BLESSED SPEEDY

Times are tough as a dairy farmer at the moment.  Its wet.  Its muddy.  Milk price is low and confidence is understandably low as well. Its hard going getting out of bed each morning wondering what the day will bring - what disaster will come upon us to challenge us even more and do we really want to keep going. I am usually a positive person, but of late Ive been really challenged.  Thankfully Gary is positive and believes there is a future - it would be horrible if both of us were struggling at the same time. This morning I went to check the calving cows and even struggled to walk into the paddock - but I found new life and it was cute! This brought me to thinking , we recently attended a dairy meeting and met other farmers there.  We got talking (as you do) and were asked - is it hard for you?  How are you dealing with the mud? And the rain? How are your cows producing? How are you keeping going? And our answers - we are not!  Well we are, but i...

Since I married my husband 10 years ago, I’ve been a dairy farmer and so a part of the Australian Dairy Industry.  During that time I have seen and experienced many things - drought, flood, plagues of locusts, high and low water, fodder and milk prices and many other things. I’ve learnt a lot and seen a lot and know I’m proud to be a dairy farmer - that owning and running a dairy business is not an easy thing to do - that there are many challenges thrown our way but somehow we somehow keep going and adapting to continue to farm. However events in the last few days have seen many of us almost at the end of our tether.  As a dairy farmer in Northern Victoria we are already struggling with high temporary water prices (and water is the life blood of dairying in my region), high fodder prices, little or no rainfall and a general despondency starting to happen.   Then to cap all of that off, last Wednesday the company that we supply our milk to and are also shareholders ...

I was recently asked to write a blog post for the Loddon Murray Community Leadership program - here it is below :) A lesson in leadership …. Posted on   January 29, 2015 by   cllminc Dianne and Gary Bowles from Cohuna are strong advocates for the dairy industry. Dianne Bowles  of Cohuna describes herself as a professional dairy farmer, a Board Member at the North Central Catchment Management Authority, and a Director of Murray Dairy. She is also a graduate of the Loddon Murray Community Leadership Program (2012). Over and beyond her many public roles she recently discovered that her leadership skills were required closer to home.   Di is our first guest blogger for 2015 and we thank her for sharing her story. Sometimes just one little thing can cause you to lose focus on what you are trying to achieve. My husband Gary and I own and run a dairy farm in Northern Victoria. Gary has lived here all his life, me for only the last 9 years wh...

Its hard to believe that two years have passed since Maddison Dorothy Rivett joined our family. She is growing into a gorgeous girl - has her own mind and is definately going to go places! A very happy birthday to you Maddison and we look forward to celebrating many more to come with you!

Wednesday night I did something I never really thought I would do - I got to wear robes and graduated! Through the National Centre of Dairy Education I have now successfully completed an Advanced Diploma in Agribusiness Management as well as a Diploma in Agriculture. It was a lot of work - and yes I did get some recognition for prior learning but it was still hard work! Dont ask what Im going to do with this qualification - its just nice to be finished and a bonus to have a nice night out with my lovely husband Gary at the Moama Bowling Club

How lucky am I? Last Friday my daughter Aimee and hubby Jason brought my gorgeous granddaughers Mia and Maddison for a two day visit for an early mothers day treat.  Aimee was wonderful - she cleaned, changed my sheets on the bed, took me shopping etc and really looked after me.  Jason had a great time around the farm and riding the motorbike and Mia and Maddison had a great time too - and yes there were lots of cuddles!

Gary, my Mum and I travelled to Bendigo yesterday to watch my daughter Sarah graduate from university. It doesnt seem that long ago that I was posting that she was heading off to university - and here she is a graduate - Bachelor of Visual Arts from Latrobe University in Bendigo.....she is now a "qualified" photographer! She has already obtained photography work - part time on the weekends working for vision portraits which will hopefully give her a good grounding in photographing people and families and will lead to bigger and better things. Well done Sarah - we are proud of what you have achieved!

