I don’t post here very often, so let this be my contribution to the discussion.

AussieDJ said:

I don’t post here very often, so let this be my contribution to the discussion.

:)

AussieDJ said:

I don’t post here very often, so let this be my contribution to the discussion.

It was big of you/ ;)

OK I’ve been smitten. It was a bit twee however it got better as I read. The book was titled a waltz for Matilda, by Jackie French. Couldn’t help myself, read it cover to cover

Anyway as a part of all of that I was sitting reading and became aware that There were crested pigeons and a white rumped miner engaged in a contest of please won’t you piss off and who gives a ….?

The crested pigeons were involved in attempting to eat all of my radish seeds before they dried and the miner was just being brash. They totally ignored all the close encounters he tried to initiate.

roughbarked said:

OK I’ve been smitten. It was a bit twee however it got better as I read. The book was titled a waltz for Matilda, by Jackie French. Couldn’t help myself, read it cover to cover

Anyway as a part of all of that I was sitting reading and became aware that There were crested pigeons and a white rumped miner engaged in a contest of please won’t you piss off and who gives a ….?

The crested pigeons were involved in attempting to eat all of my radish seeds before they dried and the miner was just being brash. They totally ignored all the close encounters he tried to initiate.

Why do I tell you this? because it all happened within a couple of metres of me and they even allowed me to go and get a camera. Not that I actually got any photos of the conflict. Did however get some photos. I’ll look through them and try to find anything that may resemble what I’ve just said.

roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

OK I’ve been smitten. It was a bit twee however it got better as I read. The book was titled a waltz for Matilda, by Jackie French. Couldn’t help myself, read it cover to cover

Anyway as a part of all of that I was sitting reading and became aware that There were crested pigeons and a white rumped miner engaged in a contest of please won’t you piss off and who gives a ….?

The crested pigeons were involved in attempting to eat all of my radish seeds before they dried and the miner was just being brash. They totally ignored all the close encounters he tried to initiate.

Why do I tell you this? because it all happened within a couple of metres of me and they even allowed me to go and get a camera. Not that I actually got any photos of the conflict. Did however get some photos. I’ll look through them and try to find anything that may resemble what I’ve just said.

As a part of it all, though the pigeons were apart while they were eating, suddenly the male realised that a female was close by and started to attack her with will you please look at me, type displays. I say attack because that is how it appeared to me. Mind, this didn’t impress the stray miner(don’t know where the rest of his family were). He tried to break up the romance and got at least me to raise up in an attempt to get the photo, Her to fly off because I moved, leaving the male pigeon and the miner looking at each other in confusion.

I did forget to tell you that I’d had 19 mm yesterday but that was why I was reading a book rather than fashing about with a shovel or some other implement.

OK. So I’m going to attempt to harvest my lentils now. Not as if I haven’t tried to grow them before but that this would be the first time I thought I had a crop worth attempting to bring in.

I’ll probably let you know how it turns out.

I’ve been trimming herbs. Various mints, lemon thyme, bay (there has been a bay tree massacre…I’m still considering about chopping out the top….I’m pretty sure I am going to do it. It’s got a nice trunk now, I think I’ll keep it to low tree size). Pulled out the old dill and pushed it into the compost bin. Planted corn, zucchini, carrots and parsnip seed. And I’ve planted out the first of the tomatoes in their peat pots. This is the earliest I’ve ever planted out tomatoes. But the soil is warm earlier this year. Ananas Noir, Red and Black, Black Krim and Tigerella. I’ll see how they settle and release some more next week from their nursery.

Not only do I smell herby, we split some funeral cypress this morning. We are going to try drying some slabs, presently very roughly hewn. Maybe get a chopping board or two if they don’t split as they dry.

Best to keep a bay tree small by using the tips.

I have tomatoes the size of double yolker eggss.

