Swelter one day, shiver the next

The next chapter in the story of our family get together on the farm involved an abrupt change of weather. Saturday and Sunday we were kicking the rams out from under their favourite shade tree. By Monday we were sheltering from the wind and rain.
The son-in-law the farmer has been hanging out for rain, as the grass has browned off quickly over the last week or so. The Queensland family members who were tenting would have been quite happy if the rain waited until they headed off on Wednesday.


What we got was very strong winds and fairly consistent drizzle, not all out rain, and, for NT and QLD dwellers, cold temperatures.


So late at night after we farm campers got back from town, Mr Fix It and his son were wrapping the grandsons' tent, a cheap 2 man job with the three boys sleeping in it, in two tarps. It looked like a silver envelope sat over a triangular prism. Very stylish! A dash of hundred mile an hour tape over a couple of warn spots on the old tarpaulin and no water would have dared to enter.

Silly me didn't get a photo.


It was still very cool and windy next morning so, before anyone ventured into the annex for breakfast, I sprang into action in my role as Mr Fix It's Mrs. You see the annex is dressed in its warm weather coat, that is shade cloth walls not canvas as the canvas version is in storage, and wind break was definitely in order. With a clothes line, clothes pegs, a couple of bungee cords, a tarp or two and lots of grunting later I created a protected corner around the burners and chairs. Pretty proud of myself. But once again silly me didn't get a photo, so you will just have to take my word for how brilliant it was.


We had toast, cereal, eggs and coffee accompanied by a kids video on the outside TV, while the wind blew and the rain fell. (Did get a photo of the outside TV set up... and here it is. )



K and I are very grateful for these few days of us all together and proud of the way the two mums managed  four young children and two babies between them,  packing food and running between the farm and the house in town, while the men did jobs together, entertained the children and cemented friendships.  True family time.


We have now packed some things into the car and headed to Newcastle for a week leaving the Crookwell lot to have family time without grandparents.


Cheers Sue


A Ferg on the Move