Date: 2/01/2016 16:23:00
From: AussieDJ
ID: 823920
Subject: January 2016 Chat

Insofar as keeping a diary is a good idea, noting what you planted and when – and possibly, where, if you have a propensity for uprooting plants you don’t remember planting in the first place – I offer you this year’s first Chat thread.

Oh, and a (belated) Happy New Year to you all.

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Date: 2/01/2016 16:48:24
From: roughbarked
ID: 823932
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

Ta. Same wishes for your year.

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Date: 2/01/2016 19:48:20
From: buffy
ID: 824026
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

Hello January. I spent two to three hours today raking and raking and then putting gum leaves, bark and twigs through the chipper. As they are all crispy dry, this was much more successful than I had expected. I now have a couple of spots nicely mulched. Not really less flammable, but more confined than leaves all over the yard. The ones that escaped will see the mulch mower tomorrow. As well as the apples I thinned off the triple graft. Some have coddling in them. If I can see the grubs after I mow them, those bits can go to the chooks.

It was cooler today, as you can tell by my activity!

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Date: 2/01/2016 22:17:52
From: roughbarked
ID: 824100
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

Our first rain for the year is falling now. Not a lot but any wetness is always appreciated.

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Date: 3/01/2016 07:13:38
From: roughbarked
ID: 824223
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

roughbarked said:


Our first rain for the year is falling now. Not a lot but any wetness is always appreciated.

16.4 mm. Not bad at all with the next few days also looking promising. Should make the garden look up.

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Date: 3/01/2016 10:15:18
From: bluegreen
ID: 824279
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

Happy 2016 everyone.

28mm of rain yesterday, most of it fell within 15mins I reckon, with hail. All over overflow and flood points overflowed and flooded but nothing damaged. The builder said the vinyl rolled up in the garage sitting in a puddle for a while (waiting to be laid in the kitchen) will be fine.

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Date: 3/01/2016 12:18:07
From: buffy
ID: 824336
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

Hah! Rain! What’s that?

But in better news…Mmm, my apricots that I picked early to defeat the parrots are ripening nicely. Nothing much compares to a nice fresh room temperature home grown apricot. After you cut the blemishes off the skin…..I’m eating the blemished ones first. Saving the best til last.

:)

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Date: 3/01/2016 13:28:35
From: AussieDJ
ID: 824384
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

buffy said:

:)

:)

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Date: 3/01/2016 13:32:55
From: AussieDJ
ID: 824385
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

roughbarked said:


roughbarked said:

Our first rain for the year is falling now. Not a lot but any wetness is always appreciated.

16.4 mm. Not bad at all with the next few days also looking promising. Should make the garden look up.


It’s lovely when it does that.

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Date: 3/01/2016 14:06:21
From: roughbarked
ID: 824401
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

AussieDJ said:


roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

Our first rain for the year is falling now. Not a lot but any wetness is always appreciated.

16.4 mm. Not bad at all with the next few days also looking promising. Should make the garden look up.


It’s lovely when it does that.


Indeedy. :)
If the highs along the bottom of the continent do the right thing, this could stay all week. I just love it when god pulls the shadecloth across.

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Date: 6/01/2016 09:06:59
From: bluegreen
ID: 826404
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

Another 34mm yesterday, making 77mm over the past four days. This has been the wettest January since I have lived here, and it is only the first week!

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Date: 6/01/2016 09:12:48
From: roughbarked
ID: 826407
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

bluegreen said:


Another 34mm yesterday, making 77mm over the past four days. This has been the wettest January since I have lived here, and it is only the first week!

Half your luck.

Last time we had a January worth mentioning was in 1984 when we received 256 mm. Which when from an annual average around 400, is significant.

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Date: 6/01/2016 09:20:48
From: bluegreen
ID: 826411
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

roughbarked said:


bluegreen said:

Another 34mm yesterday, making 77mm over the past four days. This has been the wettest January since I have lived here, and it is only the first week!

Half your luck.

Last time we had a January worth mentioning was in 1984 when we received 256 mm. Which when from an annual average around 400, is significant.

