Pilbara

More from the Pilbara

Margareta-Admin — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 11:49:34 +0000

Margareta's gone a'mustering

Margareta-Admin — Mon, 17 Aug 2015 09:33:13 +0000

Margareta's gone a'mustering

Margareta-Admin Mon, 17/08/2015 - 7:33 pm

Hi everyone, Margareta's Webmistress here - leaping in to let you know what's going on in her world {wink}

Some of you will know that Margareta and family have headed off to the Pilbara for a few months working on a station cattle muster (which is such a great opportunity for a bit of book research / thinking as well!). Now we had hoped that she'd be doing some blogging from up there but pressure of the workload combined with the dodgy Internet that many of we bush dwellers deal with ... and her access is a bit too erratic. So by text, Facebook messages and a bit of shouting to be heard over dodgy telephone lines we've worked out an alternative, and I'll send out some newsletters for her to let everyone know what's happening.

Aren't these colours just amazing?

You kind of know she's in a different part of the world when you look at weather forecasts from there.

Weather Forecast

While we're all wrapped up in scarves, beanies, and four pairs of socks, up there even the dogs are looking for shade.

Shading the Dogs

But apart from a lot of muted gloating about the weather, there has been a lot of hard work going on. Somewhere in the crew below, heading out for the first mustering run, are H, The Princess and the Farm Boy.

First Mustering Crew on its way out

Heading out first day must have been so exciting.

The Princess and The Farm Boy out on a muster one day when by bike and horse was the only way they could do it because of the rain that's fallen recently

Helping out with the Camp Cooking is not the only thing that Margareta's been doing though:

On Horse Back (with earrings of course!)

On Bike in this case (still with earrings!)

But, of course, there is always the cooking to be done - and there's lots of it with mustering crews this size

Weekender biscuits and jelly slice, plus cakes - all cooked in grabbed moments out of the cattle yards

Date and Walnut Loaf First time every with this recipe - nervous moments

borrowed the photo below from Attica Grey's page just to show what you churn out when you're cooking for 15 and the mustering camp.

"Braise, spaghetti sauce, osso bucco, stroganoff, 3 x biscuits (doubled recipes) coffee cake, chocolate cake, chocolate slice, jam slice, scones for smoko, pizza for lunch, lasagna & homemade garlic bread for dinner, golden syrup dumplings for sweets...joys of cooking for 15 & the mustering camp at the same time."

Cooking for 15+

It's hard work out there but they're all having the most amazing time of it and seeing the most amazing sights

The driveway into the Station

Day Off Exploring - found these butterflies!

But back to the work work...

Cattle in Yards

And yet more yards

Research is happening. These blokes were good enough to answer 1000s of questions whilst changing a diff

Don't forget if you're on Facebook you can follow Margareta at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Margareta-Osborn/249126035122382 - she's posting photos and little notes regularly, but I will accumulate more updates from her and send you out other newsletters as she goes.

Making a fashion statement ...

Margareta-Admin — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 02:19:31 +0000

Making a fashion statement ...

Margareta-Admin Wed, 03/06/2015 - 12:19 pm

Welcome to Winter!

Posh New Boots!

Brrrrrr ... oh my golly gosh, hasn't it been cold! I swear, on Monday, I couldn't feel my feet ALL DAY! This necessitated a rather radical move. A supremely radical move seeing this family is a 'Redback' workboot family. I went out and bought myself a new pair of work boots! I know ... I know ... such a sacrifice seeing, for me, boots are kinda like books and chocolate - you can never have enough. (Don't tell H I said that. He still doesn't know how many books I actually OWN thanks to a revolving mobile library system that ensures a lot of my novels are out on loan to friends :)). BUT, cold feet? Not an option. Wet feet? Not an option. Uncomfortable - "I surely hope I don't have to trudge up another hill in these bloody boots" - feet. Not an option. And soooooo ... I went and had intense discussions with the lovely Sue at The Stable Door in Sale. Found the pair of boots I have been coverting for the past FIFTEEN years have gotten better and better. SO I sucked it up, and bought a pair. And OH MY LORD, are these things like walking on clouds of soft, fluffy, waterproof bits of nothing. I am in HEAVEN I tell you. Absolute boot heaven. Thank you Ariat, once again. Your Terrain boots are like salted caramel Tim Tams and a Monica McInerney book all wrapped up in a heated, fluffy towel.

