Hello! We got back home at about 9pm last night… to a VERY happy Pip He was at the kitchen window… “Yowl” “Hi Pip! Miss us?” “Yowl” “We missed you too!” “Yowl” “We’ll be in in a minute” “Yowl” “Just getting our bags” “Yowl”
This was funny and tragic and all very loud. It took about an hour before he toned down the howling. But we got lots of cuddles and purrs and he stuck to my heels like glue when not in my arms!
We did the six days (opted out of the 7th day around the lake) in five and it was the most challenging Overland we’d done for a number of reasons. But we made it and pretty pleased with ourselves. Jeff was a hero this morning by getting up early and opening the sealed bags of hiking clothes and putting them through the laundry! The only thing I would have wanted to do would be to set them on fire!
We’ve had a blissfully slow relaxing day, finishing off with a lovely dinner mostly from fresh home grown veggies (so good) I’ve made a start on sorting/post processing photos so should be able to share all the little ‘ups and downs’ (literal and figurative) with you soon!
Hello hello! Already 2022 is getting away from me!
Part busy, part distracted, partly unorganised! The usual!!
We’ve got our lovely friend Rachel with us at the moment – been so long since she has been here. We’ve fully relaxed and talked our heads off for 4 days! Sadly have to pop her back up to the airport tomorrow
Then we have a day to put our final stuff together before heading off on the Overland Monday!!
So been doing some prepping for that (for example my muesli bars)
I was unsure about being able to go as I was worried I had a stress fracture in my foot. Happily the xray says nope. The ultra sound did say I have most def. got plantar F. in my heel. So I am doing certain things (shoe insert, stretching exercise and magnesium spray) to help take the edge off Jeff will be more of the packhorse with our gear (bless his cotton socks) and I will take hiking poles this time!
So… I am not quite as ready as I wanted to be – fitness and pack carrying – but we aren’t running any races and just looking forward to getting back away in that beautiful country!
So… the zukes have started
And more
Something tells me 8 plants might have been overkill At least something is growing really well!
We are bandicooting potatoes for most of our evening meals… and the hothouse cucumbers were producing one ready every few days. Then the apple cucumber plants outside exploded
There are so many coming along and I’ve picked well over 10 so far. They are so lovely and fresh and sweet
So happy to get enough basil to do pesto! Bliss
And the beetroot are going so well now… finally stocked up on my beloved pickled beetroot!
The corn is growing steadily too…
Things got a bit windy the other day… so some staking was in order!
A couple of new things on the soap front…
I trialled a ‘mantra swirl’ which was rather nice.
(used the orange essential oil)
And a slab mould soap using Kakadu Plum… it got messy as the mixture thickened too quickly, but the old chopstick swirled in the right way rescued it nicely
This really makes such a pretty pattern
And the I did another loaf using the oatmeal, milk and honey fragrance… used bubble wrap to make the honeycomb effect and sprinkled on some real oats
Well, thats all from me! Big day of driving tomorrow… and hopefully slip in a beach walk in the morning! Hope everyone’s 2022 is starting well. Cheers
Christmas Day 2021… and off we go. Thinking the peak at the back is where we are heading. We started out at Taylors Flats.
Everything started off nice and meandering… and flat-ish
Path ran parallel to the Leven River, so the sound was soothing
The track at the start was lovely and ferny
The weather was gorgeous… hot summers day. We started out a bit late as we’d been on the phone doing Christmas Greetings to our Canadian Family.
Not that it mattered. Had no schedule to stick to
Got to this little stream… and there it is! The start of ‘up’
Doesn’t look too bad in the photo (From the comfort of my chair)
Merry Christmas Husband..
The track was easy to follow…
Once we moved up and away from the river, things got scrubbier and a lot hotter
Don’t forget to turn around and see how far you’ve come!! This also shows things getting a bit steep!
Jeff is so much fitter than I am!!
Sweet summer flowers out everywhere
As we got nearer the top, there were so many more
Loved the colour of these leaves
Its like they are on fire.
That bluff still looks a long way off
Here we go… some good rugged tracks!
And looking back – these were hard on the legs and feet coming down
Still looks far far away…
Small rocky outcrops peeking through the bush
Again just turning to look back
You can see the flowers appearing more along here
Views…
Bigger views
Fluffy flowers (Sorry… sum total of my knowledge of the flora)
Red poker like flowers on spikey bush! (More fabulous clueless plant naming)
OK, yes. Its getting closer but that still looks like a lot of walking yet to go
Views are getting better and better
At this point we are keeping an eye out for a lake that is meant to be up here!
Its pretty hot and I am certain I am going to jump right on in
Heading downwards for a short stretch which was a relief to my legs
How pretty is this area?
Love the little wildflowers everywhere
And yes, I am putting in all the photos 🙂
Views AND flowers!
Where is that lake??
Seriously… has to be close now.
Lake!
