Homemade pies, bottling pears & the best autumn ever on the farm

Things have been VERY BUSY on the farm during isolation. The weather has been absolutely glorious! We got a lot done outside, that's for sure. So here's a quick recap:

• We homeschooled our daughter, which was challenging for us all to get used to! But we settled into a rhythm and she said she actually enjoyed being able to go for walks and enjoy the farm more.
• we had 2 German backpackers, Jonas and Marc, helping us with fencing out the wallabies, in some of the steepest most rugged terrain on our property.
• I made the most of Jonas and Marc and had them do landscaping for me! In two days we'd completed a wide set of steps between two big garden beds (my mini forest of silver birches). We used materials we had on the farm to keep costs down and it worked fine!
• Harry has begun going for longer walks up the road, sometimes in his special backpack. We dropped in on my neighbour for a cuppa one day. He hid behind the sofa for a while but eventually fell asleep beside me on the sofa. he really enjoys walking up our country road - so many interesting smells!
• The sheep have all been sorted and mated. We hope they're pregnant! We're planning a spring delivery, to give the lambs the best chance of survival.
• We sold some of our wethers and have been making connections with local buyers and processors. The feedback has been that customers can taste the difference, that our meat is wonderful and flavoursome. (our sheep have salt licks and all sorts of goodies to keep them healthy).
• Kelly the palomino (hubby's xmas present ) has been VERY NAUGHTY, but hilarious. Being 3 years old she is rebellious and moody, which I find so funny. She gives these half-hearted pig roots and kicks to show her displeasure. However, her training is going along nicely and she is slowly getting used to lots of new stimuli. She stepped on a wasp nest some months ago and was stung multiple times. This has made her skin very itchy and tingly, so she's been rolling in mud. A lot.
• My vegie patch is fantastic! We sourced some used potato crates to use as raised beds and these have been perfect. Throughout Autumn I was kept very busy picking and preparing pears, apples, rhubarb, kale, spring onion, tomatoes, tomatoes and tomatoes, broccolini, strawberries, nashi pears, brussels sprouts and lettuce. I've now planted mignonette lettuce, baby leaf spinach, spring onion, beans and carrots. There are tomato seedlings growing on the kitchen window sill. We'll see how that goes!
• I learned how to bottle fruit, make jam and preserved tomatoes in oil. I even had a go at 'poor man's capers' using nasturtium fruit. They should be just about ready to sample in a month's time.
• I baked a lot of pies and cakes during isolation. Mostly to use up the fruit from the orchard!
• My new garden beds with windbreaks attracted a lot more small birds this year. We welcomed Scarlet robins, Superb Fairy wrens, fantails, New Holland honeyeaters, sparrows, Blue Winged rosellas, Yellow Rumped honeyeaters and more.
• We built more windbreaks, enclosing the front yard to limit the fierce southerly and westerly winds that rip through in winter. It seems to be working very well!
• We planted seed mixes on the paddocks that encourage growth throughout the winter months. Many varieties of rye, clover and more. Up to 15 different seed varieties in some paddocks. We are committed to regenerative Agriculture now as a way of feeding the soil to feed our stock and rejuvenate this farmland. We haven't had to irrigate in summer and have plenty of silage if we run out of grass, which is very unlikely at this stage. It's more likely the silage will be used to vary the diet of the sheep.
• LOTS  of rain!
• I have gone back to drawing, something I loved in school and at uni. I bought a proper drawing desk and haven't looked back. I'm onto my third drawing now - a tabby cat. A bit challenging with all that fur!

my first 2 drawings

apple pies!

Harry 'helping'

Harry and Flossie pear picking

some produce from my kitchen garden

Harry on a day trip to our bottom 50 acres to pick rosehips

As we all start to get back to the 'new normal' I find myself quite keen to get moving with new projects. So I am working on the tabby portrait, AND book 2 (called Runaway) AND planting out vegetable seedlings in my garden AND planning what flowers I want for spring. Phew! Covid 19 has made me very busy.