When the circus came to the farm ...

During today's play, everyone showed Carly some of their best tricks ...

... Lola, Luke and Natalie doing a balancing trick



... Lola doing a backbend

... Samson and Natalie wiggling their legs with Lola hanging in the middle

... 'Look at us Carly'

' .. and now look at me Carly,' says Lola .. 'Ta-daaah'

.. and we made a house to play in too.

Four little faces we love ...

Farrah

Dakota

Milana

Ava

Warm day .. warm hearts ..

As the day was quite hot, we played in many a shady spot ..

.. also brushed the cow, saw the baby chicks and had a hunt around for everyone to have some sticks.

We played in the water and got really wet and all cooled down, went to the sand pit, which is really the big horse corral.

Before we knew it time was nearly done and we headed back up to the barn.

Along the way we saw something standing in the grass and everyone had ideas to share about what it was.

Charlie said, 'Wow, it's a rocket!'

Gabriella said, 'It's a house.'

Frieda said, 'Wee.ee it's a slide.'

Mac looked at her and gave a big smile.

All in all a lovely day,

take in the slide show and share in our play.

If you double click the album you can share in our photos.



Farm 22.10.10c

Hush little baby ...

Guess who climbed into my lap today and promptly fell asleep .. ?

Cosmos

... dream boy ...



Planting veges and a windmill ...

Today was quite glorious.

The weather man called it 22 deg c.

We experienced, clear skies, warm sun and ... well ... quite a glorious day.

Pepper, Omkara, Finn and Agnes spent the morning in the vege garden.

We carted some compost, turned the soil, planted lots of seedlings and took heaps of fresh parsley with us.  Yum!

When I asked Pepper and Agnes if they knew how to plant and Pepper said, 'I do,' and she told us step by step, little trowel in hand ...

'You dig a little hole like this ... and you make a little pile of dirt over here ... and you put the little plant in ... and you pat the dirt around.'

Agnes was intent and the two girls planted out a whole section on their own. Pepper teaching Agnes, Agnes learning fast, both checking for each other that things were going well and both feeling oh so proud and happy.



Meanwhile, Omkara and Finn were watering and chatting away, Finn a dab hand in the garden and noticing how many of each thing was growing and he and Omkara getting lost looking at slugs and worms and slaters.

Eventually they got digging and planting too.

The whole patch was alive and happy, both plants and children. 

It was wonderful to share this with them.

... even Patsy the cow wandered by and lay in the grass and enjoyed us ...

We loaded up all the seeding plants and filled a barrow to take off and feed the chooks, goats and pigs ... on the way we saw that the windmill was up and working ...

... and the conversation went like this ...

Pepper .. 'Look, look a windmill.'

Agnes .. 'It's working.'

Omkara .. 'How does that happen?'

'Well,' says Finn, 'Smoke.  It's smoke blowing out of that red thing that makes it work. Can you see that red thing up there, it's got a fire in the middle somewhere making smoke and the smoke is blowing it round.'

Silence for a very steady moment .. all eyes on the red thing and the windmill.

Finn, 'Hmm, I can't see smoke.  I don't think it does work like that. Hmm .. danella, how does it work?'

Me, 'Wind, the wind blows it round.

Finn, "That's why they call it a windmill.'

We then had a great chat about how the tanks were there to catch the rain and the windmill was now there to pump the water to the back paddocks of the farm.  It felt so good to share this gentle technology with the children.

... and our afternoon wound up on the bluestone seat, gently playing in the warm sun in the garden surrounded by the most gorgeous of flowers ...



Two things happened on a rainy day

...well more than two things really, but two things that we loved especially.

Firstly when we visited the guinea pigs early in the morning a baby raven or is it a crow ..? (I'll find our for sure and let you know..), came inside most curiously and innocently for shelter from the rain.  It so interested in us.  It walked in, wandered close, cocked it's little head and did not seem fazed at all...

... as if to say, aren't you lot curious

...hmm.m looks like the rain has eased up a bit now, I might just be off then.

So what was the other thing ..?  Lots of plaits and jasmine flowers for Daisy and Dawn ...

.. the dynamic duo ..

Dawn

Daisy

It drizzled all day, the fire was on in the barn and between me and Carly and all the kids, the farm was ours alone ...