Sunday seems to have become a gardening day. I’ve re-sorted the “herb patch”. That means I weeded it, put dynamic lifter and crushed egg shells across the bed and three-prong hoed them in. Then ripped out the sage which had gone leggy, ripped a piece off and stuffed it back into the ground. Dug out the lemon thyme, divided it into three bits, and replanted them. Dug out the golden marjoram and moved the poor straggly thing. Pruned the santolina and the heliotrope hard. Decreased the spread of the yarrow by pulling bits out. Deadheaded the Blue Moon rose sitting amongst the yarrow. Chopped the tops off the chives. (I have some other chives, they get chopped sequentially, it was the turn of this lot today). And then ran the lawnmower and catcher over a pile of old pea straw and sheep poo and mulched the bed with that. Gave everyone a little drink of Seasol to settle in, and they will all get a proper watering this evening.

I’m just thinking I might pop in a couple of little spots of cornflowers and some marigold seed to add a bit of colour.

And I also need to get my capsicum and chilli seedlings into their peat pots now so they can progress on before going into the garden when it really gets hot. Or stay in pots this summer, overwinter in the greenhouse, and go out into the garden next year. It rather depends on their progress.

And more of the tomatoes really do need to go into the beds now. They are getting taller and stragglier in their protected place.

Tomatoes planted out. There will be more yet, but I have about 14 assorted plants out now and up to around the 6-8 leaf stage. That is quite advanced for here, for this time of year.

Hot out in the sun now. Twenty-five in the shade.

buffy said:

And more of the tomatoes really do need to go into the beds now. They are getting taller and stragglier in their protected place.

You can plant leggy tomatoes quite deep or sideways in a trough and they will happily put out more roots along the buried stem.

bluegreen said:

buffy said:

And more of the tomatoes really do need to go into the beds now. They are getting taller and stragglier in their protected place.

You can plant leggy tomatoes quite deep or sideways in a trough and they will happily put out more roots along the buried stem.

Yup. I rip off their first leaves and plant at least to that level. They are in peat pots. They do very, very well that way. I am in love with peat pots. Brilliant for Brassicas too.

Morning :)
I’ve got self seeded tomatoes coming up everywhere. I’ve left about a dozen in places where they can grow up trellises, pulled most others but left a couple where chooks can eat from.
Big works in the front garden planting out fruit trees and other edibles. I scored an old water fountain with boy/girl statue, bit gaudy for me but it makes a grouse bee waterer. The basin sat on a plinth making it quite tall, overpowering, but I just sat the basin on the ground so it doesn’t look too bad. I put some rocks and a small log in the basin for bees and lizards The smell of honey is strong. This is a very good hive.
In the back I’ve lined up large pots along the path for zuchinni’s and strawberries, herbs and other annuals. Planted out redcurrants and potted up goji berry cuttings for others. I’ve been making infused oils with my herbs and learning more about diy herbal oils creams teas and tinctures. Got a few good books on the subject now, my main reading matter. So far I have comfrey oil, thyme oil and calendula oil. I’m picking calendula petals daily. Next will be oregano oil.

Doing patio clean up #497, lots of give aways, two tip trips and a council hard rubbish pick up, and quite a few binfuls and finally we can see daylight. It got that bad. Lots of left over things from kids moving in, then out again, furniture change overs and a pile of metal for the recyclers just seemed to grow ever bigger. My friend made a bet with me that I couldn’t get the patio pretty like it used to be by Xmas. Ha, done and dusted. Now just have to rearrange seating and pot up some flowers into hanging baskets.

Oh and I got my cars front end all fixed up. And got the alternator reconditioned. We’re flyin again. I couldn’t find a half decent replacement so I chose this option. Engine is still very good despite it being 19 yo and nearly 4 hundred k on the clock. My lovely mechanic let me pay off nearly 2 grand over a couple months.

Lastly, hubby finally got full time after 13 years of casual on call work. Relief, utter relief.

Happy Potter said:

Lastly, hubby finally got full time after 13 years of casual on call work. Relief, utter relief.

FANTASTIC!

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

Lastly, hubby finally got full time after 13 years of casual on call work. Relief, utter relief.

FANTASTIC!

hear hear. :)

Presently 33 degrees here. I wish the Red Centre would keep it’s darned heat to itself.

buffy said:

Presently 33 degrees here. I wish the Red Centre would keep it’s darned heat to itself.

The Red Centre has science that says it cannot.

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

Presently 33 degrees here. I wish the Red Centre would keep it’s darned heat to itself.