Sorry once again for the lack of posts - but I do have a good excuse I've had an operation (well that operation that ladies of a certain age have that starts with "h") almost two weeks ago and I'm at home "resting" and recuperating.  Frustrating would be more the word I would use - I'm not to lift anything more than 3 kgs and no vacuuming or housework etc for 6 weeks 6 weeks you say!!!! Yes - I have plenty of other stuff I could do - i.e. crocheting, knitting, reading, dvds etc but I dont seem to be able to concentrate for too long on any one thing - have spent lots of time  wasted lots of time browsing stuff on the net though! Must admit Gary has been wonderful - cup of tea in bed each morning and working non stop and not complaining - I do love the man! Stay tuned for regular programming at some stage!

Please meet our newest family member - Molly.  She came from a friend of our who had a litter of pups and dropped two off for us to "try" - I fell in love with Molly on sight and now she is ours.  She is apparently 3/4 border collie 1/4 kelpie so she is a new "exotic" breed called a bordelpie!  She is very friendly and our two other dogs Ruby and Bronte seem to have taken to her.  She is finding the cows a bit large at the moment, but hopefully that will change.  She's already had a go at rounding up the chooks though, which Gary tells me is a good sign of a potentially good working dog.

Long time and my blog has been ignored - sorry one and all! I'll try and do a catch up on what has been happening in the last month six weeks or so. Firstly, my gorgeous granddaughter Mia started school - it doesnt seem that long ago that I was blessed to be at her birth, and here she is all grown up! Next my other gorgeous granddaughter Maddison turned one - again doesnt seem that long ago that I was at her birth as well, my how quickly they grow up! And thirdly, my baby Megan has spread her wings and gone off to Bendigo to study nursing at La Trobe University - once again, how quickly they grow up! Add into that mix me heading off twice to Melbourne in a month, firstly to the Dairy Australia Leadership Program and then to the Murray Goulburn Supplier Development program life here has been busy. Gary and I are enjoying just being "the two of us", and I even have been able to fit in some cow time. Phew.... how's that for a catch up?

I spent a lovely day in Bendigo yesterday babysitting my two granddaughters Mia and Maddison.  They were both so good and we had a great time.  I even managed to get Maddison to have a sleep and she slept for 45 in her cot during the day which apparently is unheard of - I must have the Nanna touch! The absolute highlight was that Maddison said "nan" for the first time and continued to say it over and over so I got it on film! I also took my Mum with me for a day out and she had a great time too - after our "work" was done we did a bit of shopping and then headed home - tired but happy.

With the weather being so hot - as can be seen by this photo that was taken two days ago in Cohuna (15 minutes drive away) at 7.30pm and of course with the cricket being on the television - thanks to my Grandpa who taught me from a very young age to really appreciate the "proper cricket" - i.e. test cricket and of course the "holy grail" of cricket - the ashes closely followed by the boxing day test, neither of which was on but still a great test game between Australia and Sri Lanka I have been working on not one but four projects at once, working on each as the mood takes me. Photo of all four is here - crocheted blanket in bendigo cotton, embroidery block from "love is" block of the month, a sock I am test knitting and chair covers for the two lounge chairs. I'm doing a bit on each in no particular order - just as the mood strikes me. But trying to do a "little bit" of each daily. Today I managed to finish the chair s...

Hello 2013~!!! So what do I want to achieve this year? Hard to pin it down into a few words but I did find this image on the net and it sort of sums up my intentions. This coming year will bring a lot of changes to our home and family - Megan will be leaving home to (hopefully) go to uni, we will be getting a new kitchen and more renovating (the more depending on the $$$).  I have been selected to be a part of the Dairy Australia Developing Dairy Leaders Program  so will be travelling to Melbourne and Canberra for that.  I've also been asked to be part of a study into hearing loss run by the National Centre for Farmer Health and that will involve travelling to Horsham.  So more time in the car - more audiobooks! Even though it sounds like I will be busy, Im actually hoping to slow down a bit - I will no longer be involved in school council, where I have been president for the last 4 years as Megan is no longer at school.  So no night time meetings and other...

