Starting on a sad note tonight. I found Flea dead under the bushes near the raspberries this afternoon. I am really upset 🙁 Yesterday I fed her some raspberries and told her that was because she was my Favourite Girl. I don’t know what happened. It could have been a snake bite although we’ve never had that problem in the past. She had also had respiratory issues for quite some time… not super bad… wheezy, but everything else she was trundling along fine with. Eating, healthy weight, keen to dig worms etc. I’ll miss her so much. I know its part and parcel of having chickens… but I don’t get used to having to say goodbye. So, goodbye Flea – thanks for all the laughs you funny little chook! xx
The weather has been amazing… really hot. I did fit in whipping up a batch of soap… Sweet Meyer Lemon fragrance, along with dried and crushed zest from lemon peel as a scrub and some dried lemon slices on top
I liked the effect.
Ugh… we’ve put this off for so long. I had to put my foot down and decided to make a concerted effort to start to make sense of this area.
Jeff slashed a lot of the tall grass and weeds down along the fence line as well as building up the burning piles. I dug up a heap of massive thistles among other weeds
It was super hot so we called it quits before getting sunstroke but it was good to really get our teeth into it. Lots more to do but seeing the progress makes things seem achievable.
We wont be able to burn anything for quite some time now that its summer. But at least it can be ready.
Something pretty… collecting calendula petals.
Two kilos of raspberries picked yesterday – there is more down there but this took me an hour and I needed to come back up to cook dinner!
I do hope your week has been going well Cheers (and tears) xx
Where to start… okies. Only one soap photo, just made a double batch of the dandelion soap so I am nicely stocked up all at once.
Moving on to basket weaving! I wanted to try using some cord and yarn, so I made this!
I reckon I’ll just muddle along making baskets then when I want to give someone a present I can… put stuff in the baskets?? 🙂
One of my cousins called me the other week – planning on a small family get together. Would I bring the scones? Eeek. Um… I’ve never made them but I had a couple of weeks to practice so I said yes.
So I did a test run. Not bad but a bit floury and a little doughy… but edible (mind you the chooks LOVED them.)
So I got on to youtube to watch the technique… I know you aren’t meant to over mix them – I was too light handed with the first try I didn’t get a second run at them so just made them up earlier today before the afternoon tea. (The pressure!)
They worked out really well!! And even better? They tasted great and my lovely cousins were all very enthusiastic about it so I am feeling like the Scone Queen tonight and I fervently hope Ruby is peering down saying well done! (I didn’t really bother making scones mostly because I’ve been surrounded by other talented scone makers)
I made use of half of my raspberry harvest from yesterday and made some fresh jam to take along too (as well as cream of course but I didn’t make that, only whipped it up)
Garden… time to plant out the poor remaining zucchinis
Reminder… this is them in their little pot!
This is the desired plot
After a clean up and a ton of twitch removal…
This plot is now more desirable
Um… and I forgot to get a photo of the transplanted zukes… I’ll try to do that tomorrow! Poor things were too big to move I would have thought, but anyway, they are in now and they immediately wilted and sagged and whined and complained. Today they do seem like they are sitting up reasonably well.
The struggling tomato patch (with smattering of potatoes) I got in and weeded the area… and pulled up several plants that really were just not happy. Put in too early and were stressed by wind and temperature changes (like the snow week!)
I do hate pulling them out but I figure they are never going to thrive. I had another whole pot of nice seedlings to replace several of the sadder plants
Trying to keep up with a decent amount of water and so far the new transplanted tomatoes have bounced back pretty well.
I need to cut the fennel back or dig it out… overshadowing the original zucchini plants… that are doing quite well.
Nice fat strawberries!
I went down to the raspberry patch with a modest sized bowl… and quickly realised my error! I needed a much bigger container! Always a nice thing!
Snow peas coming along steadily now!
And I pulled up all the purple garlic. Not as big bulbs as usual but a lovely harvest nonetheless.
Yesterday late afternoon, I went to change the water around and I got a bit of a fright at the strawberry patch! A tiger snake in the netting!!
No drama… just in the top ten of the worlds most venomous snakes and me prancing about in crocs…
The poor thing had gotten herself enmeshed in the strawberry netting – I hadn’t secured it down properly after Jeff last mowed. We (Jeff) tried to help her untangle but weren’t getting anywhere, so we called the snake people
Mum, Dad and Daughter (Kate, Scott and Miah from North West Snakecatchers) were all in on the whole act and it was interesting to watch. I suppose it was easy to get her under control as she couldn’t go far and were able to cut her out. Happily no damage. Miah sexed her and pretty sure female hence my use of ‘her’
Now named Bronzy (We all agreed she was gorgeous but Miah was pretty keen to keep her and gave her a name)
Check out Bronzy’s spectacular colours!! Easy to see how this snake got their name. Bronzy was pretty chill and non aggressive over all… she was probably tired. Although having been around the garden a lot I would say she’d only been stuck for half of the day,
Time for Miah to do her thing… Bronzy needs to go into her bag
She will get relocated… perhaps down at Oldina (you know… where we hike weekly!!)(Next hiking day… hey there Girl! You look familiar?!)
