Goodbye Shepparton

No longer in Shepparton, no longer on the farm. Suddenly there's no more trees and no more work..

Last week, everything came to a sudden stop. The trees were no longer needing our attention and our work was done. Because the weather is slowly starting to warm up, it means the "tree-grafting season" is also ending. I knew it was on the cards at some stage but thought it would be the end of this month. Instead, on Wednesday night we found out that Thursday morning we would be finishing up.. For now anyhow. So that's when the big question popped up.. What to do next?

And that was quite a big question indeed. I hadn't a notion what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go. Jason had some other jobs lined-up and wanted me to keep on working for him. He's actually got work for me, tieing trees on different farms around Victoria and Adelaide, from the end of October until March or April, if I want it - But that's a long way off yet, for me to be making any decisions that far down the line.. Until the end of October though, so another 3 weeks, there's no work for either of us. We were at a loose end all of a sudden. But still have the van, still have our "home" so there really isn't a problem.

Since finishing on Thursday morning, we've been camping with the manager of the Shepparton farm and his wife, James and Dell, in the forest on the Murray river for a few nights. We've been fishing, hanging out, having bbq's, paddling around in canoes and just chilling before hitting the road. Because, even though we didn't know what to do with ourselves, we definitely knew that it was time to leave the farm and Shepparton behind. 6 weeks of being there was enough. We said our goodbyes last night, to the farm and to James and Dell, to the trees, to the deer, to our campsite, to our "kitchen", to our bushshower (we managed to get our hands on a portable shower, that's great to use out in the bush..fill a bag with hot water, tie it to a tree, and with the hose you can have the quickest shower in the world..and hope nobody drives past (!!!)). Our time on the farm was an experience, to say the least. I've never lived in such an intense environment before, with regards to space, isolation, work and the general monotony of the whole lifestyle.. But it was one I'm so grateful to have had. So it was a little sad to say goodbye. And James and Dell were so good to us during our stay. They invited us into their home, cooked us a few dinners.. Let us watch some of his telly (!!!) and they were delighted to have us on their farm. What a great bunch of people! So glad to have met them.

However, after 6 weeks we did both need a change of scenery. And we're getting it right now.. I'm sitting in the library in Swan Hill. It's Monday afternoon, and we got here this morning. The reason we've headed up this way is because Jason needs to find out when his next job starts. It also gives us a chance to catch up with some friends, just like the last time. The last time we were here, we stayed with our friend John, but we'll probably be camping in the forest this time. That was nearly 3months ago. It was chilly back then and Jason and I were just finishing our roadtrip. Now, after a month in Cairns, and nearly 7 weeks on the farm, we're back in this so familiar town, with familiar faces, contacts, places to go and with much nicer weather. It's mid-twenties at the moment, coming into Summer -much warmer than Shepparton, which is around 5 degrees colder at the moment (more southern, and nearer to Melbourne). It's a nice change and it almost feels as though we're on a mini roadtrip again. We're not sure if we'll be staying here, until work starts, or if we'll be heading off to Adelaide maybe. It's a little uncertain just yet. I've no definite plans, but when plans are made definite things can so easily so belly-up. But then again, making plans is the only way to get things done.. And the Ozzie mentality doesn't really do "certainty" all too well. So going with the flow is what I'll be doing for now.. and I'll be enjoying the time-off and the nice weather.

If the plans take me anywhere else, you'll be the first to know!

10.000 trees

Finally a chance to sit and reflect. The opportunities are very few, as working full-time is so demanding and getting online is so rare. Again, I'm sitting in the office, on the farm. The same farm as last 2 weeks ago, and the same as 3 weeks before that.. All up, it's been 5 weeks here in Shepparton, not that I'm counting or anything.

I was just saying today to Jason, that it feels like so much longer. Why? I don't know.. I'm not too sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing. They say time flies when you're having fun. So does that mean I'm not having fun and that this chapter s dragging on too much? I don't think so. Because don't they also say that when you feel so quickly at home somewhere, then its like your life situation has never been any different than the one you find yourself in. So I'm not too sure what to make of it all.

The work is going good. We're working 6 days each week now. 7 days was proving to be too much. It was draining us both and we lost all our enthusiasm on the 13th day of working flat out. So we quickly lost interest in pushing ourselves unnecessarily. Jason is too easy-going when it comes to work anyhow. He might be my boss, but he's not a slave driver.. I'm probably the one who could be classed as that.. oops-a-daisy! I've done away with that attitude and have relaxed into going with whatever working hours we miss on or have to catch up on. It's not that important.

How are the trees? They're great. Not a bother. We've probably attended to around 10.000 in the past month. And each day the amount rises. We have different paddock (fields) with rows and rows of trees, each week. So it's like we're in a different "office" at the start of each week. How exciting! We get stuck in, we do our work, we talk sh*t to each other, we bicker like kids, we laugh, and then it's time to "go home" (a 2 minute drive across the farm).

