Have you tried Eco Rodent Killer?

Rural living gives you a different perspective on so many things to that of a city dweller. Take rats and mice, for example. The sight of a mouse running across one's living room whilst entertaining guests in suburban Sydney would certainly raise a few eyebrows and you'd be sure hear a few screams (from the women as well). If it was a rat, hey, all hell could break loose!

Country folk are made from stronger stuff. You don't feel ineligible for a 'good housekeeping' award if you see or hear the pitty patter of tiny feet at night. It's just a fact of life. In fact last spring, mice were at plague proportions, with estimates as high as 8,000 mice per hectare in Western NSW (though fortunately not as many here). Our friend who has made the tree change to Mudgee referred to them as her 'moving carpet'. With around 16 hectares, imagine having a hundred thousand or so in your backyard? That's a lot of ratsak.

Enter Mr or Mrs Python. Whilst we'd prefer to not have a number of Australia's most nasty snakes in this part of the world, we are fortunate to have the lovely 'non-venomous' Carpet Python. Although you might not see them at first, their presence is instantly noticeable due to fact that the mice and rats just disappear.

Unfortunately, you can also tell they're around by the disappearing chickens, guinea fowl, the failed attempt at the rabbit, just to name a few. There's nothing like finding a 10cm 'lump' moving down the pythons body, when, if only you'd been there 10 minutes earlier, little Miss Chick could have been saved to go on and lead a long, productive life.

Of course, the outcome would have been the same whether I got there earlier or not. Dare I say it.......I'm not a python wrestler. Fortunately Gareth is. Once we've decided that we've endured Mr or Mrs Pythons feasting on our non-target species for long enough, or at least more than what we consider acceptable payback for rodent reduction, Gareth finds them a lovely new home a few kilometres away down the hill.

Experience tells us that it won't be long before our little furry friends make another appearance and begin their cycle of annoyance. But we take comfort in the fact that we know something they don't. As with a lot of properties up this way, time share is very popular. The next Python to take up residence is probably at most weeks away............

Step by Step, Bit by Bit

Stone by Stone (yeah), Brick by Brick (oh yeah)
Step by Step, Day by Day, Mile by Mile (ooh).......

Nothing like the inspiration of a Whitney Houston Lyric!

Council agreed to a S96 application (variation) this week (that means no new development app and a much shorter process). Yeah!

As the song says.......

Poor Bamboo, so misunderstood

Why is it that anyone over 50 has this inane fear of Bamboo? Given that nurseries have been selling clumping varieties for years, I find it hard to understand that people still think of Bamboo as this rampant evil menace, from shores to the north, ready to take over the land (funny, I thought I read a similar story in the Fin Review this week - so xenophobia is apparently still alive and well in Oz).

Anyway, as I was saying before my mind wandered (just like the old days of running Bamboo) these clumping varieties are just fab for those of us wanting instant gratification and a little privacy. Think of Bamboo as the 'instant noodles' of the plant world, just add water and voila! This is my kinda plant - not shelling out wads of cash for mature varieties, go the smaller pots and you can watch it grow before your very eyes. It also helps if you have an avid gardener on hand who knows all the secrets to have your garden realise its full potential.

Gareth always says that when you plant a garden you are planting for the next generation. He's certainly not wrong in saying that, I can just hear the next generation now "how much do you reckon we'll get from Uncle Pete's estate - lucky they had those beautiful gardens, should add a fair bit to the sale price!".  Funny enough, this may not have been exactly what he intended when he made that statement. However, I do hope some future generations enjoy them for their beauty.

Now, what was the reason I originally sat down to write this post? Oh yes, the Bamboo. We recently planted 150m of Bamboo along our front boundary to give us the ultimate in privacy (read cheaper than a fence). Unfortunately, it was planted during a month of searing temperatures and no rain and it initially looked a little worse for wear (read dead). I lost all faith but Gareth said no fear, Bamboo is here. With a little bit of rain, it's flourishing again and it no time I'm sure it will look like another row of Bamboo we planted a little over a year ago.

Here is that row last November (left) and today (right) and Oscar running through it (below) with our gardener extraordinaire in the background (who never likes to be in the spotlight).

Bamboo. Clumping away to its hearts content, not a runner in sight. We'll feel safe in our beds tonight. Happy gardening.

The 80's can haunt you in some very strange ways....

