*Hello Everyone*

Discussion in 'General chat' started by Carmon, May 6, 2009.

  1. Carmon

    Carmon Junior Member

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    I am 36yrs living in SE Qld on 70 acres. I have a keen interest in permaculture - living a very simple life - avoiding the "Affluenza Bug", and treading as lightly as possible. I read a lot about food ethics, social issues, environmental, gardening, Australian wildlife, and making-your-own-everything! Grass Roots, Earth Garden magazines are my bibles. I have been lucky to have spent most of my life on farms. The only eggs, meat, milk, baked goods, jams we ever had were what we grew ourselves and my Mum preserved everything in her Fowlers Vacola! I am following in her footsteps.

    For about 4 years I have been a wildife carer - mainly macropods, and see there are others here with the same interests! Apart from raising my daughters, this is the most rewarding 'career' I have had. It can be expensive, heart breaking and tiring but what a joy when the end result is a healthy animal released back into the wild. All of the animals that I have come into care are a DIRECT result of human interference. If anyone needs any advice with wildlife -although I am far from an expert - I am more than happy to help. :D

    Are there many members here from around Bundaberg?!

    Bright Blessings
    Carmon
     
  2. lovingmygarden

    lovingmygarden Junior Member

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    Re: *Hello Everyone*

    Hi Carmen,
    Yeehaa another wildlife carer. It is awesome isn`t it? I`m also doing macropods. Aren`t they gorgeous little creatures. I bawled my eyes out when I gave upmy first joey, but as you say it is very rewarding to know you have helped them along their journey.
    I am envious about the preserving, I`d love to get into that too. Hopefully I will soon, just have to save funds to get set up. My Mum used to do it all too in NZ, we had the biggest jar of pickled onions I have ever seen!!!
    Hope you enjoy this site as much as I do, there is heaps of great info shared here.
    Lovingmygarden :)
     
  3. gemjill

    gemjill Junior Member

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    Re: *Hello Everyone*

    G'day and welcome to the site
    sounds like you have been living the good life for a long time, good for you and keep it up
    Am hoping to get better acquianted with our hopping friends when we get our bush block
    cheers
     
  4. Carmon

    Carmon Junior Member

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    Re: *Hello Everyone*

    Hi Lovingmy garden and Gemjill

    Thanks for your replies!! Yes lovingmygarden, it breaks your heart to pass them on! I have had to do it a few times myself. Euthanaising or having them die on you is hard too. How long have you been caring for? I am having a few months off though I have to remind myself this every time I go on a rescue!!

    Preserving fruit is easy. The best place I have found to purchase equipment is EBay. Folwers Vacola to purchase new is beyond our financial stretch and there seems to be a few on offer all the time on EBay. Jars and lids for jam can be found in most life line shops. I am looking for a stove top vacola so when electricity costs are beyond the reach of most 'mere peasants' I can still preserve our surplus. I always buy secondhand whenever possible, doesnt matter what it is and then try to buy manual versions and not plug-in-the-wall models.

    I broke my leg 10 weeks ago so have missed the perfect planting time for most winter crops here- not all though. I have decided to let the veg patch go for a few months. I have planted cover crops and conned the kids into taking the 'barrow down the paddock with a shovel and pick up cow poo! Costs - 2 chocolate frogs - not bad huh? All this and scraps that the dog or chooks wont eat should rot down nicely until I can plant again.

    I have the pleasure of watching a family of redneck wallabies here most mornings. They spend their time both in groups and solitary. The eat just the tips off the grass, their favourite being buffalo. They have got used to us and graze quiet close to the house, only pausing to look when we come out onto the verandah with a cuppa. I have seen several joeys from the first stage of poking bald little heads out to running mad circles around mum and then finally off on thier own. Our dog is always tied up at night so they know they are safe. Cats are locked in a pen at night too. Being a carer I have witnessed the consequences of not doing this too often. For example, two days ago I had to rescue an adult female redneck that had been attacked by a dog. She had to be euthanaised as her leg was broken at the joint - the poor thing was terribly frightened. Please, when you move to the bush ALWAYS prevent your pets from roaming.