The Red Centre has science that says it cannot.

The next seven maximums for me.

33°C 30°C 30°C 28°C 28°C 28°C 30°C

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

Lastly, hubby finally got full time after 13 years of casual on call work. Relief, utter relief.

FANTASTIC!

hear hear. :)

Thanks :) It does feel weird and we’re adjusting. It’s taking me longer though to stop asking him if he has gotten the daily sms to tell him what shift for the following day. He says look at the roster girl. There’s copies of it stuck up everywhere, lol :D

Hatched yesterday

bluegreen said:

Hatched yesterday

Gorgeous!

Hei Long the Black Pug turned three on Friday. It took me some time to get a good photo of him with his Birthday Jelly Bean.

First you have to make him sit with his Auntie:

Then, despite the “wait” command, he rushes in on the first dozen or so jelly beans….

But eventually he let me take the photo I was after!

Warm out there in the sun now. We have all of the yard mowed and relatively tidy. I’ve weeded around the potatoes and remulched them with more old pea straw. And I’ve done some weeding and tidying. Now to roll out the soaker hose in the sun to warm up. Then I can spread it out properly and water across the front of the house to keep a green strip for the Summer.

buffy said:

Warm out there in the sun now. We have all of the yard mowed and relatively tidy. I’ve weeded around the potatoes and remulched them with more old pea straw. And I’ve done some weeding and tidying. Now to roll out the soaker hose in the sun to warm up. Then I can spread it out properly and water across the front of the house to keep a green strip for the Summer.

I find that soaker hoses don’t survive many rollings out. They are useful though if only for lawns.

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

Warm out there in the sun now. We have all of the yard mowed and relatively tidy. I’ve weeded around the potatoes and remulched them with more old pea straw. And I’ve done some weeding and tidying. Now to roll out the soaker hose in the sun to warm up. Then I can spread it out properly and water across the front of the house to keep a green strip for the Summer.

I find that soaker hoses don’t survive many rollings out. They are useful though if only for lawns.

go for the recycled car tyre stuff, much longer-living than the old style soaker hose.

otherwise techline if the plants are more important

stumpy_seahorse said:

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

Warm out there in the sun now. We have all of the yard mowed and relatively tidy. I’ve weeded around the potatoes and remulched them with more old pea straw. And I’ve done some weeding and tidying. Now to roll out the soaker hose in the sun to warm up. Then I can spread it out properly and water across the front of the house to keep a green strip for the Summer.

I find that soaker hoses don’t survive many rollings out. They are useful though if only for lawns.

go for the recycled car tyre stuff, much longer-living than the old style soaker hose.

otherwise techline if the plants are more important

The recycled tyre stuff tends to dislike pressurised flow. It blows holes everywhere needlessly. Ends up costing more than it saves.

roughbarked said:

stumpy_seahorse said:

roughbarked said:

I find that soaker hoses don’t survive many rollings out. They are useful though if only for lawns.

go for the recycled car tyre stuff, much longer-living than the old style soaker hose.

otherwise techline if the plants are more important

The recycled tyre stuff tends to dislike pressurised flow. It blows holes everywhere needlessly. Ends up costing more than it saves.

that’s because it is a ‘weeping hose’, not a water pipe

stumpy_seahorse said:

roughbarked said:

stumpy_seahorse said:

go for the recycled car tyre stuff, much longer-living than the old style soaker hose.

otherwise techline if the plants are more important

The recycled tyre stuff tends to dislike pressurised flow. It blows holes everywhere needlessly. Ends up costing more than it saves.

that’s because it is a ‘weeping hose’, not a water pipe

Yeah. I cannot disagree. I tried it at the end of the line at low flow rate. As you do with a soaker hose. However even my 50% reduced town water pressure was too much for it.

roughbarked said:

stumpy_seahorse said:

roughbarked said:

The recycled tyre stuff tends to dislike pressurised flow. It blows holes everywhere needlessly. Ends up costing more than it saves.

that’s because it is a ‘weeping hose’, not a water pipe

Yeah. I cannot disagree. I tried it at the end of the line at low flow rate. As you do with a soaker hose. However even my 50% reduced town water pressure was too much for it.

