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think they appreciate it. I have finally worked out what makes geese so paranoid and angry so much of the time - if you stayed awake all of your life or merely dozed on odd occasions, your temper wouldn't be too choice either. Ask a shift worker.

We were hoping that Bess, our sow, was pregnant, but not yet. Merely, as has oft been observed by me in reply to an ill-timed question by a friend, fat.

We have let the Jerseys out into the small paddock with Ewok, who has really cracked the sads over not having milk and grainy bits any more. Won't let us go near her. I presume this will change with time, but I'm a little disappointed by her asocial nature.

Our cat is pregnant for sure. Her tummy is three-dimensional, and if it had the geometric room, would probably go for a fourth. I spoke to the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) at their shelter today, and they said that because she is a stray they would take her for free. AS she's pregnant, however, they would put her down straight away. I couldn't do that, she has such a wonderful nature, but I can't afford to have her desexed and I certainly can't afford the registration. Apparently, as soon as her kittens are eight weeks old, we can take the whole cat and kitboodle to the shelter. I don't want her to keep getting pregnant, it is unfair on her and I don't know that I could find homes for all of the kittens that she will have over her lifetime.

Found out something interesting yesterday - Caution, our female daschie, was scratching majorly. I thought to myself that I had thoroughly combed and inspected her just that morning, surely I would have found fleas if she had had any. Dog fleas are not backward about coming forward. So I had her roll over (not that it took all that much persuading, she once wore her skin bare on her back from rolling over too much for customers in our shop, presenting her tummy for just another rub), and checked out her tummy. White ants. Termites. Annoying, wood-destroying little festers. I thought I would be circumspect in mentioning this to Brian, otherwise he'd be guaranteed to make a wise-crack about Caution having wood between her ears. We have a property infested with these insects. We can't spray as the infestation is too heavy and all but impossible to get to under Casa Hovel, and we can't afford to replace the place. I don't think they're in the caravan yet, but you never know. I have to warn Alice not to stomp around the place, no matter how cross she gets with life (or me).

We are now up to killing one rooster every two days, then throwing the body to Caution, who promptly chews off the head. Sorry if you are reading this whilst having a meal. You're not that squeamish, you homesteader types, are you? By the middle of the next day, somehow or other, the third in the pecking order (please forgive the pun), Fred, has managed to secure the carcass and has started ripping into it, literally. When I notice this has happened, I pull apart the carcass so that everyone canine (and occasionally feline) has a chance to munch away without Caution putting the mockers on the body and, even though she can't possibly finish it anytime before Judgement Day, guarding it with her short, stout body. Problem is, one of the dogs invariably grabs all of the pieces and promptly does a living Fort Knox around them. Stone the flamin' crows, as we say over here, sometimes you just can't win.

Haven't seen where the chooks are laying other than in the two positions we know - in one of the sheds and in with the peafowl. Speaking of which, I still don't understand why our looney peacock and peahen are more interested in displaying to chooks than flirting with each other. And why would a peahen display at all in any case?

I have found a source over here for Mother Earth News, but it's about twice the price of Earth Garden or Grass Roots magazines. Still worthwhile. I think the only magazine I enjoy more is Creation ex Nihilo, put out by the Answers in Genesis mob.

Just a hint: if you have smelly towels, according to Dorothy Faulkner, put in half a cup of white vinegar in the rinse water. What a nice, ecologically sustainable solution.

Now, I am looking through an Earth Garden for March/May 2003, our Autumn, so I'll pass on what I think may help: Store your apples in wrapped up newspaper, so any codlin moth inside them can't escape. Hunt down codlin moth cocoons on apple trees, wooden boxes and fences too. Let chooks rummage under fruit trees now too, to clean up fallen fruit and pests.

You can also band apple trees with tree banding grease or corrugated cardboard to trap codlin moth or oriental peach moth. Remove the corrugated cardboard every few weeks and replace it with new stuff and scrape of and stamp on any overwintering pests underneath. This is also a great way trap overwintering harlequin bugs.

Jill Redwood, in her column, "Jillaroo Farm Hints" ( a Jillaroo/Jackaroo is a station hand, either sheep or cattle station, usually. They can lend their hands to anything required, but are pretty proficient at mustering), states that you could use the black 4-5 litre oil containers filled with water as a heat bank in a greenhouse. She suggests, "You could place a few around your autumn capsicums with a mini-greenhouse surrounding them to cheat the cold a little longer."

Oh, if you want to grow something a little different, try marulas. Apparently, they are the hottest thing in edible horticulture at the moment. They come originally from Africa, and are very hardy. "Marula do grow quite fast and are unbelievably prolific bearers. Storeis circulate of up to 70,000 (varying in size) fruits counted on a single five year old tree - that's over half a ton! However, being dioecious both male and female plants are required for fruit or at least a male graft, though some trees may be self fertile and these would represent ideal propagation material." Apparently the fruit are absolutely delicious. No doubt they do NOT taste like chicken! The flesh is sweet and white. The seed kernel generally houses one to three edible nuts, tasting a bit like macadamias, but can be a pain to get out. The tree is being researched for health benefits, and the nuts give an excellent oil. They are very easy to grow from seed. This is the experience of Josef A Tamallunas of Bakers Hill, Western Australia. He also states that it may be difficult to source seed, but it is inexpensive.

Spring

Softest whisper of

petalled air

Gusty days that threaten gravity

I could fly in either.

A new day, a new beginning,

and I revel in the joy of life awakening.

The pastures are greening

and everything seems busy,

even the moon races across the sky

a giant pearl, pocked but beautiful

To breath this day means never having to eat again,

it seems so filling. Ahhh! Spring!