I find myself with less and less time for blogging. It used to be so easy to document all the wonderful things I saw and did on the farm. My head was brimming with ideas and inspiration and my camera was constantly at hand. Not so these days with two little children in the house! That doesn’t mean things are happening here at Vastrap. We seem to be busier than ever, but it’s hard to steal moments at the computer between taking care of the kids and trying to get some real work/admin done. The drought has also been a drain on our spirits and it’s been hard to see beauty around us with our gaze permanently turned to the sky.
We are well and truly into autumn now. The evening temperatures have dropped sharply and the afternoon light is soft and golden. We face the coming winter with a sense of trepidation as there’s so little food for the cattle and our dams are still horribly low. We just have to take it one day at a time and hope for a few more hot days so that the grass can keep growing and a few more good showers to replenish our water levels. Everyone is hoping that the frost comes late so that the late blooming sunflowers can yield a crop.
We’ve had some wonderful visits from family and friends this year and those are really the times to cherish and remember. Easter was a quiet, but colourful affair with my sister and her family with us for a few days. The first thing my sister did when she arrived was go out in the garden and pick as many flowers as she could to fill the house. It wasn’t the usual bountiful haul, but she managed far more than I have this whole summer! We cooked delicious comforting meals, drank G&Ts, played with the kids and stole some afternoon naps. And chocolate. Oh there was lots of chocolate! And a huge decadent chocolate brownie ice cream cake that I made specially for my niece, Sophia. My parents-in-law celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary on Easter Sunday, which added even more significance to the day.
After everyone departed, Quentin and I took the kids for a walk down into the valley. As we walked we ended up surrounded by a mixed group of very old and very young cows, all curious to say hello, or maybe hoping we had some extra food for them. Livia absolutely loves cattle so this little moment of interaction was the perfect end to the perfect relaxing weekend.
Vastrap Farm 