It could last ‘forever’ if tied to the gravity feed from a rainwater tank.

roughbarked said:

stumpy_seahorse said:

roughbarked said:

The recycled tyre stuff tends to dislike pressurised flow. It blows holes everywhere needlessly. Ends up costing more than it saves.

that’s because it is a ‘weeping hose’, not a water pipe

Yeah. I cannot disagree. I tried it at the end of the line at low flow rate. As you do with a soaker hose. However even my 50% reduced town water pressure was too much for it.

you’d be better off with a techline if you have that sort of pressure, then at least the emitters are compensated and the fittings hold 400kpa

roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

stumpy_seahorse said:

that’s because it is a ‘weeping hose’, not a water pipe

Yeah. I cannot disagree. I tried it at the end of the line at low flow rate. As you do with a soaker hose. However even my 50% reduced town water pressure was too much for it.

It could last ‘forever’ if tied to the gravity feed from a rainwater tank.

weeping hose only needs 1 metre of head to work, techline 4 metres and soaker hoses about 15m

stumpy_seahorse said:

roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

Yeah. I cannot disagree. I tried it at the end of the line at low flow rate. As you do with a soaker hose. However even my 50% reduced town water pressure was too much for it.

It could last ‘forever’ if tied to the gravity feed from a rainwater tank.

weeping hose only needs 1 metre of head to work, techline 4 metres and soaker hoses about 15m

Thanks for the details. :)

stumpy_seahorse said:

roughbarked said:

stumpy_seahorse said:

that’s because it is a ‘weeping hose’, not a water pipe

Yeah. I cannot disagree. I tried it at the end of the line at low flow rate. As you do with a soaker hose. However even my 50% reduced town water pressure was too much for it.

you’d be better off with a techline if you have that sort of pressure, then at least the emitters are compensated and the fittings hold 400kpa

My yard could handle a big slow dripping water tank overflow. ie: break the law by running the rainwater outflow around the yard before leaving the property. Between that and the septic tank, my yard wouldn’t need much other water. I’ve got the land drainage infrastructure sorted for the natural rainfall drainage.

roughbarked said:

stumpy_seahorse said:

roughbarked said:

Yeah. I cannot disagree. I tried it at the end of the line at low flow rate. As you do with a soaker hose. However even my 50% reduced town water pressure was too much for it.

you’d be better off with a techline if you have that sort of pressure, then at least the emitters are compensated and the fittings hold 400kpa

My yard could handle a big slow dripping water tank overflow. ie: break the law by running the rainwater outflow around the yard before leaving the property. Between that and the septic tank, my yard wouldn’t need much other water. I’ve got the land drainage infrastructure sorted for the natural rainfall drainage.

Before my shire reduced the water pressure available to me and started charging like a mallee bull for it, there was enough water for me to grow all those millions of trees. Now I’m flat out getting a few radishes. Even though the land looks green. Most of that is down to my landforming infrastructure built over 35 years of observations.

roughbarked said:

stumpy_seahorse said:

roughbarked said:

Yeah. I cannot disagree. I tried it at the end of the line at low flow rate. As you do with a soaker hose. However even my 50% reduced town water pressure was too much for it.

you’d be better off with a techline if you have that sort of pressure, then at least the emitters are compensated and the fittings hold 400kpa

My yard could handle a big slow dripping water tank overflow. ie: break the law by running the rainwater outflow around the yard before leaving the property. Between that and the septic tank, my yard wouldn’t need much other water. I’ve got the land drainage infrastructure sorted for the natural rainfall drainage.

easy way to do it legally, tee off the tap on your rainwater tank, run a standpipe up the side of the tank to about a foot below the top and to your soaker hose from there

stumpy_seahorse said:

roughbarked said:

stumpy_seahorse said:

you’d be better off with a techline if you have that sort of pressure, then at least the emitters are compensated and the fittings hold 400kpa

My yard could handle a big slow dripping water tank overflow. ie: break the law by running the rainwater outflow around the yard before leaving the property. Between that and the septic tank, my yard wouldn’t need much other water. I’ve got the land drainage infrastructure sorted for the natural rainfall drainage.