It's sounds monotonous, and it can be. But each day brings something different.. Because as the trees are being attended to, and conversation runs low, thoughts go within and that's where it all happens: Sometimes it's happy things and thoughts, sometimes it's a confusion and other times it's eagerness to take the next step on this journey. What step? I have a few ideas, but nothing is certain as of yet. Where to? Again, I have a few ideas, but no certainty. The eagerness and the itchy feet come and go. Sometimes it's nearly unbearable and other times it's easier to forget that feet can itch to the point of going crazy. This is due to the fact that we're so isolated and it's so easy to forget about the world and about what's going on out there. It's almost too easy. But as tempting as it is, I force myself to feel my itchy feet and let them lead the way.

Will they be leading me away from this farm or away from Jason? The work here will be ending within a week, then maybe I'll be going to Adelaide with Jason for a week or so. After that there's more work. But I'm not too sure just yet what I want or where I'd like to be next. This lifestyle can be amazing: living in a van, roughing it all the time, being in the bush, surrounded by lots of these giant insects. It really can be so good. And I appreciate it the most when I'm at ease and not feeling my feet itch. This lifestyle can also be hard going: All of what I just mentioned to be amazing, can easily turn into the biggest struggles, at the drop of a hat. But I've found ways to keep me from feeling any kind of strain.. I still do yoga out in the field. That's what keeps me sane, gives me my space and helps me relax. So for now, we've still got a couple of 1000 trees to see to, and from there I'll make a decision as to what I want to be doing. More than likely I'll be going with the flow. But what flow will that be.. My flow and my feet.. or my flow and some work? That I still have to figure out.

The weather is picking up, ever so slowly, cold nights, but spring-like days.. So hopping out of the van in the morning is getting more and more pleasant and I still enjoy sitting in the grass brushing my teeth, after I've squatted against the "toilet-tree" for a morning visit to the bathroom.. So for the next week or so, All will be well, as it always is..

3 weeks later

3 weeks since I first arrived at this farm. 3 weeks after stepping back into the workforce again. 3 weeks since living in a house. 3 weeks since having a shower at my disposal, at any given time of the day or night. 3 weeks since watching tv. 3 weeks...

Does it feel like this long? It definitely does. I don't know why. Maybe it's because it takes a while to adjust to living in this environment, where work is always at our "doorstep" and where a space of 2 square meters is all we have to call our home. It might sound like it's difficult. That's because it is. Enjoyable but difficult. A challenge at the best of times. But never one that I'd shy away from.

There are certain things that keep it exciting.. Like the wild deer that lives just behind the field we work in. He's there on a daily basis, just standing as near as ever, and a pretty as ever. Some workers (Jason for example) would be tempted to shoot it and cook up a feast.. But not me, I admire it and wouldn't stand for anybody killing it!

Another thing that keeps it exciting, is to wake up in the morning, after a frosty night, and to be offered a ride in the helicopter before starting work. They would use the "chopper" here on the farm, to blast the frost away from settling on the fruit trees, which would otherwise cause damage - Something I never knew to happen.. (we live and we learn!). It was so cool, to hop in and be taken for a 10 minute fly across the region! The first time for me to be in chopper..the sky was clear and seeing the farm and this whole area from up above was amazing! I loved every minute of it!

Boring moments can suddenly become the total opposite, when sitting in the van at night and Jason gets a shocked look on his face and tells me not to move because there's a massive outback huntsman walking across the pillow just beside my head! Oh my god! I didn't scream, I didn't run.. I forced myself to stay calm but couldn't bring myself to have a proper look of this gigantic poisness spider, that was orange and hairy and as strong as I don't know what. It had invaded our tiny little house!! Jason was freaked out too, tried to kill it, and after 3 or 4 attempts, it finally gave up and passed away.. We didn't bury it, but threw it in the garbage and had a proper look at the ins and outs of it, the next day, once we both felt up for it.. But if you think I slept at all that night, you can think again. I had the heeby-jeebies for days. But seeing as though how scared I can be of spiders, I reacted so calmly. How proud me and Jason were of us both to not being scared off by that beast!

The work itself, is going great. We've been working 7 days this week and next week too. I don't mind. I don't feel like I haven't had a day off in 2 weeks. I've adjusted my mindsetting. I switched off to what day it what. One day just rolls into the next. It's easier that way.. The outside world is nothing for us..only when we need a shower. This would usually be everyday, but we don't have a shower here on the farm. So, as often as we can, we drive 25 minutes to the nearest town, and scrub up. Last week we said to each other (even though I had been thinking it for quite some days) that we are starting to live like hobo's.. or pigs even.. It's so easy to do that here, because we can go for days without seeing another soul, except the trees and the manager of the farm. But we can't let ourselves get like that.. Especially now that the warmer weather is coming in. This has been the warmest week so far. Around 20 degrees it's been. Not too hot, but it feel a whole lot hotter when you're standing in it, concentrating on the trees and the ties and the paint for hours at a time. I'm adjusting to the heat though. The nights are still as chilly as a ever (around 1 or 2 degrees) and we've nearly been tempted to sleep with our hats on, because we'd wake up in the night with icy cold foreheads. The joys of living in a van.. But once the mornings come, it's beautiful to step outside in the sunshine, with a cup of tea and be heated by the already shining sun. It makes it all worthwhile!

So 3 weeks I've been here, and as one day rolls into the next, we tie more and more trees. I don't know how many more trees we have to "attend to", but for now it doesn't matter. There are thousands.. so on and on Jason grafts and I tie..