February snuck in, just like that.
And what a delight the garden is looking after a drop of rain. Only about 20 mm, but it soaked in well. You can water eggplants until you’re blue in the face, but theres nothing like raiwater to make them stand up tall and straight. I’m giving the fruits away almost every day of the week.
woke up with a headache :(
Spent yesterday sewing, sewing, sewing and I suspect not drinking enough water.
More sewing today. Alexander is having his first birthday party tomorrow (actual day is Sunday) and I have to finish the overalls I am making him. Yesterday was the reversible bucket hat that daughter asked for and the overalls will match.
bluegreen said:
woke up with a headache :(Spent yesterday sewing, sewing, sewing and I suspect not drinking enough water.
More sewing today. Alexander is having his first birthday party tomorrow (actual day is Sunday) and I have to finish the overalls I am making him. Yesterday was the reversible bucket hat that daughter asked for and the overalls will match.
Drink deary, drink.
I can’t find my sewing room at the moment, well can’t move in there for kids and hubbys using it as a storeroom for their stuff. I swear if I got off my pc chair for 5 minutes, someone would put something on it. LOL
Happy Potter said:
bluegreen said:
woke up with a headache :(Spent yesterday sewing, sewing, sewing and I suspect not drinking enough water.
More sewing today. Alexander is having his first birthday party tomorrow (actual day is Sunday) and I have to finish the overalls I am making him. Yesterday was the reversible bucket hat that daughter asked for and the overalls will match.
Drink deary, drink.
I can’t find my sewing room at the moment, well can’t move in there for kids and hubbys using it as a storeroom for their stuff. I swear if I got off my pc chair for 5 minutes, someone would put something on it. LOL
yes. feeling a bit better now I have had a few drinks of water and my cup of green tea. Will put my water bottle in the sewing room today to remind me to drink!
Showers continue between spots of bright sunshine, and the chookies are out foraging for bugs brought out by the rain.
The 2 rescued hatched chicks are doing very well, their surrogate mumchook has them out and eating. She is friendly and lets me pick them up and fuss over them and put them back under her wing without even a noise from her.
She is one of the 5 chosen to go to the bendigo in a weeks time, so I’m going to see if I can switch her for another frendly older hen and leave these chicks with her. I would hate to upset her by taking those chicks away early.
JJ’s become quite the collector thanks to his hard rubbish round. I can’t call it junk. I have 3 karchers sitting on my patio, all near new and plucked out of waste bins. He will give 2 to family or friends. Also 2 rolls of black poly piping for watering systems. They are unused and still in their packaging. Right.. he’ll have a misting system up and going in my fernery before long :)
He said yesty there was a pallet of long life milk still in date from a business, thrown. But he couldn’t save any of it. That is just criminal.
Happy Potter said:
Showers continue between spots of bright sunshine, and the chookies are out foraging for bugs brought out by the rain.
The 2 rescued hatched chicks are doing very well, their surrogate mumchook has them out and eating. She is friendly and lets me pick them up and fuss over them and put them back under her wing without even a noise from her.
She is one of the 5 chosen to go to the bendigo in a weeks time, so I’m going to see if I can switch her for another frendly older hen and leave these chicks with her. I would hate to upset her by taking those chicks away early.JJ’s become quite the collector thanks to his hard rubbish round. I can’t call it junk. I have 3 karchers sitting on my patio, all near new and plucked out of waste bins. He will give 2 to family or friends. Also 2 rolls of black poly piping for watering systems. They are unused and still in their packaging. Right.. he’ll have a misting system up and going in my fernery before long :)
He said yesty there was a pallet of long life milk still in date from a business, thrown. But he couldn’t save any of it. That is just criminal.
the milk could have been given to a charity’s food bank. Shame.
the milk could have been given to a charity’s food bank. Shame.
——————————-
What the trucks business owner, another nephew, said too. He couldn’t save it in time.
bluegreen said:
the milk could have been given to a charity’s food bank. Shame.
Could have been given to our towns suffering from natural disasters
Tomatoes are racing away…..as they usually do here at the end of January. I only have a few small green fruit so far, but I never expect much until March, and then pick through April, May and sometimes June. My espalier Tommy Toe is heading up towards the top of the fence…..I’m waiting to see if it can get to the 6ft mark.
buffy said:
Tomatoes are racing away…..as they usually do here at the end of January. I only have a few small green fruit so far, but I never expect much until March, and then pick through April, May and sometimes June. My espalier Tommy Toe is heading up towards the top of the fence…..I’m waiting to see if it can get to the 6ft mark.
“Hold ‘ar! Hold ‘ar!” … as the late, great Roy Bell used to say…but maybe he didn’t tour the Shows south of the Border…
buffy said:
Tomatoes are racing away…..as they usually do here at the end of January. I only have a few small green fruit so far, but I never expect much until March, and then pick through April, May and sometimes June. My espalier Tommy Toe is heading up towards the top of the fence…..I’m waiting to see if it can get to the 6ft mark.
Is it too late to give them a bit (more) of a feed, to help them along through the next month or so?
AussieDJ said:
buffy said:Tomatoes are racing away…..as they usually do here at the end of January. I only have a few small green fruit so far, but I never expect much until March, and then pick through April, May and sometimes June. My espalier Tommy Toe is heading up towards the top of the fence…..I’m waiting to see if it can get to the 6ft mark.
My tomatoes have been growing nicely for a couple of months. I’ve already picked quite a few (yum!).Is it too late to give them a bit (more) of a feed, to help them along through the next month or so?
Not too late where I live, nor where Buffy lives.. Where do you live?
Yes, I’ve been getting tomatoes for ages. Yes my pants are still going strong.
Good morning Gardeners. Nice and cool around 10 degrees this morning. Off to the vet for Vax for Long this morning. Also lettuce to pick, potatoes to dig. Might try a last ditch few corn seeds for maybe some late corn. Worth a try.
>>Is it too late to give them a bit (more) of a feed, to help them along through the next month or so?<<
I don’t feed tomatoes. I use partially spent soil for them so they are inclined to fruit rather than leaf. But I did give them all a handful of woodash around the base the other day to egg them on.
Morning green ones. I call you that because this is a green page ;)
I’m enjoying the cool while it lasts to pull weeds for the chooks. I’ve been playing in the pumpkin patch too and there’s so many beaut ones growing under those leaves.
I have an orchard meeting this morn, there’s lots on the agenda to discuss.
One of the little jobs I want to get out of is keeping the aprons we use for events with our logo on for laundering, more silly me for volunteering to do that. They tangle! The webbing straps come undone in the wash no matter how well I tie them, and what emerges from the washing machine is a twisted wet lump of material and straps. 2 hours to untangle them. Erghh.
Each can take his or her own apron home to wash. I second that!
Hubby and youngest daughter went off to some new martial arts lesson together, JJ gone for the weekend to a mates and there’s no visitor plans for the next few days. I’ll be a quiet one. It’ll give me a chance to catch up on little Tia and see if she’s learnt to crawl forwards yet, instead of backing herself into corners :)
I’m with Buffy on feeding tomatoes. I don’t feed them at all. I heard that from Sir Pete and since then I’ve done what he advised, enrich the soil and the soil will feed the plants.
It is time to give citrus a feed though and I’ll do that later. They need a good deep watering as well so I’ll do that then I’m going to install some of that dripper system hose around them and hook it up to the IBC. It’s full again after that nice drop of rain.
Avagoodweekend.
I’m here and on deck. I’ve done the walk around and see that the weeds are doing nicely again. We had a storm at 3am. Got 16mls to kick February rainfall total off.
Sun is high in the sky and it’s hot. I don’t seem to be able to take the sun like I used to. If I can’t do a chore in the shade then it doesn’t get done.
When we went to town yesterday I took note of how high the floods had been. All the trees have water (mud actually) lines and many were totally covered. I can’t quite get my head around the quantity of water it takes to spread that far and that high.
I might mention that our brand new link road to the Bruce Highway was under water during the flood. This link has been open for 2 weeks and what’s the point if it keeps us floodbound as other roads always did. Words fail me.
roughbarked said:
Not too late where I live, nor where Buffy lives.. Where do you live?
buffy said:
Good morning Gardeners. Nice and cool around 10 degrees this morning. Off to the vet for Vax for Long this morning. Also lettuce to pick, potatoes to dig. Might try a last ditch few corn seeds for maybe some late corn. Worth a try.
>>Is it too late to give them a bit (more) of a feed, to help them along through the next month or so?<<
I don’t feed tomatoes. I use partially spent soil for them so they are inclined to fruit rather than leaf. But I did give them all a handful of woodash around the base the other day to egg them on.
Depends on what you mean by feed.
AussieDJ said:
roughbarked said:
Not too late where I live, nor where Buffy lives.. Where do you live?
About the same latitude and a bit further east of Buffy. (Eastern side of Port Phillip.)
Well apart from the fact that you are probably under the big hills, should be the same as Buffy.
Been to the vet (Long is now 3.2kg, he was 2.4kg when we got him), he’s had his vax and he’s been generally admired at the local market. I’ve dug potatoes…and what a pleasant surprise that was….some beautiful ones there in the feral patch. Might later go and try out the new coffee shop in town, they were supposed to open today.
pomolo said:
I might mention that our brand new link road to the Bruce Highway was under water during the flood. This link has been open for 2 weeks and what’s the point if it keeps us floodbound as other roads always did. Words fail me.
Australia is famous for building its’ roads into the rivers, but when you consider just how wide some of these “rivers” are, they’re little better than dried swamps. The road builders would be better to build the bridges to the heights of the railroad, IMHO…
Dinetta said:
pomolo said:I might mention that our brand new link road to the Bruce Highway was under water during the flood. This link has been open for 2 weeks and what’s the point if it keeps us floodbound as other roads always did. Words fail me.
Australia is famous for building its’ roads into the rivers, but when you consider just how wide some of these “rivers” are, they’re little better than dried swamps. The road builders would be better to build the bridges to the heights of the railroad, IMHO…
Nup
Engineers of the day mainly came from England .. and later greater Europe.. but none of them ever imagined that a river on otherwise flat land could rise up to 20 metres or more.. This propensity was beyond the original surveyors historical knowledge of hydrology on differing topographies.Can show you numerous tracks of rail that is only above floodwater by a heap of imported gravel, if it hasn’t been washed away.
Dinetta said:
pomolo said:I might mention that our brand new link road to the Bruce Highway was under water during the flood. This link has been open for 2 weeks and what’s the point if it keeps us floodbound as other roads always did. Words fail me.
Australia is famous for building its’ roads into the rivers, but when you consider just how wide some of these “rivers” are, they’re little better than dried swamps. The road builders would be better to build the bridges to the heights of the railroad, IMHO…
Nup
Engineers of the day mainly came from England .. and later greater Europe.. but none of them ever imagined that a river on otherwise flat land could rise up to 20 metres or more.. This propensity was beyond the original surveyors historical knowledge of hydrology on differing topographies.Can show you numerous tracks of rail that is only above floodwater by a heap of imported gravel, if it hasn’t been washed away.
oops.. doubling up.
roughbarked said:
oops.. doubling up.
LOL I wondered…
So, now the baby lettuces and beetroot are at the mercy of the Sun God. Also a couple of Cape Gooseberry bushes, but they are notoriously tough. I haven’t grown them before though.
I think a read and a snooze might be in order.
Dinetta said:
pomolo said:I might mention that our brand new link road to the Bruce Highway was under water during the flood. This link has been open for 2 weeks and what’s the point if it keeps us floodbound as other roads always did. Words fail me.
Australia is famous for building its’ roads into the rivers, but when you consider just how wide some of these “rivers” are, they’re little better than dried swamps. The road builders would be better to build the bridges to the heights of the railroad, IMHO…
Maybe that wouldn’t work either because the railroads were covered in lots of places.
roughbarked said:
Dinetta said:
pomolo said:I might mention that our brand new link road to the Bruce Highway was under water during the flood. This link has been open for 2 weeks and what’s the point if it keeps us floodbound as other roads always did. Words fail me.
Australia is famous for building its’ roads into the rivers, but when you consider just how wide some of these “rivers” are, they’re little better than dried swamps. The road builders would be better to build the bridges to the heights of the railroad, IMHO…
Nup
Engineers of the day mainly came from England .. and later greater Europe.. but none of them ever imagined that a river on otherwise flat land could rise up to 20 metres or more.. This propensity was beyond the original surveyors historical knowledge of hydrology on differing topographies.Can show you numerous tracks of rail that is only above floodwater by a heap of imported gravel, if it hasn’t been washed away.
that’s exactly what happened. All the rocks and gravel got washed away.
buffy said:
So, now the baby lettuces and beetroot are at the mercy of the Sun God. Also a couple of Cape Gooseberry bushes, but they are notoriously tough. I haven’t grown them before though.
I think a read and a snooze might be in order.
I’ve alreay had a read and a snooze. Time I went and did something positive now. Well after coffee that is.
pomolo said:
roughbarked said:Can show you numerous tracks of rail that is only above floodwater by a heap of imported gravel, if it hasn’t been washed away.
that’s exactly what happened. All the rocks and gravel got washed away.
I say what I say because the only time we were flood-affected here way back when (1974 I think it was) and I mean when the groceries couldn’t get through (and they were all transported by trains back then), was when one particular railway bridge went underwater. This was an historic occasion and it hasn’t gone under since AFAIK. They have indeed raised some of the railway tracks onto beds of gravel since then because of the electric trains, and this has caused flooding on roads that were never flooded before, but in all honesty if our goods still all came by train, flooded road bridges would rarely stop the grocery supplies.
had a lovely time at Alexander’s birthday party. he got a lot of presents and generally enjoyed having all his favourite people around him. for a kid that is so spoiled, he is quite unspoilt, if you know what I mean.
