Busman's Birthday

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Hans
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Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2012 4:30 pm
Location: Ballajura WA

Busman's Birthday

Post by Hans »

Hi Bill, my diary tells me it's your birthday today. If it is correct, Happy Birthday for today. Hope you have a great day. Trust some of your reds have come good. We are currently at Kalbarri Anchorage CP and heading south. Hoping to catch up with some fellow friends on Tue in Geraldton. Best wishes to you and May. Regards, Hans & Roz
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Dot
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Re: Busman's Birthday

Post by Dot »

Happy birthday Busman, hope it has been a good one :D
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supersparky
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Re: Busman's Birthday

Post by supersparky »

Happy Birthday William, hope you had a great day. How are thing out Stanthorpe way now?
Cheers
David

David and Terrie with Bandit the travelling companion
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Recently retired and loving it.
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BruceS
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Re: Busman's Birthday

Post by BruceS »

Happy birthday Bill.
Hope you enjoyed your special day today! ;) 8-)
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Busman
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Re: Busman's Birthday

Post by Busman »

Thanks to all for the good wishes, was a quiet day, drove back here from Morayfield, doing a bit of house reno down there.

We will be bottling some Cab Sav around Christmas, hope to score some more grapes from next vintage, whites in Feb and reds in Mar/Apr.
Our winemaker has also turned some experimental grapes (very old variety) into 40 litres of port, amazing what you can do with a bit of knowledge.
Local council has finally approved our buildings so we won't be travelling at all this year, but intend to be gone when vines go into dormancy next year.
Fires are out at the moment but it is a day to day proposition. Spent a week setting ourselves up to fight fires if we have to, it will not be a major for us I think as our bush is not close, all depends on wind at the time.
Very dry here though and with the fireies taking water from the local dam, it is bound to run out sooner than predicted. We will be holding about 120 K litres so should be good for some time. Will drag water from the house down there for the grapes, expensive proposition but I am not going to put off planting for a year, it might rain the day after you make that decision !
Vines arrive mid October which should avoid any late frosts. 600 to plant so hope some backpackers turn up. There will not be much work for them this season.
Hans, you ever coming back to this side ?
Cheers
all
William
Vanishing Point, almost ready to vanish
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BruceS
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Re: Busman's Birthday

Post by BruceS »

Are you setting the vines up for mechanical pruning & harvesting or all manual?
I know a chap will give you info if you are going all manual that will increase your harvest per acre.
Most down our way have gone all mechanical other than 'wrapping' the new shoots.
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T1 Terry
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Re: Busman's Birthday

Post by T1 Terry »

Happy Birthday Bill, what happened to you retiring and enjoying the bus?

T1 Terry
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Busman
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Re: Busman's Birthday

Post by Busman »

Hello Bruce,
It will be all manual, it is only 600 vines, enough to keep us and our friends out of trouble, not worth setting up for mechanical.
I have seen a bin of mechanically harvested grapes and I reckon it was 20% grubs, the whole thing was moving.
For us just a retirement project, so things like pruning are just part of the game. We will get a couple of bp's to help harvest, but other than that will just be us and our winemaker.
William
Vanishing Point, almost ready to vanish
Suzuki GV more than ready to go NOW !
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Busman
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Re: Busman's Birthday

Post by Busman »

Well we have retired T1 but never been so busy. Seen too many people stop and then stop for good shortly after. This is something I would have done years ago if it had not been for the farm. Only not doing any travelling this year, I reckon we will be good for at least 6 months at a time once the vines are well established and I have the neighbours trained to keep an eye on things.
So more of a deferral than a change of plans.
Vanishing Point, almost ready to vanish
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