The little birds...

If you watch little birds you will see they are busy and happy! Using whatever they can find they create the most gorgeous little nest.
I would be the little bird with some glittery thread in her nest!
We can be like this. Happily working away with the things that are available to us to create a beautiful and happy home.
All the while with a little song in our heart.

Banner by Free Pretty Things for You.

Sunday 6 September 2015

The farm.

I always find it so interesting to see pictures of everyone's kitchens and pantries, cooking etc. And I find the US ladies lives and ways of doing something fascinating. So it dawned on me that maybe others would find the farm interesting?

This time I will post about the farm house, kitchen etc. as I stayed home and we didn't go out and around the paddocks. It rained a lot of the time. Previously I have posted at Christmas about the deer. Next time I will go for an evening drive and post pics of kangaroos and emus, stock etc. (It is a sheep and cattle farm.) 
So this is about the homestead.

It is also a nice time of year, the end of winter and just spring. Too early for many flowers yet.

The family moved to this farm when I was about 19. The site where the house is was nothing, barely any trees. We planted the garden from tiny plants and there was no hose, we watered hundreds of trees with buckets. My youngest brother was a baby then. The garden is surrounded by native trees and it blends in so you don't obviously see where the scrub ends and where the garden starts.



As you drive up the driveway on the left there is a large pond. The kids have a little canoe they paddle on the pond. Mum and Dad have always had little dogs and they hop in too. There are usually ducks here. In the evening and during the night there is the lovely sound of frogs. From my room I listen to the frogs in the night, I love that!



The front door is like a fortress and is huge and solid. No flimsy doors allowed! Also the whole veranda is made of posts that are the trunks of the local gum trees. That was Dad's idea.



This is the largest post on the corner of the garage. If I stand and put my arms around it I can reach half way. The house isn't going to blow away anytime soon.

In the garden there is an "arbour" that Dad had built of trees as well.


That is out the front so you can see the house behind it. There are hollow logs in this and they are always full of nesting parrots. Where there are not enough hollow logs Dad straps extra hollow logs! The birds nesting in these are Rosella's. Eastern Rosella's to be exact.


Mum and Dad each have a kitchen! Mum wins on cleanliness though. This is Mum's stove which is an Aga.


Mum has a large pantry, a very large chest freezer...
They are about an hour from the nearest small town and it is all dirt roads. So everything is kept on hand at all times.

Dad has a stove he uses all the time and this stove he is currently not using but it works. He got it from an old homestead that was falling down...


He has shelves all long a wall in the kitchen stocked with his favourite stuff. 


He also has a big freezer. It is the size of a bedroom! It is full of sheep, cows, venison, rabbits, fish and who knows what he has in there!


The garden is very peaceful. I really like it.




This is the Bay Leaf tree... I would guess it's about 6 meters/yards tall (roughly)... When I told Dad Bay Leaves are 40 or 50c he said that tree must be worth $10.000!


A Grey Shrike Thrush had built a nest on the back veranda which I was thrilled about! I stood on a chair to look inside and there were three eggs. She sat there singing away while on the nest, multitasking!



Over the next weeks I will work in a lot more photos but that's enough for one day! 

I find the farm really relaxing, sitting near the fire, the bird life is beautiful and around the house they are all so  friendly. Blue Wrens sit on the windowsills and sing. They are my favourite bird and also Grey Fantails. I saw five of those this trip.

 I am glad to have the farm in the family. And the girls grew up between the farm and the beach as we lived nearby right near the sea. That made for lovely childhoods. I came home with wildflowers, a duck, good op shopping, Bay Leaves and bunches of lavender.

Have a prudent and diligent week! I am heading out the door to stop and have washing on the line. xxx

44 comments:

  1. Dear Annabel,

    The farm is lovely. It looks so peaceful and quiet. I see why you had such a restful time there :). I love the stoves; both of them!!

    Thanks for sharing the photos.