I couldn’t help myself…..I photographed the biggest of today’s potatoes. I think they are King Edwards.
bluegreen said:
had a lovely time at Alexander’s birthday party. he got a lot of presents and generally enjoyed having all his favourite people around him. for a kid that is so spoiled, he is quite unspoilt, if you know what I mean.
Yes I know what you mean. Can’t spoil them with affection, tho’…
buffy said:
I couldn’t help myself…..I photographed the biggest of today’s potatoes. I think they are King Edwards.
Chippies!!
Dinetta said:
bluegreen said:
had a lovely time at Alexander’s birthday party. he got a lot of presents and generally enjoyed having all his favourite people around him. for a kid that is so spoiled, he is quite unspoilt, if you know what I mean.
Yes I know what you mean. Can’t spoil them with affection, tho’…
Oh yes you can..
I can’t put Max in a run, he’s been an inside dog all his life.
It doesn’t matter if I’ve just gone out the front to do some watering for 10 minutes or if I’ve gone for a week, the reception is still the same..he yelps with joy, turns inside out, and runs in circles around me like ‘OMG shes home she home shes home yippppeeee!!’ MUMS HOME!!’.
I walk right past him without acknowledging the show and go open the patio door to let him outside.
As I sit here he is asleep under my desk and he always sleeps in a position that ensures a part of his body is touching my foot. Should I move a millimetre, he instantly wakes. He is far too dependant on me.
Happy Potter said:
Dinetta said:
bluegreen said:
had a lovely time at Alexander’s birthday party. he got a lot of presents and generally enjoyed having all his favourite people around him. for a kid that is so spoiled, he is quite unspoilt, if you know what I mean.
Yes I know what you mean. Can’t spoil them with affection, tho’…
LoL! That was meant for dog with separation anxiety thread.
I obviously need a coffee.
Oh yes you can..
I can’t put Max in a run, he’s been an inside dog all his life.
It doesn’t matter if I’ve just gone out the front to do some watering for 10 minutes or if I’ve gone for a week, the reception is still the same..he yelps with joy, turns inside out, and runs in circles around me like ‘OMG shes home she home shes home yippppeeee!!’ MUMS HOME!!’. I walk right past him without acknowledging the show and go open the patio door to let him outside.As I sit here he is asleep under my desk and he always sleeps in a position that ensures a part of his body is touching my foot. Should I move a millimetre, he instantly wakes. He is far too dependant on me.
Ok, 2 coffees ;)
Happy Potter said:
Ok, 2 coffees ;)
lol!
Happy Potter said:
Ok, 2 coffees ;)
flat white with two sugars, extra hot thanks :)
Happy Potter said:
As I sit here he is asleep under my desk and he always sleeps in a position that ensures a part of his body is touching my foot. Should I move a millimetre, he instantly wakes. He is far too dependant on me.
I think that’s why this one’s name is Shadow…
bluegreen said:
Happy Potter said:
Ok, 2 coffees ;)
lol!
:D
This morning I woke up at 9:30, so late but it was cool…I’ve had trouble sleeping lately as the 9 o’clock breeze has not been arriving, although on Friday night it turned up at midnight….
The cat has come back, she was very hungry but is OK now, I feed her on the bottom of what was the hot water tank stand, with Shadow locked up on the back deck, his head pushed through the railings, watching…this is excellent as she would not even come into the yard with him in the house, now Shadow is learning (I hope) that she is part of the pack…he has a particular way of behaviour, I guess you’d call it “pointing”, when Nefertiti (the cat) is around, different to any other manner of alerting me…
bluegreen said:
had a lovely time at Alexander’s birthday party. he got a lot of presents and generally enjoyed having all his favourite people around him. for a kid that is so spoiled, he is quite unspoilt, if you know what I mean.
Did he look cute in his new pants and hat?
buffy said:
I couldn’t help myself…..I photographed the biggest of today’s potatoes. I think they are King Edwards.
If that’s a table spoon then your spuds are big but if it’s a salt spoon then they aren’t big at all. lol.
As I sit here he is asleep under my desk and he always sleeps in a position that ensures a part of his body is touching my foot. Should I move a millimetre, he instantly wakes
Zee Zee is like that. Always has to be between a pair of feet. Either D or me. Even on the hottest days that’s where she lies. Prefers to be on our lap though.
pomolo said:
bluegreen said:
had a lovely time at Alexander’s birthday party. he got a lot of presents and generally enjoyed having all his favourite people around him. for a kid that is so spoiled, he is quite unspoilt, if you know what I mean.
Did he look cute in his new pants and hat?
Would have been one of the best-dressed one year olds in town, it’s a very smart outfit…
>>If that’s a table spoon then your spuds are big but if it’s a salt spoon then they aren’t big at all. <<
Very oldfashioned silver teaspoon. They are quite big potatoes for non irrigated.
Of course, I only photographed the biggest ones.
>>I can’t put Max in a run, he’s been an inside dog all his life. <<
You could if you had to and could put in the time to train him to it. He has to have shelter, of course, I’m not talking about a mini paddock here. The routine is the same regardless of the age of the dog. Arrange the run/enclosed area. Put the dog in there, leave the house, walk to the front gate, return, let dog out. Ignore too much exuberance, but acknowledge him. Reward. At irregular intervals on different days, go for longer periods. The dog learns that when he is in the run/enclosed area, you will be absent for a short time and will always come back. It has to become ‘normal’. We are at the fortunate stage with Digby now. This morning Mr buffy and I and Buschka and Long went to Warrnambool. We left Digby at home, with the back door open. Mr buffy phoned Auntie Annie when we got to Warrnambool to tell her that Digby was guarding the house alone and she came over, found him in his beanbag inside, and he went over to her place with her. Periodically he wandered back here to check if we were back yet. But he would have managed the three or four hours on his own if Annie had not been home. He just completely accepts that we will come back.
pomolo said:
bluegreen said:
had a lovely time at Alexander’s birthday party. he got a lot of presents and generally enjoyed having all his favourite people around him. for a kid that is so spoiled, he is quite unspoilt, if you know what I mean.
Did he look cute in his new pants and hat?
you tell me :)
the hat didn’t stay on long, although he did try and put it back on again a few times.
Morning! Lovely day again. Cool morning and a pleasant breeze blowing. Things are growing out of control. All that rain has made a huge difference. Plants that were clinging to life for a couple of months have returned healthy, green and alive. Even the Calla lilies have started to poke their leaves above the ground at last.
We had the TV repair man out yesterday. You’d never hear a TV man doing a call on a Sunday in the big city I bet. Everyones tvs have been playing up since the floods. The poor man has been rushed off his feet but ours is fixed now. Next will be the washing machine repair man. Can’t blame that one on the floods though. I suspect it’s something to do with using dam water for washing. Lots of grit coming through now. It started before the rains too. Perhaps because the dam water was getting low.
I better get back to my chores.
pomolo said:
Morning! Lovely day again. Cool morning and a pleasant breeze blowing. Things are growing out of control. All that rain has made a huge difference. Plants that were clinging to life for a couple of months have returned healthy, green and alive. Even the Calla lilies have started to poke their leaves above the ground at last.We had the TV repair man out yesterday. You’d never hear a TV man doing a call on a Sunday in the big city I bet. Everyones tvs have been playing up since the floods. The poor man has been rushed off his feet but ours is fixed now. Next will be the washing machine repair man. Can’t blame that one on the floods though. I suspect it’s something to do with using dam water for washing. Lots of grit coming through now. It started before the rains too. Perhaps because the dam water was getting low.
I better get back to my chores.
Sounds idyllic down your way…glad to hear the calla lillies are poking through…
With the water, do you have a “big blue” filter system? We had it installed when the local dam was quite low, but since the last couple of floods the water has been quite dirty. There’s a place called “Splish” (hope it’s still going) at Maroochydore? Mooloolaba? that will hold your hand and talk you through a water filtration system. Exy to install but cheep once it’s up and running…
Arvo. Bizzie bizzie bizzie..it never stops lol.
Sold 5 more silkies. Been making strawberry jam and strawberry ice cream. Yum!
Daughter #1 took one of my pretty tote bags to use as a swimming bag and got swamped by requests for more at the pool. Just as well I had a stash of them. She’s coming to pick them up shortly. I will make some more, soon.
Having a bun fight with my electricity provider. Such incompetence I have never known. We’re not getting invoices. The solar isn’t listed on the online site, but the online one doesn’t show the solar anyway, it’s not set up for it. It shows whatever power we have used and whatever the PV’s have generated as one total amount. The person we need to speak to is always on holiday. I’ve been promised a call back on wed, but I doubt that will happen as they haven’t called back previous times.
Ombudsman call is in order methinks.
I hope it’s rained where it’s needed, or drying out where it’s not needed.
Gotta go water veges.
I felt the need for a nanna nap today to catch up after a few busy days, so I haven’t done much today.
Happy Potter said:
Having a bun fight with my electricity provider. Such incompetence I have never known. We’re not getting invoices. The solar isn’t listed on the online site, but the online one doesn’t show the solar anyway, it’s not set up for it. It shows whatever power we have used and whatever the PV’s have generated as one total amount. The person we need to speak to is always on holiday. I’ve been promised a call back on wed, but I doubt that will happen as they haven’t called back previous times.
Ombudsman call is in order methinks.
bluegreen said:
I felt the need for a nanna nap today to catch up after a few busy days, so I haven’t done much today.
Wondered where you were…
Dinetta said:
pomolo said:
Morning! Lovely day again. Cool morning and a pleasant breeze blowing. Things are growing out of control. All that rain has made a huge difference. Plants that were clinging to life for a couple of months have returned healthy, green and alive. Even the Calla lilies have started to poke their leaves above the ground at last.We had the TV repair man out yesterday. You’d never hear a TV man doing a call on a Sunday in the big city I bet. Everyones tvs have been playing up since the floods. The poor man has been rushed off his feet but ours is fixed now. Next will be the washing machine repair man. Can’t blame that one on the floods though. I suspect it’s something to do with using dam water for washing. Lots of grit coming through now. It started before the rains too. Perhaps because the dam water was getting low.
I better get back to my chores.
Sounds idyllic down your way…glad to hear the calla lillies are poking through…
With the water, do you have a “big blue” filter system? We had it installed when the local dam was quite low, but since the last couple of floods the water has been quite dirty. There’s a place called “Splish” (hope it’s still going) at Maroochydore? Mooloolaba? that will hold your hand and talk you through a water filtration system. Exy to install but cheep once it’s up and running…
Thanks for the tip Dinetta. I will pass that on to the maintenance man I live with.
Happy Potter said:
Arvo. Bizzie bizzie bizzie..it never stops lol.
Sold 5 more silkies. Been making strawberry jam and strawberry ice cream. Yum!
Daughter #1 took one of my pretty tote bags to use as a swimming bag and got swamped by requests for more at the pool. Just as well I had a stash of them. She’s coming to pick them up shortly. I will make some more, soon.
Having a bun fight with my electricity provider. Such incompetence I have never known. We’re not getting invoices. The solar isn’t listed on the online site, but the online one doesn’t show the solar anyway, it’s not set up for it. It shows whatever power we have used and whatever the PV’s have generated as one total amount. The person we need to speak to is always on holiday. I’ve been promised a call back on wed, but I doubt that will happen as they haven’t called back previous times.
Ombudsman call is in order methinks.I hope it’s rained where it’s needed, or drying out where it’s not needed.
Gotta go water veges.
After reading your posts I realise how much I am enjoying my retirement. I know it’s not for everybody but I’m sold.
bluegreen said:
I felt the need for a nanna nap today to catch up after a few busy days, so I haven’t done much today.
I haven’t had a nanna nap but I haven’t achived much either. lol.
bluegreen said:
pomolo said:
bluegreen said:
had a lovely time at Alexander’s birthday party. he got a lot of presents and generally enjoyed having all his favourite people around him. for a kid that is so spoiled, he is quite unspoilt, if you know what I mean.
Did he look cute in his new pants and hat?
you tell me :)
the hat didn’t stay on long, although he did try and put it back on again a few times.
bump for pomolo :)
bluegreen said:
bluegreen said:
pomolo said:Did he look cute in his new pants and hat?
you tell me :)
the hat didn’t stay on long, although he did try and put it back on again a few times.
bump for pomolo :)
They look great on him. Now we would like some made in winter fabric, nice and loose like those, so he can have a jumper etc on underneath. Gee I’m a good nanna too. lol.
bluegreen said:
the hat didn’t stay on long, although he did try and put it back on again a few times.
Quite the little man now…sigh they grow so fast…
pomolo said:
Happy Potter said:
Arvo. Bizzie bizzie bizzie..it never stops lol.
Sold 5 more silkies. Been making strawberry jam and strawberry ice cream. Yum!
Daughter #1 took one of my pretty tote bags to use as a swimming bag and got swamped by requests for more at the pool. Just as well I had a stash of them. She’s coming to pick them up shortly. I will make some more, soon.
Having a bun fight with my electricity provider. Such incompetence I have never known. We’re not getting invoices. The solar isn’t listed on the online site, but the online one doesn’t show the solar anyway, it’s not set up for it. It shows whatever power we have used and whatever the PV’s have generated as one total amount. The person we need to speak to is always on holiday. I’ve been promised a call back on wed, but I doubt that will happen as they haven’t called back previous times.
Ombudsman call is in order methinks.I hope it’s rained where it’s needed, or drying out where it’s not needed.
Gotta go water veges.
After reading your posts I realise how much I am enjoying my retirement. I know it’s not for everybody but I’m sold.
