Hello! I’ve been up to my eyeballs this week with visitors from the USA!! My friend Franz married a lovely girl, Meg, from the US and has been living there for quite a while. This is their first trip back to Australia as a family. We had such a great week – and got their adorable daughters addicted to digging potatoes haha!
Anyway, I’ll get my act together over the next couple of days and catch you up on all the news from my end of the world!!
Sleep time for me and a slow Sunday coming right up! Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend too! Cheers!
Check out this armful of gorgeousness! I popped up to Sharons a couple of days ago and got to cuddle the very new additions to their farm! Lottie named them Star and Papa-Loco !!!
Twins – boy and girl. Papa-Loco takes after his mum…
And Star takes after her Dad!
On the soaping front – I made a couple of gift boxes for Valentines Day and posted it on the local noticeboard but had no takers. Oh well… Unfortunately the markets didn’t fall on the right day for me to have a stall.
But they look pretty so will try them on the next stall I do to see if I get any takers…
I’ve also been watching youtube 🙂 Experimenting with a kaleidoscope effect. I bodgied up a tube and bent some wire to pull up through the soap. First time was pretty cool
I borrowed Sharons tube mould and had a go with a bigger batch and a tool that I melted together out of bubble blowing wands.
Unfortunately I made the mistake of using a fragrance that made the soap mix thicken up super super quickly – I practically had to spoon it into the tube!! I still got a reasonable effect but there is a LOT of room for improvement.
Could possibly dub these Austin Powers soaps because they are totally groovy…
The leftover mix I popped into the dragonfly moulds.
I got a few orders in with some amazing fragrances and new colours – I’ve had a go at some already. Very keen to make more BUT – friends are due in on Sunday evening so I better get the bedrooms organised, do a bit of housework, organise some meals and bake a cake!! (And write a list of places to go and things to do!!)
Glad I finally have some tomatoes to feed guests. Feels all wrong without picking boxes of tomatoes daily at this time of year!!
Hello! Lots of rain here yesterday. Woke to it being pretty soggy again this morning. Amused myself yesterday by making some soap – an excellent rainy day activity! I had a couple of supply orders come in so I was a bit over keen to try everything out as soon as possible!
The other day Jeff helped me get in and do some tiding up of the backyard gardens. He did an amazing job in the side one
Once I stop being wussy about the rain (or it stops raining) I’ll cover that with cardboard and mulch it heavily. Also planing on building up some rocks around the washing machine outlet pipe.
We also pulled up the lettuce, only saving a few key ones for the seed. And cut back the dill in the rock spiral. Of course, there was more mulching (Planted a few new lettuce seedlings too)
The chooks were pretty pleased with their delivery of lettuce and a side of snails!
I got into the home made compost – its teeming with worms!! I finally planted those nice colourful plants I picked up the other day when shopping with my parents
Have a bunch of laterals growing roots. Will hopefully share them with someone. Still doubtful on the season keeping some warmth for a while. Seems like summer is done before it really got going. 🙁
Anyway, I am off visiting – might do some more soap this afternoon if the weather doesn’t improve! Have a wonderful day! Cheers
Hello! Monday it is! Parents arrived home safely and have reported having dinner consisting of a lot of fresh food brought back from Tasmania 🙂 It was lovely having them here and catching up. We enjoyed meeting up with friends and finished up by going to a bbq with a number of the cousins. The weather was mostly nice while they were here which is a bit of a turn up for the books!
Cape gooseberry fruit forming! I am quite excited about this!
Self seeded silverbeet – the chooks are loving it.
Snow peas are finally about done. I am going to collect some seeds before pulling it all up and reconstructing the climbing frame to be a bit sturdier!
I found a pumpkin! Yay!
We’ve had some beautiful days! Such a treat after the (quite frankly) dismal summer.
So…. the other night I am sitting here with Pip and feel something on my arm! I brushed at it and saw LEGS disappearing over the arm of the chair! You can imagine how smartly I moved away. I caught the offending huntsman in a jar and not 10 minutes later – I found ANOTHER one on the floor, so I put that in a jar and sat them together overnight and released them in the morning. Although I think one died. 🙁 Lucky they weren’t full grown. Shudder.
Back to the garden. Lettuce going to seed – some ready
One of my dinner time forages while my parents were here
So excited – this is the poo and straw from some calf pens. The lady I barter with’s husband dropped it off. Since then he had dropped off two more loads!
So I weeded the ex-garlic patch
Lay down some cardboard and topped it with a heap of the straw.
Job done. It can now lay fallow for a good long while before I plant here again.
(The shower I had last night was bliss by the way)
I might get some corn… Still dubious about that and how good it will end up being. Its so late!
