Farm Life - 13. FAR Chapter 13

After breakfast, I returned to the cottage to check on Emmy, before heading over to the workshop at the shed, where I wrote on the whiteboard – “Lewis taking Landrover, to pick up some rocks and logs for the echidna enclosure.” When I had done this, I jumped into the Landrover, and headed out to a bush area of the farm, where I knew there are some old logs and plenty of large rocks.

When I arrived back a few hours later, I had nearly everything that I needed to make the enclosure, and I drove to the cottage, stopping by the side door. Once I had unloaded all the rocks in one big heap, and the logs were placed to one side, I headed over to the shed, where Dad was doing some maintenance on the fire-fighting unit pump.

“How is your echidna enclosure project going?” Dad asked me as I approached him, “I have most of the natural supplies that I need, do we have any poly pipe, preferably 250mm in diameter minimum” I replied, “Yes I think we have some left over from when we had to fill in the septic tank of the burnt down house, we pulled up the poly piping from the house to the septic tank, and after cleaning it all, I stored it behind the shed, I think there is also a box of joiners etc. under the main bench” Dad replied.

It didn’t take me long to locate the box, and I loaded it onto the Landrover, I grabbed a hacksaw and found a tub of Poly glue, and driving to the back of the shed, I located the lengths of pipe and placed them on the back, before heading back to the cottage.

With the help of a crowbar, I repositioned the largest rocks, to form two burrows, and I dug out some dirt from the middle of them both, and a trench between them both, which crosses under the side-door of the cottage, which I plan to have an animal door installed.

Next, I cut some poly tubing, to the length of the trench, and I added some 45-degree joiners to each end and a metre of tubing on the end on each joiner, which runs underneath the rocks, so it has a slow slope upwards, ending inside the burrow. I filled in the trenches, so that the pipe is all fully covered.

I cut the larger hollow logs, into 2 metre lengths, and placed three in each of the large burrows, along with bark, small branches with plenty of leaves and larger dead branches, to imitate a similar environment that echidnas are use too.

Once I was happy with the burrows inside, I began to move some of the medium sized rocks to enclose the burrow, so it is dark and warm inside. Once I had both burrows completed, I went to where there is a stockpile of old railway sleepers, and transported them back to the cottage, to use them as a boundary wall that runs the full length of the side of the cottage.

With only enough railway sleepers for two layers high, I placed the rest of the rocks, bark, logs, branches and leaves into the enclosure area.

I had finished all that I could do by afternoon tea time, and stepping back looking at all the work, I was happy with what I had achieved, and I was looking forward to seeing if Ernie and his family check it out, to see if it is a suitable habitat for them.

I went into the cottage to check in on Emmy, and he was having a snooze, in his box, so I didn’t disturb him. After cup of tea and looking at the pages that I had printed last night, I felt that I had done the best I could for the enclosure, and I went over to the shed to see what Dad was doing.

When I arrived there, the firefighting pump had been serviced, and the workshop was tidy, so I walked over to the homestead, and found Mum and Dad talking at the kitchen table, “Hello, this looks like a serious discussion” I said to my parents as I sat down with them. “Yes, it is. We have had a discussion with the real estate agents, there has been a larger number of enquiries than was expected.

After some discussion, it has been decided to put a reserve price on each block and put them up for auction, with two viewing days for prospective buyers, a few days before the auction, which will be held in Perth. We will also withdraw from auction, the two properties on either side of the beach carpark, to be used for tourist accommodation, some shops and basic facilities” Dad announced to me.

After a little more discussion, I went to pick up Nick and the twins from the bus stop, and brought them home, and before I went to the cottage to check on Emmy, who I found wandering around the cottage. As soon as he saw me enter, he scuttled towards me and nudge my foot with his nose, I grabbed the gloves, which I leave in the lounge area, and once they were on, I carefully lifted Emmy and turned him over.

I was very pleased to see that his injury was looking a lot better, and so I changed the gauze and put him back on the ground and made some more honey water and food for him. Going to the study, I was checking my emails, when I heard the familiar sound of scratching at the door, and as I entered the lounge area, I saw Emmy heading towards the front door.

As I opened the door, Ernie and his family walked in, and they headed for the feed dishes in the kitchen, and they demolished all the food and water that was there. I decided to see if Ernie and his family would like the enclosure, so I opened the side external door and walked into the outdoor Echidna enclosure.

At first Ernie stopped at the doorway and looked around, then he stepped outside, and his family followed, eventually they found the two gaps in the rocks, that provide access to the burrows, and went inside. I watched for a while and I could hear passing through the poly pipe tunnel, after a while I went inside, but I left the door slightly open, so they could get back inside.

