Weed alert

It's that time of year again to try and eradicate serrated tussock (Nassella trichtoma) from the property. It's an almost impossible task as not everyone in the area is as vigilant despite it being listed under the Noxious Weeds Act 1993. So it continues to be a major environmental concern in the Southern Tablelands.

Now is when they are easiest to identify and kill before they can set seed in November. We use a combination of herbicidal spot spraying and, an old favourite, the mattock. We always carry a mattock on the quad bike when we inspect the sheep and a couple of big hits is all it takes to physically remove the plant.

Mostly we are winning but we also have all four thistle species, some blackberry (under control) and plaenty of horehound. The latter used to used in brewing a non alcoholic and bitter 'root' beer. Don't care fort the taste myself but some of the beer labels were fabulous.

The Devil's Rope

After some more research I have discovered that there are not only barbed wire collectors but also barbed wire museums in the USA.  Apparently there are collectors living all around the world and seeking new designs to add to their collections. There are swap meets where collectors bring lengths, minimum of 45cms, of barbed wire fence to trade and even books and magazines devoted to the infernal wire of which there are over 500 different variations.

Barbed wire is often incorporated into 'art' projects - the light above is from the store Mulbury in Fitzroy, Victoria. It has been made into picture frames, crosses, wreaths, sculptures, license plate frames, mirrors, key chains, and jewellery to name a few. The barbs, spurs, stars, plates, points, and other sharp protrusions found on the varieties of barbed wire are decorative and extremely varied. So maybe I should start to take a second look at all the odd pieces of wire that seem to accumulate around the place.

Shine by Three fashion Shoot

Well it's not every day that the farm gets to be the backdrop for a fashion shoot but recently glamorous fashion blogger Margaret Zhang (http://fellt.com/shinebythree/2012/07?page=2) visited and took some amazing photos around the place. She even tried to disguise herself as a sheep in this woolen number. Luckily she was not mistakenly sheared!