Welcome to the most northern glacial lake in Australia
Actually its a glacial tarn… Anyway, see the lines on the water above?? Thats the wind ripping through the saddle and it wasn’t warm!
Beautiful though
Black Bluff looming over Paddy’s Lake
So… with the wind and temperature taking a bit of a dive and the water being… not warm, we woosed out of the swim and just paddled and wet our hair and filled the water containers
So beautifully refreshing!
Hey look! Jeff got me new hiking shoes! They got a small workout before doing this trek but are lovely and comfy
And new socks…
OK…. What with the time in the day that we had left, we decided not to continue up to the top. We’d had a great day already so, time to head down.
A few dried strawberries to pep me up.
Easier to enjoy the views on the way back.
Burst of yellow at my feet.
Wouldn’t mind returning to get to the very top, but this wasn’t disappointing at all!
Of course… somehow I found some deep mud.
Such a great way to spend Christmas! Even if the cheese ham and relish buns were a bit downscale from a roast turkey… we were quite happy!
The outside run of the chicken coop is in a sorry state…
Its been falling apart for a while – so I decided to give it a helping hand
Cutting all the old rusting wire off… carefully around the wisteria ! We plan on rebuilding it with some of the milled timber. We will use the round treated pine posts as they are still in good nick, as well as the tin. The timber is mostly rotted and bound for the ever growing bonfire piles
Er… slowed up with a bit of necessary weeding!! The duck yard is a mess!!
I am going to have to take out the post you see at the front right – it is the post for the duck yard gate but its going to be too hard to work around. (Its concreted in so I might need some of Jeffs muscles to help)
The tin is buried a bit so I had to get the pick out to break the soil at the bottom. I didn’t have gloves so I’ll have to get back to the front lot of tin when I continue as it was a bit stuck. Some of the screws were a challenge! They’d been painted over so I had to break the paint seal to get them started on their journey back out of the tin and rotting wood!
I think this was a solid start. (Jeff was sleeping today)
I’d like to get a laserlite roof on this part of the chook run – will give them more shelter in the soggy weather and will stop the yard from becoming a quagmire in winter. Oh… also smaller bird wire so we don’t feed as many sparrows.
The Inspector
The rewards!
On another note… check out the lovely Christmas presents from my sister Rosemary! She has been making these fabulous cat vases… and I was lucky enough to get a pair… Cat and Kitten!
I love them!! Was nice to get some flowers in their tails today! And from my niece I received this beautiful painting! How gorgeous are the colours! Its sitting in the sun room while I decide if I like it there where I see it when I walk in daily or if I can find a different great spot on the wall somewhere! I adore home made presents (I am actually wearing a nightie right now that my Mum made me for Christmas but I don’t have a photo…. but it is super comfy. I love nighties!)
Well, thats day 2 of 2022 done! Have a great week everyone Cheers!
Happy New Year to you all!! Lets hope 2022 brings some really good stuff.
I’ve been too lazy to get around to post processing our Christmas Day hike, but above is the view from not quite the top of Black Bluff. We actually didn’t summit as we left slightly later than planned. Was a lovely lovely day out regardless… along with a bit of hard work!! (As mountains usually are) I’ll aim to work on the photos this coming week.
More raspberries. I’ve made more jam… I think I need to get into the kitchen tomorrow and make more instead of just filling the freezer
There is a little progress in the hothouse… some cucumbers making a move
Looks like a sunflower about to come out. And I gave the tomatoes a really good pruning… some of the leaves were crazy big. Airflow will be better now and I tied them up better too
Random lillium
Carrots sitting up nicely
Couple of little zucchinis happening
Lovely hydrangea flowers out now
Excited about the beetroot
Lots of nice ones in there
Today I went out and pulled up the white garlic!
It looked ready…
A really decent harvest again
I put them out on the lawn to dry off a bit first… but of course being Tassie, might have been stinking hot for a fortnight, but garlic on the lawn?? Time to rain So back into the wheelbarrow and under cover for now
I’ve bandicooted a few potatoes too… they really haven’t grown up into lush plants this season… but boy oh boy dont the new spuds taste Ahhhmazing!!
Now, the tomatoes need to get a wriggle on then I’ll be in heaven!
I’ve been obsessing about banana muffins lately too
We ate all of the above so I made more today… but put raspberries in them this time Its well after midnight now and I am trying not to eat any otherwise I’ll need to hike more
I’ve started hiking with a pack now in prep for the Overland later this month. Jeff has almost been daily hiking with a full pack all (last) year… so he will be able to skip across the wilderness. I’ve got plantar F in my heel so I hobble a lot in the mornings and after I get up from sitting down esp. if I’ve been hiking or standing about in the kitchen for too long… Going to make the hike interesting. (Imagine someone hitting the base of your heel with a hammer… thats the first thing in the morning feeling!! Erk.)(I suppose thats why they invented anti inflammatory pills)
Anyway, off to bed for me! I hope everyone really finished the year well and has wonderful dreams and goals for the new year! Cheers
