Month: August 2018

Hiya!
First of all… note the blue skies.
Second… a cardigan update!
I got Jeff to take a few snaps so you could see how it was progressing! My its cosy!!  I went back to Spotlight (yarn shop) and picked up some similar yarn in burgundy to trim the edges.
There is actually enough of this yarn in their ‘throwout’ box to make another one and I am quite tempted to dash back to secure it!

I hope you dig my stylish gumboots.

I actually have the second sleeve finished as of tonight and almost both of them trimmed in the red because I couldn’t wait to see what it would look like.

Anyway, thats enough catwalk stuff.

We went out this morning to the markets because Jeff really wanted to buy some rocks. There is a good stall at the Penguin Markets which is selling heaps of amazing rocks.
We also managed to find this fabulous tall set of drawers… which is still in the car because we got distracted this afternoon.

As it wasn’t raining and the sun was doing its best, we really wanted to get into some more yard clearing. The wind wasn’t nice though… but you can’t have everything! 😀
Remember those free besser blocks I picked up a while back? Well I have made use of them to create a temporary fire pit to start burning off all the scrappy bits of tree that we can’t use for firewood or kindling.

It’s a slight challenge burning green stuff – but there is plenty of dry material around to help things along. The wind was blowing down the paddock way so the smoke (and there was plenty!) was blown away from the highway.

Jeff spent a lot of time chopping and hacking away at decent branches to add to the kindling pile

Seems a lot already and we have barely scratched the surface!

I even dragged Pip out for a short while – he found a suitable spot to snoopervise.

I got through about half of this pile today – plus a lot of other stuff.

Such a mess!

For the first time in forever, we worked outside until it was dark!! Felt so good to be getting some stuff done!

Its great to have a spot set up now that either of us can just go and use to whittle away at that pile of wood. Plus my parents are visiting in a couple of weeks… er… less I think… and my Mum is a closet pyromaniac so she is going to love being out there burning scraps!

I hope your Sunday was as much fun!
Cheers

Hello!
Was so pleased to get a day with more blue skies and only a spit of rain!
Apart from cleaning up the kitchen, I did manage to get outside.
I am also still tussling with our service provider as we are still not connected by our usual internet or phone. Still on backup.
Not that I am surprised. The first time I had an issue they called me and suggested I move to a more cost efficient plan, I agreed and they promptly removed us from our original plan then proceeded not to put us onto the new promised plan and our bills doubled. That  only took 7 months to sort out.
The last time we had ‘an issue’ (which was a veritable soap opera of events) we were being moved onto the NBN network. They cut our original connections and failed to reconnect to the NBN. oh and sent us outrageous bills every month as well. Thats the super in a nutshell short version of the drama. That took ELEVEN MONTHS to sort out.
Since today I had unsurprisingly heard nothing back about their failure to reconnect us I got back on to their online help chat. (to go over everything AGAIN). Informed specialist team would email me by 6pm (within 3 hours)(Which was after the usual drama I cause by not having a mobile phone)
Of course by 6.30pm I have heard…. nothing.
Back to the info line to go over everything (again)… was informed that they were emailing now.
When? Within 30 minutes. Its been an hour and let me put on my surprised face – No contact.
Time to start investigating new carriers. I persisted with them before because of all the hassle I just wanted my money back and compensation out of them which I got but figured it would be harder if I left them to squeeze something out of them.
So… hopefully this backup connection keeps us somewhat online.

On to much more relaxing, fun and pretty topics!
Flowers!! The paddock behind us is looking rather cheerful!

If the weather isn’t too dramatic tomorrow I am tempted to go cut bunches of these to put out the front to sell!

I went and helped myself to a huge bunch the other day (The fellow that manages the paddocks doesn’t mind)

Really helps cheer things up when the days are mostly grey

Yay – the chooks are doing well lately! Lovely to have lots of eggs again!

I haven’t used peat pots before but thought I would give them a go. Probably try to grow stuff in them to sell out the front. (The Grand Plan)

Speaking of selling out the front, the potted garlic are doing fine!

The early garlic are going along pretty well too and the seaweed has suppressed a lot of weeds.

A few shoots have been nibbled off in the other plot!!

I found three spare bags of seaweed so I spread them out on this plot. Didn’t quite cover all of it!

In times of nice weather I have been trying to tidy up the raspberry patch

The whole area is going to get a revamp! We want to take out the poles and just get more of the big polypipe and steel droppers to create the arches all the way along to put the nets over. Will look much neater and have a lot more headspace.
The whole thing needs moving across a little so Jeff can mow down the sides. Not that with the tree down we can get the mower down the back anyway.

We also want to build a small wall around it (maybe a foot or so high) to attach the netting too rather than on the ground where the grass grows into it. This makes perfect sense in my head. Hopefully in real life it will work the way I envision.

Anyway, I am slowly working through the tangled canes to cut out the dead ones and prune back the live ones.

In the background, I still have herbs drying. I picked some more today to put in the netting. Just thyme and parsley.

Its a slow process but rather satisfying filling up the little jars

I started a new crochet project too. I found a sale of factory ends and fancied this fluffy green yarn… so bought 5 bags of it (About 20 balls)
I had grand visions of making a hooded cardigan

I an onto the second ‘star’ now and will have to take some snaps to show you how it all goes. Its quite easy and clever! (I adore video tutorials!)

Each day there are more and more blossoms bursting out on the cherry-plum tree!

Hope everyone has had a lovely day!
Cheers!

A bit of a chance to sneak outside today and get that remaining wood stacked and under cover!
The girls were off on a school trip to Cradle Mt where they got to see snow for the first time!
Unfortunately, at this time of year, not much time is available to really have a decent amount of time up there to experience it, but they seem to have enjoyed themselves anyway. (Basically I think they did 4 hours of bus travelling and 3 hours at Cradle!)

This pile of wood wasn’t getting any drier out here, so it was great to be able to work outside for a while and get it all stacked.

Look what I found!! Plum blossoms!
The promise of spring??

Its a bit exciting seeing things start up again… even though I know we have a while to go

I sat Pip outside for a while so he could photosynthesis for a while

The other night when I went to a gathering for hosts and students I spotted a fab bit of driftwood on the beach so Kirrily and I exited stage left from dinner and snaffled it, popped it in the car then went back to socialise. 🙂

Cousin Jeff has been dropping off pallets for us which is awesome! I plan to use them to create the new garden fence.

Another bag popped into existence…  mostly did it last night but finished it off today. Nobody is going to want it though because I tested it to see if it fit big (unimpressed) cats inside…

Anyway, I promised the troops hamburgers tonight so I better get cooking!
Have a great day/evening

Cheers