New Year’s Eve 2022 …

Another Christmas has come and gone, but this one was particularly significant for us because it was our first as permanent residents of Cracroft Farm. Although we were here to celebrate Christmas in 2020, at that time we were already starting to anticipate having to leave at the end of January and return to work in Brisbane. This year there was no such pressure, and everything has been far more relaxed as a result. We were also able to spring Cath’s mum from her aged care facility and bring her down the Huon for a visit. While this proved to be a very tiring experience for a 99-year-old, it was great to have her around and it made the day a very special one. Once again, we bought fresh lobster off the boat and had a seafood lunch followed by roast duck in the evening. We haven’t quite got to the stage of supplying our own Christmas fare yet, but hopefully things will have improved by next December. 

Christmas lunch on the front deck

One of the advantages of having a long running record of activity on the farm is that you are able to visualise progress. In the post of 24 December 2020 ("A Christmas tree .."), I included a picture of tiny nothofagus cunninghammii that we bought at Geeveston community centre together with three even tinier silver birch trees (betula pendular). The $2 birch trees could not have been more than 10 cm tall, but all have survived and thrived and now form a lovely birch tree grove at the top of the garden. Unfortunately, the nothofagus didn't survive. In the process of trying to protect it from being eaten by the local fauna, we kept it in a pot for too long.

Three birch trees

Even more impressive has been the phenomenal performance of our apple trees. We planted the domestic orchard in July 2021 with bare-rooted trees that were little more than twigs. 

July 2021

The trees are now laden with apples and the first variety to be ready for picking, the Vista Bella apple, should be ready by the end of January and into February.

December 2022 - Vista Bella apples

Over the years we spent in Brisbane, one of the rituals on New Year's Eve was for all the family to write resolutions not only personal ones, but also for all the other family members. Cath still has a treasure trove of folded bits of paper on which these resolutions are recorded. We delve into it every now and again for a helping of nostalgia. There is, however,  no need for us to write anything down in terms of resolutions this year.  I am reminded of St. Paul's Cathedral in London, where in the floor directly the magnificent dome you will find Sir Christopher Wren's epitaph 

''Si monumentum requiris circumspice''

which may be translated as "If you would seek my monument look around you", Well for Cath and me at the moment, if we require New Year's resolutions we simply look around us because the amount of work to be done both infinite and clearly visible.

I can hardly believe that this the 90th post on the blog, so it seemed appropriate to upload it on New Year’s Eve. The blog has recorded a total of 9291 views so far, a number which suggests an average of 103 views per post! I suspect the reality is that a lot of the clicks don’t get past the front page! But in any event, to those brave souls who boldly go past the home page, best wishes to you all for 2023!