And into the bag goes Bronzy on her way to a new home They suspect she was passing through (surrounding paddocks being mown so everyone is probably upset who lives in the paddock!) but not great to have a female living here as during mating season, she’d attract the fellows. Much as I like the animals, we’re just not that keen to have a squadron of them on our back doorstep
Well… thats all the fun and excitement from Tassie Hope everyone had a splendid weekend and that it was snake free and full of scones! Cheers
First up… Poor Pip. A trip to the vet to get teeth cleaned. He ended up with three extractions. I gave him a couple of ‘chill pills’ before going in so he was more docile – esp handy the night before as he wasn’t allowed food from 7pm. (Siamese are pretty vocal about this sort of indignity) Anyway, after me fretting all day I get to pick up my cat (who growled at the lady who picked up his carry box haha), who looked like he’d been in a bar brawl.
Oh he was so happy to get out at home. We got loved and schmoozled and kneaded and loved again!! We tried to feed him slowly – he was so hungry Basically by the time he went to bed that night he’d pigged three tins of cat food! (and surprisingly didn’t puke it all up again)
Back to his old self today although he is on pain meds for a couple of days and we’ll need a check up in a week to make sure he is doing ok.
Check it out!! First raspberries!
A basket full of oregano
A few more strawberries
Another lot of oregano into the drying nets
Since that bit of warm weather, the lettuce has really gone ahead. We are eating nice big salads each night
I am excited!! Tomatoes!! And these poor tomatoes that never got transplanted…
Not sure what to do now!! The weather was so bad for so long. The tomatoes I put outside are woeful. This bunch has at least one tomato growing
Hothouse snow peas..
Again… not got a plot ready then the weather has been a bit up and down… this pot of 4 zucchinis is a bit desperate to get out
Cherry plum trees are laden
So many!!
The pear tree has a lovely lot of fruit on it
The outside snow pea patch has suddenly got lots of snow peas. Better go pick them tomorrow!
Hello Pumpkin!
And hello carrots!
The beetroot is coming along well too
And… some pretties
Flowers in that new area are doing nicely
Unknown name above, but below the portulaca are budding up and starting to bloom
Sweet little flower
And really pleased to see the hydrangea looking happy!
Hi there… The nice weather had been continuing, so I took a deep breath and started work on the side garden… which was in a pretty sad state
I thought it would be less overwhelming to just start on the top part.
I think I took out about 3 barrow loads of weeds
A glimpse of further down in this patch…
I am ignoring that for the second…
Jeff helped me get one of the bigger milled timber pieces and shored up the edge so I could get rid of the ugly plastic bits and fill with woodchip
Many many barrow loads of wood chip later…
I might see about putting in a cape gooseberry in the back corner there. They grow big so it might hide that water heater without me having to do much
It inspires me to get off my butt and continue down into this patch further. Plus like in other spots we’ve done this, weeds that pop up are easier to spot and pull out!
I also planted our corn!!!! Why here?? I dunno. Because I could??
First day of summer today. And it was a pretty nice day… even hot! Anyways, just a bit of this and that from the last week. I picked more dandelions to infuse into oil since I liked the first dandelion soap so much… I’d like to recreate it. (Pip thinks this table is his current snooze spot)
I did a bit of craft work with a cereal box as I want to box these soaps up ‘fancy’ (but keeping up with recycling)
I’ll get Jeff to handwrite on the front (Dandelion & Goats Milk Soap) then will paste a printout on back of all the good stuff in this bar) And seal with one of my cool stickers!
Ugly soap!! Haha and oops. The mixture thickened up too much for the design I wanted to do and I should have just changed my plan on the fly. Never mind.
I liked the top.
I had to stock up on lavender and peppermint…
Pretty pretty!
I’ve also finished my basket… I haven’t gotten a snap of the actual finished product but its not a great deal bigger than this:
I was pretty happy with it in the end. I enjoy the relaxing process of creating it.
I am trying a new one now using some of my stash of yarn and winding it around a thicker rope. (I’d like to make some as soap display bowls or for a gift pack… but it can’t take as long as the above to do to be practical)
Last Saturday was the Uniting Churches annual big Flea Market. I love it. Set up the evening before and stroll in in the morning ready to go.
I’d kept a lot of my new designs aside so I could have the baskets full of mostly new stuff… and I loved the look!
I kept my layered soap up the back… I have a bit of a ‘thing’ about kids coming up to the stall… snatch a soap, wipe their snotty noses on it then slam it back into the basket. Then proceed to the next soap!! I put up a sign this time to handle with care and supervise children haha – actually only had one little snotty octopus this time – he threw one on the floor. Happily the mother bought it. (one of the more $$ ones and I hope she likes peppermint!!)
Anyway, it was a great market and I sold really well. I was lucky and my market neighbour was a friend of mine from basket weaving classes
Jude had a fantastic table full of gorgeous and interesting plants, fruit and veg and some excellent eco products.
And the best thing about a country church market? Someone gives you a cup of coffee and some fresh made scones!
Bliss!
The very next day I had organised another Anniversary Bay Loop hike and this time seven people turned up!
Down on the beach we found an echidna!
S/he was the subject of many photos before we moved on
We had a beautiful day for it… even got quite hot! I dipped my feet into the water which was lovely
I am enjoying showing some local people this walk.
Anyway, fingers crossed this weather will keep up and no more snow!