Went to the markets after my parents left and picked up this excellent laundry basket! We have been using a tall round one which is ok, but hopeless if you want to fold up anything at the line (which my cousin Fiona is always remonstrating with me about – I am well known for my attitude towards folding laundry and putting it away) Anyway, have forgotten consistently for 6 months to pick one up at the supermarket and glad I did – so much better than a cruddy plastic one!
I also bought 5 scruffy chooks haha They are a little pecked but good layers – Isa Browns. (indeed there was an egg in the cat carrying box when I got them home!!) They’ve settled in really quickly – I separated them from the main flock for their first day, but when I came down later in the evening we couldn’t see two. But what we did see was our original flock all bunched together like statues staring in shock across the yard…. at the two missing birds on their side! Who were these interlopers?? Was so funny.
I am a bit worried about one of the new girls. She is quite listless and she didn’t get up to the roost tonight. Found her hunkered on the ground. Hopefully she will come good.
I am still picking lots of zucchini – and found a few more passionfruit! yay! (Had one the other day over some ice cream! So good!)
Anyway, just a bit of an update of the happenings in the garden! Hope your week starts well! Cheers!
Hello!! I seemed to have neglected dropping by for quite some time! We’ve enjoyed a really lovely couple of weeks with my parents. They headed home on the ferry this morning and with luck they are either home or not too far away from it (They had about a 3.5 hour drive once they got off the ferry in Melbourne.)
I was up early and pretty busy today – but will catch you up on Norwich House news over the next few days. Hope you’ve all had a splendid weekend! Cheers
Well… the fun never stops at Norwich House! Yesterday was another lovely day and since my parents didn’t outrightly object to having a go at kayaking – we went down to the river to give them a go!
They did really well! Its harder when you are a bit older getting down and in – or out – of the kayaks, but once on the water they quickly got used to the balance and the technique.
We loaned Dad our hiking wet weather pants because ‘I don’t do wet’ haha Solved that potential issue rather neatly.
I took Mum out first for a paddle up to the bridge and back, then got Dad on board for his go. I felt they both had the hang of it well so sent them off for a paddle together.
I dashed up to the bridge to take some photos
They found it really peaceful and relaxing, like Jeff and I do. Dad particularly looked relaxed here –
I did tell him not to fall in because I would never hear the end of it!!
Dad got out after this stint up the river but Mum was keen to go up further so I jumped back in a kayak and we went off for a Mother-Daughter excursion.
I spent a good deal of time rescuing a bee during my paddle! It was drowning in the river so I paddled about it and finally fished it out with my paddle and popped it on the front of my kayak. Took it for quite a nice trip upriver while it dried out. Was tricky trying to get it to land as there wasn’t a place to pull in properly. So we paddled together a bit further, then it got all energetic… and fell back in the river again and I ran over it on my kayak!!!! Argh! It popped back up and I got it back on board – got back to the bank and managed to use a long stiff bit of grass to relocate it to dry land! There. Would have been embarrassing to explain if I fell into the river in the process.
Anyway, was a great morning! Hope your weekend was fabulous! Cheers!
Hello! Soap update first before the garden 🙂 My friend in the US who makes lovely soaps, suggested I put my plastic moulds in the freezer before trying to pop the soaps out. Works SO much better! Not too much damage to the dragonfly this time!
This was lavender fragrance and peppermint essential oil. Smells gorgeous!
Hmmmm – can’t remember the fragrance. Its a new one I was trying and we all quite like it! Pip is sitting on my lap so I can’t possibly disturb the Little Precious and get up to check my stuff.
I haven’t taken snaps of the loaf below in the cut form, but Mum made this one. We had a soap making evening so I could show her what I was doing with most of my life recently! 🙂
Then I moved into psychedelic 70’s with ‘Love Spell’ Groovy yes? With practice I’ll get better at this…
A couple of days ago my parents drove me out to the large hardware and plant shop to pick up the extra bits and bobs needed to put in the new watering system for the garden. And I found some plants…
I got up early to let the chooks out (Jeff had driven up east to hunt sapphires for a couple of days before he has to go back to work) Then let Pip out and went back to bed as no-one else was up… Pip came in for a snuggle and I fell back asleep. Next thing I know, Dads bellowing down the hall wanting advice as they are halfway through putting the system in haha Oops (OK not quite halfway but they were right into it)
Pip stayed in bed for ages afterwards, but then came out and took up his role as snooperviser.
Was great having parents there to show me how it all works!
Now I’ve got the hang of it, I’ve already got grand plans for the hothouse!
I enjoyed turning it on during the construction – just to see what it was doing and where the sprays were going.