easy way to do it legally, tee off the tap on your rainwater tank, run a standpipe up the side of the tank to about a foot below the top and to your soaker hose from there

cool. Hadn’t actually manifested the standpipe in my plan but that’s an easy fix.

roughbarked said:

stumpy_seahorse said:

roughbarked said:

My yard could handle a big slow dripping water tank overflow. ie: break the law by running the rainwater outflow around the yard before leaving the property. Between that and the septic tank, my yard wouldn’t need much other water. I’ve got the land drainage infrastructure sorted for the natural rainfall drainage.

easy way to do it legally, tee off the tap on your rainwater tank, run a standpipe up the side of the tank to about a foot below the top and to your soaker hose from there

cool. Hadn’t actually manifested the standpipe in my plan but that’s an easy fix.

For those who don’t have rainwater tanks, I’m sure I’ve read about a diverter that is commercially available for downpipes.

roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

stumpy_seahorse said:

easy way to do it legally, tee off the tap on your rainwater tank, run a standpipe up the side of the tank to about a foot below the top and to your soaker hose from there

cool. Hadn’t actually manifested the standpipe in my plan but that’s an easy fix.

For those who don’t have rainwater tanks, I’m sure I’ve read about a diverter that is commercially available for downpipes.

I’d say that his slogan is that: the best place for water storage, is in the ground.

roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

stumpy_seahorse said:

easy way to do it legally, tee off the tap on your rainwater tank, run a standpipe up the side of the tank to about a foot below the top and to your soaker hose from there

cool. Hadn’t actually manifested the standpipe in my plan but that’s an easy fix.

For those who don’t have rainwater tanks, I’m sure I’ve read about a diverter that is commercially available for downpipes.

diverters are usually just to get rid of the first couple of litres after rain, in the hope that any pollutants get washed away with the start of the shower

stumpy_seahorse said:

roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

cool. Hadn’t actually manifested the standpipe in my plan but that’s an easy fix.

For those who don’t have rainwater tanks, I’m sure I’ve read about a diverter that is commercially available for downpipes.

diverters are usually just to get rid of the first couple of litres after rain, in the hope that any pollutants get washed away with the start of the shower

That is true for diverters on rainwater tank inflows. You missed the first part of the sentence. ie: with no rainwater storage. The precipitation on most roof surfaces adds up to +_ 1 mm per day. If this is diverted to ground storage, then there is always water in the ground. True, the diverter needs to be able to disconnect if the precipitation exceeds the above.

The soaker hose works best for across the front of the house, covers a strip a metre or so wide. It won’t get watered often, just perhaps half an hour a couple of times a week. I’ll see how it goes. I used the recycled tyres stuff when they first came out, but that isn’t really for the same job as a soaker. That goes around a garden bed and gets mulched on top of. And I have to say, the one I put out around the Big Old Redgum bed 15 years ago, which was pulled out of its bed in Hawkesdale and brought with me to here, still looks OK when it gets uncovered when I pull out weeds. But I don’t bother to turn it on, I just spot water each plant. I have an unused one in the shed at Casterton. I never found it difficult to control the pressure, and never noticed any blowouts or breaks, even with the rough treatment it got from me.

I have some low pressure sprinklers I got from Diggers quite a few years ago too, and they are fabulous. Not for watering the garden, but for putting on under the shade on a hot day for the benefit of the birds. Apparently they will run off gravity feed from a tank, but I run them of the mains. Turn the water on to blow out the resident ants and earwigs, then turn the tap right back to just before it shuts off. Lovely gentle rain.

buffy said:

The soaker hose works best for across the front of the house, covers a strip a metre or so wide. It won’t get watered often, just perhaps half an hour a couple of times a week. I’ll see how it goes. I used the recycled tyres stuff when they first came out, but that isn’t really for the same job as a soaker. That goes around a garden bed and gets mulched on top of. And I have to say, the one I put out around the Big Old Redgum bed 15 years ago, which was pulled out of its bed in Hawkesdale and brought with me to here, still looks OK when it gets uncovered when I pull out weeds. But I don’t bother to turn it on, I just spot water each plant. I have an unused one in the shed at Casterton. I never found it difficult to control the pressure, and never noticed any blowouts or breaks, even with the rough treatment it got from me.