    Love and hugs,
    Glenda

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  2. Dear Annabel, Your photos make me quite nostalgic and almost teary. I too grew up on a farm with my grandparents, but they are of course, both long gone, as is the farm. They were European and had lived through two world wars and were frugal and DIY to the core, so I think you and I had a similar upbringing. Your familys farm looks like home to me, and what a beautiful home it is. Thankyou so much for sharing it with us. Love, Mimi xxx

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  3. How lovely of you to share these photos with us, thank you! No wonder you regularly visit the farm (apart from seeing your parents, of course!), it is so beautiful, peaceful, warm and welcoming. How lucky your family is to have such a special place full of so many memories, and many more to be made! xx Fiona

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    1. Dear Fiona,
      Thanks, Im glad you liked it. It is good to have a "homestead" its a family gathering place. Its kind of a retreat from the world for me.
      Family traditions are such important things. Thanks for commenting! With love, Annabel.xxx

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  4. Thank you Annabel for sharing the farm photos with us all. Your parents obviously have a great love for the natural environment with the use of timbers and garden development. It is a truly peaceful looking farm. Just looking at the photos gives us such an idea of the peace and abundance there. xoxo

    I love the size of the freezer room! :-)

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    1. Dear Kaye,
      Thank you! Yes there is a great love of nature and I am surrounded by birds there and its perfect!
      Dad's freezer combined with Mums freezer and two fridges is a big combination! You would love it!
      Many thanks! Love Annabel.xxx

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  5. How lovely to see where you got your "rootage," as our former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson called it. He said, "A person's rootage is more important than [her] leafage." Isn't that great?! (He was a preacher's kid, a PK.)

    Have you read the Farm Chicks blog? She was the daughter of hippies and lived on a mountain as a little girl. They had no indoor plumbing, etc. and what a start she got in life. She said she wouldn't trade it for anything, as I'm sure you feel the same way.

    I for one cannot wait to see the pictures you didn't share today. Don't stop. Dreamily fascinating in every way.

    *hugs*
    Kelley~

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    1. Thanks Kelley! I have quite a few pics to come and later I hope to add wildlife, plenty of things to take pictures of I need to be taking more!
      Yes I do know the Farm Chicks! But I didnt know she had hippie family. I bet she learned a lot of skills along the way. And I agree about the importance of family and our heritage. Also though I say to anyone without a good family that now is the time to start one, start new traditions and build a good family. As the effects last generations! It is worth building!
      Thanks so much! With love, Annabel.xxx

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  6. I love the farm photos, Annabel. What a wonderful place. I hope it stays in the family after your folks have gone.

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  7. Great photos and a lovely relaxing place.
    I love the peace and quiet of my family farms too. The birds and native animals also add to the attraction, blue wrens are my favorite too and have been since I was a little girl. Just love the blue colour and they are so friendly and inquisitive.
    Have a good week Annabel xx

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    1. Dear Debbie, Thanks! Blue Wrens are the closest thing to fairies I think. Sort of magical. Like little sapphires. Nature is very relaxing. I need to go down more often.
      Have a great week too. We have lost the spring weather, it is freezing! With love, Annabel.xxx

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  8. Oh how gorgeous is your families farm, Your dad is very clever to make all those structures from tree trunks and they look amazing, I really love your mums stove but i absolutely really love your dads kitchen, the shelves and that stove is Fantastic. Thankyou for sharing these pics it was lovely to see :)

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    1. Thank you very much Karen. Next time I will take more of dads kitchen as he has huge cast iron cookware, some I cannot even lift and a beautiful old meat safe. But I had too many pictures as it was today!
      They also get a lot of honey and have big buckets of honey from the bees on the farm. It is really nice! Many thanks! xxx

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  9. Dear Annabel,

    This was just blissful! Thank you for sharing with us. It's glorious really and I hope you don't mind that I showed my family the photos. I love that your dad and mum have their own kitchens. The stoves are incredible and the grounds are just.my.speed. Gorgeous and peaceful. They are hard working people, what a legacy. I feel like I've traveled and had a visit! :). Prudence & diligence to you as well for a wonderful week.

    Much Love,
    Colette xxx

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  10. Hadn't imagined the farm like that at all! How creative and industrious! Can't wait to see other pics. Thank you for sharing!

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    1. Dear Cindy, I am always imagining pictures in my mind as I read and get a shock when I see how people look or how their home is etc as its not what I imagined! lol. I thought people might think the farm is dry and desert like as that is an Australian image. It does get dry in summer but I love it when it is all green like it is now.
      Thank you so much! xxx

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  11. Hi Annabel

    How interesting is the farm......I think it looks absolutely wonderful and could imagine myself there. My cousin used to own a farm and I really miss it now. I would go for a week of my holidays and end up staying the whole 3 weeks....so peaceful and calm. I loved to sit on the veranda which was an all the way around the house veranda so I could change my views. We would feed milk to one of the calves when they lost their mum and I had a special bond with her. We used to go swimming in the river which was crystal clear and always refreshing.

