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We had a marvellous time at Home League yesterday. A gentleman by the name of Andrew Royal brought with him some cheese and yoghurt that he had made on his Father-in-Law's property using water buffalo milk. It's a lot creamier than normal milk, and really yummy. He gets up at 2AM to begin cheese-making, and the staff, all of who are local and have school-aged children, arrive shortly after 8:30AM. That's why he gets up at 2AM, so that the cheese is ready for the next step which needs more than one person, and he likes to accomodate his staff. What a sweetie!

We asked him about the male calves, and he said that unless they were used on the farm itself, they had to be killed and then taken by the knacker, as they were not allowed outside the farm without the Governments permission.

He was kind enough to give me examples of feta, panir/queso blanco and yoghurt from the Shaw River Buffalo Cheese factory on the Princes Highway at Yambuk. He told me he didn't want to take the products home. What a sweetie! The feta is not as salty as the Bulgarian, and he does one as well that is not in brine at all, but cryo-vacced. The yoghurt is a traditional Greek style. I felt right at home! So I gave him my recipe for Worlds best hot chocolate. He was happy.

His Father-in-Law had imported the water buffalo a few years ago from Italy and another European country, which name I can't remember. They had to come via Denmark, I think, for quarantine reasons, and then a special 'plane had to be hired to bring out the first lot from Italy. The second lot shared quarters with U2 when they had a recent Australian tour.

The weather has continued to be very rough, although we have been blessed with some rainless days. The wind kept up, which meant that in the middle of winter I was able to dry clothing on the line overnight. Yahoo!

Brian will be part of the Security at the Fun-4-Kids Festival tomorrow night, and Alice will be leaving early Saturday morning for a three day camp. I am looking forward to picking her up on Monday as I will head through to my favourite Op Shop in Camperdown (and any others I can get to!). This time I will try and remember the camera so that I can share some of the wonderful things my daughter can do!

Speaking of bragging, we received her report from school - and it was fabulous! Ninety-three percent was her lowest mark - in Language, due to spelling test mistakes. Her Bible Study mark was 100%! I am so chuffed! Mathematics was 97% and her last test was a three-page job for which she earned 33 out of a possible 35! And her behaviour is excellent! Yahoo!

We've had a few calves die for no apparent reason. It's really puzzling us. We can't afford to get a vet. in, so we'll just stop buying them in for awhile.

We've been catching a few mice lately, using glue traps to excellent advantage. Poor Mowgli is still scared deathless of them, though.

I have finished with my job at the YMCA, due to major personal differences with my boss. His idea of child safety was not mine, nor did I appreciate being given two minutes notice for important meetings, especially when I had other commitments. I felt very bad about leaving when on the verge of completing the Holiday Programme, but it would just have been worse and worse.

So now I am a stay-at-home-Mum again. Which is fine, I should be able to catch up on some housework, provided I am sensible and don't keep on getting infections (I've had some doozies in the last week, ranging from a sore throat, to a cold, to feeling like I was drugged on Monday, which lasted for twenty-four hours, apparently an infection that is doing the rounds of the Western Districts rather well at the moment). Then late last week I scalded my left wrist rather severely, but prayer and a good friend's help stopped blistering. Tonight I dropped a heavy braising pan on the back of my right hand, and somewhere along the line my thigh is protesting mightily. Heaven alone knows to what that one is due. I dread to think. Oh, well, plenty of practice for old age! It has to get better, right?

Brian and the boys have been absolutely fabulous getting heaps of firewood for us. Everything from the wonderful slow-burning, hot flamed redgum to lotsa pine pieces. Brian has made a considerable dent in our wood pile by using the saw bench. Now, I can easily fit the wood into the firebox. Another yahoo!

The tomato plants are persevering, despite some incredible hail storms, and today I grubbed up some Jerusalem artichokes from the Herb Bed to supplement the Italian veal dish I was making. Very, very yummy.

The German Shepherds have been bloomin' marvellous, and learning very fast. Rojan tried to play with Mowgli today, and I don't think it worked well, but Mowgli remains unharmed. He tried to play back, but it's pretty useless when the ratios are all-wrong.

Koroit has its own website! Try Koroit.com.au. (Note: I could not find a link that would work. We will check back with Leonie later on and see if the address is complete. Nita) I will as soon as I can!

Winter

Things are colder now

The wind is bolder now

The Frost Giant stumbles through the land

Burying everything with his ice-tipped hand

It swings around each frozen morn

and icy wastes greet each frozen dawn

The rain sheets in floods visible in the air

Grey cloud racked up stair upon stair

Rainbows visit as brief as blue sky.

Thunder rolls and the lighting strikes high.

My kitchen is a haven of warmth

and the soup is welcome from the hearth

As the storm blusters and rattles doors

the weather fights inclement wars

I nestle and look through winter cookery books

and don't want to leave my warm little nook

the aromas and bubbles of my roiling pot

makes me thankful to God for all I've got.