I have some low pressure sprinklers I got from Diggers quite a few years ago too, and they are fabulous. Not for watering the garden, but for putting on under the shade on a hot day for the benefit of the birds. Apparently they will run off gravity feed from a tank, but I run them of the mains. Turn the water on to blow out the resident ants and earwigs, then turn the tap right back to just before it shuts off. Lovely gentle rain.

Can’t beat the gentle rain effect. I use those micro sprinklers on a stand during the dark hours of the day for that.

The magpies in particular are appreciative. And the resident Pug…

we sell wobblers as low pressure sprinklers, they work with a minimum of 8psi and give a good soaking rain pattern

There was a bit too much excitement here for me yesterday. After seeing the grandkids off and having a rest, I went out to check on the ducklings only to see a brown snake INSIDE the rabbit hutch I have them in. The ducklings and their mother hen were in the nest part of the hatch so I got the long handled cultivator and some bird netting and chucked it over the snake in the hope of it getting tangled enough for me to hook it out. At first it just went through it but after a while it went back and forth enough to restrict its movements for me to get a spade behind its head. At one stage the hen jumped the barrier I had put between them and started attacking the snake! I thought she was bit for sure as it struck at her a number of times but she jumped back and has survived the encounter. Brave but very stupid! So there I am standing there with this snake pinned but not able to put enough pressure to be sure I had broken its neck so hooked it out with the netting with the cultivator and then used the spade to chop behind the head a dozen times, and then some more to be sure. The front end was flattened and not moving but the back end was still writhing so it was flipped again into an empty cage to finish its death throes away from curious beaks and is now well and truly dead.

I feel like a proper country girl now I have killed my first brownie.

Did I ever tell you about my friend defending her young children? She was a Sydney city girl who married a farm boy. The children would have been about 2 and 3, I think, and she was home alone with them on the farm. Snake in the front garden. Adrenaline is a wonderful thing. It was drought. The ground was hard as concrete. But K managed to pin the snake with the garden fork. How she got the tynes into the ground we never really knew, but she pinned it good and proper. B had all sorts of trouble removing the fork from the ground when he came home.

I really don’t know why the snake has to suffer. I’m more afraid of what people will do rather than what a snake will do. 99% of the time it is merely reducing the rodent problem.

The ground rules are: snakes can have all the bush and all the paddocks. If they come near the house, they get ‘relocated’.

buffy said:

The ground rules are: snakes can have all the bush and all the paddocks. If they come near the house, they get ‘relocated’.

Relocated is fine as long as they are alive when they leave my hands. I’m very reluctant to try and kill them.

roughbarked said:

I really don’t know why the snake has to suffer. I’m more afraid of what people will do rather than what a snake will do. 99% of the time it is merely reducing the rodent problem.

Normally I would leave it alone, however I do worry about when the grandchildren visit when there is one around. This time it was in a small cage with a chook and seven ducklings and the chook at one point was actually attacking it with the snake striking back. The day before I had my grandchildren admiring the ducklings.

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

The ground rules are: snakes can have all the bush and all the paddocks. If they come near the house, they get ‘relocated’.

Relocated is fine as long as they are alive when they leave my hands. I’m very reluctant to try and kill them.

I understand this attitude and most times would agree, but the chances of being bitten by relocating are surely as high than when killing them? This was a brown snake which I believe are territorial that had obviously made the area around the poultry pens its territory given I had seen it there recently a couple of times. While I don’t think it would attack the poultry or me off hand, I don’t fancy the idea of being on the receiving end of a defensive strike if it somehow feels threatened. Which it did in this instance being trapped in a small enclosure.

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

The ground rules are: snakes can have all the bush and all the paddocks. If they come near the house, they get ‘relocated’.

Relocated is fine as long as they are alive when they leave my hands. I’m very reluctant to try and kill them.

I understand this attitude and most times would agree, but the chances of being bitten by relocating are surely as high than when killing them? This was a brown snake which I believe are territorial that had obviously made the area around the poultry pens its territory given I had seen it there recently a couple of times. While I don’t think it would attack the poultry or me off hand, I don’t fancy the idea of being on the receiving end of a defensive strike if it somehow feels threatened. Which it did in this instance being trapped in a small enclosure.

