Preparing For My Next Move

Tues Jan 6 - I got some progress on the acorn flag today. It was so hot that Sydney was in the 40's! It wasn't as hot in Goulburn - I was told that Melbourne is actually hotter even though it is more south (remember it's the opposite in the southern hemisphere) because it's at a lower altitude than Goulburn. This is why Goulburn is never as hot as the other cities (it's also the windiest place in Oz). Afterwards, we all went to the dam for a swim with the fishies. It's very muddy at the edges but it's clean in the middle. Allison lent me her shoes to go in the muddy part and I stayed around that shallow end since I still cannot swim properly. They also gave me a foam boogie board to help me float.

Wed. Jan 7 - today is a cooler than yesterday and there's a breeze too which is nice. When I was feeding the animals this morning, I noticed that one of the female Silkie chickens was dead. I do not know how long she had expired - I didn't notice yesterday so it must be 1-2 days. It doesn't seem that long because the flies are only starting to get to her now....ahhh, the forensic scientist in me - hahahaha. She is lying under a low bench which has a piece of plastic obscuring part of the view. I only noticed her because the other chickens were staying on the opposite end of the shed. She was always the unhealthiest looking one too - her feathers were falling off and she was badly going bald. Perhaps the heat from the day before was too much for her to handle.

I wonder if roosters have an internal clock that wakes them up as opposed to going by the break of daylight? The male rooster, Roofio, crows at 5 am each morning without fail! (He's the only chicken that has been named and he will live a long life). He crowed today at 5:02 am -- he was off by 2 min but still close enough! Truly amazing.

I would have been at the farm for 1 month in 2 days from today. So I've been thinking about my next move because there's so much to see yet! I love my hosts and they have been so magnificent but I must go on soon. I haven't chosen a date of departure yet since I am still trying to figure out the logistics. But I do know that I want to be in Melbourne at least a week before Australia Day (Mon Jan 26). This is a big national holiday and there will be celebrations galore. My plan is to be in Melbourne for 1-2 weeks then go to Tasmania for another WWOOF (hopefully, I'll find one available).

My goal today is to finish the first of four acorn flags...