Chic!

So this morning's fashion statement is brought to you by a bag of second hand clothes from a friend (flannie shirt), Mountain Design Outlet store (puffer vest and bargin rack men's shell jacket), Murray Goulburn (Farmtech Milking vest), Ariat (jeans albeit rather worn and ripped), Fever (yummy scarf), my lovely Auntie Denise (hand knitted blue beanie) and Ariat again - my NEW BOOTS! Aren't they just the trick! Only thing is, the laces are going to drive me nuts but its a small price to pay for comfort.

So whilst many other of your favourite authors may look like they've walked off the cover of the Australian Women's Weekly, Australian Country Style or even Vogue, this author isn't one of them. Just ask the locals. Although, in saying that, I did just get some rather divine author photo's taken and thanks to my goregous stylist Ms Sandra who always makes me feel a million dollars, and a very talented and delightful photographer, Angela Landua, from Danae Images in Traralgon, they didn't turn out too bad. I'll show you next week!

New Book

I started writing a new book this week. Are you excited? I'm excited. After a while of nothing talking in my head (it was truly getting rather depressing just listening to my OWN thoughts) I've now got two books on the go which isn't good for my brain as I don't know which one's talking to me at any one time. When I get 'that book look" (as my family call it) my daughter has taken to asking me, 'Which one is it, mum?' Apparently 'the look' then turns blank. I just hope I don't get my Lake Grace's and Pilbara's mixed up.

The Packing Pile

Packing

Despite spending last week thinking I was dying of the flu which necessitated a few days in bed (I know! It was that bad!), we are getting organised to leave for the Pilbara. The LandCruiser could be forgiven for thinking it's having a birthday what with new tyres, mechanical repairs and things that were falling off all secured back on. The heavy duty trailer has also got in on the act with new bearings and such. A dog box is now made and ready for the kelpie complete with roll up blinds should he get a bit hot. All very flash and fancy.

My floor is starting to disappear as I make piles of stuff on the 'must go' list. I'm getting to that point where I'm looking at it all and starting to subtract items (the "it really doesn't HAVE to go pile") because I know from past experience, it just won't fit. And it's actually quite amazing just what little 'stuff' you really need in order to live. That said, H and I have bought new sleeping bags for our swags as the old ones really were on their last legs. Busted zippers, rips and tears - I'm afraid the last trip across the Simpson Desert on the roofrack, finally did them in. My new sleeping bag is pink, which has the Princess throwing it all sorts of looks and I'm guessing if it goes missing, I'll find it in HER swag!

In cooking this week ...

You have to go to http://lilluna.com/creamy-swiss-chicken-bake/ and make this! Oh my, what a simple and absolutely delicious recipe ( and superb for this long weekend). Preparation takes about 5-10 minutes and then whack it in the oven to let the heat do the rest. Perfect if you need to go back outside to feed the animals in the evening - it cooks while you're getting everything else fed and settled for the night. The best kind of recipe, I think.

What I'm reading ...

I have just finished Robert Schofield's MARBLE BAR, a very enjoyable read, with lots of action and all set in the Pilbara where we are heading. Very timely. I'm half-way through a new book by Milly Johnson called THE TEASHOP ON THE CORNER. It's a very light read so while I was sick, just the book I needed as I couldn't concentrate on what I was saying let alone what I was reading!