The chances of being bitten are minimal unless you are trying to kill the snake. The children could benefit from a close encounter with a snake so as to learn how to not be afraid. Fear makes people do irrational things and think irrationally. Passing on our own inherited irrational fears is rather irresponsible of adults. The majority of strikes a snake makes are feints in order to cause you to get the message. i.e.: “leave me alone or I may eventually consider delivering the killing blow”.

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

The ground rules are: snakes can have all the bush and all the paddocks. If they come near the house, they get ‘relocated’.

Relocated is fine as long as they are alive when they leave my hands. I’m very reluctant to try and kill them.

I understand this attitude and most times would agree, but the chances of being bitten by relocating are surely as high than when killing them? This was a brown snake which I believe are territorial that had obviously made the area around the poultry pens its territory given I had seen it there recently a couple of times. While I don’t think it would attack the poultry or me off hand, I don’t fancy the idea of being on the receiving end of a defensive strike if it somehow feels threatened. Which it did in this instance being trapped in a small enclosure.

Umm……you did notice the ‘ ‘ around ‘relocate’, didn’t you?

I’ve just harvested my broad beans, the dried ones. I’ll sort the stuff for planting next year and slow roast some like the Calabrese do. Haven’t weighed them but they made up a fair bit of the bucket I collected them in and there’s probably still the same amount still on stalks to do. Allowing any that are still shooting from the base to continue doing so for a small harvest of baby beans and planted corn in the spot.

Need good teeth for it but the dry roasted broad beans are rather yummy.

Out with the old….

The old water pipes were like Swiss cheese! Soft and riddled with holes. Various leaks and seepage throughout. All to be replaced.

My new King Single bed with top end mattress arrived yesterday and was a dream to sleep on (pardon the pun.)

Mmmmmm…..
Cherries direct from the farm.

Ducklings at 17 days old. Here they are harassing mum chook while she is trying to have her dust bath.

bluegreen said:

Mmmmmm…..
Cherries direct from the farm.

:) I’m eating direct from the farm as well.

I’m eating direct from the supermarket. But I interviewed each one before putting it into the bag, so I only got good ones.

I’m deciding whether to wrap Christmas presents, or do a little bit more outside. Or have a nap. I also need to write a couple of Christmas cards. We have the staff lunch tomorrow and we normally exchange cards then. We don’t do gifts as such. We give them each a bonus. That will be in the pay next week, being the first week in December. We figure it’s more useful then than later in the month. Although my casual who only works a few hours a month gets a gift voucher in her card. I guess we just tailor things. In a micro business you can do that.

buffy said:

I’m eating direct from the supermarket. But I interviewed each one before putting it into the bag, so I only got good ones.

I’m deciding whether to wrap Christmas presents, or do a little bit more outside. Or have a nap. I also need to write a couple of Christmas cards. We have the staff lunch tomorrow and we normally exchange cards then. We don’t do gifts as such. We give them each a bonus. That will be in the pay next week, being the first week in December. We figure it’s more useful then than later in the month. Although my casual who only works a few hours a month gets a gift voucher in her card. I guess we just tailor things. In a micro business you can do that.

You sound like a nice person to work for :)

Got a lovely Christmas card from our young casual girl (we could only give her 6 hours a week, but it gets her experience in something a bit different from her other jobs in retail and waitressing), thanking us for our kindness to her. This lass doesn’t have a lot going family background wise, but she is very bright. She’s an asset to our business too, patients like her, and comment on it. She’s just rolling around 12 months with us now. I think C (my receptionist) and I have become honorary Aunts.

Hi all

Not sure I have actually posted here before but here goes :)

I have moved from the top (FNQ) of the country to the bottom (Tas) of the country. Purchased a house with a very different garden to what I am used to, one tree being an apricot tree. This tree is just bursting with fruit at present and I have no idea as to when I should be picking them.

They are beautifully coloured (red or a blush on one side and slightly greenish on the other), some furry some not but hard as a stone. Some are starting to fall and today I have picked a few up from the ground and they are now sitting on my bench.. I’d probably have a bite of one or two of them.

