First Day of Winter

It's the first day of Winter and the weather at the farm is very mild to say the least. A clear blue sky this morning, but now heavy clouds promise some rain later this afternoon. And thats great as I have just planted some more of our revegetation tubes and a about 30 Silver Birches that will all need watering in. One less job at least.

Fairy wrens flittered about warning me away from their territory as Molly the Dog and I inspected the shrubs we planted last Autumn as part of the BHP Billiton Community Revegetation Programme. They have all done so well, and heaps of voluntary natives (from seed in the soil) have errupted from where there was once about an acre of blackberries. Swamp Gums, Saggs, Sword Grass and Rush have all sprouted out of the soil as thick as hairs on a cats back - the wrens are not the only ones taking advantage of the new shrubs. Signs of wombat, native hen, burrowing crayfish and a quoll are all evident. Soon the tree guards will be able to come off and be used for our next section of wind breaks for the Christmas Trees.

And better then all that manual labour is the fact that our Raspberries are doing better now then they did through Summer ! The kids have all been gorging themselves under the nets on the crumbly late fruit. Even His Lordhsip at 18mths has figured out how to get under the nest and pick berries - smart lad :)