But I am retired! lol!
pomolo said:
bluegreen said:
bluegreen said:you tell me :)
the hat didn’t stay on long, although he did try and put it back on again a few times.
bump for pomolo :)
They look great on him. Now we would like some made in winter fabric, nice and loose like those, so he can have a jumper etc on underneath. Gee I’m a good nanna too. lol.
Love the overalls! I want some like that for myself, a giant onesie lol. He is such a cute little boy :)
Good morning y’all…lovely night time temps of 20C … not as cool as 15C but I’ll take it…
Morning back at you. It’s my bludge day :)
I might pick a few tomatoes and eggplants. Might.
Happy Potter said:
pomolo said:
Happy Potter said:
Arvo. Bizzie bizzie bizzie..it never stops lol.
Sold 5 more silkies. Been making strawberry jam and strawberry ice cream. Yum!
Daughter #1 took one of my pretty tote bags to use as a swimming bag and got swamped by requests for more at the pool. Just as well I had a stash of them. She’s coming to pick them up shortly. I will make some more, soon.
Having a bun fight with my electricity provider. Such incompetence I have never known. We’re not getting invoices. The solar isn’t listed on the online site, but the online one doesn’t show the solar anyway, it’s not set up for it. It shows whatever power we have used and whatever the PV’s have generated as one total amount. The person we need to speak to is always on holiday. I’ve been promised a call back on wed, but I doubt that will happen as they haven’t called back previous times.
Ombudsman call is in order methinks.I hope it’s rained where it’s needed, or drying out where it’s not needed.
Gotta go water veges.
After reading your posts I realise how much I am enjoying my retirement. I know it’s not for everybody but I’m sold.
But I am retired! lol!
Maybe I should add that D is retired as well and we have no kids coming and going. I really wish the kids were closer because I’ll always miss them. Grandkids too.
11o’clock and I haven’t done anything yet. Been watching a recorded teev show. Bad girl.
D is dunking all the pots. Even after all that rain they still get dry in a couple of days. We are also babysitting some potted plants for some friends who have gone to America for 3months. Some are growing in ordinary garden soil but I don’t know how. Some are so pot bound they will never grow when they finally get planted in a garden. D has repotted a few but we’re not sure how far we should go. Just keep them alive till they return is my idea.
Don’t get me wrong, I love this couple who are holidaying but they have no idea about gardening but they would like to know I think. Except the male of the partnership doesn’t want to plant any trees/shrubs that attract birds because they wake him up in the morning. Now I ask you, how do you pick plants that won’t attract birds? He also doesn’t like frogs because they croak. Ha ha..
been over at the church for a cleaning bee. I turned up late, just in time for morning tea! there were still a few jobs for me to do though. Now need to get motivated to do the same at home! lol!
pomolo said:
11o’clock and I haven’t done anything yet. Been watching a recorded teev show. Bad girl.D is dunking all the pots. Even after all that rain they still get dry in a couple of days. We are also babysitting some potted plants for some friends who have gone to America for 3months. Some are growing in ordinary garden soil but I don’t know how. Some are so pot bound they will never grow when they finally get planted in a garden. D has repotted a few but we’re not sure how far we should go. Just keep them alive till they return is my idea.
Don’t get me wrong, I love this couple who are holidaying but they have no idea about gardening but they would like to know I think. Except the male of the partnership doesn’t want to plant any trees/shrubs that attract birds because they wake him up in the morning. Now I ask you, how do you pick plants that won’t attract birds? He also doesn’t like frogs because they croak. Ha ha..
You gotta laugh at that, lol.
Like my uk neighbour who once asked me to kill the native frogs in my pond because their mating call kept him awake. As if I would do that.
It seems my boulder rock garden out the front is inviting some unwelcome visitors. In the form of humans who sit on them and it seems, think it’s a picnic ground because they leave old food and wrappers and cans and other rubbish there.
Third time we’ve cleaned up out there and we’re getting tired of it. Will have to mobilize the rock moving team soon as we can and put them into the side path area where they’ll live forever.
Happy Potter said:
Like my uk neighbour who once asked me to kill the native frogs in my pond because their mating call kept him awake. As if I would do that.
As a matter of interest, are there any frogs which don’t have a mating call??
Dinetta said:
Happy Potter said:Like my uk neighbour who once asked me to kill the native frogs in my pond because their mating call kept him awake. As if I would do that.
As a matter of interest, are there any frogs which don’t have a mating call??
I don’t know but I doubt it. I rather liked the sound, it made me think of the natural world out there and glad that I had them in my garden. it was easy to fall asleep to.
Bludge day over. I was watering out front and spotted something.. oh no! a little cordyline leaf popping up. I hope it’s just a bit of the root that was dropped. I am having a coffee then will go out and lift it with the garden fork.
Happy Potter said:
Bludge day over. I was watering out front and spotted something.. oh no! a little cordyline leaf popping up. I hope it’s just a bit of the root that was dropped. I am having a coffee then will go out and lift it with the garden fork.
Well spotted!
Hello Gardeners…..time for you to be bored with some more photos. Not the dog this time:
This was our cluttered bathroom/storeroom a week or so ago:
Cleared to:
And today the builder came…..now it’s:
And when the false ceiling was removed…..there is some original cornicing up there. I’m hoping the builder is a good enough builder to be able to retain that. I won’t cry if he can’t but I would like it to stay if possible. It matches the kitchen and a couple of other rooms.
Dinetta said:
Happy Potter said:
Bludge day over. I was watering out front and spotted something.. oh no! a little cordyline leaf popping up. I hope it’s just a bit of the root that was dropped. I am having a coffee then will go out and lift it with the garden fork.
Well spotted!
Spotted two! First one was just under the surface. Obviously a dropped piece. The second one however, went down a long way. Argh. I dug around it until I was about 40 cm deep then found a bit of the root system roughly the thickness of my wrist. How we missed that one is a mystery. I could not get it out, but the man is home tomorrow and we will get it out. It goes down past the foundations of the house and I fear thats where it’s coming from. A major dig to get this one out.
I am stoofed, sore all over and ready for bed!
Happy Potter said:
Spotted two! First one was just under the surface. Obviously a dropped piece. The second one however, went down a long way. Argh. I dug around it until I was about 40 cm deep then found a bit of the root system roughly the thickness of my wrist. How we missed that one is a mystery. I could not get it out, but the man is home tomorrow and we will get it out. It goes down past the foundations of the house and I fear thats where it’s coming from. A major dig to get this one out.
I am stoofed, sore all over and ready for bed!
What if you poison them that far down? I think you need something like StarRain or whatever it’s called…so lethal they shouldn’t be allowed to manufacture it…what you’ve got is past Roundup I reckon…have you tried ScribblyGum re poisons? Seeing as RoughBarked is AWOL just now?
buffy said:
Hello Gardeners…..time for you to be bored with some more photos. Not the dog this time:This was our cluttered bathroom/storeroom a week or so ago:
Cleared to:
And today the builder came…..now it’s:
And when the false ceiling was removed…..there is some original cornicing up there. I’m hoping the builder is a good enough builder to be able to retain that. I won’t cry if he can’t but I would like it to stay if possible. It matches the kitchen and a couple of other rooms.
Sorry Buffy only one photo came up, the one with the wall cladding taken off I think…oh I do hope the cornice can be preserved!
It’s OK Buffy, all the photos came up in my “Quote” in the previous post…wow things are moving along in your house!
Anyone have the worm whisperer thread saved to favourites? Been a drah-ma in my worm farm, I think I might have 60 left…
Happy Potter said:
It seems my boulder rock garden out the front is inviting some unwelcome visitors. In the form of humans who sit on them and it seems, think it’s a picnic ground because they leave old food and wrappers and cans and other rubbish there.
Third time we’ve cleaned up out there and we’re getting tired of it. Will have to mobilize the rock moving team soon as we can and put them into the side path area where they’ll live forever.
Haven’t sen anyone do it for a while now.
Happy Potter said:
Dinetta said:
Happy Potter said:Like my uk neighbour who once asked me to kill the native frogs in my pond because their mating call kept him awake. As if I would do that.
As a matter of interest, are there any frogs which don’t have a mating call??
The ‘natural world’ is one of the main reasons we live where we do.
I don’t know but I doubt it. I rather liked the sound, it made me think of the natural world out there and glad that I had them in my garden. it was easy to fall asleep to.
buffy said:
Hello Gardeners…..time for you to be bored with some more photos. Not the dog this time:This was our cluttered bathroom/storeroom a week or so ago:
Cleared to:
And today the builder came…..now it’s:
And when the false ceiling was removed…..there is some original cornicing up there. I’m hoping the builder is a good enough builder to be able to retain that. I won’t cry if he can’t but I would like it to stay if possible. It matches the kitchen and a couple of other rooms.
Nice original cob webs too. lol. I hate to think what’s in my hidden corners. Bad enough when we pull the washing machine out from the wall.
pomolo said:
Happy Potter said:
Dinetta said:As a matter of interest, are there any frogs which don’t have a mating call??
The ‘natural world’ is one of the main reasons we live where we do.
I don’t know but I doubt it. I rather liked the sound, it made me think of the natural world out there and glad that I had them in my garden. it was easy to fall asleep to.
Gee I hate it when I don’t scroll down past the last (quote)
Dinetta said:
Happy Potter said:Spotted two! First one was just under the surface. Obviously a dropped piece. The second one however, went down a long way. Argh. I dug around it until I was about 40 cm deep then found a bit of the root system roughly the thickness of my wrist. How we missed that one is a mystery. I could not get it out, but the man is home tomorrow and we will get it out. It goes down past the foundations of the house and I fear thats where it’s coming from. A major dig to get this one out.
I am stoofed, sore all over and ready for bed!
What if you poison them that far down? I think you need something like StarRain or whatever it’s called…so lethal they shouldn’t be allowed to manufacture it…what you’ve got is past Roundup I reckon…have you tried ScribblyGum re poisons? Seeing as RoughBarked is AWOL just now?
Funny, I did reply to this but it seems to have dissapeared. Round up is bad enough.. I’d prefer to get the roots out until I can’t see any more.
Good morning Gardeners. Going for the mid thirties here today and Total Fire Ban. I didn’t much like the fire radio man signing off with “Have a safe day tomorrow” at the end of the scheds last night…..
saw iceberg lettuces in the stupidmarkets on the weekend. The cheapest (and of course) smallest one I could find (around the size of a small grapefruit) was only $10
buffy said:
Good morning Gardeners. Going for the mid thirties here today and Total Fire Ban. I didn’t much like the fire radio man signing off with “Have a safe day tomorrow” at the end of the scheds last night…..
I suppose he meant well?
pain master said:
saw iceberg lettuces in the stupidmarkets on the weekend. The cheapest (and of course) smallest one I could find (around the size of a small grapefruit) was only $10
gobsmacked
Not partial to icebergs…prefer the “fancy” lettuce as they’re called here. The hydrophonic ones…but $10 is exorbitant for any lettuce…can you buy lettuce at the people’s markets?
pain master said:
saw iceberg lettuces in the stupidmarkets on the weekend. The cheapest (and of course) smallest one I could find (around the size of a small grapefruit) was only $10
Unreal. Where was that?
buffy said:
Good morning Gardeners. Going for the mid thirties here today and Total Fire Ban. I didn’t much like the fire radio man signing off with “Have a safe day tomorrow” at the end of the scheds last night…..
That would put the heebeejeebies into me too.
pain master said:
saw iceberg lettuces in the stupidmarkets on the weekend. The cheapest (and of course) smallest one I could find (around the size of a small grapefruit) was only $10
floods notwithstanding, that is just ridiculous!
buffy said:
Good morning Gardeners. Going for the mid thirties here today and Total Fire Ban. I didn’t much like the fire radio man signing off with “Have a safe day tomorrow” at the end of the scheds last night…..
Thinking of you Buffy and all that is around you.
pain master said:
saw iceberg lettuces in the stupidmarkets on the weekend. The cheapest (and of course) smallest one I could find (around the size of a small grapefruit) was only $10
You’re kidding! I guess we can expect a lot of price increases after the rain and the fires but that doesn’t numb the shock.
Dinetta said:
pain master said:
saw iceberg lettuces in the stupidmarkets on the weekend. The cheapest (and of course) smallest one I could find (around the size of a small grapefruit) was only $10
gobsmacked
Not partial to icebergs…prefer the “fancy” lettuce as they’re called here. The hydrophonic ones…but $10 is exorbitant for any lettuce…can you buy lettuce at the people’s markets?
Well there you go. Icebergs are the only lettuce I will eat. I can’t handle all that other rabbit food they sell/
bluegreen said:
pain master said:
saw iceberg lettuces in the stupidmarkets on the weekend. The cheapest (and of course) smallest one I could find (around the size of a small grapefruit) was only $10
floods notwithstanding, that is just ridiculous!
Maybe this was a southern iceberg because icebergs don’t do any good in Qld in summer. They cook in the ground.
pomolo said:
pain master said:
saw iceberg lettuces in the stupidmarkets on the weekend. The cheapest (and of course) smallest one I could find (around the size of a small grapefruit) was only $10
You’re kidding! I guess we can expect a lot of price increases after the rain and the fires but that doesn’t numb the shock.
Point is that nobody will buy them and they’ll get chucked out anyway.
Yay! the man got the rest of the cordyline root out. It didn’t go that much further down, but it was in hard clay and I couldn’t get it out. I could hear my shoulder clunking lol.
I will keep an eye out if any other bits happen to pop up. I have to sift the dirt back into the hole but too hot now, that’s a job for later.
pomolo said:
Dinetta said:
pain master said:
saw iceberg lettuces in the stupidmarkets on the weekend. The cheapest (and of course) smallest one I could find (around the size of a small grapefruit) was only $10
gobsmacked
Not partial to icebergs…prefer the “fancy” lettuce as they’re called here. The hydrophonic ones…but $10 is exorbitant for any lettuce…can you buy lettuce at the people’s markets?