I have photos if needed and thanks in advance for any advice given..

:)

Spider Lily said:

Hi all

Not sure I have actually posted here before but here goes :)

I have moved from the top (FNQ) of the country to the bottom (Tas) of the country. Purchased a house with a very different garden to what I am used to, one tree being an apricot tree. This tree is just bursting with fruit at present and I have no idea as to when I should be picking them.

They are beautifully coloured (red or a blush on one side and slightly greenish on the other), some furry some not but hard as a stone. Some are starting to fall and today I have picked a few up from the ground and they are now sitting on my bench.. I’d probably have a bite of one or two of them.

I have photos if needed and thanks in advance for any advice given..

:)

Most mid season apricots are ripe at Christmas.Hard as stone doesn’t sound promising but apricots ripen very quickly when they do turn. There are late varieties the main being hunter late. Green apricots can give you the gripes but it all depends on what you are going to do with them as they need to be picked just before they turn soft for jam making.

roughbarked said:

Most mid season apricots are ripe at Christmas.Hard as stone doesn’t sound promising but apricots ripen very quickly when they do turn. There are late varieties the main being hunter late. Green apricots can give you the gripes but it all depends on what you are going to do with them as they need to be picked just before they turn soft for jam making.

Thanks RB

Guess I leave them on the tree and go down every night and pick up the ones that have fallen as they are the only soft ones. At least I don’t have fruit bats to contend with down here :)

I will be giving them away, not a jam maker but who knows if I get that many I guess I could give it a go :)

When I was buying the place I asked what fruit trees where here and was told only an apricot. Well it appears that my suspicions were right as I certainly have a pear tree as well. There is another tree that also looks like a fruit bearing one but it’s not looking healthy and may have a disease :(

Spider Lily said:

roughbarked said:

Most mid season apricots are ripe at Christmas.Hard as stone doesn’t sound promising but apricots ripen very quickly when they do turn. There are late varieties the main being hunter late. Green apricots can give you the gripes but it all depends on what you are going to do with them as they need to be picked just before they turn soft for jam making.

Thanks RB

Guess I leave them on the tree and go down every night and pick up the ones that have fallen as they are the only soft ones. At least I don’t have fruit bats to contend with down here :)

I will be giving them away, not a jam maker but who knows if I get that many I guess I could give it a go :)

When I was buying the place I asked what fruit trees where here and was told only an apricot. Well it appears that my suspicions were right as I certainly have a pear tree as well. There is another tree that also looks like a fruit bearing one but it’s not looking healthy and may have a disease :(

They will ripen inside if you pick them when the green side goes paler green to light yellow. They can be chucked in a pot for jam or you can stew them at this point. Stewed apricots is like always having a can of apricots. My daughter used to throw them in a pot when they were a little softer, heat and stir them until they turned a bit mushy then spread them out to dry as thin sheets of apricot leather. I was happy enough to cut them in half and dry them. Sun dried apricots are nice. You’ll need a ladder and something to pick them into for all that.

I’m just back from a three day stint of grafting cherries in Hillston. My son is still battling with insurance company to get some emergency accommodation for his family since their house was rendered uninhabitable by a fire that started in the adjoining house in Norway.

My apricots that I picked green have ripened inside, but they are a bit shriveled.

bluegreen said:

My apricots that I picked green have ripened inside, but they are a bit shriveled.

Yes. That is the problem with picking them too green.

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

My apricots that I picked green have ripened inside, but they are a bit shriveled.

Yes. That is the problem with picking them too green.

They are still edible, and I get to eat them instead of the cockatoos.

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

My apricots that I picked green have ripened inside, but they are a bit shriveled.

Yes. That is the problem with picking them too green.

They are still edible, and I get to eat them instead of the cockatoos.

true.

Spider Lily…..if you have real apricots, make real apricot chicken. Infinitely better than using a can of apricot nectar. Chicken, chopped onion, masses of apricots….into the casserole, slow cook. Yum. I’m hoping there might be some apricots on the tree in Casterton tomorrow….unless the parrots have found them. I haven’t been over for a couple of weeks. They were still green then.