I don’t know what the wettest January in history is for here. My history only goes back five years. 77mm is only small bikkies by some standards I know, but like you this is a sparse rainfall area.

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Date: 6/01/2016 09:26:19
From: roughbarked
ID: 826412
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

bluegreen said:


roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

Another 34mm yesterday, making 77mm over the past four days. This has been the wettest January since I have lived here, and it is only the first week!

Half your luck.

Last time we had a January worth mentioning was in 1984 when we received 256 mm. Which when from an annual average around 400, is significant.

I don’t know what the wettest January in history is for here. My history only goes back five years. 77mm is only small bikkies by some standards I know, but like you this is a sparse rainfall area.

BOM will have your history for your area but it is quite a few clicks to work out how to get that.

An easy way is to use the Elders weather site. http://www.eldersweather.com.au/
type in your location and when the page comes up, scroll down to where it shows the stats all on the one page.

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Date: 6/01/2016 09:28:55
From: roughbarked
ID: 826414
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

roughbarked said:


bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

Half your luck.

Last time we had a January worth mentioning was in 1984 when we received 256 mm. Which when from an annual average around 400, is significant.

I don’t know what the wettest January in history is for here. My history only goes back five years. 77mm is only small bikkies by some standards I know, but like you this is a sparse rainfall area.

BOM will have your history for your area but it is quite a few clicks to work out how to get that.

An easy way is to use the Elders weather site. http://www.eldersweather.com.au/
type in your location and when the page comes up, scroll down to where it shows the stats all on the one page.

That is at the bottom of the page under almanac.

My total for Jan so far is 16.6mm.
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Date: 6/01/2016 10:35:06
From: buffy
ID: 826437
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

We had 33mm in December. Nothing at all yet for January.

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Date: 6/01/2016 10:35:45
From: buffy
ID: 826439
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

And 20 or so of the December stuff was on Christmas Day evening.

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Date: 6/01/2016 12:20:58
From: bluegreen
ID: 826479
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

According to Elders the wettest January in Swanpool was also in 1984 with 185.2mm, although it is not actually Swanpool but Strathbogie almanac it is drawing from. According to that the total for this year is 20.4mm but I have had 77mm so don’t really know for sure.

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Date: 6/01/2016 13:12:57
From: roughbarked
ID: 826487
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

bluegreen said:


According to Elders the wettest January in Swanpool was also in 1984 with 185.2mm, although it is not actually Swanpool but Strathbogie almanac it is drawing from. According to that the total for this year is 20.4mm but I have had 77mm so don’t really know for sure.

Yes. The records are from BOM records from the actual weather stations. They are often the same, ie; locally widespread but in other instances the falls are more localised. This can mean a difference between one end of your road to the other.

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Date: 7/01/2016 12:14:42
From: buffy
ID: 827120
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

Dug a nice few kg of potatoes this morning. Mostly King Edwards, some Nicola. They did their job well. They were out of season, because their job was to break up the soil. I’ve just put some more in for the same purpose. They might produce something before the frosts.

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Date: 9/01/2016 15:58:07
From: buffy
ID: 828414
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

Just tipped out the miniature daffodils from the pots they’ve been in for a few years. Just as well by the look of it. They aren’t multiplying, and the soil is quite spent. They need some rejuvenating.

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Date: 10/01/2016 11:57:47
From: buffy
ID: 828928
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

Getting hot out there. I’ve filled up the Pug Paddling Pool and put on the low pressure sprinkler for the birds. I did some more digging out of the bluestone paved drain this morning. It’s a slow job, but eventually I will have most of it cleared. The full length would be around 65m, but not all of it will be opened up. We didn’t know it was there and we buried a dog over the top early on! Front yard:

 photo FrontYardRocks4June08.jpg

Back yard:
 photo AsparagusJuly11.jpg

Chook run:
 photo P1010009_zps505ec081.jpg

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Date: 10/01/2016 11:59:33
From: buffy
ID: 828929
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