Well there you go. Icebergs are the only lettuce I will eat. I can’t handle all that other rabbit food they sell/
Yup. Takes all types. My favourites are the mignonette and the butter lettuce…but I will buy a good fire coral or red mignonette for colour…
roughbarked said:
Point is that nobody will buy them and they’ll get chucked out anyway.
And you’re not allowed to ask if you can have the throw-outs for chook food…oh dear me no…
Happy Potter said:
Yay! the man got the rest of the cordyline root out. It didn’t go that much further down, but it was in hard clay and I couldn’t get it out. I could hear my shoulder clunking lol.
I will keep an eye out if any other bits happen to pop up. I have to sift the dirt back into the hole but too hot now, that’s a job for later.
Thank goodness for that! (that The Man got the rest of the root out)…
The council has been and mowed the verge across from me, looking spiffy and trim now…
I’m a bit between lettuces now, although that should be remedied by the warmth today. I had to buy a lettuce last week. I buy the red looseleaf ones, unless I am making something that specifically wants an iceberg. I grow a mix of various lettuces, but I don’t bother with cos. I particularly like the one called “Freckles” and most of the other red ones, Lollo Rosso, red oak leaf etc. But I grow both reds and greens because they look good on the plate. I noticed my first tomato starting to change colour in the last couple of days too…it’s only a little Tommy Toe, but I shall not share it!
Work beckons.
I bought an extended warranty for my printer when I bought it two years ago and it has paid off. The print head is gone and they are going to replace it with a new printer – apparently I bought a replacement warranty! The downside is I have to go to Shep to pick it up, but I can cope with that. Might check out the SPC Ardmona Factory Shop while I am there. You are supposed to be able to get stuff really cheap.
buffy said:
I’m a bit between lettuces now, although that should be remedied by the warmth today. I had to buy a lettuce last week. I buy the red looseleaf ones, unless I am making something that specifically wants an iceberg. I grow a mix of various lettuces, but I don’t bother with cos. I particularly like the one called “Freckles” and most of the other red ones, Lollo Rosso, red oak leaf etc. But I grow both reds and greens because they look good on the plate. I noticed my first tomato starting to change colour in the last couple of days too…it’s only a little Tommy Toe, but I shall not share it!
Work beckons.
I don’t eat much lettuce myself, so I rarely grow it. But I have grown the freckles variety and it is probably one of the best to grow IMO. I have noticed some colour change on my tomatoes recently too.
I’m picking tomatoes too, half green half orange and they can finish ripening inside. I’m not letting the birds get them.
I luv iceberg lettuce and cos lettuce, but the red ones are too bitter and peppery for me.
Just helped the man put another set of driver seat runners in his car. It’d broken underneath, again. This is the forth or fifth seat runner. He’s tall and has to put the seat laid back a bit so his head doesn’t touch the roof and that places his weight on the back part which stress’s the front runner bolts.
He wins the bet on whos car will cark it first too. His will. Mines just battered and dented, but his is losing engine compression and parts are well worn.
buffy said:
I’m a bit between lettuces now, although that should be remedied by the warmth today. I had to buy a lettuce last week. I buy the red looseleaf ones, unless I am making something that specifically wants an iceberg. I grow a mix of various lettuces, but I don’t bother with cos. I particularly like the one called “Freckles” and most of the other red ones, Lollo Rosso, red oak leaf etc. But I grow both reds and greens because they look good on the plate. I noticed my first tomato starting to change colour in the last couple of days too…it’s only a little Tommy Toe, but I shall not share it!
Work beckons.
If the red leafed ones are fresh and tender, they’re lovely in salads…but sometimes I get them and they’re just sad…limp and dry…
bluegreen said:
I bought an extended warranty for my printer when I bought it two years ago and it has paid off. The print head is gone and they are going to replace it with a new printer – apparently I bought a replacement warranty! The downside is I have to go to Shep to pick it up, but I can cope with that. Might check out the SPC Ardmona Factory Shop while I am there. You are supposed to be able to get stuff really cheap.
A good comes of every bad BlueGreen…mmm SPC Ardmona…
Happy Potter said:
He wins the bet on whos car will cark it first too. His will. Mines just battered and dented, but his is losing engine compression and parts are well worn.
You will loooove the new fuel-efficient ones…start checking brochures, lol!
Dinetta said:
Happy Potter said:He wins the bet on whos car will cark it first too. His will. Mines just battered and dented, but his is losing engine compression and parts are well worn.
You will loooove the new fuel-efficient ones…start checking brochures, lol!
Nope, it’ll take a lottery win to get a newie. More like get ready for lots of walking :/
Happy Potter said:
Dinetta said:
Happy Potter said:He wins the bet on whos car will cark it first too. His will. Mines just battered and dented, but his is losing engine compression and parts are well worn.
You will loooove the new fuel-efficient ones…start checking brochures, lol!
Nope, it’ll take a lottery win to get a newie. More like get ready for lots of walking :/
Oh you never know…do you buy tickets in art unions which have cars as prizes?
Shadow and Nefertiti touched noses…it was an electric moment and Shadow is non-plussed…lol!
Saw Longy tonight…. bumped into him at the stupidmarket.
Dinetta said:
pain master said:
saw iceberg lettuces in the stupidmarkets on the weekend. The cheapest (and of course) smallest one I could find (around the size of a small grapefruit) was only $10
gobsmacked
Not partial to icebergs…prefer the “fancy” lettuce as they’re called here. The hydrophonic ones…but $10 is exorbitant for any lettuce…can you buy lettuce at the people’s markets?
only when in season.
Happy Potter said:
pain master said:
saw iceberg lettuces in the stupidmarkets on the weekend. The cheapest (and of course) smallest one I could find (around the size of a small grapefruit) was only $10
Unreal. Where was that?
Port Moresby Foodworld, Boroko.
bluegreen said:
pain master said:
saw iceberg lettuces in the stupidmarkets on the weekend. The cheapest (and of course) smallest one I could find (around the size of a small grapefruit) was only $10
floods notwithstanding, that is just ridiculous!
no floods up here…
pomolo said:
pain master said:
saw iceberg lettuces in the stupidmarkets on the weekend. The cheapest (and of course) smallest one I could find (around the size of a small grapefruit) was only $10
You’re kidding! I guess we can expect a lot of price increases after the rain and the fires but that doesn’t numb the shock.
not kidding.
pain master said:
Saw Longy tonight…. bumped into him at the stupidmarket.
:D
pain master said:
Happy Potter said:
pain master said:
saw iceberg lettuces in the stupidmarkets on the weekend. The cheapest (and of course) smallest one I could find (around the size of a small grapefruit) was only $10
Unreal. Where was that?
Port Moresby Foodworld, Boroko.
oh! you had us nonplussed there, well me anyway :D
pain master said:
:) I do hope he is well.
Saw Longy tonight…. bumped into him at the stupidmarket.
pain master said:
Saw Longy tonight…. bumped into him at the stupidmarket.
OMIGosh! And how is he?
Back into today’s episode…nice weather we’re having, the ESE keeps things cool…well it swings between E and S so ESE is pretty accurate…Mowed the front yard last night…the mower backfired as I turned it off and a 2” flame shot out of the exhaust…memories of my youth, pretty sure those boys could make their cars backfire at will…will head out with the whippersnipper in a mo’, soon as Goldie puts herself back on her nest…then this afternoon I will mow the back yard…brb
Dinetta said:
Back into today’s episode…nice weather we’re having, the ESE keeps things cool…well it swings between E and S so ESE is pretty accurate…Mowed the front yard last night…the mower backfired as I turned it off and a 2” flame shot out of the exhaust…memories of my youth, pretty sure those boys could make their cars backfire at will…will head out with the whippersnipper in a mo’, soon as Goldie puts herself back on her nest…then this afternoon I will mow the back yard…brb
When it backfires.. you need to adjust the advance and retard.
roughbarked said:
Dinetta said:
Back into today’s episode…nice weather we’re having, the ESE keeps things cool…well it swings between E and S so ESE is pretty accurate…Mowed the front yard last night…the mower backfired as I turned it off and a 2” flame shot out of the exhaust…memories of my youth, pretty sure those boys could make their cars backfire at will…will head out with the whippersnipper in a mo’, soon as Goldie puts herself back on her nest…then this afternoon I will mow the back yard…brb
When it backfires.. you need to adjust the advance and retard.
Retard?
It’s going to the mower shop, P hasn’t had a natter to the proprietor for a while so he’s happy to take it in for me…time for a service anyway…but I have told P about the flame and showed him the soot marks…
Dinetta said:
roughbarked said:
Dinetta said:
Back into today’s episode…nice weather we’re having, the ESE keeps things cool…well it swings between E and S so ESE is pretty accurate…Mowed the front yard last night…the mower backfired as I turned it off and a 2” flame shot out of the exhaust…memories of my youth, pretty sure those boys could make their cars backfire at will…will head out with the whippersnipper in a mo’, soon as Goldie puts herself back on her nest…then this afternoon I will mow the back yard…brb
When it backfires.. you need to adjust the advance and retard.
Retard?
It’s going to the mower shop, P hasn’t had a natter to the proprietor for a while so he’s happy to take it in for me…time for a service anyway…but I have told P about the flame and showed him the soot marks…
Advancing and retarding the spark timing to match TDC
roughbarked said:
Advancing and retarding the spark timing to match TDC
I get in trouble if I pull things like the mower apart, but thanks for the information…
Dinetta said:
roughbarked said:Advancing and retarding the spark timing to match TDC
I get in trouble if I pull things like the mower apart, but thanks for the information…
No most mowers it is just a magneto. Best use of mowers in shutting down mode is to turn the petrol off and allow it to run out of fuel.
roughbarked said:
Dinetta said:
roughbarked said:Advancing and retarding the spark timing to match TDC
I get in trouble if I pull things like the mower apart, but thanks for the information…
No most mowers it is just a magneto. Best use of mowers in shutting down mode is to turn the petrol off and allow it to run out of fuel.
No = On
Dinetta said:
Back into today’s episode…nice weather we’re having,
not here. stinking hot again. 37C outside :(
my extra strong bluevein cheese from Milawa is getting stronger (insert puckered mouth smiley here)
been to Shep and picked up my new printer. Upgraded model as my old one has been superceded. Bought another extended warranty for this one too. The previous one was good value, got a brand new $100 printer/scanner for the $30 warranty I bought at the time. This time it only cost $22.50!
Bought some stuff from the SPC Ardmona shop too. Wouldn’t make a special trip to go there as the cost of petrol would outway any savings, but worth it seeing I was there anyway.
bluegreen said:
my extra strong bluevein cheese from Milawa is getting stronger (insert puckered mouth smiley here)been to Shep and picked up my new printer. Upgraded model as my old one has been superceded. Bought another extended warranty for this one too. The previous one was good value, got a brand new $100 printer/scanner for the $30 warranty I bought at the time. This time it only cost $22.50!
Bought some stuff from the SPC Ardmona shop too. Wouldn’t make a special trip to go there as the cost of petrol would outway any savings, but worth it seeing I was there anyway.
outweigh, that is.
bluegreen said:
bluegreen said:
my extra strong bluevein cheese from Milawa is getting stronger _(insert puckered mouth smiley
OWhen I was in grade 7 at primary school one of the most sort after jobs was turning on the urn in the staff room in time for the teachers lunch break. I decided to go one better and clean out the fridge. Unfortunately the container of “off” cheese I threw out was actually someone’s prized smelly cheese.
I got a ticking off but quite a few teachers were stifling laughter when I said I thought it was rotten.
bubba louie said:
bluegreen said:
bluegreen said:
my extra strong bluevein cheese from Milawa is getting stronger _(insert puckered mouth smiley
OWhen I was in grade 7 at primary school one of the most sort after jobs was turning on the urn in the staff room in time for the teachers lunch break. I decided to go one better and clean out the fridge. Unfortunately the container of “off” cheese I threw out was actually someone’s prized smelly cheese.
I got a ticking off but quite a few teachers were stifling laughter when I said I thought it was rotten.
lol!
The fire truck is pulled up across the road…it’s someone I play Mah Jong with on Mondays…hello hello hello hello… people are “dropping in” to see why the fire truck is there…oh dear…OK she’s run across the road and they’ve done a U-turn and are driving hell for leather…hmmm….if someone was locked in the house, the coppers would be there too, wouldn’t they?
Ambulance is now there…
Love the way people park any old how here if they think it’s an emergency…coppers there now, parked the wrong way down the other side of the street…
Nope they’re on the right side…coppers gone, that was quick…fireys depart…ambos still there…there it goes, lights off…wow…and it all happened across the road from me…think I need to expand my horizons LOL!
Dinetta said:
Nope they’re on the right side…coppers gone, that was quick…fireys depart…ambos still there…there it goes, lights off…wow…and it all happened across the road from me…think I need to expand my horizons LOL!
sounds like your neighbour had a heart attack or a fall or something. Firies are first aid trained and can often get there quicker than ambulances as there are more fire stations than ambulance depots so it is not unusual for them to attend a medical emergency.
What I thought was an Eucharist lily yesterday, Mrs B tells me she calls them “ducks and geese” or something similar…they’re a bulb like onions (just to look at) but have a leaf like the Eucharist (Amazon) lily…
bluegreen said:
sounds like your neighbour had a heart attack or a fall or something. Firies are first aid trained and can often get there quicker than ambulances as there are more fire stations than ambulance depots so it is not unusual for them to attend a medical emergency.
There’s an 11 y o there who’s right into self-harming…where do they learn this from?