I also have a treat in store for myself that I've been keeping for our trip across Australia. Tony Parson's latest book, RETURN TO MOONDILLA, came out a little while ago and it's been sitting on my bedside table waiting for a 'holiday' where I can just sit and read (a week across Australia should account for that). Touted by Tony's publisher (Allen & Unwin) as the Father of Australian rural fiction, I would have to whole-heartedly agree. I have always revered Tony after a) reading his CALL OF THE HIGH COUNTRY fiction series which was my second introduction (after Di Morrissey's 'Heart of the Dreaming') to the then embryonic genre and because b) he is a renown working dog breeder and trainer who established one of the top kelpie studs in Australia, 'Karrawarra'. In fact, he was awarded an OAM for his contribution to the propagation of the Australian kelpie. Now in his 80's Tony is still writing, and this is another action packed novel set in rural Australia that will appeal to fans of crime and romance.

The blurb:

Return to Moondilla tells the story of a former journalist, Greg Baxter, who's recently returned to the area he grew up in (Moondilla, inspired by the NSW South Coast) to finish what he hopes will be a best selling novel. Far from being able to concentrate on his novel, however, the successful , handsome writer and martial arts expert is subjected to the attention of some attractive women, including the feisty doctor he once had a crush on. He also finds himself drawn into a police investigation of a lcoal drug-dealing syndicate; After an attempt on his life, and with his trusty German Shepherd, Chief, at his side, Baxter realises his days will be numbered unless he can help the police break the drug ring open...

I spoke with Tony after the release of his new book and here's what we chatted about ...

What was the inspiration for this book:

The pointlessness of drugs and of one man's stand against their use. I had some experience with martial arts a long time ago and used this as a kind of spearpoint for the story. After all their heroics and the development of a virgin country I hate to see Australians involved in drugs. I've said this fairly forcefully in the Prologue of Moondilla.

How it's the same/different to his CALL OF THE HIGH COUNTRY series (which I ADORED by the way)?

Moondilla is quite different to the High Country books. I left Penguin because they wanted to 'box' me in to rural type books and I didn't want to be boxed in. I'd written thousands of articles and transcribed complex material to simpler language when I was with the ag/vet companies (plus written radio/TV commercials) so I was confident I could extend the scope of my writing. 'Back to the Pilliga' was a breakaway novel to a certain extent and 'Return to Moondilla' is a further departure where the bush is replaced by a river and coastal town plus, of course, the drugs. The manuscript of the next novel is with A & U and it's quite different again.

Is the move towards a suspense story something you've always longed to do?

I wouldn't say the move ... is something I've always wanted to do. I regard myself as a storyteller and I think it's important to stretch oneself into new fields. Having said that I've got enormous admiration for Agatha Christie and her crime novels. I would very much like to be able to write something as good as hers. My children's book 'The Bird Smugglers of Mountain View' is another rural suspense story. It's in most of the schools up here and John Williamson likes it a lot and says it should be in every school. He's a bird lover too.

The Lad and his "Boy"

Purely personal, do you still have a keen interest in working dogs? And why the kelpie, not the border collie?

I don't breed Kelpies now. I had 70 years with Kelpies and I think I've done enough in that field. I wrote four books on the Kelpie , The last is a 700 page book which is regarded as the best book on the breed ever written. It's $150 in the shops but it has sold well around the world. Nearly every good working Kelpie has my Karrawarra blood in it.

Why the Kelpie?

It's (with the Cattle dog) Australia's national dog. It has had a greater influence generally than Border Collies even though BCs do better in trial work.

What's next for Tony Parsons?

I would have to be excessively optimistic to look too far ahead regards future books. I'm 84 and I'm assured not many people my age are still writing novels. There's the manuscript at A & U and it's set in the Glasshouse Mountains. It's quite different but I like it a lot. It refers to the demise of the Kabi people with the onset of white civilisation. I wrote some songs for this story one of which was in collaboration with one of my lovely granddaughters. Beyond that is the biggest novel I've written which I am in the process of rewriting. It's the story of the search for a Nazi war criminal. I did a tremendous amount of research for this book and I hope I live to see it published. There's others in first draft but whether I ever get to them or would want to by then, I couldn't say. I don't have my old energy and the body isn't what it was.

Thanks Tony, and good luck with your new book!

In other rural book news ...

Helene Young is touring the east coast with her new novel, NORTHERN HEAT which is on bookshelves now.

