Glorious Rain!

by Hannah Parsons

Well, what an eventful week we have to look back on! Our weekend was spent at Imago Forest with a gathering of friends, eating wonderful food, relaxing in the sun, trekking across Julian’s land, running from snakes, swimming in the dam and entertaining three very lively and excitable children! A fantastic period of leisure to prepare us for a busy week on the farm…

With Hannah and Paul in Sydney for a few days, Julian and I are on the farm just like old times. We spend Monday exchanging between outside work in the Mandala and inside work on the computer, typing up and modifying the instructions I have been working on for the past six weeks. We have decided to make them into an organised manual for future Wwoofers, so a little part of me will live on at Imago once I’m gone! Whilst on a stint in the garden I notice two of my poor chickens have runny bums and so I spend the best part of 45 minutes trying to catch them to administer castor oil, chasing them round in circles while they hide and run…I don’t think they like me that much anymore!

On Tuesday Julian and I have fun moving one of our chook domes to a new location as the rooster ‘Sunrah’ and a few of his ‘Spooky Kids’ decide it’s a good idea escape out into the garden! With all my catching practice from Monday it doesn’t take us long to scoop them back into the dome. We spend time completing a new observations and actions sheet for the Mandala, and have some ideas for future work and improvements. The afternoon consists of sowing some seedlings for transplant into the beds at a later date.

Wednesday is a quiet day with just me on the farm while Julian is in Singleton doing what seems like thousands of vital jobs. I do some maintenance on my chicken dome, heightening the roost which has dropped down of late, and replacing some bolts which have come loose. I re-seed some beans which haven’t grown in the recent heat, and make trellis for some that are desperate for something to climb…they look much happier when I’m finished.

I harvest some beans and peas and have a cheeky taste…delicious!

Evening comes round quickly and Hannah, Paul and Paul’s parents arrive back in the rain (which we’re obviously loving after weeks of pure sun!) and dark, welcomed at the yurt by a warm fire and a dinner of homemade soup and bread. Tomorrow will involve bed planting and work in the Mandala so we jump into our beds to get a good nights sleep before another busy day…