Home Alone!

I'm home alone for a few days this week! Farmer Phil is on a 3 day bus tour around Victoria visiting farmers who have adopted a "controlled-traffic" farming system. They will look at the impacts on soil and productivity from using this system.

Emma is in Sydney for 2 days to see the musical "Wicked" with her Year 9/10 music class. We'll be back to Sydney at the weekend for Emma's Choir Concerts at the Opera House. She has 2 days of rehearsals first and then 2 performances on Monday and Tuesday nights.

I think I might treat myself to see a movie when I'm in town and have a look around the shops which I don't get to do very often. My trips to Wagga are normally just quick ones or at night when Emma is at singing lessons & choir.

The photo of Farmer Phil was taken on Saturday in a paddock of Ventura wheat sown in mid-May.

Crop Comparison

These two photo's are of our Cobbler canola crops from 2010 and 2009. The top one was taken today - 13th August 2010, and the bottom one was taken on the 16th August 2009. It is amazing the difference in them as far as how advanced they are. This year's canola was sown 3 days earlier than the 2009 crop.

It's clear to see that the 2009 crop was almost out in full flower and struggling for moisture. This was due to last year's drought conditions so the crop was desperately trying to reproduce no matter how tough the conditions.

This year's canola has had lots of rainfall right from the time it was planted at the end of April. It looks lush and healthy with just a few flower heads beginning to emerge. This is how canola should look in August!

Our rainfall to date this year has been 544.5mm as compared to last year's rainfall total at the same time of just 206mm!

So it just goes to show that all we farmers need to grow a decent crop is RAIN!!!! Fingers and toes crossed that rain keeps falling in September and October.

Women!

I'm so grateful to live in Australia in 2010 as a strong, free and equal woman!

I've just started reading "Nomad" by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. It sure does open your eyes to the big wide world out there and how women suffer at the hands of men, religion and culture!

If you get a chance to read this book, then you'll understand where I'm coming from!

Farmer Phil read the book first and could not believe the cruelty.

Ayaan was in Australia a few weeks ago and we watched one of her interviews. Farmer Phil asked me to get the book for him next time I was in town. I've also ordered her first book "Infidel", so that should be an eye-opener too.

Sewing Again!

I've taken the cover off the sewing machine for the first time in 6 months to start making this quilt. It's made from the left over Anna Maria Horner Garden Party fabric I had from making Rachael and Jess's wedding quilt last year. I had the intention of making it as a Christmas gift for a family member, but now it's made I don't know whether I can part with it because I love the fabrics so much!!!

I also completed this dress using Anna Maria Horner fabric again. Here is the link for the pattern from her blog. I love this fabric also and it was the simplest dress I've ever attempted. It'll be lovely and cool for Summer. Sorry about the dodgy photo but it's really hard to take a photo using the bathroom mirror!!

Emma

Emma was away at a Choral Camp this last week. She has always loved singing and has been having vocal lessons for about 5 years now. She's been involved in choirs at school and also with the local Conservatorium.

After camp the co-ordinators picked 10 students for selection in the NSW State Choir which will perform at the Sydney Opera House in August. Emma was one of those selected so it looks like we'll be tripping off to Sydney next month!

Farmer Phil and I are very proud parents!!

On a Happy Note....

Farmer Phil and I did a road trip to Brisbane this week to pick up our new car.

I know what you're thinking - "why on earth would you drive 1250km to buy a new car?"

Well, the simple answer is $7000!

That is how much cheaper this car was compared to dealers in our local area.

I had put 265000km on our old car in the 6 years we owned it, so we were overdue for a new one when you consider that I drive about 50000km each year.

Farmer Phil and I actually enjoyed our trip as both of us had never been further north than Gunnedah. We saw that the canola crops were starting to flower around Parkes, and then near Moree they were out in full flower whereas our canola still looks like cabbage plants with no flower at all.

The flat, black soil plains around Moree were some of the best farming country we saw with their huge flat paddocks.

Ryan thinks we're very "cool" parents now with such a nice car - it's a Holden Commodore SSV with a 6L V8 engine.

17 Years

17 years ago today marks our second son Brendan's birth and death. Farmer Phil and I remembered Brendan in our own quiet way this morning. xx

Unmade Bed!

I didn't get to make the bed this morning before Squirt made himself well and truly at home on it. I didn't have the heart to move him because he looked so comfortable. I wrapped my dressing gown around him for some extra warmth and that's where he's been all day!

I'm a Gleek!!

I'm proud to admit that I'm a gleek!!

I love "Glee" and I'm a bit lost now that the series has finished on our TV's for the moment. I loved the final show and how it tied up some loose ends and will keep us excited for the new season to start! I hope Mr Schue and Emma finally get together!!

I bought the DVD of the first series so Emma and I can now get our Glee fix whenever we want!!

School Holidays

We're half way through our school holidays at the moment which have turned out to be busier than the school term!

Firstly Emma has been performing in a cabaret/dinner show at a restaurant in Wagga. She had her final show last night after 6 performances over 10 days. Before the shows even began we were doing lots of miles in the car for rehearsals.

The show was called "Phantoms, Cats and Superstars" and featured songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musicals such as Evita, The Lion King, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, and Beauty and the Beast. Emma had a wonderful time performing and can't wait to be in another production!

Ryan has been at a Winter Water Ski Training Camp at Stoney Park on the northern NSW coast for the week. Emma was also supposed to attend but it clashed with her show so she opted to stay home. Ryan has returned home tired but very happy that he improved his slalom, trick and jump events. All Farmer Phil and I have to do now is keep up his training over Winter to be ready for the ski season which starts in September. Ryan also informed us that he "needs" a new slalom ski!! We'll see about that!!