I’ve found one or two bits and pieces during my dig, although today it was just rocks, broken glass and one entire, but chipped very small (doll teaset size) white saucer. I think the piece of iron lace is probably from the local pub, which had a double storey verandah around it a very long time ago.

 photo 819_zpsda0e890a.jpg  photo DigBottles123Nov14_zps74404d7d.jpg

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Date: 12/01/2016 21:00:14
From: buffy
ID: 830272
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

Hmm, seems I re-organized the photos after I put them here.

 photo 819_zpsda0e890a.jpg  photo DollSaucer1 10Jan16_zpscmlb3ctb.jpg

Anyway, I’ve dug up some more ‘ stuff’ since then:

 photo Treasures1 12Jan16_zpsirnzamsr.jpg  photo Treaures2 12Jan16_zpslzzru9q1.jpg

The opinion of the other forum is that the cast metal hand is possibly off the top of a paperweight. Which would make it well over 100 years old.

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Date: 13/01/2016 07:26:18
From: roughbarked
ID: 830401
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

buffy said:

Which would make it well over 100 years old.

Most of what you are digging up, is.

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Date: 13/01/2016 09:32:50
From: bluegreen
ID: 830457
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

buffy said:

The opinion of the other forum is that the cast metal hand is possibly off the top of a paperweight. Which would make it well over 100 years old.

like this – http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/vintage-clenched-hand-cast-iron-brass-paperweight-PW23-/281860677383?hash=item41a0349f07:g:lL0AAOSwNphWXXAp

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Date: 13/01/2016 09:55:38
From: buffy
ID: 830470
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

Yes, bluegreen. I also found a seal of similar design. Apparently it was quite popular as a casting. I’ve done a bit more digging this morning but the sun is now on that area and it is 34 in the shade……so I am’t going to dig in the sun.

Is anyone else in southern Australia having problems with lettuce this summer? My freckles type ones are managing, but anything green is bolting. Even the Australian one that is meant to be OK for hot weather.

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Date: 13/01/2016 13:23:46
From: roughbarked
ID: 830596
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

buffy said:

Yes, bluegreen. I also found a seal of similar design. Apparently it was quite popular as a casting. I’ve done a bit more digging this morning but the sun is now on that area and it is 34 in the shade……so I am’t going to dig in the sun.

Is anyone else in southern Australia having problems with lettuce this summer? My freckles type ones are managing, but anything green is bolting. Even the Australian one that is meant to be OK for hot weather.

Yes. Ive got heaps of lettuce seed but not eating any lettuce.

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Date: 14/01/2016 09:22:44
From: bluegreen
ID: 830985
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

roughbarked said:


buffy said:

Yes, bluegreen. I also found a seal of similar design. Apparently it was quite popular as a casting. I’ve done a bit more digging this morning but the sun is now on that area and it is 34 in the shade……so I am’t going to dig in the sun.

Is anyone else in southern Australia having problems with lettuce this summer? My freckles type ones are managing, but anything green is bolting. Even the Australian one that is meant to be OK for hot weather.

Yes. Ive got heaps of lettuce seed but not eating any lettuce.

It’s really a cool weather plant. Good to hear that the freckles variety is coping though. It seems to stand both extremes well.

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Date: 14/01/2016 11:38:40
From: buffy
ID: 831010
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

Actually, now I look at my seed packs, it might not be Freckles. I seem to have three that are green with red splashes – red leprechaun, Forellenschluss and Freckles Bunte. The one surviving quite well is a bit cos-ish….it might be the leprechaun that is surviving. I sprinkled mixed seeds in the seed tray, and now I don’t know what is what.

:)

Next planting I’m going back to separate trays so I know what is germinating and what is not.

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Date: 14/01/2016 13:09:41
From: roughbarked
ID: 831051
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

buffy said:

Actually, now I look at my seed packs, it might not be Freckles. I seem to have three that are green with red splashes – red leprechaun, Forellenschluss and Freckles Bunte. The one surviving quite well is a bit cos-ish….it might be the leprechaun that is surviving. I sprinkled mixed seeds in the seed tray, and now I don’t know what is what.