Simple beauty ...

With a few warmer days and some drizzly rain this week as we enter the middle of spring, the farm is looking lush.  Green, abundant and hues of many shade through the gardens and grounds .. .. 'tis very gorgeous to spend a day there ..

Have a little eavesdrop ...

Harvey and Omkara were playing very happily in a bush in the witches garden.

They both climbed 'up high', about my shoulder height.

Harvey calls out, 'Help, help, danella, help!'

I ask as I walk over, 'What's up Harv?' and notice Omkara has climbed down lower.

Harvey calls back fervently, 'I'm stuck, HELP!'

Omkara says, 'I'll help you Harvey.'

Harvey replies, 'No, I'm stuck, I want danella.'

Omkara replies, 'I'll help you Harvey, I can.' and climbs back up to be with him.

Harvey replies, 'No, I'm stuck.' as Omkara settles into to place to help him.

A moments quiet and Omkara says, '...hmm.m.m... ... ...I'm stuck too, help, help!'

... a little while later ...

Omkara and Harvey were having a great time tumbling round in the tan bark, in a moment of their laughter and innocent fun, Harveys hand connected with Omkara's mouth and ... oops ... a blood lip.

Everyone gathered to see what had happened and whether Omkara was ok and to look at the blood, which is always fascinating stuff to see.

Harvey cared to know and make sure Omkara was fine.

We all checked that there was no major damage and then held a tissue to Omkara's lip while it eased off (well more like until Omkara was reassured that it was very minor not major damage ... )

Pepper was earnestly looking on and watching every detail and the minute she was satisfied that there was to be no more blood pipes up with, 'Well Omkara, you just need to eat lots of vegetables now.'

He queried, 'Why..y?'

Her reply,  'To make some new blood grow.'

'twas a rainy day ...

All day in the gentle rain with lots of smiles and plenty to do.

Our day was full of laughs and adventure ... enjoy the pictures and thanks for sharing this day with us.



... and if there are any shots you'd like for yourself, just click below to find them ...

Farm 13.10.10c

Welcome Daniel .. ..

Daniel with Charlie and Frieda happily rolling along .. ..

Daniel reaching out to find who is under that top .. .. ?

"It's Gabriella!!" .. ..

Daniel and Charlie getting acquainted .. ..

Daniel and Mac playing and sharing .. ..

Daniel helping Mac put his hat back on .. .. ..

And ... it doesn't take long for there to be lots of love with new friends at the farm ...

Gabriella, Mac and Frieda ... being each others helping hand ...

Up the lazy river ...

Well it's not often we see a boat on the river down by the farm .. .. ..

Today we did and how .. ..

Along came a little green tug boat called 'Toot', pulling a huge barge platform with a digger and some men on it.

They had come up the river to lift a tree that had fallen right across the river some time ago in a storm.

They had to to chainsaw it before carting it away .. .. so the barge in place, the digger on the go and men with a chainsaw to remove the tree .. ..

Now that was a bit of action on the river like we'd never seen before .. ..

Milana, Ava, Farrah and Dakota looking out to see it all happen ...

... and Cosmos was right there beside me, that's why you can't see him peeking over the fence!

Finn ...

What's that ya doin' Finnian Ryan .. ?

Looks like a little jig!

It was actually a moment of betwixt and between.  Peacocks were out chickens about, we'd all just arrived and gathered and Finn was darting lightly from one thing to the next, greeting his friends, looking at all he could, letting people know what he was seeing and in amongst it all, he 'turned on a penny' or 'spun round on a five cent piece' ..  however that saying goes .. and this is how that moment looked.

Very Finn, very light, very fast, a little shy and very happy.

If anyone knows Finn or has seen him in action, I'm sure you'll not be unfamiliar with the gist of things here ...

Of sunshine and springtime ..

Just take a peek at the glories of thursday morn ..



Dakota ..

Milana and the cutest piggy tails of all time ..

Ava ..

Life is often lip smacking good for Farrah ..

Cosmos, we love having you along ..

From Collages

All the flower beds in bloom ..

.. even the peacocks came down to look out over the river .. never seen that before ..

 .. found the best bush cubby ever ..

the older kids visiting had been hard at work creating

co-operated while playing ..

It was a wonderful day.