I saw an interview recently with Simon Le Bon talking about Duran Duran's upcoming tour of Oz in March. It must be a tough gig for singers like Simon, always being reminded of their past when asked to perform their old hits (which invariably happens with each performance) - instantly they are transported back to 1981 and in his case 'Planet Earth'.

For those of you who were with me back then (or those who remember) most of us have successfully put the 80's to bed, unless of course a 20 something you know thinks that an 80's party is a great idea and you get asked along purely for the entertainment value and your 'first hand' knowledge.

But the world works in mysterious ways. A little while back we were asked to take on some Damara sheep again. We were quite hesitant at first, knowing full well of the trauma we experienced previously with poor Danny and the Damara Girls meeting an early demise. But these sheep were in dire need of a feed and having ample grass to eat we felt compelled to have another go.

So far so good. In fact, one of the ewes recently had a lamb and he's turned out such a fine specimen he will be our other stud ram to increase our numbers. His name is Freddie.

Freddie you ask? Strange name for a lamb - well that is until you know his father is called Elton, his mother is called Bonnie and his auntie is called Madonna. Who were we to buck with tradition?

And before you ask, no, we didn't start this 80's journey, they were already named when we bought them. But in some strange way, this new found expression of the 80's is sort of comforting and we can't wait for the next lamb - will it be Sade, Cyndi, Rick or Prince? Surely, you say, it must be Kylie!

We'll keep you posted.......xx

Living life through rose coloured glasses

For those of you who know me well, I'm the one who can always put a positive spin on things. Forever the optimist, dreaming of things to come.

Well, for whatever reason, in 2011 I started to let things get me down. Some people might think this  perfectly understandable, given all the setbacks we have had with building the B&B, but for me this negative sentiment was unusual and a place that I was clearly uncomfortable with. 

Then, as the year was drawing to a close, I started to take stock and wondered why I should have let things get me down. I had the best 50th Birthday celebration with the most amazing group of people you could call friends; as each day passes Gareth and I are one step closer to realising our dream; and we're in good health - so what was I moaning about?

So, with a "not so bad" 2011 behind us, I am most enjoyably looking out through my "rose coloured glasses" at a fantastically bright 2012 with the prospect of great things to come. And for those of you that don't have any, I'd strongly recommending picking up a pair...... it will change your outlook on life (and some of those things that you have been hoping for will come to you - if you want them bad enough)

Fullfillingly yours. P. xx

P.S. I thought I'd leave you with a few pics of some of the glorious vistas we have from Gareth's handiwork these days. 

All good things come to those who wait

I've never really been good at waiting for anything. Instant gratification. I want it now.......

Well, I guess there are some things that you have to wait for. Like building our dream. On that front, you've been probably wondering why we've been so quiet lately when it appeared things were moving along again.

Gareth reckons it's the mid life crisis I've been having (now I know the marvels of modern science have us living longer but I hardly think I'm going to make 100). Anyway, it was a crisis of sorts.

As most of my friends know, I've always jumped in regardless of consequence and fortunately luck has been on my side. This time, it's about both of our futures, so I wanted to make absolutely sure that the financial commitment we are about to make stacks up.

Recent world events don't make things easier either, however, despite the numerous setbacks we have had  we're now back on track. Thank god for Luke our accountant, I'm now 100% confident of the direction we are heading.

So I plan to be back on line more regularly and sharing our dream.

And for any of you also in the midst of change in your life, all I can say is embrace it ..... chances are we only get one go at it! xx

"Rocks r Us"

Remember the 70's (well some of you don't but hey, work with me).... remember when everyone wanted that prized piece of expensive bush rock for your new swimming pool backdrop or for that 'feature stone' in the middle of your front garden. Yes, Sydney bush rock adorned only the luckiest of my friends gardens in those days. We sadly we had to settle for a more modest adornment in the shape of river pebbles.

I'm pleased to say however that this is not the case for us in Carool. We have bush rock in abundance. In fact, I'm thinking of putting a sign out the front "Rocks r Us". We dig, U find. Yes, pretty much anywhere you dig a hole on this property, you'll find a boulder of some description, or if your lucky you'll manage to avoid that rock hiding in the grass that sends the ride on back to the repair shop yet again.

Given this bounty, our enthusiasm for bush rock uses knows no bounds. This week, we started building the "Great Wall of Carool" - an 80 metre retaining wall. Apart from stopping erosion on the hill (always handy when you are building a new house above) it means that we can now finally surface the road we had built last year..... which of course was washed out from the 6 months of rain that started immediately the day after it was completed.

So if you ever have the need for some rock, you know where to find us.