this week has been filled with happiness and hard work
and the first signs of the shifting
seasons these changes always make us reflect on our purpose here living in harmony with nature's
systems and we've come to realize that we've found happiness in our purpose here on the farm
in the simple things like fixing a fence or planting a tree or growing food
in the changing seasons and the freezing water
we found fulfillment in the smallest things like being needed by the animals we wake up each
morning knowing that we have a full day of caring for them and working on regenerating the land
and this purpose makes us feel so full and happy to me happiness isn't a state
of being you can have moments of joy like making something of your hands
growing and eating your own food or skipping down the hill and jumping in the water
aside from this happiness means fulfillment having purpose and being needed
the animals teach us new lessons every day
Nasturtium the duck is always making new friends we are always inspired by
her openness to friendship and connection to everyone from a tiny butterfly to us huge humans
ducks bob their head to say i love you
the sheep are always having fun and make sure
to jump and play as they run from one paddock to another
we always try to hold the positivity of a bouncy sheep in all of our day-to-day tasks
future every day the ducks sneak into the veggie garden they have realized that they
love lettuce so one of them is always sitting and chewing on our fresh greens
today we are mending the fence and stopping these little rascals from jumping through
we've already fixed this fence so many times but they always seem to find another tiny hole
to sneak through so even though it feels like we're getting nowhere i love tasks like this
where i can just sit and think and slowly work my way through a problem
no matter how menial the job is it still gives me so much purpose
and in this purpose i find happiness
it's hard to get anything done when you have the cutest little distractions waddling all over you
test one unsuccessful these little fluff
balls know how to acrobat underwire like they're in a limbo competition
they don't know how to get back in though so i guess it's slightly successful
Whim always knows how to distract me from fixing the fence he knows that if he climbs
on my head all day then i'll never get the time to keep him out of the garden
after tightening the wire i think we've finally stopped them at least for now one of the many
things that these ducks have taught us is that you can always work hard to find a way
the cauliflower is ready to be picked and we are so excited to cook it for dinner
the hard work of growing of our own two hands means that it tastes so much better
it's the small things like this nurturing it as it grows from a seed into this beautiful vegetable
and then cooking it into the yummiest meal to share with each other
that brings so much meaning to our lives
this year the goats didn't get in and eat all of our broccoli which is also a small joy
the signs of spring are starting to appear the frogs begin to cool
and the red cedar trees are shooting bright red with new growth
they are one of australia's only native deciduous trees and at this time of year
their beautiful red leaves are spotted through the rainforests
we can see them dotting the gullies and ridges way off in the distance
and their strong glow reminds us of this change
we have learnt to live so deeply in touch with the seasons and because of this each
change brings us so much joy and reminds us of our purpose as part of this big and beautiful system
we always try to remember to bring joy into all aspects of our day
moving the goats to a new paddock is way more fun if you skip and
jump and the goats always follow excitedly wiping their tail and shaking their ears
the water is still very cool but there is something about the shock of jumping into
freezing water that makes you feel truly alive it is such a celebration of life
this is a special ritual that julia tries to do each day
but i am much more happy sitting in the sun and watching her swim oh my god
in our new studio i'm finally getting to do some sewing
i'm serving a top from recycled scraps of fabric crafting is a way that i find purpose in my life
to be creative means that i can find satisfaction from within even if i fail and have to start
again from the beginning creating something with my hands makes me feel so accomplished
we're so lucky to live on a farm where our grandparents planted so many trees
and our parents tended them and planted even more
when we pick fruit from these trees it makes us so conscious of the importance of not
just working for the benefit of ourselves but for the people who will come after us
today we're planting trees which will nurture us and hopefully so many more people to come
caring for the earth and the future gives us the truer sense of purpose
we're planting four avocados two limes one orange two lemons an olive and two figs we were able
to plant these trees because of the health of our patrons and we're so excited and grateful
we're inspired to continue caring for this food forest and fill it with so many more trees
as carers of this land it is our duty to plant more
trees and fruit for those who will come after us
in our journey of returning to the farm we hope to plant many more trees
so that those who come after us will be nourished by the
trees that we plant and the meaning of our actions
in this journey we have also learned the value of trees the beauty meaning and health that
a 50 year old avocado tree has is so much more valuable than any money or possession
julia is picking and drying thai basil for yummy tea
is taking the bush out so we can plant asparagus and blueberries here
they won't bear any fruit for a few years but it feels so good to have our hands in the soil
planting roots for the future
our compost is ready and it's full of worms such beautiful soil
we're planting beans we have organic heritage
seeds and some special seeds from the best vine that our grandmother grows
now with all the work this week we always make time for just sitting down and relaxing
we join the sheep for a special moment of calm in the shade of the custard apple tree
this gives us a chance to just sit and be still
i think we could all take lessons on how to be happy from sheep they eat when they're hungry
and they nap in the shade they adventure to find the tastiest fool and fruit and they skip
down the hill as they go most importantly they act as a herd and all look out for each other
we're planting asparagus it isn't edible for a few
years but once it's ready it is able to be harvested every year
look how big this one is
wow
already from fixing the fence and less little rascals in the garden
the greens and tomatoes have started to grow back
we're making a salad
we're making this yummy cauliflower bake from the cauliflower we picked earlier
it tastes so good with so many spices all over it we have the full recipe on our patreon
yum the perfect meal to enjoy by a fire we find that sharing meals is the time of day
to celebrate and enjoy and love crafting these special feasts to share between the three of us
we have always planned to build this life in nature but because we lost our dad it all came
sooner than we thought even though it has been a really difficult time we're also really grateful
we're grateful that we didn't wait later to start this dream and that we have these special
times with the three of us mum julia and me where we have found so much purpose meaning
and happiness in this simple life thank you so much for watching your support means so much
and a special thanks to our patrons the animals fruit trees and us are all