:)

Next planting I’m going back to separate trays so I know what is germinating and what is not.

or at least use labels. ;)

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Date: 14/01/2016 15:40:02
From: buffy
ID: 831150
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

No, I said I mixed the seed. Not much point labelling if the seed is mixed, when you have three green splashed with red lettuces in the mix.

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Date: 14/01/2016 17:32:45
From: roughbarked
ID: 831210
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

buffy said:

No, I said I mixed the seed. Not much point labelling if the seed is mixed, when you have three green splashed with red lettuces in the mix.

It is probably OK if you are familiar with the appearance of the seedlings.

I can mix Eucalypt seed and pick the differences.

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Date: 17/01/2016 09:45:10
From: bluegreen
ID: 832707
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

I now have my west wall painted with Solacoat, a heat reflective paint. Hopefully this will greatly reduce the heat transfer into the bedrooms & will not have to hang those old tarps anymore. I will also do the north wall, but there are other jobs to get done first as it is not so urgent. Looking at new blinds and curtains too. Not sure how much longer the canvas will last on those blinds and I think a different colour scheme to suit the new wall colour would be appropriate. The gas bottle housing will likely get painted too but not until the other walls are done to make sure I don’t run out of paint.

 photo IMG_3672_zpsj4rqqdya.jpg

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Date: 23/01/2016 11:41:57
From: buffy
ID: 835157
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

We’ve had rain! Not Queensland Rain, only about 10mm, but the garden is rejoicing magnificently.

:)

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Date: 23/01/2016 11:45:59
From: roughbarked
ID: 835163
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

buffy said:

We’ve had rain! Not Queensland Rain, only about 10mm, but the garden is rejoicing magnificently.

:)

17 mm here. :)

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Date: 23/01/2016 22:05:00
From: buffy
ID: 835316
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

I should be able to pick the Ananas Noir tomatoes before too much longer:

 photo 2016 TomatoAnanasNoir 23Jan16_zpsisfhjyse.jpg

And the Red and Black are starting to look very interesting, if quite expensive for the seed.

 photo 2016 TomatoRedand Black 23Jan16_zpsuy2pfgpp.jpg

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Date: 24/01/2016 09:22:08
From: bluegreen
ID: 835369
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

roughbarked said:


buffy said:

We’ve had rain! Not Queensland Rain, only about 10mm, but the garden is rejoicing magnificently.

:)

17 mm here. :)

15mm here :)

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Date: 24/01/2016 11:39:14
From: Happy Potter
ID: 835423
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

I joined this forum nine years ago today :) Not that I’m here often, very busy harvesting and preserving veges and fruits. I’ve a presto 23 lt pressure canner now and the shelves are filling with all sorts of goodies. I now ‘make my own’ everything that I can. I hardly ever set foot in a shop, mostly we bulk buy with friends for basics and source grass fed meat.

And recycling, always.
Photo of an old computer desk that was about to be broken up. We’ve had it for ages and didn’t know what to do with it. It’s big heavy and well made, too good for landfill. Then when I got the canner I had a light bulb moment. Turned it into a preserving storage. It’s deep and holds everything.

 photo preserving cupboard 1_zpsb659yy5m.jpg

 photo cupboard6_zpsa1axgedk.jpg

 photo cupboard4_zpstpcsc0zh.jpg

 photo cupboard3_zpsolehqc1t.jpg

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Date: 24/01/2016 13:17:04
From: buffy
ID: 835441
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

I like it when a piece of furniture can change career.

:)

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Date: 27/01/2016 22:39:38
From: buffy
ID: 837232
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

So the rain overshot again and flooded out Geelong…..

We got nothing at all.

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Date: 28/01/2016 08:33:41
From: roughbarked
ID: 837422
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

buffy said:

So the rain overshot again and flooded out Geelong…..

We got nothing at all.

That’s what I thought would happen here but I recorded 27 mm.

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Date: 29/01/2016 07:54:32
From: roughbarked
ID: 837970
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

How could any of us not enjoy this week of the year with these expected maximums?

