Blog for Monday 15th December 2025

Yes! She has arrived. Our first little great-granddaughter arrived in our world at 5.01am this morning! Bless her! Such a long and hard labour for Tayla to have had to endure, but look at her prize - a brand, new, beautiful little baby daughter! How wonderful!

Meet little Miss Zara Hensley - our miniature princess! Here she is held by her Daddy, Malcolm.

I was up late this morning as I stayed up later than normal last night, hoping to hear that Tayla had given birth to their little baby, So, I was a little weary around the edges when my alarm began its dotty ditty at four o'clock this morning.

I was very quick to slap it into silence!

Paddy and Matt' were up extra early today too as it is so hot for them working outside, that an early start helps.

I showered and got myself dressed then left the farm on nine o'clock. I banged, bounced and bashed my way over the river when Ken phoned me to tell me that I had left my car keys (my car is parked on the other side of the river) on the dining room table ... my thoughts were unprintable!

So, I had to turned around in the ute' and bang, bounce and bash my way over the river, drive back up to the top shed and then repeat that to get back to my car!

I had a hard job forgiving myself for being so careless!

In Wauchope I stopped at Ritchies to pick up several cakes and cookies to take to the morning tea that Jeannette (a fellow SRE teacher) had organised to thank those people - men and women - who had given years of their lives to teach Scripture in the different schools in our area. There were possibly about thirty people there at the tea and it was a lovely morning, held in the historical building - the station master's old home.

I got back home at lunch time and there, Paddy and Matt' were digging holes - using an auger on the tractor and by hand on soil as hard as rock, to plant Paddy's trees. When these tress - and there is a wonderful variety of them - grow it will be beautiful. These are a few photos of where they have managed to plant the trees so far. I love that Paddy has planted my old yucca plant here right in the front to resurrect it. Poor thing had drowned in the huge Indian rice bowl.

This is almost at the top of the long drive - looking down you can see parts of the Small River Camp on the left, and on the right-hand side is part of the Large River Camp

Paddy and Matt' have planted a huge variety of trees - each tree planted with a splinter of wood as support

This photo is taken a little further down as this is a long drive, pitted with many rocks - so not easy digging!

I meant to put this photo in yesterday of Matt' beginning to sand the lovely large old outdoors table that Mich' and Robert gave us - plus ten chairs. It will look so nice once sanded down.

Matt' hard at work

In the late afternoon Ken got up and took a walk outside to check on the hen who is again sitting on eggs and she is doing well out there.

When I got back home from Wauchope, I made Paddy and Matt' some toasted cheese and ham sandwiches and took them bottles of icy cold cordial as it was so hot outside and I knew they were too busy to take time to come inside. They were so grateful and wolfed the sarmie and drink down chop-chop and then returned to their back-breaking work.

When I came back inside, I began to go through my old files and to chuck out notes et cetera that I would not read or use again. I have so much still to do before Christmas and before Mich', Robert, Josh' and Paulina arrive to spend about five days with us! But they are very forgiving if I do not manage to do all I want to do before they arrive!

Paddy and Matt' left us at just after four o'clock to return back home in Terrigal, and Ken and I sat outside for a short while to enjoy the cool breeze blowing outside.

I was in bed as soon as I could get there as I was tired. I think the heat whacks one's energy levels. (I am not admitting to any age problems, okay!)

What lesson did I learn today? To forgiv

e myself when I do stupid things like leaving my car keys behind in the top shed!

What am I grateful for today? All the beautiful trees that Paddy and Matt' are planting on the farm for the tomorrows.

My saying for today is ...