My second Sunday on the farm was fairly similar to my first. We had a late start and the day itself was very laid back. We collected some fruit in the morning and in the afternoon we raked the alpaca paddock and cleaned up more poo with the gigantic vacuum. In the evening I got to watch dancing with the stars where the judges are a lot less annoying and the dancing as pretty much the same compared to back home.
On Monday and Tuesday we planted some new vines. I was the hole digger whilst my German friend was the planter and hole filler-in-er-er. Digging a row of holes for the vines was strangely therapeutic. I put a cup of manure on the ground, mashed it in a little the stuck the spade in the ground and lifted out the dirt a few times and hey presto every time there was a hole pretty much like the last hole. It was simple and there were no surprises plus I figure my arms got a bit of a work out. I certainly ate enough biscuits during morning tea so I only hope I was working off as many calories as my brain seemed to think I was! On Monday afternoon I went for another short run, taking advantage of the sunshine whilst I could, followed by an afternoon of baking. OK I watched and I did wander outside a few times to be sociable and get myself a can of rum and coke but there was baking being done and I was in the vicinity. On Tuesday we had a short shower of rain as we finished up the planting, and I mean short. I think it might have lasted a whole minute maybe even two. It was enough to make us muddy instead of just dusty though so once the planting was finished it was back to the homestead for some food and a shower. In the afternoon we headed to a local shop with our host who gave us a mini tour of the area including driving through a known kangaroo stomping ground where saw my very first wild kangaroos!!
Wednesday brought a break from the planting as we returned to picking fruit. This time we collected a variety of the fruit from called McGuffies that are picked from the vines before returning to the Misty Gems. These are a smaller variety which drop from the vines once ripe and are then collected by us from the ground using our trusty beetroot cans on poles. Fruit collected we moved on to car washing. I am never buying a 4x4 as I needed a step ladder to reach all of the roof! Our mornings work completed there was more cooking awaiting us in the afternoon. This time I stayed in the kitchen and peeled veggies for soup, cut up apples for apple cakes and washed many dishes whilst my German friend made a pear cheesecake and our hosts mum worked on the soup and apple cake around us. I was then very virtuous and remembered to go for another run though if I keeping eating desert with my massive meals I can see me having to extend my route. Currently I only run for 20 minutes so I’m not sure how many biscuits I am really working off not to mention the massive meals I seem to be eating.
Thursday saw a return to planting and yet again the whole morning was taken up by planting one row of new vines and a lazy afternoon recovering from digging all those holes. On Friday we got to try another new skill. Our host had to do some welding and after showing us how it was done he provided us with some scrap metal so we could have a go too. It was fun and I reckon if I had been left there all day I would have got the hang of it eventually as needless to say our first attempts were less than successful. It was then time to check the vines, making sure they were wrapped around the guiding wires properly before breaking for lunch. As we’d had a later start that morning we headed back out after lunch though this time to the boat instead of the vines. The boat is due to go to the mechanic next week so we did some vacuuming inside and cleaned the cushions with the air compressor before calling it a day. It is now I must confess that I stayed up until 11pm on Friday night. I know, it’s shocking behaviour. I can see that if I keep this up I shall be the talk of Jindabyne come the ski season. I think I’ve forgotten what a pub looks like. Anyone fancy meeting me in Brisbane next month for a few schooners?!
You’d think after such a late night I would sleep in on Saturday, well I did. I didn’t get up until 7am! Ok I confess I would have slept longer but bring a bit of an eejit I forgot to turn my alarm off. Still I was happy to be up as I decided to go online and found an e-mail from a friend saying that she plans to head out to see me in October! Even more exciting I discovered that we were to have the day off as our hosts were taking their guests to deliver a ram and do a little sightseeing. I then spent the morning planning my friends trip out here, replying to e-mails and planning the next stages of my own adventure. You’ll have to wait to find out what they are as I think it’s time for me to enjoy some of this glorious sunshine whilst I can.
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