25°C, 24°C, 25°C, 29°C, 33°C, 32°C, 31°C.

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Date: 29/01/2016 09:27:20
From: bluegreen
ID: 837977
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

roughbarked said:


How could any of us not enjoy this week of the year with these expected maximums?

25°C, 24°C, 25°C, 29°C, 33°C, 32°C, 31°C.

Looking a bit like my week, only today’s expected maximum is only 22°C! I’m not complaining, we are getting a bit of rain as well.

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Date: 29/01/2016 13:18:25
From: buffy
ID: 838058
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

Stop talking about rain. Until we get some. Then you can talk about it again. It may be some time…

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Date: 29/01/2016 13:20:53
From: bluegreen
ID: 838061
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

buffy said:

Stop talking about rain. Until we get some. Then you can talk about it again. It may be some time…

Hope it is sooner than later for you.

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Date: 30/01/2016 04:51:43
From: painmaster
ID: 838939
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

oh I just typed out a huge update on my garden, and it disappeared.

bugger.

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Date: 31/01/2016 08:38:57
From: buffy
ID: 839517
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

Good morning Gardeners. Feel free to talk about rain now. We have had about 15mm since 5.00am. I was lying in bed thinking……I’ll just stay here and listen to the rain for a while. Hang on. Why can I hear a waterfall?

It was time for the Penshurst wet t-shirt ladder climbing downpipe cleaning episode. I love my gum trees, but I hate what the blossom caps and stamens do to the downpipes. Still, just a matter of dislodging the plug and then collecting it from the strainer at the other end at the tank.

Still gently raining.

:)

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Date: 31/01/2016 10:00:01
From: bluegreen
ID: 839528
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

buffy said:

Good morning Gardeners. Feel free to talk about rain now. We have had about 15mm since 5.00am.

:)

Excellent. More rain here too :)

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Date: 31/01/2016 11:47:15
From: Happy Potter
ID: 839571
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

buffy said:

Good morning Gardeners. Feel free to talk about rain now. We have had about 15mm since 5.00am. I was lying in bed thinking……I’ll just stay here and listen to the rain for a while. Hang on. Why can I hear a waterfall?

It was time for the Penshurst wet t-shirt ladder climbing downpipe cleaning episode. I love my gum trees, but I hate what the blossom caps and stamens do to the downpipes. Still, just a matter of dislodging the plug and then collecting it from the strainer at the other end at the tank.

Still gently raining.

:)

Good :)

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Date: 31/01/2016 11:51:57
From: Happy Potter
ID: 839572
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

We had a second round deluge, 45 mls in less than an hour and everything flooded. Drained well though :)
I was bottling my tomatoes and the power went out but kept going by torchlight on the gas cooker. No way in ‘ell was I going to stop, they were my tomatoes! Sweet and thick meat.
I did lose 15 eggs that I’d just set in the incubator. Power was off for more than 8 hours. Not a huge loss as I was testing fertility of a friends rooster. Pervious incubation resulted in two fertile eggs in a batch of 22.
We’ve decided she needs a new roo.

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Date: 31/01/2016 12:55:29
From: buffy
ID: 839579
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

A bit more rain showed I hadn’t quite dislodged one of the stamen plugs. A hose on jet and vigorous bashing of the downpipe did the trick…

:)

I’ve been finishing off some sewing. I now have a lightweight voile dress to wear to work. I need to finish off The Red Skirt with the brightly coloured godets that I started ages ago. I’d better go and do that.

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Date: 31/01/2016 16:00:44
From: buffy
ID: 839632
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

20.5mm

:)

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Date: 1/02/2016 09:42:25
From: bluegreen
ID: 840044
Subject: re: January 2016 Chat

Section of my yard that has undergone a great cleanup. You can see where the rock edging used to be, the shrubs and weeds and dead wood used to extend to that. My gardener filled a skip with all the unwanted material.

 photo IMG_3682_zpsxgryhfm6.jpg  photo IMG_3681_zpswgtm0zm8.jpg

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