The fireys are volunteers but the ambulance is 24/7. The coppers were probably on their 20 k run for the afternoon…The fire station is right opposite the ambulance but you don’t know, the ambulance may have been in attendance elsewhere when the call came through…I may find out on Monday, not that it’s any of my business but small towns and that, we all take an interest in each other…
Dinetta said:
bluegreen said:sounds like your neighbour had a heart attack or a fall or something. Firies are first aid trained and can often get there quicker than ambulances as there are more fire stations than ambulance depots so it is not unusual for them to attend a medical emergency.
There’s an 11 y o there who’s right into self-harming…where do they learn this from?
The fireys are volunteers but the ambulance is 24/7. The coppers were probably on their 20 k run for the afternoon…The fire station is right opposite the ambulance but you don’t know, the ambulance may have been in attendance elsewhere when the call came through…I may find out on Monday, not that it’s any of my business but small towns and that, we all take an interest in each other…
hope it is not the 11 yo :(
bluegreen said:
hope it is not the 11 yo :(
I shudder to think, BlueGreen…
bluegreen said:
I bought an extended warranty for my printer when I bought it two years ago and it has paid off. The print head is gone and they are going to replace it with a new printer – apparently I bought a replacement warranty! The downside is I have to go to Shep to pick it up, but I can cope with that. Might check out the SPC Ardmona Factory Shop while I am there. You are supposed to be able to get stuff really cheap.
I can see some bargains there.
pain master said:
Saw Longy tonight…. bumped into him at the stupidmarket.
Have you two emigrated?
pain master said:
pomolo said:
pain master said:
saw iceberg lettuces in the stupidmarkets on the weekend. The cheapest (and of course) smallest one I could find (around the size of a small grapefruit) was only $10
You’re kidding! I guess we can expect a lot of price increases after the rain and the fires but that doesn’t numb the shock.
not kidding.
I didn’t really think you were.
bluegreen said:
pain master said:
Happy Potter said:Unreal. Where was that?
Port Moresby Foodworld, Boroko.
oh! you had us nonplussed there, well me anyway :D
No wonder it was $10 up there.
bluegreen said:
Dinetta said:
Back into today’s episode…nice weather we’re having,
not here. stinking hot again. 37C outside :(
So if you’re getting 37c it probably means our turn is coming. Thanks for that BG.
bluegreen said:
my extra strong bluevein cheese from Milawa is getting stronger (insert puckered mouth smiley here)been to Shep and picked up my new printer. Upgraded model as my old one has been superceded. Bought another extended warranty for this one too. The previous one was good value, got a brand new $100 printer/scanner for the $30 warranty I bought at the time. This time it only cost $22.50!
Bought some stuff from the SPC Ardmona shop too. Wouldn’t make a special trip to go there as the cost of petrol would outway any savings, but worth it seeing I was there anyway.
That’s a shame. I was counting on you getting some good buys.
We had a lady from Freecycle come and take all our extra, used plant pots today. She and lots of willing volunteers are starting a garden on a property near Nambour. It will be for schools to use, train and take an interest in. They are after any sort of gardening equipment and we have been trying to get rid of these pots for ages. She wants us to come on down to the gardens and have a look around. Nice lady with lots of nice helpers. I do admire people who do all this stuff for the use of others. I sometimes wonder where our country would be without the eager help of volunteers.
>>Love the way people park any old how here if they think it’s an emergency…coppers there now, parked the wrong way down the other side of the street…<<
It’s not necessarily any old how. Mr buffy parks the ambulance to protect the patient and the ambos from the traffic. This may mean sideways across the road, sometimes.
I’ve been watering the veggies….with the help of Long. He likes water. But he wasn’t expecting me to water him as well as the raspberry canes.
:)
Shower base went into the bathroom today. Now setting.
buffy said:
Shower base went into the bathroom today. Now setting.
Coming along…
buffy said:
I’ve been watering the veggies….with the help of Long. He likes water. But he wasn’t expecting me to water him as well as the raspberry canes.
:)
heh heh
buffy said:
>>Love the way people park any old how here if they think it’s an emergency…coppers there now, parked the wrong way down the other side of the street…<<
It’s not necessarily any old how. Mr buffy parks the ambulance to protect the patient and the ambos from the traffic. This may mean sideways across the road, sometimes.
Oh I did say in my next post that the coppers were parked on the right side, facing the right way…I was commenting really on the general public, somebody came and just parked front in at an angle but I think he had a vested interest in the proceedings as he ran from the car to the house….
Got a notice from the council about the back block: “…vegetation growing on this land is in contravention of [council by-laws, rules (dah de dah) 2011, Part 3 (dah de dah) sections and paras…”
So I need to fire up the whippersnapper and at least do the borders…shame really because there’s finches and wrens enjoying the current wilderness…
Good morning Gardeners. Got woken by the 6.10am Kookaburra Alarm again this morning. This means the puppy is AWAKE! and wants breakfast. There is no going back to bed then.
I’ll go for a bike ride shortly, when there is a bit more light. I don’t have lights on my bike.
Good morning Buffy and N E One Else…just remembered that I opened new can of food for Shadow but forgot to feed him…do you feed your kookaburras, Buffy? I find that if they come here to be fed, it’s a good indicator of rain to follow…
Morning early birds.
I barely slept for the hum of the air con on, still so tired. I think we need just a room fan instead.
Never mind, can’t whinge, there’s work to be done.
A meeting with parks people is first on the agenda at 9 am. There’s some urgent issues to discuss. Not least of all a problem with a refugee group that was given permission to use the grounds resting nursery stock beds to grow some things for themselves, and who have poisoned other beds to clear weeds, wrecking them for our rootstock beds, and leaving unlabelled and open containers of poison about. Not on.
We will talk with them, with an interpreter, and see what we can do to make things safer for everyone, and everything.
And Budding Day this Sunday with some last minute things to do with signage. I don’t get to drive the little cart this time and ferry people about, I’m expected to actually work! lol.
I’ve been playing with granddaughter Evie since dawn. :)
Happy Potter said:
We will talk with them, with an interpreter, and see what we can do to make things safer for everyone, and everything.
They won’t know unless they’re informed…
roughbarked said:
I’ve been playing with granddaughter Evie since dawn. :)
Charming!
Hope her parents are grateful for the sleep-in!
Toot toot!
Train whistle blowin’…
Dinetta said:
Toot toot!Train whistle blowin’…
His motor sounds sick…this is a grain train by the looks of it…love the graffiti on the wagons, they sure look purty as they amble by…
>>do you feed your kookaburras, Buffy? I find that if they come here to be fed, it’s a good indicator of rain to follow…<<
No Dinetta. When we bought the house about 12 years ago there were a couple resident in the backyard, but they didn’t play with the dogs like the maggies do, so moved away. They have popped back every now and then (or their relatives have!). In the last couple of months they seem to have taken up residence for the nights in the trees right over the road in the park. I hear them closing shop at night, and then opening up in the morning. As it is still warm we are sleeping with all windows and doors open, so the sound is rather loud. I don’t mind really.
In the backyard we presently have a beautiful healthy male maggie who wanders around on the ground at night calling up the insects. A quiet little babbling talking sound as he gets his supper. He is not at all afraid of me, I can get within a couple of feet of him. I wander around chatting to him.
Happy Potter said:
I barely slept for the hum of the air con on, still so tired. I think we need just a room fan instead.
Happy Potter said:
Not least of all a problem with a refugee group that was given permission to use the grounds resting nursery stock beds to grow some things for themselves, and who have poisoned other beds to clear weeds, wrecking them for our rootstock beds, and leaving unlabelled and open containers of poison about. Not on.
We will talk with them, with an interpreter, and see what we can do to make things safer for everyone, and everything.
That’s a shame, but I guess they didn’t know any better. They soon will ;)
roughbarked said:
I’ve been playing with granddaughter Evie since dawn. :)
sweet :)
your absence has been noted, have you been working?
roughbarked said:
I’ve been playing with granddaughter Evie since dawn. :)
You’re a good grandad.
Dinetta said:
Toot toot!Train whistle blowin’…
We don’t get any trains out here any more. The tourist train run that was such a big help to local economy has gone bust. I suspect the Gov or some grant will come to the rescue sometime. We keep getting mail from the gov on how they are trying to revitalise the valley since the dam was dumped but nothing tangible can be seen yet. Helping with the railroad problem would be a big help to a lot of people.
Dinetta said:
indeedy
roughbarked said:
I’ve been playing with granddaughter Evie since dawn. :)
Charming!
Hope her parents are grateful for the sleep-in!
bluegreen said:
roughbarked said:
I’ve been playing with granddaughter Evie since dawn. :)
sweet :)
your absence has been noted, have you been working?
roughbarked said:
bluegreen said:
roughbarked said:
I’ve been playing with granddaughter Evie since dawn. :)
sweet :)
your absence has been noted, have you been working?
working yes, holiday today. Special 60th birthday party for the other half tomorrow. sitting in Belconnen.
Happy birthday to SWMBO :)
bluegreen said:
roughbarked said:
bluegreen said:sweet :)
your absence has been noted, have you been working?
working yes, holiday today. Special 60th birthday party for the other half tomorrow. sitting in Belconnen.Happy birthday to SWMBO :)
roughbarked said:
bluegreen said:
roughbarked said:working yes, holiday today. Special 60th birthday party for the other half tomorrow. sitting in Belconnen.
Happy birthday to SWMBO :)
actual birthday was last month tomorrow just closest party day for all.
you chose a good day.
Dinetta said:
Happy Potter said:We will talk with them, with an interpreter, and see what we can do to make things safer for everyone, and everything.
They won’t know unless they’re informed…
Great meeting. They’re informed now, and eveyone’s happy :)
That was, after I had to get help getting up 3 flights of stairs… This meeting room was in a different block than our usual meeting room and the stairs had no risers on the backs. You could see through them. Under the stairs was a massive arch window and as I was acending, I could see the park beyond and felt like I was standing on air, started to sweat and get anxious, can’t handle heights, and I had to go back down. Bloody wuss with heights. I called my orchard mate and told him I can’t get up the stairs, next thing I have 5 blokes come down to help me up the stairs lol. I felt really silly, but they were really nice about it. Head of parks bloke was telling me he won’t walk on piers where you can see the ocean waves between the planks, so he understood.
Getting back down the stairs was nothing :)
We gave their group a name, ‘friends of..’ as a sub group to the orchard, and that brings them under our terms and references. No poison was agreed to.
Then we did a tour of their vege beds and one woman had cooked a dish for us to taste and it was just beautiful. It was flowers from a winter long (squash?), looked like a pale zucchini, sauteed in sesame oil with onions tomatoes and garlic. Delish!
The women had some markings on their faces, a bit like zinc cream, turned out to be sandlewood bark that had been crushed and formed into a block, then you put a little water on the block and make a paste with your finger and rub that onto your face as a sunblock. It smells gorgeous! They gave me a pot of it :)
Happy Potter said:
Then we did a tour of their vege beds and one woman had cooked a dish for us to taste and it was just beautiful. It was flowers from a winter long (squash?), looked like a pale zucchini,
are you able to get some seed? sounds like something a friend was asking about here.
bluegreen said:
Happy Potter said:Then we did a tour of their vege beds and one woman had cooked a dish for us to taste and it was just beautiful. It was flowers from a winter long (squash?), looked like a pale zucchini,
are you able to get some seed? sounds like something a friend was asking about here.
Yes I will do that next time I’m there. As far as I know they use only the flowers and the leaves, fruit is left to dry or fed to animals. I will grab one.
Happy Potter said:
The women had some markings on their faces, a bit like zinc cream, turned out to be sandlewood bark that had been crushed and formed into a block, then you put a little water on the block and make a paste with your finger and rub that onto your face as a sunblock. It smells gorgeous! They gave me a pot of it :)
Wow, the things you find out…just as well I’ve just had lunch or my tummy would rumble after reading about the new dish you’ve tried…
Happy Potter said:
bluegreen said:
Happy Potter said:Then we did a tour of their vege beds and one woman had cooked a dish for us to taste and it was just beautiful. It was flowers from a winter long (squash?), looked like a pale zucchini,
are you able to get some seed? sounds like something a friend was asking about here.
Yes I will do that next time I’m there. As far as I know they use only the flowers and the leaves, fruit is left to dry or fed to animals. I will grab one.
thanks
roughbarked said:
bluegreen said:
roughbarked said:working yes, holiday today. Special 60th birthday party for the other half tomorrow. sitting in Belconnen.
Happy birthday to SWMBO :)
actual birthday was last month tomorrow just closest party day for all.
Hope it was a great day Mrs RB.
Not such a nice day today. I had to go to an ophthamologist and get an injection into my left eye. They deaden the eye beforehand but it still hurts for a long time after the injection. What’s more, I have to have this treatment once a month for three months then every 2 months for however long it takes.
I’m trying not to be too negative about all this medical stuff I’m being plagued by.
pomolo said:
Not such a nice day today. I had to go to an ophthamologist and get an injection into my left eye. They deaden the eye beforehand but it still hurts for a long time after the injection. What’s more, I have to have this treatment once a month for three months then every 2 months for however long it takes.I’m trying not to be too negative about all this medical stuff I’m being plagued by.
:(
(((HUGS)))
While it doesn’t take away the discomfort, it might help you to know that until about three or four years ago the treatment you are having was not even available. And we just watched helplessly as people went blind. All we could offer was….well, you probably won’t lose your peripheral vision and you probably won’t go black-blind. There is at least something that can be tried now.
buffy said:
While it doesn’t take away the discomfort, it might help you to know that until about three or four years ago the treatment you are having was not even available. And we just watched helplessly as people went blind. All we could offer was….well, you probably won’t lose your peripheral vision and you probably won’t go black-blind. There is at least something that can be tried now.