The garden got a fabulous drenching yesterday. I really wanted to turn it on again today but figured… best be water thoughtful! The good thing is I can connect the bore hose up to it, so nothing will come out of the tank. Plus the water is pretty much going where I want it too – the round sprinkler wasn’t efficient and with the changeable wind… would go all over the place. Will save me some time too!
So now I feel all posh with a proper watering system! Looking forward to doing some more!
Pip was clearly exhausted with his days work too..
Hello! Sorry I’ve been neglecting you all! Mad housework, then my parents arrived! Its been so lovely seeing them again. Its been over a year since they have been here. Of course they’ve noticed a lot of changes – best seen in real life than via photos
Enjoying being able to go down the back to pick or dig up dinner. We’ve eaten lots of new potatoes.
And carrots Finally got the leg of lamb out of the freezer to roast up, with all the veggies etc. Was fab!
Desserts…
I managed to get into the hothouse and mulch some stuff…
ooooo – and check out our Christmas present from my youngest sister and family…
I love it! Suits this little garden beautifully!
Poor Mum and Dad had a really rough crossing over on the ferry. It took them a couple of days to get their equilibrium back. They rested for a couple of days – we even put the fire on as it had turned chilly! Bit different from the 45C (113F) they had at their home on the mainland! Eventually they felt up for a bit of a walk 🙂 (Brave of them huh? lol – seeing where we hike on occasions!)
Naturally we took it very easy. It was a beautiful day so we went up to Sisters to see the view over Anniversary Bay
The banksia are showing lots of new flower growth – they are so cool
Of course, plenty of old ‘Big Bad Banksia Men’
We finished up the day back at a local cafe/antique shop for a late lunch… and met Fiona who had popped in there for a cuppa too so that was well timed!
Well… I have a backlog of stories – Still haven’t had time to post process day two of the Walls of Jerusalem walk… we’ve made soap and put in a watering system in my new garden (Exciting) and tomorrow we have tentative plans to go kayaking! BUT – thats enough for now! Have a wonderful weekend Cheers!
Look what today brought!! Lots of rain! I haven’t gotten back to the second day of photos from our recent hike. My parents due in for a visit Monday so am suffering through some housework haha.
The gutters overflowed so Jeff got out there in the wet and cleared things out.
I picked some snowpeas and carrots for tonights stir fry. Yum
I got in and weeded the tomatoes – the slow growing patch – and mulched with almost the remaining amount of hay we had.
The corn – all at odd sizes which is annoying. Still a mystery if we are going to get any this season.
Zucchinis are just appearing everywhere!
Sweet little marigolds in the back garden and I have spotted a flower or two on the cape gooseberries! Yay
Almost daily digging up potatoes for the dinner table. They look like they still have a way to go before being ready for a full harvest.
And the Jurassic Rhubarb!!
Cute little golden nugget pumpkins seem to be doing well in their patch. At the rate of this summer they might be the only pumpkins we get this season!
I’ll need to pull that rogue broccoli out of the beetroot/carrot patch. Regardless.. this patch is doing so well again.
Although the birds are digging in it and covering the beetroots haha. Little rotters. Eating all my worms no doubt
Green tomatoes everywhere… Agonising waiting.
This basil took forever to take off.. but now doing pretty well! It didn’t like the cold start to the season.
Bees hard at work
So many lovely pears – at least I hope they will be lovely.
The second potato patch! I haven’t even gone digging in this one yet!
Happy to see a couple of the nasturtium seeds took, in the mostly failed Hugelkultur beds. The birds keep insisting on kicking off most of the decent topsoil. Rather annoying!
The main patch from the other side… always looks rather nice after Jeff has mowed everything!
Still got some raspberries out there. Will be nice to have some fresh ones to share with my parents.
As ever, when picking raspberries there are a number of chooks stalking the perimeter of the nets like little velociraptors!
Back in the hothouse – more food that is not ready… like tomatoes.
Ok – this one nearly ready…
The yellow long capsicums are slowly changing colour… looking forward to these
And this ‘Mad Hatter’ capsicum… what a puzzle! Its taller than me! (Almost) And its only just started to form fruit.
The basil has sprung back since the last pesto event. Time to make more?
I was looking back on the back garden photos from 6 months ago and its such a transformation! Still some work to do but loving the new area.
You can barely see the rock spiral!
The dill grew super fast!
Seems like I always have a tomato jungle doesn’t it??
Love the sunflowers!
Time for the feverfew to be cut back. I was hoping the flowers would stay nice until my parents arrived. Oh well…
So… that about wraps up the garden stroll! Tomorrow will finish off the cleaning up, and as a point, clear the dining room table so we have some place civilised to eat together! (Jeff and I just sit in the lounge at the coffee table and watch a movie or a series over dinner)
