Tuesday...20 November 2012

Tonight I went for my first ride in an auto-header  Fascinating piece of machinery. Huge! The cabin is like the cockpit of an aeroplane, with gauges and lights every where. I just love technology and this is so productive. And it was air-conditioned! Sure beats the good old bad old days of open air tractors in the heat and dust and flies. Thank you Andrew.
I spent the last few days dead heading the rose bushes and watering the pot plants. We have one Xmas pudding made and another batch of fruit marinating in plonk for the next one. Smells good.
The weather is warming up and there is not a cloud in the sky.
In the background is the constant hum of machinery and the crackle of the UHF radio as the district goes about the business of harvest.
The uncle does not do the harvest, he mostly leaves that to his grandson now, but he makes himself useful pumping water from the river to the holding tanks that feed the stock and to wash us and our clothes and water the gardens. We are four kilometres from the river so pumping the water is hard work and never ending.  He tends the livestock making sure they have food and access to water and keeps an eye on their health, which leaves the others to go about the harvest without distraction. He also takes care of rubbish disposal and summer weed control. A handy fellow to have around.
I am constantly amazed at the ability of these older folk. I am usually exhausted by lunchtime and have a little nanny nap most days, but they just keep on keeping on. They may not move as fast as some but they sure as heck do not spend their days sitting around twiddling their thumbs either.