The Native Iowan

Sunday here in QLD. It has not rained appreciably for a day or two. We still live in a mud puddle, but its drying out. Slowly. Today a brisk wind from the SE is sucking moisture out of the earth. The sun is shining. Life is good.

I was out a bit, feeding the dogs, and checked to see if I might be able to do some mowing. Not yet. Not today. Probably not tomorrow. The ground is simply too wet. Even walking on it mushes it all up. Some places worse than others. Wont be any mowing tomorrow either.

It’ll take a couple days of dry before I can start cleaning things up.

There is a lot to clean up.

Hoping for a bit of dry, more dry, less rain, its all very unAustralian. Terribly unQLD, not wishing for more rain.

I feel like I’ve been through an Iowan winter. 5 months forced indoors. 5 months of inclement weather. Nasty weather. Destructive weather. Nothing to do but watch TV and gain weight. I feel fat and lazy.

As the winds blow I watch the lush green grass dance and wave. After almost 4 years of “growing grass”, fertilising, seeding. Slashing, harrowing. We did a great job, the grass now is fantastic.

But the inclement weather has forced me to sell my herd of cattle. And thats very sad. I had great cattle. A lovely breeding herd of fine, fat, friendly beasts.

If I’d kept them, by now they’d all have foot rot, be suffering, probably would have lost a couple of the older ones, definitely would have lost a calf or three. Quite sad, but I made the quick decision over 2 months ago, and can assure myself it was the best decision at the time. Can’t raise cattle in a mud puddle.

I like the fact that the land, the little stream, the hills and valleys on this property have all changed. Tera-forming has taken placed. The waterway is drastically different. Deeper, wider, rockier. Tons and tons of aggregate, of all sizes has been washed down hill, down stream. We have rubble piles big enough to build with. Sand banks that never existed before. Trees have been un-rooted, washed down stream. A huge red-gum, growing at the bank of the stream forever, was eroded out of its footing. Its massive, ancient roots exposed.

I’ll cut the roots out and see what I can carve from the hard, knurled wood therein.

I plan to recreate this property. Turn it into something different. I’ll start by removing some fence lines. I’ll then start developing tracks that can be used with car and bike and buggy. Build jumps and drenches and slews and corners… a rural motorsports park for off road dare devils.

Its going to be fun.

I recently bought 100 flowering vines. Orange Trumpets grow long and tall. They’ll make the place dramatic and humorous… like a theme park…

I’ll festoon them all over and give the place a surreal splash of bright colour. Cover the obsolete fence lines with bright orange. It’ll be cool.

I have to wait for it to dry up a bit before I plant them. It’ll be a big job, and I am keen to see them grow and flower.

Its a funny world where one can sit, and have a thought… I want to plant 100 flowering vines, then get online and have them delivered to your door within a few days. Its very cool.

So the sun is warm n bright. The brisk wind chills the air. The fauna is happy, vibrant. Bird life abounds, the deer are constant fixtures in the fields, the dogs are laying in the sun, snoozing and grooming in the heat. The flora is singing, a cacophony of colour and movement. Ill have to do a big “weed clean up” soon. The weather has been grand for weeds.

And the beat goez on…

Smiles

More later