    Gemjill, how long must you wait to get your block? I waited 10 years for this. I spent the whole time just KNOWING that it would happen. I never once entertained the though of how it would come about. When I realised that this was the life I wanted I was a single parent, renting and didnt even own a car. The resources came from a totally unexpeted source but I grabbed the opportunity when it came and was prepared to 'go without', whatever it took. I trusted the universe and visualised the whole time. It will happen for you. We lived in a caravan and bush annexe on our block while we built our home. It took 12 mths. We had no power for the first 3 months, I used to wash by hand and we had an outside dunny that had to be emptied every week. I have read an interesting book called "Pioneer Women of the Bush and Outback" - Jennifer Isaacs and shall NEVER complain of hardship again!!!!

    Well, thats my rant. Sorry I took so long replying
    Bright Blessings
    Carmon
     
  5. Hamishmac

    Hamishmac Junior Member

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    Re: *Hello Everyone*

    Hi Carmen,

    Welcome to the forum.

    I'm also from SEQ (Sunny Coast).

    Sounds like you have years of experience to give. What plants have worked for you,
    and what haven't?

    I am still struggling with all the brassicas/cruciforms to the point of giving up
    because of loss to grasshoppers, caterpillars and other pests.

    Hamish
     
  6. gemjill

    gemjill Junior Member

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    Re: *Hello Everyone*

    G'day
    well I could say I've been waiting for it all my life!
    but is getting alot closer; contract signed but departmental bureaucracy has yet to be finalised.
    Won't be using it for productivity but as a bush retreat, can't wait
    cheers
     
  7. Carmon

    Carmon Junior Member

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    Re: *Hello Everyone*

    Hi Hamish

    Your problem with pests, Jackie French is good for advice on this sort of thing, plenty of organic and practical solutions. She makes for interesting and humorous reading as well. One of her pieces of wisdom is to plant lots - enough for yourself AND everything else!

    I spread them out when I plant them, in amongst other things, not all grouped together and do a quick patrol for grubs every time I walk past. These get chucked into the chook pen, I cant bring myself to squash them. Heres a lovely idea from "A Practical Guide to Organic Gardening'- Eradicating snails, if you prefer, you can have the snails for dinner. The snails in Australia are the escargots petits gris that the French adore. First you have to starve them for a week, so that they will have digested whatever they've been feeding on. Then you fatten them up for ten days on a mix of oatmeal and milk. When the greedy things are so fat they can hardly crawl into their shells; its time to get out the cookbook" !!

    Companion planting is an even better idea. Sage, Mint, Thyme and Hyssop are good for cabbages etc. Some people swear by garlic or soapy sprays as well to get rid of bugs and grubs.

    Good Luck, dont give in!
    Carmon
     
  8. Carmon

    Carmon Junior Member

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    Re: *Hello Everyone*

    Have you any joeys in care at the minute Lovingmygarden?? I have been busy with rescues these last 2 weeks. Every time I collect a baby I have to remind myself sternly that I AM having time off and pass them on to another carer! Are you with a group or on your own? The group I am with was lucking enough to recieve some funding from the gambling grants so I am in the process of getting my partner to put up 6 foot fencing with shade cloth for a joey yard and a release yard. Dream come true! No more standing in the paddock at 10pm waiting for a swampy who is "too young to be out on your own young man!" They really do think they are bigger than they are the young swampies! What was your first? I would guess a wallaby - the greys are really best left to the more experienced! I thought I might know enough after 3 years of wallabies to have a go at greys. Boy, I learnt heaps and quick! I was lucky to have a mentor with 20yrs experience with the greys! They can be exhausting.

    Well, I hope all is going well with you. Started preserving yet?!

    Bright Blessings
    Carmon
     

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