Jenn J. McLeod (SEASON OF SHADOW & LIGHT), Tricia Stringer (HEART OF THE COUNTRY) and Karen Davis crime writer - DEADLY OBSESSION) have also been wandering around NSW for 12 days in a bus with BETTER READING, promoting their new books and having one heck of a good time.

Arriving in June is also my friend, Pamela Cook's newest rural novel, CLOSE TO HOME.

These great books just keep on coming ...

Until next week, I'll keep packing and you guys keep reading and stay warm.

Margareta x

And we're off to the Pilbara!

Margareta-Admin — Mon, 25 May 2015 05:08:27 +0000

And we're off to the Pilbara!

Margareta-Admin Mon, 25/05/2015 - 3:08 pm

Life is frantic up on the hill at the moment. H is welding up cattle yards on another block, I'm trying to organise our home lives which got a tad scrambled while I was doing pre-book tour stuff, mid-book tour stuff and post-book tour stuff, and keeping up with the permanent job - kid taxi duty. And when I'm not involved there, I'm getting farm books up to date, going through cooking books and ... packing.

Yep. You heard right. Packing.

A lot of people when they get the chance to go AWOL head to decadent beachside destinations like Fiji, Vanauta, Phuket or, if you're lucky, the Greek Islands. (Mykonos anyone?)

But not us. No, Sireee. (I don't think we'd actually know what to do if we ever got to sit on one of those glorious overseas beaches.)

H and I - plus two two kids and one kelpie - are leaving our farm in the hands of a very capable farm-sitter and we are heading right across the Nullabor into Western Australia and about half way up that state (give or take a few hundred k's or so), where we are going to work the mustering season on a friend's (very large) cattle station in the Pilbara. Cooking, truck driving, mustering - all that kind of stuff. The kids will have a life experience they'll never forget especially seeing their mother and father, who are most definitely NOT teachers, are going to try and teach them for a term (shoot me now ) amongst other things. Although, I have no doubt regardless of our (lack of) teaching ability, by the time we head for home the Farm Boy will be able to tell you his version of how to run a cattle station, drive a Scania truck, fix a bore pump and windmill plus hazard a guess on how to fly a mustering helicopter. The Princess will be an mini expert at yard work whilst painted in hand ground red ochre (she loves the stuff), have the ability to transform beef into 10 million different dishes (where's my old station recipe book amongst all these boxes?), make slices by the slab, and of course, as she is want to do when no one is watching, dance to the chorus of dozens of galahs. Or lots of frogs if it rains. Which it probably won't because the place is scarily close to Marble Bar. H won't want to come home because he'll be in his element (bushie that he is) and neither will I. (This is on-the-ground research for another book. Or two or three.) See, it's a WIN WIN situation here. (Just nobody mention snakes at this point in the conversation and I'll be very happy).

We have a window of opportunity here on the farm as all is quiet until October. Our home place is having a spell from stock, there's no irrigating to do at the other block, no fires to worry about and so, we leave in two and half weeks! Yes, it's a mad scramble even though we won't be taking all that much. According to H, that is. Remember our trip to QLD last year? If you're new around here - a very big hello and welcome! - you might like to look at this and see how I got the car boot closed. This time it'll be a Landcruiser tailgate and H is already giving off all these warning growls of 'it can come, IF and only IF it fits ...'. Obviously I'll have to make sure there's room for me or I might be conveniently left behind. But then he wouldn't have the yummy butterscotch bickies or homemade rolls or chicken casserole detailed below, so I think he'd relent. Just for me. I think ....

Anyway, once we're packed (yes, I will take a photo) and we are on our way, if you hear of a Toyota Landcruiser, a heavy duty trailer, one mum and dad, a pigeon pair of kids, one cattle dog, two motorbikes and an array of swags & all sorts of other stuff "you have to take to camp your way across Australia and halfway upwards" all going missing, you'll know it's us.

Stayed tuned for updates of the mad scramble to leave followed by life in the Pilbara for a family of Victorian hillbillies!

