Eight Acres

We only have a single cab ute, so any time it was too hot or too cold for Cheryl to ride on the tray, and we thought she should really be in the cab, she would end up laying on my lap.  And at 25kg, she is not a lap dog!  A few years ago when we agreed to look after a second dog (Chime), Pete decided to build a dog box so they could both sit safely and comfortable on the back of the ute in all weather. The dog box when it was just finished I first wrote about this back here , and I didn't go into much detail, so a few people have emailed me to ask more about it.  There are no plans as such, its just shaped to fit the angles of the ute and enough room for two dogs.  To be honest, we kind of made it up as we went along, but here's a few tips to help if you are thinking of making a dog box: We made it nearly the full width of the tray, with just a small gap either side Its the same height as the backboard of the ute, and mimics the angles (a little b...

Before we let the new steers out of the cattle yards at Cheslyn Rise, we had to check all the fences in the first paddock.  Checking fences and tightening the barbed wire is slow, but quite easy if you have the right tools. fence strainer When I first saw fence strainers I had no idea how to use them.  Actually every time I see them I can't remember how to use them!  Luckily Pete had a tutorial from an old farmer at one stage and he can always remember how to use them.  What you do is put a chain or plain wire around the fence post and clip the big part of the tool onto the chain/wire.  Clip the small part onto the fence wire that you want to tighten (and this is the same process if fixing an existing fence, or building a new one).  You use the other end of the big part to creep over the chain on the small part, which pulls the tool together to bring the wire closer to the pole and pull the fence tight. tightening the fence wire When you have...

When I started this blog, I didn't know what my husband would think of it, and I didn't know if he would particularly want to feature it in, so I kept his name anonymous at first.  As he's seen what the blog is about and how nice it is to share our thoughts, our plans, our successes and our mishaps, he's been keen to get more involved.  In particular after my 1-year-blogoversary post when everyone said how much I had done, he was quick to point out to me the role that he had played too! Now that we have our larger property, it seems time to introduce you to Farmer Pete, principle tractor driver, chicken wrangler, fire wood chopper, metal fabricator, cattle herder, paddock slasher and excellent husband that he is, there's no way I could do any of this without him, so I want you to know that its not just me doing all the work.  He even hangs out the washing, cleans the toilet and cooks dinner! See! Here's some photos of the work Farmer Pete has been doi...