The Best Spring Day

I follow a lot of lovely blogs where the bloggers are currently enjoying that spectacular time of year where the weather starts to cool, the leaves turn a myriad of reds, oranges and browns, and they can pull out the dark lipstick again!  I, on the other hand, reside in the Southern Hemisphere, and Spring has well and truly made an appearance.  This is one of my favourite views, which our sheep and newborn lambs are currently enjoying.

For some reason I am always surprised (and even a little alarmed) when the first buds of blossom come out, as well as the daffodils that pop up all along the roadside.  They never wait for the official start of Spring, and start to show their faces when there is still quite a few weeks of Winter left.  I'm always left feeling a bit..."What the??"  But nevertheless, it is lovely and extremely cheerful!

 

This gorgeous tree is in my mother in-law's garden at their farm.  It's quite spectacular because it has blooms in two different colours!  Like it can't quite make up it's mind.

Yesterday turned into a perfect Sunday.  We had another set of triplets (our ewes that is...not me!)...so now we have a total of six sets!  Considering we have never had triplets this is crazy!  We are getting towards the end of our lambing now and it will be interesting to see what the final head count is.

 

I took out my horse, and surprisingly, she behaved herself.  Although she did tease my brother in-law's horse somewhat while we were wandering past his paddock, and next minute Jack is trying to climb over the fence...then he has his leg stuck in the fence...then he's pulling on it and next thing the fence is down and Jack is jogging along beside us down the road.  A quick phone call to my brother in-law and we pushed Jack up into his driveway, but still...I don't like too much excitement when I'm on my not-so-trustworthy stead.

 

This is my shadow riding up the road...

So far the only photos I have of myself on my horse are those taken by me...and it seems I only consist of a shadowy figure whilst riding.  Perhaps I'm breaking into new Superhero territory here?  Tomorrow (which is Tuesday) my best mate is coming down and we are taking the horses out together so I will get a photo taken of myself I think.  Just to prove I really did it.  And that I actually exist.  Note...I'm always the one with the camera at family functions so I am hardly ever in photos.  I know my kids are going to look back on our lives and wonder where the hell I was and what I looked like!

So far I am yet to get a good photo of my horse, which is terrible really since I work as a photographer for a living, but one day. 

 

I hope everyone had lovely weekends and managed to be photographed!

 





 









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Escape

Today I actually managed to get away.  By myself.  Alone.  No children.  And it didn't involve picking up emergency groceries or going to the pool to swim countless boring laps so I don't lose complete mobility in my back.  Actually, the only time I do go anywhere different is by myself, so it would be good to go and have fun with other people for a change, because really, as interesting as I am to talk to, it does get a little tedious talking to myself ALL the time, but hey, beggars can't be choosers.  Maybe one day...hopefully, it will involve me...and my horse...and other people, all doing something joyously fun together.  I'm thinking maybe trail riding through the mountains, or mustering sheep, or learning to barrel race or do a bit of team penning.  Hmmm... I'm getting off track...

Any-who...  this is the view from the Strezlecki Ranges.  It's very hilly and the roads wend their way quickly up and over and through and cling precariously close to the edge so you certainly can't drive and change CD's, even if you're losing your mind after listening to the same sixteen tracks over and over.

It is distracting however because every so often you can't help yourself but peer over AT the view, which means taking your eyes off the road...

 

..... which really isn't such a good idea.

 

But it is beautiful.

 

 

Sigh....

 

If you must know where I was off to today I was actually off to work.

 



 

My commute to work sucks hey!  And what is worse, each time I go to work I have to go somewhere different in Gippsland and see other such ordinary vistas.  Really makes me wish I was heading down to the big smoke everyday and sitting in gridlock.  Not!

 

I had to conduct an interview out in Dalyston at a mushroom farm and it was truly fascinating.  There is so much more to mushrooms than you would think.  There is quite a science to getting it right.  It's certainly not a jolly farmer in gumboots, tripping through the paddocks with a basket hanging off the crook of his arm and plucking mushies as he goes.  There's a whole peat moss, compost, humidity and balance of water thing going on, it is quite baffling. 

 

Once again I got to meet a lovely couple AND they fed me stuffed mushrooms!  I also came home with a brown paper bag absolutely brimming with beautiful freshly picked specimens and a new respect for these pretty little pieces of fungi. 

 

 

 





  Mmmmm.. Swiss Brown mushrooms stuffed with pesto and fetta cheese!

 

By the time I got home again I had been away for almost six hours, so I stopped off at 'Penny Worth of Lollies' in Yarragon (possibly the best lolly shop anywhere), and bought sweeties for the kids and my husband, who, when it comes to lollies, is really like a little kid too.

 

Expecting to walk in to a house of total destruction, I instead found a very intoxicating smell of the slow cooker going with a left-over roast lamb curry (a whimsical invention of said lolly gobbling husband), and my two little boys happily doing chalk drawings outside on the pavers.  My one year old daughter was still wearing her pyjama's, but she was busy chewing on Duplo and chatting to her dolly without a care in the world.

 

Back to reality...



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