Well here we are on the last day of 2012 and what have I achieved? My goals were as follows - in 2012 I will try to...... •Become more self-confident and organised, use my diary and journal  - getting better at putting dates/appointments in my phone STRAIGHT AWAY, journal was a fail. •Lose weight and get fitter - fail due to sickness I put on weight big priority for 2013 •Become more cost-effective - use what I have FIRST success!!!!! Have been finishing off/using up craft stuff I have had for ages and have given lots away.  Same with clothes •Eat much more healthily (but Im NOT giving up chocolate!) Oddly enough I dont eat much chocolate now, and have tried to eat a LOT more healthier •Save money Done!!! Even bought some shares •Stop worrying - trust God to supply ALL our needs trying, trying, trying...... •Take a trip - took lots of day and a few day trips with the leadership program •Learn something new - crocheting???? Done! I can now crochet •Be Less Grumpy Hmm...

  Dear All, Well here we are already at the end of 2012, and hasn’t this year just flown? Unfortunately this year we have had lots of down moments and sadness, my stepfather died in August which was a real shock although he hadn’t been well for some time. We also had to send our beloved cat, Speedy, to heaven which was also sad as she had been with us for 15 years. We have had trouble with cattle being sick, dying of blout and various other “incidents” as well as Dianne being extremely sick and being hospitalised for several days and Gary being injured by a cow!   BUT..... There were some highs as well – we welcomed to our family two new granddaughters – Holly and Daryl’s first child, Addison and Aimee and Jason’s daughter, Maddison. They are both gorgeous! Sarah has finished university (studying photography) and Megan has completed year 12 (as well as taking an alternative “schoolies” trip to Cambodia). Number 1 granddaughter, Mia gra...

 What a lovely weekend - my two gorgeous grandchildren here to visit - what more could I ask for, and I dont think many words as required!

Its my birthday and its a special one - 50 - goodness Im half way to a hundred. This oh so comfy air chair is what my lovely husband bought me for me birthday - he says its so I will sit and rest! My girls gave me a beautiful pandora necklace and earrings and I was spoilt with lots of other stuff too!

No photos today - the place (well my crafting area) is in a mess being tidied.  I've just stopped for a break.  But lots has been achieved and got rid of. I've been fairly ruthless - stuff I dont think Ill ever get around to using or doing has gone into one of four (yes four!!!) garbage bags and I've taken them into the local trash and treasure for them to sell and make money from. Yes I could have tried to sell them on ebay or one of the online groups that I am on, but I wanted to get rid of the "stuff" NOW and not wait and not change my mind.  And the profits from the trash and treasure goes to a good cause. I've now got a fairly largish pile of stuff I want to finish off - at least 8 things I think in the "immediate pile" so I will see how I go. P.S. I dont even know how some of the stuff got here - cos some of it I dont even remember buying!

Received this bill in the mail from Ambulance Victoria - for my little trip from Cohuna Hospital to St John of God Hospital in Bendigo - it took an hour and a bit to get there. Thank goodness we have ambulance cover as our annual cover which is less than $100 for a family fully covers this.  Make sure you have cover too!

I've finally made a decision after much thought and discussion - I was (a couple of months ago - before stuff happened) very keen to run for local council.  I had had many people ask me to run and offered their support and/or help which was very flattering. However events over the past little while have made me realise that now might not be the best time to take on something as time intensive as this.  So I've decided NOT to throw my hat into the ring. On the plus and finishing side - I've finished something else - this embroidery sampler that Mum gave me I dont know how long ago to do for her - I think it was a freebie in a magazine or something, I dont honestly remember as it was so long ago. Anyway its done now, and bound and ready to be given to Mum when I next visit her - btw got the border, backing and binding materials from Mum - she was so excited to go through fabric with me and choose them!