As I drove back down the Hume heading towards Benalla and eventually home, Samaria Rose Farm, my car started to have some minor problems with the cars computer system.
Although we are not living remotely by many people standards it did strike me as this is something I would need to get seen too, because the difference in convenience and space between the inner suburbs of melbourne and north east Victoria are still very different indeed.
I worked out what the problem was and and eventually made it back to my family after having completed a few days work in Melbourne.
As I pulled off the Hume I was as always happy to be met by the site of the familiar gum trees, I wound down the window to breathed in a deep, full breath of that country air.
It wasn’t long until I pulled into our into our tree lined drive and was greeted by the sight of warm lights glowing in the living room.
I was happy to be home and find out about the kids latest adventures.
A couple days later was time for our children to start school.
We had picked up their red and blue uniforms the week before and they were all set to start at their new school.
My daughter Sono seemed to be fitting in and making friends quickly, where as our son Jin was telling tall tails about how many new friends he had made, after a few days we revised it down from 8 to zero.
His sister would let him hang out with her and her friends in the mean time, she really is the sweetest girl in the world. I would know, I’m her father.
Much to our surprise Sono was enjoying school and not coming home and complaining that she would rather be at home feeding the sheep, chasing lizards or playing games on the computer.
The biggest surprise was yet to come, as our boy Jin by the end of the month had not only made friends but was now playing cricket. (I don’t think I’ve ever been so surprised in my life) you see him more the dressing up, cool guy/DJ type.
The rose farm business has begun to gain momentum sooner than expected Utako has been busy bottling, boxing and posting rose water, lemon and lemon myrtle.
She also sent a shipment of 200 of Damask rose 3D heart shaped soaps to Japan. I was there that day and helped her carry the 2 big boxes into the post office.
We were required to tape the boxes together and the lady at the post office kindly offered to that for us, the problem was she put one box on top of the other and proceeded to tape the around in a loop where the bottom box met the top box.
We left the post office and both had the same image in our mind of the boxes breaking apart and the unlabelled bottom box just disappearing.
We promptly marched over the road brought some packaging tape returned to the post office and sheepishly asked if we might have another go at the taping, the post office lady was a great sport and kindly obliged.
We woke to another set of twin lambs we had no idea the mother was pregnant.
They’re named Ben 10 and Chocolate cookie, they are a super cute a milk caramel colour with white patches.
Chocolate cookies front hooves were bent over like a limp wrist and he was having trouble walking for the first couple of weeks.
We were all terribly worried, but after a few days we thought we noticed some improvement and after a week she could almost keep up with here sister, thankfully she can now keep up with the best of them.
We found out from our neighbour this is not uncommon and it is due to them being bent over in the womb, he said you can use a swimming pool noodle and some bandage to force the tendons straight. (always learning up here ).
Collecting eggs before school and opening the paddocks for the sheep. We have been busy with the line trimmer slashing between the roses, 1000 roses done a thousand more to go.
Utako has been dealing with the tomatoes as best she can the seem to ripen quicker than she can make pasta sauce.
We have had some visitors for the first time, my sister and our 2 cousins came up for a visit and we went hiking up the mount Samaria look out and checked out Nillahcootie damn.
Utako and I tried to figure out where our house was while I heard jin in the background say, we are so high I can see the future.
We had this fantastic man Con and his wonderful wife Margaret drop by to pick up a damask rose bush in pot, Con was hilarious he was like a 13 year old boy trapped inside a 60 year old greek mans body.
With his big mop of hair, big smile and constant enthusiasm and explanations of how to cook and eat everything on our property he was an absolute joy.
We had our first airbnb guests a lovely couple with a daughter the same age as ours, the girls had a great time feeding the sheep and chooks together.
A mother and son stayed and had a great time walking the silo trail.
Last but not least we had and amazing couple who live up at Fitzroy Crossing they came and did our first ever workshop.
We headed out into the fields and pruned enough lemon myrtle to run the distill, we had an amazing time with this woman and she also works, lives and is currently apprenticed to an aboriginal medicine man.
It was so interesting to spend time with her talking about native Australian medicines, stories and wisdom.
We later ran the distill and explained the process, it is a very hands on experience so I had everyone get involved.
My wife made a delicious Japanese lunch for her, she spoke Japanese fluently and the girls had a great time.
We went for a farm walk after lunch and returned to the distill hours later to bottle some lemon myrtle spray and lemon myrtle oil.
It was a brilliant day, we had a wonderful month and we are all looking forward to what the Month of March will bring.
Whats new in March,
Easter Saturday easter egg hunt in the vegetable garden