    Last night when DD5 and I went to collect DP from work we saw a little deer down by the creek and DD5 was very excited to see it, we also so a rock wallaby, kangaroos about 5 meters from where we were standing waiting for DP which gave her a thrill also. It does sadden me however the amount of animals on the side of the road that have been killed........we saw a lot of this on the road to town today.

    I can now see why you love to visit the farm and will look forward to more pictures in the coming weeks

    Love Aly xxx

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    1. Dear Aly,
      It is beautiful for kids to be able to see such wonderful wildlife! They are so curious and keen to learn.
      Your cousins farm sounds lovely.What a shame it isnt in the family anymore. We have had pet calves and lambs and this was great for the girls. When I was little we had a bottle fed kangaroo. My brother rescued a baby wombat and they bottle fed that!
      I feel very refreshed from those few days. Except it is cold! It is rainy and spring has disappeared for now. Im cooking a casserole and pies. No complaints as I will take the rain.
      Have a wonderful week, with love, Annabel.xxx

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  12. Looks beautiful there :) I grew up on a small holding and was eager to leave it for the city life in my younger days. Having a family now, I appreciate that lifestyle and where we live is similar to your farm.....
    Have a great week
    Heidi xx

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    1. Dear Heidi,
      I agree! Once you have a family you see the good things about the country life and the quieter paced life. And also sort of the safety and security of it. Thats how I feel.
      We can re create it to some extent ie I feel I am a country girl in the city. But there is nothing like going back to the farm! With love, Annabel.xxx

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  13. Oh just the kind of post I love Annabel. Probably because I am a farm chick. Of course your parents farm is so much greener than ours ever was lol! It looks so beautiful down there.

    Did you see my recent farm post? I posted about our old farm when we visited it on our holiday. Our farm is now deserted and it was a sad trip down memory lane. Here is the link if you want to have a look http://outbacktania.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/the-old-farmhouse-childhood-memories.html

    I wonder if I can grow a bay leaf tree, your mums is huge!

    I love your dads stove and freezer. Oh yes I want that freezer! And that stove lol!

    I look forward to seeing more :)

    xTania

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    1. Dear Tanka, I did read that post. Your old home was beautiful! And what a location too. I felt so sad and

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    2. Dear Tania, darn it I am on my iPad and something went wrong... sorry. I did see that post. It is so sad it was a beautiful home. I remember going back as a child to our first home, the new owners had cut down my favourite tree. I was so upset I cried! It breaks my heart.
      We do have the memories though. Still it is sad that a beautiful era comes to an end. I had no words. We are lucky though to have had these wonderful times.
      With love, Annabel.xxx

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  14. Dear Annabel,
    I am in heaven with your all of your pics. I love everything and although I can imagine it is a lot of work, it is a really beautiful place. I wish my husband could have his own kitchen! I love your Dad's shelving in his kitchen and the stoves! It is all a treat to see. Oh I can't even keep up with all my brain would like to say.
    XOXO
    Vicky

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    1. Dear Vicky, You wouldnt be the only woman who would love their husband to have his own kitchen. Only downside is Mum basically ends up cleaning Dads as he is messy! lol
      The stoves are all going at once at Christmas! All covered and full!
      Thank you! Love Annabel.xxx

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  15. Annabel I was pleasantly surprised to see that your family farm house is not like what I knew when growing up and visiting various relations on farms - yours is so much more solid and oh so inviting.

    My grandmother cooked on a smaller version of your dad's black stove and she lived in suburbia, when it was replaced it was out in the backyard of the home and became a favourite play thing - lots of mud pies were made with the aid of that stove.

    And what can I say about your father's freezer? I am green with envy.

    Have a great day

    Lynette
    XXXXX

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    1. Thank you Lynette. It is solid alright! It is a bit of a fortress!
      My Nan had a smaller version of that stove also. She also had a modern stove but she stuck to the vintage one and it also kept the kitchen warm. She liked to cook her scones the best in that stove and have things simmering on top all day. I loved it!
      I almost took photos of the freezer contents but dad is pretty messy. But venison, beef, ducks, lamb and all sorts in there. Very handy!
      I am glad it brought back memories of your Grandmother. With love Annabel.xxx

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  16. Dear Annabel, thank you so much for sharing pictures of your family's farm!! :) I can see why you love to visit!! It must be so relaxing to go there and that bay tree is gigantic!!

