How time flies

It has been months since the last blog but that doesn't mean that nothing has been happening at the farm.  There has been some good progress at the farm - with the main work focused around the annex.

This is where I left the annex at the last blog - a roof and no walls.

I put a door on to keep the weather and bugs out.

The next job is to place a short retaining wall along all sides.  This should provide a good foundation for the walls of the annex and hopefully stop the mice tunneling in.

On my arrival one weekend, we were invaded by the neighbour's cattle.  They were cute, but very destructive and our trees were lucky to survive. By the next day, I had enough of their destruction and used the only food I had to lure them off the property.

This is a new-born calf which was around the dam.  It's mum wasn't happy with me getting so close.

I'm not sure if the drought has broken at the farm, but over the last few months we have had some very heavy rain.  Compared to the same time last year, we have had almost 200mm more rain.  That's about 50% more rain than last year.  The dams are all full and overflowing - which means that the river through the middle of the property is flowing.   

This is the smaller of the dams, which is also at 100%.

To help with the construction of the annex, I purchased a HUGE 10kva generator.  It weighs about 120 kilograms and I also purchased some ramps to load it into Kath's ute.  The air compressor and circular saw I have at the farm will not run off the smaller generator - it doesn't have enough power.

I also purchased a BBQ, which means that we don't have to light a fire each time we want to cook.  It also means that I can cook when it's raining.

The retaining walls around the annex are finished and the first sheet of corrugated iron is on.  The plan is that a wood heater will be place just behind this panel.

This is the rest of the front side finished.

The side of the annex has the metal panels completed and I've started the window frames.

The first window frame all completed.  The side window has bronzed laser light sheeting to keep the sun out.  This side faces due west and gets the afternoon and setting sun in the middle of summer. Hopefully this will cool down the shed in summer.

 

After the cattle invaded the property, the decision was made to put a few gates on the existing fences to keep them from getting onto the property.  The cattle travel over our neighbour's property if someone leaves the gate open.

There are 5 gates in total - two 16 foot and three 14 foot gates.

Here is the front window done.  This side doesn't get any direct light in summer, so it's made of clear laser light.  The hinges for the windows are dis-mountable so the windows can actually be taken out of the frames.  This should be great for summer days when a nice cold breeze is blowing.

Here are all the front widows done.  I still have to finish off the back window.

The back window is also clear laser light, but it is not removable.

With all the rain and warmer weather, the plants are doing very well.  This is the walnut tree and its doubled in size since the start of spring.

With the back window now finished off, I just have to enclose the gaps between the annex and the shed.  This should keep the rain/ bugs/ cold out and make our time at the farm a little more enjoyable.

Just before departing from our last stay, I set up the anemometer for the weather station which Kath gave me last Xmas.

I'm looking forward to the next stay at the farm.  Hopefully the weather will be kind to us.