+1
Good morning Gardeners. Can’t stay…got to garden! (And paint a ceiling, which is less enticing as an activity, as it’s very high and I’ll have to be balancing on the ladder)
buffy said:
Good morning Gardeners. Can’t stay…got to garden! (And paint a ceiling, which is less enticing as an activity, as it’s very high and I’ll have to be balancing on the ladder)
do you have an extension handle for your roller? Won’t need a ladder for the most part then.
>>do you have an extension handle for your roller? Won’t need a ladder for the most part then.<<
Yes, but it’s one of those old ceilings with battens across it. Only a small room, but by the time I cut in the edges and the battens……there won’t be a lot for rolling. I’ll probably just brush the lot.
buffy said:
>>do you have an extension handle for your roller? Won’t need a ladder for the most part then.<<
Yes, but it’s one of those old ceilings with battens across it. Only a small room, but by the time I cut in the edges and the battens……there won’t be a lot for rolling. I’ll probably just brush the lot.
fair enough.
Morning, just. The sun is hot and doesn’t seem to match the number on the BOM current temp.
Maybe I’m just feeling it more.
It takes me a long time to be ready to go somewhere in the mornings now. There’s the chooks water to refresh and feed them their mash, and you know what it’s like whenh you go outside to do one thing and see 50 other things that need doing. Next thing it’s 11 am..
I’ve tried and tried to get a good photo of a baby yabby I scooped up from the pond. But it kept moving and jumping off whatever I put it on. Those things are so quick! I’ll keep trying. I put it into the small inside aquarium and it immediately went to a water plant growing on a log and burrowed under it. The platy, single golfish and the 2 long gold suckerfish don’t bother it at all. There’s little water snails in there too and it’s quite the feature with all the different aquatic species.
Happy Potter said:
It takes me a long time to be ready to go somewhere in the mornings now.
Sounds like me :)
two big pots of pureed tomatoes (10kg worth) on the stove, reducing. One has onion, garlic, carrot, celery and herbs in it and will get processed in my Vacola bottling kit as a spaghetti sauce base. The other is just straight tomatoes and will get reduced right down then dehydrated into sheets. This then gets blended into a powder for instant tomato paste.
Nigella’s looking good since she lost all that weight…
Bleeding crows…they stole a baby silver chough from it’s nest, dunked it into the chooks’ water and I only found the poor little thing just now…almost dead…just a couple of breaths away, sadly…
Saw the crows moving something in the vicinity yesterday but never thought it would be a baby bird…
Grrr…
The chooks have outwitted the crows, they mostly lay in the mower catcher as the crows will not go there, it’s too much like a trap…so I collected 8 eggs out of a possible 9 just now…
bluegreen said:
two big pots of pureed tomatoes (10kg worth) on the stove, reducing. One has onion, garlic, carrot, celery and herbs in it and will get processed in my Vacola bottling kit as a spaghetti sauce base. The other is just straight tomatoes and will get reduced right down then dehydrated into sheets. This then gets blended into a powder for instant tomato paste.
decided not to do the tomato powder as it would take days and it is too hot to have the dehydrator running that long. Also I had too many jars of sauce for one batch, but not enough for two, so made up the batch with pure tomato puree. First batch in the hot water bath now, outside on the patio where it can’t heat up the house.
bluegreen said:
decided not to do the tomato powder as it would take days and it is too hot to have the dehydrator running that long. Also I had too many jars of sauce for one batch, but not enough for two, so made up the batch with pure tomato puree. First batch in the hot water bath now, outside on the patio where it can’t heat up the house.
Worth the effort, BlueGreen…
Dinetta said:
bluegreen said:decided not to do the tomato powder as it would take days and it is too hot to have the dehydrator running that long. Also I had too many jars of sauce for one batch, but not enough for two, so made up the batch with pure tomato puree. First batch in the hot water bath now, outside on the patio where it can’t heat up the house.
Worth the effort, BlueGreen…
this will keep me in pasta sauces etc. for the year :)
After baking Anzac Biscuits and a date and ginger slice, I am all baked out…the chicken meant for dinner tonight is still defrosting so I guess I’ll take P up on his offer of a counter dinner.
Missing WW a bit: no Amaretti biscuits, only one balsamic vinegar to choose from (and we all know there’s balsamic vinegar and there’s the good stuff)…good fruit and vegetables tho’, haven’t been sitting in cold rooms for a couple of weeks…
Anzac Biscuits cook more quickly than cakes…I have just found that out…
Will bury that little baby silver chough tomorrow morning too…it can fertilize the roses, such as they are…
buffy said:
While it doesn’t take away the discomfort, it might help you to know that until about three or four years ago the treatment you are having was not even available. And we just watched helplessly as people went blind. All we could offer was….well, you probably won’t lose your peripheral vision and you probably won’t go black-blind. There is at least something that can be tried now.
Thank you for your few lines Buffy. I read most of what you said in the consent form I had to sign but you made it real for me.
bluegreen said:
two big pots of pureed tomatoes (10kg worth) on the stove, reducing. One has onion, garlic, carrot, celery and herbs in it and will get processed in my Vacola bottling kit as a spaghetti sauce base. The other is just straight tomatoes and will get reduced right down then dehydrated into sheets. This then gets blended into a powder for instant tomato paste.
You clever chef person.
bluegreen said:
bluegreen said:
two big pots of pureed tomatoes (10kg worth) on the stove, reducing. One has onion, garlic, carrot, celery and herbs in it and will get processed in my Vacola bottling kit as a spaghetti sauce base. The other is just straight tomatoes and will get reduced right down then dehydrated into sheets. This then gets blended into a powder for instant tomato paste.
decided not to do the tomato powder as it would take days and it is too hot to have the dehydrator running that long. Also I had too many jars of sauce for one batch, but not enough for two, so made up the batch with pure tomato puree. First batch in the hot water bath now, outside on the patio where it can’t heat up the house.
OK then. I’ll let you off doing tomato powder this time. BTW. If I want to add a bit of tomato powder to a recipe I use a sachet of cup-a-soup.
Evening, and goodnight. I’m buggered lol. We went out to a 60 th birthday, fantastic time, great people and great food. I had a baked carrot dish with a bean salsa and pureed beetroot. It was lovely.
Home early tho, the man got called into work.
He left, and still in my good clothes I proceeded to put the chickens in their crates in then into the shed and close gates. People around me are losing chickens and rabbits to foxes in just about every street so I’m not taking any chances.
I couldn’t find one silver spangled chick anywhere. I went over my whole yard at least 5 times over with my extra bright torch, crawled under trees, checked all fruit tree branches and underneath each and every shrub bush and behind sheds and things, went thru the vege beds, looked behind the compost ball and any other crevice a little chicken could possibly hide in, lifted the leaves of 2 very thick and sprawled comfrey bushes, ouch ouch ouch, that plant irritates my skin terribly, but still no chookie. Darn.
I figured if I can’t find it, then hopefully a fox won’t. I went to shut the crate with the other silver spangled chick and mum, and here the bloody thing was sleeping on top of the nest box that’s inside the crate, which is a large airline dog crate. There’s a small gap between the nest box roof and the top of the crate and it was tucked in there. Phew. Only I’m scratched, itchy filthy and very annoyed! lol.
Early start for me, Budding Day tomorrow at the orchard and I still have to put some things in my car to take. I’m on the sausage sizzle.
I can’t wait to see my pillow :D
Happy Potter said:
… … and here the bloody thing was sleeping on top of the nest box that’s inside the crate, which is a large airline dog crate. There’s a small gap between the nest box roof and the top of the crate and it was tucked in there. Phew.
Gosh I’m so pleased this has a happy ending! Shame about the foxes, they should never have come to Australia and nor should cats or rabbits, but I digress…as your area is expanding I guess the foxes are losing their traditional hunting grounds?
Dinetta said:
Happy Potter said:
… … and here the bloody thing was sleeping on top of the nest box that’s inside the crate, which is a large airline dog crate. There’s a small gap between the nest box roof and the top of the crate and it was tucked in there. Phew.Gosh I’m so pleased this has a happy ending! Shame about the foxes, they should never have come to Australia and nor should cats or rabbits, but I digress…as your area is expanding I guess the foxes are losing their traditional hunting grounds?
Fox sightings abound. I’ve lived in this area now 40 years and have never spotted a live fox. Plenty dead ones tho’ hanging on fences or roadkill.
The council’s answer to getting rid of the current fox population explosion was to kill off their main prey, rabbits. I suppose to drive them elsewhere. That was really stupid. Several of my close friends have lost every chicken in their yards, including some of mine that I’d sold swapped or given to them. The council advice is to trap them using cat traps, but foxes are too smart for traps. They can smell humans on them.
2 am I hear a thud on the carport roof, Max bolts upright and growls. Get up and let Max out and he charged about looking for whatever it was and I did another round of the yard with torch in hand, but saw nothing. All chookies ok. Go back to sleep.
I get up early to put them back into their pens. The rooster stays in his shed bed until 9.30 am. I’ll let him out earlier today as I have to leave at 8.30. They’re still not safe during the day, but with people and dogs about a fox raid is less likely. I’m going to be worried today though.. the man will be asleep after working all night and I will be away for the main part of the day.
I can only hope they will be ok.
Good morning Gardeners. Long and I are off to Warrnambool this morning for his second puppy class. He was being finicky about his food this morning, and I relented and hand fed him because he is having a Big Morning. But that won’t be happening again soon. In this household, if you are a dog who doesn’t eat breakfast, you are mighty hungry by tea time. No continuous feeding around here….the pack leaders control the food source.
I set out about half an hour ago for a bike ride, but was back within 10 minutes because the pedal broke on the bike. Fortunately I hadn’t got very far and didn’t have to walk 5km back in from the far point of my intended ride.
Happy Potter said:
They’re still not safe during the day, … … I can only hope they will be ok.
Oh these foxes are cheeky as I have found out…cunning as…
buffy said:
Good morning Gardeners. Long and I are off to Warrnambool this morning for his second puppy class.
I set out about half an hour ago for a bike ride, but was back within 10 minutes because the pedal broke on the bike. Fortunately I hadn’t got very far and didn’t have to walk 5km back in from the far point of my intended ride.
Hope Long learns a lot during his class…fancy your bike pedal breaking!
>>fancy your bike pedal breaking!<<
It’s a little nut came off a long bolt holding one of the cleaty things on. I got my bike when I was 13, so it’s 40 years old. It’s been resprayed once. This pedal problem happened a few weeks ago too. I need to get a new little nut and put it back together. I might get some extras, as this now means two of four of the originals have come off. I should be prepared for the remaining two also, I guess.
Been to class. Long is quite good, but dominant, bitey and scratchy when hyper and tends to not like doing “down” because it is a submissive position. He has another think coming – I am the boss of him!
Dinetta said:
Happy Potter said:They’re still not safe during the day, … … I can only hope they will be ok.Oh these foxes are cheeky as I have found out…cunning as…
Home now and they’re all fine. Foxes are such a worry. I have some temp fence panels coming soon and we’re going to re build the big layers pen and turn it into Fort Fox. Nothing will be able to get in there afterwards.
Fabulous day at the orchards budding day. I was given a free rootstock and had it budded with with a poormans orange and a california sunset orange. It looks so easy to do!
This ones no dwarf though, so pruning will happen. Just got to work out where it’s going to go..
Happy Potter said:
This ones no dwarf though, so pruning will happen. Just got to work out where it’s going to go..
I can see a backyard re-arrangement coming up…
Happy Potter said:
I was given a free rootstock and had it budded with with a poormans orange and a california sunset orange. It looks so easy to do!
looks can be deceiving.
Today has been a good day. Everything is so green and alive now. Even the weeds didn’t upset me. Lots of flowering shrubs and trees are having a second flowering. Firstly they thought they were dying because of the drought then after all the recent rain they put out a full second flowering. The magnolia, crepe myrtle, fringe flower and others. Even the bulbs have been enticed into sending up new shoots. That shouldn’t happen till the end of winter.
D and I sat in the shade with our wine, throwing the ball for the dog now and again, commenting on how lucky we are to live in such a paradise.
pomolo said:
Today has been a good day. Everything is so green and alive now. Even the weeds didn’t upset me. Lots of flowering shrubs and trees are having a second flowering. Firstly they thought they were dying because of the drought then after all the recent rain they put out a full second flowering. The magnolia, crepe myrtle, fringe flower and others. Even the bulbs have been enticed into sending up new shoots. That shouldn’t happen till the end of winter.D and I sat in the shade with our wine, throwing the ball for the dog now and again, commenting on how lucky we are to live in such a paradise.
Strewth, yes!!
roughbarked said:
Happy Potter said:I was given a free rootstock and had it budded with with a poormans orange and a california sunset orange. It looks so easy to do!looks can be deceiving.
Hence why I leave it to others. Plus I don’t want to lose a finger lol.
There was an apple orchardist there yesty with a table of fresh apples sliced for tasting. You selected the ones you like to pre order scions from at our grafting day in July. Well I looked but didn’t taste any, told the fellow I wish I could eat them, but raw apples make me feel sick.
He told me this is actually a common reaction and possibly a fructose intolerance, but pointed to one taste plate and told me to try this one, an early worcester. I did, and it was very nice. Then he handed me a whole apple, but peeled first, and I ate it. I didn’t feel sick! I had an empty stomach too, the worst time to eat an apple for me.
I ordered 3 scions :)
roughbarked said:
Look out world, I’m ready! :)
My little granddaughter is on the move too, sat up one day, crawled the next. She is obviously in a hurry. Now the babys mobile, the real fun begins lol.
I will go and see her this evening and see if I can get a better video.