I went over to the shed, where I had seen several small 20 litre empty drums, and I cut one of the drums, so it made a shallow bowl, and I took it over to the cottage, where I filled it with water, and placed it in the enclosure, just outside the door. I refilled the dishes with more food and honey water, before returning to the study. I went back to checking my emails and saw an email from Preston.

“Hey Lewis, my best friend, Mum has told me of the great news that we will be travelling to Australia soon, I am looking forward to seeing you again, it will be Ronny and my first trip out of the UK, so we are hoping the journey will be full of adventure, Ha, Ha! yeah right! Mum says that she is trying to arrange for me to attend a university in Perth, and for Ronny to attend a private school, do you have any recommendations on which ones are best? I miss you very much, Speak to you again soon my friend. Love Preston”.

I immediately began to send a reply, “Dear Preston, I received your email, but only just now had the chance to read it, as for the young echidna – I named him Emmy, has returned and he is getting quite attached to me, I’ve twice received sticky tongue lickings from him, and he doesn’t squirm or move when I attend to his injury on his tummy. Ernie and family have just arrived to check on him, and they are checking out a special enclosure that I built for them, beside the cottage.

For you, since you are studying Vet Science, Murdoch University is the main university for your area of studies, and there is an accommodation village located there, and to keep Ronny close to you, may I suggest Wesley College, which is a private boarding school in South Perth.

I look forward to having you here on the farm, Ronny and you will be staying with me in the cottage, when not at school or university, take care and have a great flight to Australia. Regards your friend Lewis Grantham”.

Once I had sent the email, I went into the lounge room to see if there was any sign of the echidna family, and I saw them walking down the passage towards the front door, which I opened for them and when Emmy tried to go out with them, I picked him up and watched as the others left, before closing the door.

Once I had put Emmy down on the floor, I made up some more food and honey water, placing it on the floor, and Emmy went straight to the bowls.

When there was a knock on the door, I went to open it, and saw my brothers waiting, and I stepped to one side to let them in. “We just saw Ernie and family wandering off into the garden, but there was… ah I see you have kept the sick one from leaving” Nick said as he spotted Emmy at the bowls having a feed and drink.

“Yes, his name is Emmy, short for Emmanuel, and I had to pick him up, to stop him from following, I want his injury to heal properly before I let him join the family” I said to them, “Can we see this enclosure that you built” the twins asked me, and I walked to the side door, which was still slightly open, and I stepped outside with my brothers following.

Once everyone had looked at the enclosure, we returned indoors, and I found Emmy resting in his cardboard box, as I returned to the lounge room to find my brothers all seated. “So, tell us, what these guys are like” Nick asked me.

“Well, Preston is 20 years old and in his third year of university, studying to be a vet, and his younger brother – Ronald or Ronny as we call him, is in year ten at a private school. They own a sheep and cattle farm in the far south west corner of Scotland, at the Mull of Galloway.

The farm is only about 1,600 acres in area, so a lot smaller than our farm, and it is very green all the time, with a mixture of stone walls and wood and wire fences. The farm has a lot of quite old stone buildings, and it is about 45 minutes to the nearest major town, as it is very remote” I replied to them.

“When will they be coming here?” the twins asked me, “That depends on when they can get everything organised, any time from 4 weeks and up to a few months” I replied to the twins, who started to get restless.

“Come on you two rascals, let’s get you home and tidied up before dinner” Nick said to the twins and he led the way to the front door. Once they had gone, I checked on Emmy who was trying to get comfortable in his box, and I smiled as I watched him trying to burrow under the towels. After having a hot shower and changing, I headed over to the homestead to spend some time with the family, before dinner.

A couple days later, Ernie and the family returned, and this time I happily let Emmy to go with them, as his wound had cleared up well. Dad had received a call from the real estate agent to inform us of this weekend set for the hobby farm opening, and the date of the auction set for Wednesday next week, and we decided that we would go along to see how the auction goes.

On the Saturday while Nick and I were busy watering all the nature strip trees, we noticed a lot of cars driving up and down the new streets of the Rivervale.

A few days later, Gramps, Dad and I travelled down to Perth to attend the auction, which was being held at a Hotel ballroom at Scarborough, a northern beach suburb of Perth, and we arrived just before the start of the auction, because we had difficulties finding parking. When we entered the auction room, we were stunned to see about 500 people cramped into the room, with a lot standing along the back and side walls.

With the hobby farm lots, split into 5 sections, the front section closest to the reserved general open space and the existing Rivervale community, are the first to be auctioned off, with the reserve set at $7000 below the value, at $38,000.