RECIPES

Last week on my Facebook Page I mentioned some Butterscotch biscuits I made from an old recipe of my mum's. I had this piece of paper from her ancient cookbook and had tried every recipe written on it except for these little beauties. I have no idea why it's taken me so long! They are absolutely beautiful. And so, as requested by you lovely Facebook followers, here is the recipe for these yummy bickies which had my younger children asking me, 'Are they called Butterscotch because they're made of butter and that stuff some people drink?'

(I just want you all to know 'some people' is not their mother.)

Butterscotch Button Biscuits

BUTTERSCOTCH BUTTONS

125 gms butter

1/2 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)

1 1/4 cups of Self Raising Flour

1 teaspoon of Vanilla

1 tablespoon of Golden Syrup

Beat butter, vanilla, sugar and golden syrup until light and fluffy. Fold in flour. Roll teaspoons of mix into balls. Flatten slightly with fork.

Bake in slow over approx. 20 minutes

Focaccia Rolls

FOCACCIA ROLLS

The other recipe I was asked for this week, was for some foccacia rolls I made over the weekend in order to have hamburgers. Because we live a long way from the shops I usually keep bread and rolls in the freezer, but this Sunday night I ran out (head slap!), and knew what little bread I had was needed to make tomorrow's school lunches. What to do? I really wanted to make 'homemade' takeaway. (If we buy takeaway from our nearest town, by the time we get it home it's cold and yuck!) So I scouted around in the freezer for something else but hamburgers had taken hold of my mind. I was kind of salvitating over a nice juicy hamburger stacked with salad. So fixated was I on this treat for tea, I decided to have go at making the rolls myself. Now, I'm no bread maker from way back like some people who read this updates so please feel free to share your own lovely bread roll recipes. In the meantime though, here's mine. They turned out a treat and a half. Please note, I combined a couple of recipes to get this one, and I used an old Breville Baker's Oven Plus Model No. BB250 (750gm loaf).

Here's what I did:

I grabbed my trusty Bread Maker bread pan and poured in 330ml of lukewarm water, folllowed by 500gm of Lauke Bread Machine PreMix Crusty White Bread flour (make sure this covers the water as you don't want the yeast coming in contact with the water), followed by 4gms dried yeast.

I placed my bread pan in the bread maker and set it on '8' for Dough and allowed the machine to knead away for 10 minutes. Turned it off. Pulled the bread pan out. Dusted the bread board with CORN flour (CORN flour I said, most important for some reason I can't remember) and tipped the dough onto the board. I covered the dough with a bowl and allowed it to rest for about 10 minutes.

I then dusted the dough with said CORN flour. And placed the dough into the bowl and covered it with cling wrap. You've then got to place the bowl in a warm place for about 20 minutes or so for the dough to rise. (I either put mine on the dash of the car, or, if the fire's blazing, on the hearth to the side of the open fire.)

When dough is nicely risen, tip it back out onto your CORN flour covered board and divide dough into roll size portions. Glaze with milk and top with sesame seeds (if desired.)

Cook in hot over (220 deg.) until golden brown. And Voila!

Hamburger rolls!

Home made 'take away' that's YUM!

Homemade Takeaway

CHICKEN & DUMPLING CASSEROLE

I was also scanning a few of my favourite cooking websites recently for a nice, mouthwatering, heart warming casserole. I'm not sure about your house, but Saturday's around here seem extra busy and by the time they all off-load coats, hats, boots and pile inside on a Saturday evening after a big day, everyone's STARVING. Soooooo.... I went looking for a new recipe and after a few false starts and the odd cries of 'darn it, why can't they just use NORMAL ingredients', I found this little beauty. It was easy, I HAD ALL the ingredients (ie. they were normal pantry staples) and I served it all on it's own but you could add rice to make it go further should someone unexpected rock through the back door.

Check out this link for the recipe, thanks to Chef-in-training. I highly recommend it. You could also ditch the dumplings and whack the casserole into pies. BEW-DI-FUL!

http://www.chef-in-training.com/2015/05/chicken-and-dumpling-casserole/

WHAT I'M READING ...

