’s good fun to be involved and have a go. You can bet on Saturday morning we will be in town checking out the pavilion (where all the entries are displayed) and chatting to friends as we see how we fared.

I’ve been making an effort to get out and go for a walk most evenings for the last few months. After a long day at work, it’s a bit of an effort but I feel so much better when I do it. Often C or the kids will trail along with me or else I listen to a podcast or two. I also take pics of the amazing sunsets and views around the farm and pop them on my insta-stories (which you should totally check out!).

Remember last year that I told you that we were planning an adventure with the kids. It’s been our dream for a few years to take the kids to Europe and show them our old haunts. Well, we are now only 7 weeks away from our big trip, and we are getting excited. The accommodation has been booked, leave from work approved, passports renewed, and plans made. We have a lot to do in the lead up to the trip though. Leaving the farm for 10 weeks takes some serious logistics. It will be worth it when we get on that plane though!

What’s been happening at your place?

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Hi, I’m Jo

I'm a city girl turned farmer's wife, school teacher, ideas woman, and mum to three country kids. Country Life Experiment is all about simple country living, growing and making our own food, and life on our family farm in rural Australia. Join me as I give country living a try. Read more...
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It’s been a tough few weeks on the farm. We got It’s been a tough few weeks on the farm. We got through shearing without a hitch (thankfully 🙏) but we’ve had a run of the flu followed by Covid run through the family since then. The kids and I have tested positive (this is my second time getting it 🦠) though so far C has managed to avoid it. There has been a lot of lying on the couch feeling pretty ordinary. Han had to reschedule her driving test for a 4th time due to Covid, which is disappointing for her because she wants her freedom and for us because it would be so much more convenient if she could drive herself places. Just to add in to the mix, our hot water system has chosen now as a good time to die so we’re on cold showers until we’re all out of iso. This is not meant to be a whinging post but sometimes life just sucks a bit and it’s good to be real. Fortunately, the sight of the fire going with a stack of wood next to it cheers us up. Things will improve soon. Onwards we go…
A picture perfect Autumn afternoon to end the scho A picture perfect Autumn afternoon to end the school holidays. We’ve been busy spending time with friends and family, harvesting the last of the summer produce, as well as a short escape to explore the big smoke. After the craziness of last term it was the break we all needed. It’s back to school for me tomorrow, and the kids are back on Wednesday. Shearing starts soon and so it’s all systems go over the next few weeks.
Covid has made some late changes to our weekend pl Covid has made some late changes to our weekend plans so we are embracing the unexpected and doing not much at home. Plenty of time for hanging out on the dam and enjoy the perfect weather.
Autumn has arrived in the orchard and the apple tr Autumn has arrived in the orchard and the apple trees are full of fruit. Yesterday we filled five baskets of apples that had fallen off the trees. Then we had apple crumble for dessert last night. Between the orchard and the vegetable garden this time of year is always super busy as we deal with all the harvest. No so busy though, that I can’t grab the camera and snap a few pics.
On weekends he makes himself a hot milo and lies o On weekends he makes himself a hot milo and lies on the veranda in the sun, just chilling and enjoying the freedom (until mum grabs her camera at least 🙄🤣).
Late summer evenings spent picking fruit in the or Late summer evenings spent picking fruit in the orchard are just the best. We take baskets down to gather the fruit and we inspect the trees and plan what we will do with it all. Tonight we gathered blackberries, nectarines and the first apples. The kids eat the fruit right off the trees - it tastes so much better than shop bought fruit. All the rain this year has not been good for all our plants; no mulberries and a lot less of some of the others. It reminds us of how much we depend on the weather and how much is out of our hands.

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Hi, I’m Jo

City girl turned farmer's wife, school teacher, ideas woman, and mum to three country kids. Country Life Experiment is all about simple country living, growing and making our own food, and life on our family farm in rural Australia. Join me as I give country living a try. Read more...
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