Happy Potter said:
I ordered 3 scions :)
and no rootstock?
roughbarked said:
Happy Potter said:I ordered 3 scions :)
and no rootstock?
I will have them grafted onto 3 of my apples. I haven’t room for another, bummer.
Happy Potter said:
roughbarked said:
Happy Potter said:I ordered 3 scions :)
and no rootstock?
I will have them grafted onto 3 of my apples. I haven’t room for another, bummer.
Multigrafts are preferable to extra trees.
look no hands.
roughbarked said:
What a pretty dress the lady is wearing…blowing bubbles has become more sophisticated since my grots were little…
roughbarked said:
look no hands.
Sweetheart!
(Is that a grey water reticulation system?)
Dinetta said:
What a pretty dress the lady is wearing…blowing bubbles has become more sophisticated since my grots were little…
:)
Nefertiti and Shadow are now friends…THANK GOODNESS…
Dinetta said:
(Is that a grey water reticulation system?)
The chair?
roughbarked said:
Dinetta said:(Is that a grey water reticulation system?)
The chair?
The grey pipe things with ribs in them, kind of like a vacuum hose?
roughbarked said:
Beautiful pic. Beautiful child. Beautiful bubbles.
When the grandkids were here they had one of those bubble thingys and they worked out that if you hold it in front of the air conditioner motor (outside) it blew the bubbles for you. Created lots of laughs at the time.
Happy Potter said:
roughbarked said:
Happy Potter said:I ordered 3 scions :)
and no rootstock?
I will have them grafted onto 3 of my apples. I haven’t room for another, bummer.
I was wondering where on earth you were going to put another tree too.
roughbarked said:
look no hands.
don’t they just love the bubbles? She is just beautiful RB, and growing up so fast!
roughbarked said:
look no hands.
Gee. She’s adorable. Aren’t they all at that age?
Dinetta said:
(Is that a grey water reticulation system?)
looks like a chair to me.
What a pretty dress the lady is wearing…blowing bubbles has become more sophisticated since my grots were little…
You’re right about that. I can remember mixing up Lux flakes into a syrupy mix for my kids to use for bubble blowing.
Dinetta said:
roughbarked said:
look no hands.
Sweetheart!
(Is that a grey water reticulation system?)
No. It’s a outdoor chair. We have the exact same set here.
roughbarked said:
That mirror is going to have to be cleaned pretty often. LOL.
pomolo said:
That mirror is going to have to be cleaned pretty often. LOL.
Luckily, someone else’s mirror.
OK, so I didn’t research that very well, did I! Planted to gooseberry bushes in full Australian sun. They interplant them in plum orchards for the dappled shade in Europe…….
So, when they go dormant, I’ll move them.
I usually read up better than that!
buffy said:
OK, so I didn’t research that very well, did I! Planted to gooseberry bushes in full Australian sun. They interplant them in plum orchards for the dappled shade in Europe…….
So, when they go dormant, I’ll move them.
I usually read up better than that!
some shadecloth in the meanwhile sounds like a good idea
bluegreen said:
buffy said:OK, so I didn’t research that very well, did I! Planted to gooseberry bushes in full Australian sun. They interplant them in plum orchards for the dappled shade in Europe…….
So, when they go dormant, I’ll move them.
I usually read up better than that!
some shadecloth in the meanwhile sounds like a good idea
I wouldn’t have thought the sun down Buffy’s way was quite as fierce as ours up here?
Dinetta said:
bluegreen said:
buffy said:OK, so I didn’t research that very well, did I! Planted to gooseberry bushes in full Australian sun. They interplant them in plum orchards for the dappled shade in Europe…….
So, when they go dormant, I’ll move them.
I usually read up better than that!
some shadecloth in the meanwhile sounds like a good idea
I wouldn’t have thought the sun down Buffy’s way was quite as fierce as ours up here?
I would think it is just as fierce.
bluegreen said:
Dinetta said:
bluegreen said:some shadecloth in the meanwhile sounds like a good idea
I wouldn’t have thought the sun down Buffy’s way was quite as fierce as ours up here?
I would think it is just as fierce.
roughbarked said:
bluegreen said:
Dinetta said:I wouldn’t have thought the sun down Buffy’s way was quite as fierce as ours up here?
I would think it is just as fierce.
Not only that but also that people tend to forget that we have a hole in the ozone layer.
and our summer day lengths are longer
Hmmm, not convinced…
bluegreen said:
Dinetta said:
bluegreen said:some shadecloth in the meanwhile sounds like a good idea
I wouldn’t have thought the sun down Buffy’s way was quite as fierce as ours up here?
I would think it is just as fierce.
If you’re talking about Cape Goosberries (somebody asked about them a while ago) they grow in full sun up here.
pomolo said:
bluegreen said:
Dinetta said:I wouldn’t have thought the sun down Buffy’s way was quite as fierce as ours up here?
I would think it is just as fierce.
If you’re talking about Cape Goosberries (somebody asked about them a while ago) they grow in full sun up here.
Think it was Blueberries.
bluegreen said:
and our summer day lengths are longer
Had to do some digging on the BOM to find the UV forecasts for Casterton…on one day it’s expected to reach 11 (extreme), but on other days there’s no UV warning …
Our UV warning is for 14….I don’t know that we ever go under 10 much, even in winter…shorter days or no…
I didn’t think Popes could resign?
Dinetta said:
bluegreen said:and our summer day lengths are longer
Had to do some digging on the BOM to find the UV forecasts for Casterton…on one day it’s expected to reach 11 (extreme), but on other days there’s no UV warning …
Our UV warning is for 14….I don’t know that we ever go under 10 much, even in winter…shorter days or no…
I may have to dig to get the exact figures but the UV is listed as extreme here almost all days of the year. The only days it isn’t are those which I refer to as ‘shady days’. People look at me strangely, so I say “you know the days God pulls the shade cloth across?” which gets even stranger looks.
Dinetta said:
I didn’t think Popes could resign?
only the non-constipated ones. Most of them prefer to die on the throne.
roughbarked said:
Dinetta said:
bluegreen said:and our summer day lengths are longer
Had to do some digging on the BOM to find the UV forecasts for Casterton…on one day it’s expected to reach 11 (extreme), but on other days there’s no UV warning …
Our UV warning is for 14….I don’t know that we ever go under 10 much, even in winter…shorter days or no…
I may have to dig to get the exact figures but the UV is listed as extreme here almost all days of the year. The only days it isn’t are those which I refer to as ‘shady days’. People look at me strangely, so I say “you know the days God pulls the shade cloth across?” which gets even stranger looks.
The UV Alert is issued when the UV Index forecast is 3 or above, a level that can damage your skin and lead to skin cancer. The higher the Index value, the greater the potential for damage to your skin.
roughbarked said:
Dinetta said:
I didn’t think Popes could resign?
only the non-constipated ones. Most of them prefer to die on the throne.
lol! Good one!
roughbarked said:
pomolo said:
bluegreen said:I would think it is just as fierce.
If you’re talking about Cape Goosberries (somebody asked about them a while ago) they grow in full sun up here.
Think it was Blueberries.
Don’t think so.
pomolo said:
roughbarked said:
pomolo said:If you’re talking about Cape Goosberries (somebody asked about them a while ago) they grow in full sun up here.
Think it was Blueberries.
Don’t think so.
You are right, I didn’t read it properly.
However, whichever plant. The effect of summer sun we get down south differs greatly from that of the north, more due to the lack of moisture than anything. We talk often about conserving water but if there is enough water available, the difference is astonishing. I’ve often noted plants growing rapidly and covering large areas in full sun yet only metres away the same species can hardly lift its head and dies faster than it can do anything.
Good morning Gardeners.
>> I wouldn’t have thought the sun down Buffy’s way was quite as fierce as ours up here?
I would think it is just as fierce.<<
You need to factor in 40 degrees, very low humidity (which is the main plant killer) combined with natural winds of around 30-50km/hr on the hot days.
Oh, and yes, everyone is confused because I have talked about both blueberries and cape gooseberries recently. These ones are real gooseberries.
Right, now to do some housework. The rest of my week and weekend is busy.
buffy said:
Good morning Gardeners.
>> I wouldn’t have thought the sun down Buffy’s way was quite as fierce as ours up here?
I would think it is just as fierce.<<
You need to factor in 40 degrees, very low humidity (which is the main plant killer) combined with natural winds of around 30-50km/hr on the hot days.
Yep, the low humidity and the strong drying winds will do it…thick mulching and deep watering is the key, but even then the foliage will dry on the bush..sometimes we sprinkle at night just to keep the humidity going…
Dinetta said:
buffy said:Good morning Gardeners.
>> I wouldn’t have thought the sun down Buffy’s way was quite as fierce as ours up here?
I would think it is just as fierce.<<
You need to factor in 40 degrees, very low humidity (which is the main plant killer) combined with natural winds of around 30-50km/hr on the hot days.
Yep, the low humidity and the strong drying winds will do it…thick mulching and deep watering is the key, but even then the foliage will dry on the bush..sometimes we sprinkle at night just to keep the humidity going…
whadayamean.. sometimes..?
it is constant work here to try and maintain humidity.roughbarked said:
whadayamean.. sometimes..?
it is constant work here to try and maintain humidity.
OK, at dusk we water the vegetables …rather than during the day…
Is it really so dry down your way?
My rose bushes are trying to flower…the last flower dried as a bud but still the optimistic little blighters produce the odd bloom because they heard me “shovel-talk”…
Dinetta said:
roughbarked said:whadayamean.. sometimes..?
it is constant work here to try and maintain humidity.OK, at dusk we water the vegetables …rather than during the day…
Is it really so dry down your way?
My rose bushes are trying to flower…the last flower dried as a bud but still the optimistic little blighters produce the odd bloom because they heard me “shovel-talk”…
I have very limited water and yes.. my area has possibly the highest of not in the top ten of evaporation rates, world wide.
I have to water whenever SWMBO cannot hear water running. Which unfortunately is most often during daylight.
Dinetta said:
roughbarked said:whadayamean.. sometimes..?
it is constant work here to try and maintain humidity.OK, at dusk we water the vegetables …rather than during the day…
Is it really so dry down your way?
My rose bushes are trying to flower…the last flower dried as a bud but still the optimistic little blighters produce the odd bloom because they heard me “shovel-talk”…
I had 2mm in January, nothing so far in Feb. August last year was the last month to have over 25mm at 60mm, since then 20mm, 20mm, 15mm and 23mm. Scuttlebutt says we will not get any decent rain until May. My grass where it hasn’t been watered is not brown, but wheat coloured. The grass blades are breaking up into little pieces. Most of my plants have scorched edges to their leaves, the ones that have survived. Add to this a week of 40-45C days and then mostly 30-35C days since and hot northeasterly winds. Believe me when I say it is so dry.
bluegreen said:
Dinetta said:
roughbarked said:whadayamean.. sometimes..?
it is constant work here to try and maintain humidity.OK, at dusk we water the vegetables …rather than during the day…
Is it really so dry down your way?
My rose bushes are trying to flower…the last flower dried as a bud but still the optimistic little blighters produce the odd bloom because they heard me “shovel-talk”…
I had 2mm in January, nothing so far in Feb. August last year was the last month to have over 25mm at 60mm, since then 20mm, 20mm, 15mm and 23mm. Scuttlebutt says we will not get any decent rain until May. My grass where it hasn’t been watered is not brown, but wheat coloured. The grass blades are breaking up into little pieces. Most of my plants have scorched edges to their leaves, the ones that have survived. Add to this a week of 40-45C days and then mostly 30-35C days since and hot northeasterly winds. Believe me when I say it is so dry.
sounds like my garden.
bluegreen said:
I had 2mm in January, nothing so far in Feb. August last year was the last month to have over 25mm at 60mm, since then 20mm, 20mm, 15mm and 23mm. Scuttlebutt says we will not get any decent rain until May. My grass where it hasn’t been watered is not brown, but wheat coloured. The grass blades are breaking up into little pieces. Most of my plants have scorched edges to their leaves, the ones that have survived. Add to this a week of 40-45C days and then mostly 30-35C days since and hot northeasterly winds. Believe me when I say it is so dry.
That reads like a horror story. I wouldn’t worry about the grass, it will come back with the first decent rainfall…shame about the other plants…so frustrating to watch the browning, etc…
Dinetta said:
bluegreen said:I had 2mm in January, nothing so far in Feb. August last year was the last month to have over 25mm at 60mm, since then 20mm, 20mm, 15mm and 23mm. Scuttlebutt says we will not get any decent rain until May. My grass where it hasn’t been watered is not brown, but wheat coloured. The grass blades are breaking up into little pieces. Most of my plants have scorched edges to their leaves, the ones that have survived. Add to this a week of 40-45C days and then mostly 30-35C days since and hot northeasterly winds. Believe me when I say it is so dry.
That reads like a horror story. I wouldn’t worry about the grass, it will come back with the first decent rainfall…shame about the other plants…so frustrating to watch the browning, etc…
grass is merely an indicator.. when it is dead.. don’t expect it back but make sure you water everything else.
roughbarked said:
grass is merely an indicator.. when it is dead.. don’t expect it back but make sure you water everything else.
That’s exactly what I do…
roughbarked said:
Dinetta said:
bluegreen said:I had 2mm in January, nothing so far in Feb. August last year was the last month to have over 25mm at 60mm, since then 20mm, 20mm, 15mm and 23mm. Scuttlebutt says we will not get any decent rain until May. My grass where it hasn’t been watered is not brown, but wheat coloured. The grass blades are breaking up into little pieces. Most of my plants have scorched edges to their leaves, the ones that have survived. Add to this a week of 40-45C days and then mostly 30-35C days since and hot northeasterly winds. Believe me when I say it is so dry.