    I love seeing the pictures of the kitchens and shelves of food! Pantries are so important and give you a peace of mind!

    I know your week is starting great! Stay warm! Love, Teri

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    1. Dear Teri,
      Thank you! I am glad you liked seeing these.
      The pantries and freezers are a big thing when a fair way from the shops. Also the roads are bad in winter. The mail is collected in town too so once or twice a week.
      I hope your week is going well too! Lots of love, Annabel.xxx

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  17. Thank you for the tour of the farm. It is simply beautiful!

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  18. Dear Annabel,
    (Please forgive me if this is a duplicate post, having trouble with the iPad.)
    Thank you for sharing this with us. I love every bit of it. Your family is blessed and I love the little sign your dad has posted with his ingredients re: cats tasting like chicken! Lol insight to his sense of humor, I love it! The stoves, the freezer, the water...everything looks peaceful and gorgeous. Sighhhhhhhh.....I can't wait to see the rest of the photos! It's more beautiful than I'd imagined. I totally see where you get your sturdy sense of industry. Awesome!

    Love,
    Colette xxx

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    1. Dear Colette, You have good eyes! Yes that is a funny sign and farmers dont like cats, they kill birds etc. Also wild cats grow huge and are wild as anything... so yes...
      Another thing made me smile... many times in the lounge room or kitchen we make a joke about the industrial revolution or being pre industrial revolution. I love being industrious! So I guess I do get a lot of it from having industrious parents (and Grandparents) Mum would sooner have a fork in her eye than to ever sit and do nothing.
      I am glad you liked seeing the farm. Lots more coming soon! Thank you Colette! With love, Annabel.xxx

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  19. Your family farm is just beautiful!!! I am still drooling at the stoves and large freezer! :)

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    1. Thank you Jes! I should have said that at Christmas all the stoves are going at once! I should take pictures then! With love, Annabel.xxx

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  20. What a beautiful home and farm. Your dad is so clever to use those trees. For some reason, it made me feel very proud to be Australian, seeing your mum and dad and how hard working they are and how they obviously appreciate our beautiful land (for example utilising those trees). What a beautiful garden too. How lovely to have lots of family times there. I bet Harper will have a great childhood too 😀 love, Bridge

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    1. Dear Bridge,
      Thankyou! I wonder if R ever went there? He well may have. I just dont remember. Of course the trees have all grown a lot since then!
      The few days did me good too and I picked flowers and got some sun.
      I hope you are having a lovely week! With love, Annabel.xxx

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  21. What a lovely farm! I love the tree trunks used as posts for the veranda and arbour. Marvelous!

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    1. Thank you! It is hard to convey how big those trunks are. It kind of reminds me of the Flinstones...
      I am glad you liked it! xxx

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  22. I love those stoves Annabel! An AGA is on my wish list for the new kitchen :)

    And the garden is gorgeous. I remember bucketing water over little trees down the drive (1km from the gate to the house exactly) to keep them all alive during hot summers :) Thank goodness for the water barrel on the back of the quad. Your lovely posts are certainly bringing back happy memories for me with this series.

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    1. Dear Cath, Our drive way is about the same length. It is a nice walk! There are a row of pine trees along one side. Full of black cockatoos usually.
      It sounds like we have a lot of the same kind of memories and the same things make us happy.
      When we planted that garden I had my little brother in a back pack thingy and carried him around as I watered. In summer it was very hot so that was a lot of watering to keep them alive. Now they look like they were there forever.
      With love, Annabel.xxx

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  23. Beautiful! Thank you for sharing!

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  24. WOW.WOW.WOW... What a beautiful, welcoming, awesome home! I don't think I would ever want to leave there; I could just sort of have a career there! Ha! What a beautiful front door, and those food shelves in the kitchen are a delight--it looks like a store! Thank you for sharing your childhood home with us!

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  25. Dear Joy, Thank you! I am glad you like it. I think it is quite original and it's my parents all over. I hope to post more about it soon and a lot more about how Christmas is at the farm.
    I hope you are having a lovely weekend. We are having the most gorgeous spring weather. Love Annabel.xxx

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