I've been trying to read Alice Hoffman's, MUSEUM OF EXTRAORDINARY THINGS, for my bookclub this week but got distracted last week by a great Australian author Robert Schofield and his novel, HEIST. Set around Kalgoolie the book is an action crime read and I tell you, this man gives one of my favourite authors in this genre, Lee Child, a run for his money. (Are you impressed? I was. No one has ever given Jack Reacher a shove like Gareth Ford).) You might remember I hosted Robert on my website some time back when his latest novel MARBLE BAR was released? I hadn't gotten around to reading his first and loosely connected HEIST. I wish I had now! SO glad I remedied my error too! So if you like a good action novel, take a look at Robert Schofield. You won't be sorry.

The other book I recently had the pleasure and great honor of reading was an early copy of my lovely friend Deborah O'Brien's (of MR CHEN'S EMPORIUM fame) new book, THE TRIVIA MAN. Due on the shelves in June this year, look out for this one as you're in for a treat. It's no secret I love Deborah's work and THE TRIVIA MAN is no exception. A cleverly told, beautifully written story which is a quirky and heartwarming tale about finding your true place in the world, set against the backdrop of a weekly trivia competition.

‘Trivia is a serious business, not a social occasion' Kevin Dwyer, the 'trivia man'

The blurb ...

Dubbed ‘brainbox' by his peers and ‘weirdo' by his sister, Kevin Dwyer is a middle-aged forensic accountant who has never had a real friend, other than his eight-year-old nephew Patrick. When Kevin joins the Clifton Heights Sports Club trivia competition as a one-man team, and convincingly wins the first round, he is headhunted by the other contestants. But Kevin would prefer to be on his own. That is, until he meets Maggie Taylor . . .

Maggie is a Latin teacher and movie buff, who's good at her job but unlucky in love. In fact, she's still besotted with the man who dumped her years ago. Nagged by her friend Carole about getting out and meeting people, Maggie reluctantly joins the trivia team founded by Carole's husband, Edward.

Over a season of trivia nights, Kevin, Maggie and her team will experience arguments and crises, friendships and romances, heartbreaks and new beginnings. And maybe, just maybe, Kevin will find his happy ever after . . . - See more at: http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/deborah-obrien/the-trivia-man-97808…

I couldn't put this one down. If you loved the ROSIE PROJECT, you'll adore, THE TRIVIA MAN.

Well that's it. I have to go and cuddle my little Jack Russell, Lucy, as we can't take her with us on our AWOL trip from the wilds of the Gippsland High Country to the wilds of the Pilbara. I'm squeezing in every last cuddle I can but she is in extremely good and loving hands while I'm away so I'll just have to suck it up and cuddle the kelpie, Crosby instead. That's if The Farm Boy will share his best mate with me :) I might just have to pick up another kelpie along the way. Just don't tell H I said that, okay? :)

Until next week,

Take care and happy reading, cooking and farming. And packing ... :)

Margareta x

PS. For all you Apple users and iBooks lovers, THE COWBOY is available on iBooks now. And if you love it, I'd really appreciate it if you left a review. Thanks so much!

Pilbara

More from the Pilbara

Leave a Reply

Margareta's gone a'mustering

Leave a Reply

Making a fashion statement ...

New Book

Packing

In cooking this week ...

What I'm reading ...

Leave a Reply

And we're off to the Pilbara!

RECIPES

BUTTERSCOTCH BUTTONS

FOCACCIA ROLLS

CHICKEN & DUMPLING CASSEROLE

WHAT I'M READING ...

Leave a Reply

Pilbara

More from the Pilbara

Leave a Reply

Margareta's gone a'mustering

Leave a Reply

Making a fashion statement ...

New Book

Packing

In cooking this week ...

What I'm reading ...

Leave a Reply

And we're off to the Pilbara!

RECIPES

​BUTTERSCOTCH BUTTONS

FOCACCIA ROLLS

CHICKEN & DUMPLING CASSEROLE

WHAT I'M READING ...

Leave a Reply

BUTTERSCOTCH BUTTONS