There are signs of rain, and I am gearing up for planting season, and taking stock of what has done well this summer (fever tree/acacia karoo/senegalensia, guava, apricot, some granadillas, pomegranates, some almonds but not others, mulberry) and what has just survived (most citrus, avocado, pecans)
Here are some pictures from our month!
Chickens have been struggling with fleas-- diatomaceous earth is really good for getting rid of fleas, but I think Lohman browns (the most standard/common breed of laying hens) seem more susceptible than Boschvelders.
The geese look threatening sometimes -- perhaps because they're as big as Hana-- but they're actually friendly and gentle with us.
Car selfie?
Gentle with those little starfish!
Sea urchins!
Eli has started taking photos every day-- consistently it's his favourite memory of the day. All the photos that follow are taken by him.
Free-range guinea pigs. Perry-- Can you spot Little One in the background?
Last month I shared Eli's story, and this month I wanted to share Noah's story, which he illustrated and wrote, and also narrated (Eug makes some of the boys' stories into animation for them). If you enjoy it, please write a comment or click like. Noah was super brave to narrate, as he's been working on his speech for a while.
It is hot and dry here, and we're still going to the beach and dam a lot. We still seem to be getting more animals, though we're trying not to. The farm is making very slow and steady progress, and we had the first market day of our food buying club (co-op type thing). So... we're pretty tired. Happy and tired.
In other news, we made the decision to travel as a family to the U.S. and Canada this summer. I have a conference, and it seemed to be a good idea (it's also a time when my dad can care for our many animals) despite our real desire not to travel for a while. If you are in Boston, please let us know if we can see you!
If you have a moment, check out Eug's youtube channel and if you like it, subscribe! He has a new Little Mouse story coming out on Wednesday, and Noah's story will come out the following Wednesday. It's a good way to hear about our farm life from another perspective.
rock pooling...
kids are really into examining poop and animal footprints on hikes in Cape Point...
Note to brave souls: the Ship wreck trail is a really long walk if you have a 4yo. Prepare accordingly...
ship wrecks
one of three chicks... We may be getting some more, soon.
Noah's budgie-- spends a lot of time on his shoulder...
Our newest addition. We'd been thinking of getting a cat (hopefully to help with our rat problem) for almost a year. TEARS, our local shelter, was getting more desperate for homes as the season progressed so we decided to adopt. She's lovely. I've never been a cat person, but now I certainly am...
And lastly, Eli's armadillo story, where, even after prehistoric armageddon , shopping malls persist.