That reads like a horror story. I wouldn’t worry about the grass, it will come back with the first decent rainfall…shame about the other plants…so frustrating to watch the browning, etc…
grass is merely an indicator.. when it is dead.. don’t expect it back but make sure you water everything else.
I am watering when I can. Thank God I have access to bore water is all I can say. The plants still look sad though.
>>sometimes we sprinkle at night just to keep the humidity going…<<
I water morning (before the sun gets on the leaves) and evening (after it is off the leaves) on the days when the humidity goes down under 20%. This happens in January and February here. The local people define January/February as Late Summer season with “hot dry days, surface water scarce, high bushfire risk”. I think they knew what they were about.
It’s the days when the humidity is really low and the North wind gets up over 50km/hr that turn everything crispy. Even judicious Garden Revival in the evenings sometimes does not save things.
Good morning Gardeners. Lovely and cool at the moment, going into the thirties later today. Casterton today. I expect to be very busy as the last visit a couple of weeks ago didn’t happen as I was struck down with a gastro virus.
Glad all is better now Buffy.
Moring too.
I’m off to the orchard to hang out with the Koreans for an hour or so. I’ll see if they have any of those long squash fruits for the seeds.
Then later to quilting. We’re still working on chemo bags for hospitals. Then later on I’ll start cutting out the material for my king size black and white lattice quilt. I wouldn’t like my chances of putting the layers together for that size, so will have to get someone with a quilting machine to quilt it for me. It’ll be lovely when finished.
Garden wise..
It’s a bumber year for eggplants here and still getting asparagus spears up and I’m letting those grow. But my poor tomatoes are already showing signs of dying. There’s beaut fruit galore though and I’m grabbing all I can, while I can.
Picking apples and pears at the moment, yum :)
Good morning all, nice and cool 23C here and apparently it got down to a chilly 19C during the early morning hours…
Not much to report gardening wise I’m afraid…but the front yard needs mowing AGAIN, not sure if I will bother as it’s only seed heads, not grass length…
Morning all. I’ll be away for a few days again. Should be back on Sunday. Hate to think how many weeds will have a party while we’re away. Supposed to get some rain today and through till the weekend. At least we won’t have to fear for the seedlings geting too dry.
Commerisations to you poor southern people. Dry weather is very hard to deal with in regards to gardening.
Loved your cutie last night BG. A look alike for our ZeeZee.
Hello Gardeners. Sorry to say the fruit trees at Casterton (I hadn’t been there for three weeks) have dropped all their fruit (for lack of water). I bucketed water onto the citrus, which look redeemable. But the other trees are really struggling this year. There are hundreds of completely dessicated apples and pears on the ground. Hopefully the trees can recover with some Autumn rain.
And here is why….rainfall in Casterton in recent months:
August: 86mm
September: 69mm
October: 38mm
November: 29mm
December: 18.4mm
January: 0.6mm
February (so far): 11mm
The fruit didn’t have a chance really.
buffy said:
Hello Gardeners. Sorry to say the fruit trees at Casterton (I hadn’t been there for three weeks) have dropped all their fruit (for lack of water). I bucketed water onto the citrus, which look redeemable. But the other trees are really struggling this year. There are hundreds of completely dessicated apples and pears on the ground. Hopefully the trees can recover with some Autumn rain.
They’ll really love the fact that you dozed off and left the hose running.
buffy said:
And here is why….rainfall in Casterton in recent months:
August: 86mm
September: 69mm
October: 38mm
November: 29mm
December: 18.4mm
January: 0.6mm
February (so far): 11mmThe fruit didn’t have a chance really.
The trees will only suffer now, without additional water.. It could be May before it rains appreciably again and if the winter is dry?
Good morning Gardeners. Nice and cool at the moment.
roughbarked said:
buffy said:And here is why….rainfall in Casterton in recent months:
August: 86mm
September: 69mm
October: 38mm
November: 29mm
December: 18.4mm
January: 0.6mm
February (so far): 11mmThe fruit didn’t have a chance really.
The trees will only suffer now, without additional water.. It could be May before it rains appreciably again and if the winter is dry?
How long can a fruit tree survive without water?
Morning green ones.
I’m all ready to go blackberry picking. Long sleeved shirt, long gloves, hat, gumboots, ect. And bandaids. If I can get deep scratches walking about in my garden, imagine what a stand of blackberry bushes could do to me. lol.
Eight ppl, 2 cars and we’re going up Macedon way for the day.
Happy Potter said:
How long can a fruit tree survive without water?
Quite a while but it will also be a number of years before it ever gets back to bearing fruit if it is saved from death.
I’ve seen a lot of orchards where the water has been turned off. Slowly, over a few years they turn to dead sticks. If they hadn’t been planted in furrows and watered until they shaded the ground, ie: in a space by themselves, they would not last two summers without additional water. There are wild fruit trees by the side of the roads but they get water shed from the road. Move them a few metres further away and they instantly drop dead.
Stuff at Casterton just has to survive. I’m not there to water it. The trees were mostly planted in 1999, pre drought. The Gravenstein/Snow Apple double and the Granny Smith are quite large now. The pear and apricot are of moderate size. The plum is a lot younger (about 4 years, I think) and the peach/nectarine double has always struggled. They made it through and established during the 10 years or more of drought. But they don’t look at all happy at the moment.
buffy said:
Stuff at Casterton just has to survive. I’m not there to water it. The trees were mostly planted in 1999, pre drought. The Gravenstein/Snow Apple double and the Granny Smith are quite large now. The pear and apricot are of moderate size. The plum is a lot younger (about 4 years, I think) and the peach/nectarine double has always struggled. They made it through and established during the 10 years or more of drought. But they don’t look at all happy at the moment.
of course it all depends on the site if you aren’t watering it. I was astounded to go back to my grandparents farm and found the walnut and fid still alive fifty years after a bushfire burned the house down and forced my grandmother off the farm. However, that was up at Tallong where we always had running streams to find tadpoles in as children.
At my previous house there was an established Gravenstein that eventually died from the drought. It looked dead for a year but to my surprise started sprouting new leaves come Spring. The possums ate those and it looked dead for another year. The same thing happened the following Spring. The year after that it started sprouting fungi and I knew it was well and truly dead that time. I often wondered if the possums hadn’t eaten all the new leaves if it would have survived but given that it was not able to photosynthesize it really didn’t have a chance.
bluegreen said:
At my previous house there was an established Gravenstein that eventually died from the drought. It looked dead for a year but to my surprise started sprouting new leaves come Spring. The possums ate those and it looked dead for another year. The same thing happened the following Spring. The year after that it started sprouting fungi and I knew it was well and truly dead that time. I often wondered if the possums hadn’t eaten all the new leaves if it would have survived but given that it was not able to photosynthesize it really didn’t have a chance.
Yes. Photosynthesis is one issue but also the bark burns and dies. There is no xylem and phloem working, osmosis shuts down. Only the hardiest rootstocks come back if watered by a chance flood but the grafted tree is long gone.
roughbarked said:
bluegreen said:
At my previous house there was an established Gravenstein that eventually died from the drought. It looked dead for a year but to my surprise started sprouting new leaves come Spring. The possums ate those and it looked dead for another year. The same thing happened the following Spring. The year after that it started sprouting fungi and I knew it was well and truly dead that time. I often wondered if the possums hadn’t eaten all the new leaves if it would have survived but given that it was not able to photosynthesize it really didn’t have a chance.
Yes. Photosynthesis is one issue but also the bark burns and dies. There is no xylem and phloem working, osmosis shuts down. Only the hardiest rootstocks come back if watered by a chance flood but the grafted tree is long gone.
good point. When it was dead the bark was just falling off. I assumed it was a result of it being dead, but from what you say it could also have been a contributing cause of death.
bluegreen said:
roughbarked said:
bluegreen said:
At my previous house there was an established Gravenstein that eventually died from the drought. It looked dead for a year but to my surprise started sprouting new leaves come Spring. The possums ate those and it looked dead for another year. The same thing happened the following Spring. The year after that it started sprouting fungi and I knew it was well and truly dead that time. I often wondered if the possums hadn’t eaten all the new leaves if it would have survived but given that it was not able to photosynthesize it really didn’t have a chance.
Yes. Photosynthesis is one issue but also the bark burns and dies. There is no xylem and phloem working, osmosis shuts down. Only the hardiest rootstocks come back if watered by a chance flood but the grafted tree is long gone.
good point. When it was dead the bark was just falling off. I assumed it was a result of it being dead, but from what you say it could also have been a contributing cause of death.
It is after all why pruning is the kindest cut.
Good morning all, downright chilly this morning…
Evening :)
Fabulous day at Blackwood and Trentham and wherever else we went. We walked klms along the dry river bed of the Lerdederg River. I have some pics but too busy to upload atm. We got a handful of blackberries! There’d simply not been enough moisture about for them to form decent fruit. Never mind, we had a ball anyway, we were like kids playing in rockpools in small areas with still water. There were wild ducks about. Spotted a Koala high in atree and got quite a good photo. Also one of a Blue Splendid Fairy Wren. One little duck family decided to follow us on our walk. They were so cute! We stopped at a picnic table to have our lunch and they stopped with us. We fed them some tidbits. Methinks this is a well rehearsed act and we were being scammed for food.
Busy atm because earlier one of the yabbies in the pond took a decent swipe at a black moor goldfish and it has a deep gash. Yabbies have to come out.
I asked JJ to come fishing with me and get the 3 biggest yabbies out. That’s turned into a huge job that has culminated in us taking the whole pond apart.. yabbies separated into buckets and heaps of tiny baby yabbies in small containers; some only newly hatched and barely 4- 5 mm long. The smallest of the three has eggs under it’s tail. Uh oh, bad timing. We put her back in her pot plant and back into the pond rightaway.
JJ lifted out all the plants and they were teeming with baby crabby crawlers. He has set up another tank in his room temporarily to keep medium (inch and just over) size safe from the big fish, and their parents. I also put 20 tiny ones into the little aquarium in the kitchen, and took the single goldfish out it and popped it into the big pond.
Now I’m doing a 1/2 water change and the dirty water is being pumped to the mini orchard. I hauled the pump out and gave that a flush out. No time like the present eh.
Hubby made me a cup of tea in a red heart mug and said Happy Valentines, but he said he’ll take a rain check on a hug when I’m not covered in pond sludge. Piker lol.
Good morning Gardeners. Nice and cool at the moment, but looking for a thirties temp again. But the ground is damp, even if it’s only 2mm deep.
looks like you have the makings of a nice yabby dinner coming up HP! Or will you offload them somehow?
ended out with 9mm of rain last night. Not a huge amount but better than nothing! The ground is still wet this morning and will interesting to watch how much things green up again.
bluegreen said:
looks like you have the makings of a nice yabby dinner coming up HP! Or will you offload them somehow?ended out with 9mm of rain last night. Not a huge amount but better than nothing! The ground is still wet this morning and will interesting to watch how much things green up again.
Oh I couldn’t cook them after keeping them this long. JJ will take them to his work for a mates dam. He’s going to take about 30 of the one and two inch ones as well to sell as bait. No rain here.
I got to bed at 3 am. I refilled the pond and discovered many more baby yabbies were hidden among the rocks on the rim of the pond. They’d probably dived under them when the plants were lifted out and were just waiting for the water level to come back up. I scooped out about another 20 and put them into the kitchen aquarium, for now. I’m taking some littles with me to Timboon for a friends son’s tank.
The pleco in the kitchen tank is going ballistic with all the little things touching him, his favourite resting hidey hole has been invaded and he hates it. I will get him out, he’s grown well, and he can go into the pond too. Plenty of algae in there for him to chew on :)
Good morning all…not much to say here..glad you had a happy tramp in the wilderness Happy Potter…I keep remembering just how much rain and how cold it was for you this time last year…trying to get my mind around a “bike tent”… oh well sounds like you needed a new one anyway! Obviously you have a Yabbie Haven in your pond system Happy Potter…
BlueGreen it’s interesting how things green up after rain, but only if the sunshine and temperatures are right…my backyard is still greening from the rain in the dying days of January…it’s taken up until the last 3 days to get around to this…
Happy Potter said:
The pleco in the kitchen tank is going ballistic …
pleco?
Dinetta said:
BlueGreen it’s interesting how things green up after rain, but only if the sunshine and temperatures are right…my backyard is still greening from the rain in the dying days of January…it’s taken up until the last 3 days to get around to this…
mostly sunny and mid 30s this week. I think the grass will like that? The areas where I ran the sprinklers in the really hot weather only took a few days to green up but they were getting water everyday for a few days.
bluegreen said:
Happy Potter said:
The pleco in the kitchen tank is going ballistic …
pleco?
plecos, notably the suckermouth catfish, Hypostomus plecostomus
I’ve watered and fed everything that grows or moves, refilled the poultry grain bins and topped up the dogs food dish. Loaded my car with it’s and bit’s for my weekend away, most are tools. And I don’t go anywhere for a sleepover without my own pillow :)
Now gotta raid the garden for goodies to take to the vege swap tomorrow, then I’m off straight after it. The man only has to fed the chooks Sunday morning and that’s it.
I need my pillow too when I’m travelling…got a strained neck somehow, I think it was somebody playing those “you can’t overtake me no matter how slow I go” games, anyway laid my head on my pillow at the rented unit and I was fine…weird I know…
J & J have gone to her home on the coast, I took some eggs down and was going to ask that they kept an eye on the chooks’ water tomorrow as I won’t be here, gate is locked so they’re not there…
I will just have to leave the chookens in their yard, have taken down a 10 liter basin of water and just need to give some grain after they’ve gone to bed. Plenty of green pick.
Goldy has remembered where her nest is and I want to raise one end of the chook tractor so that if she decides to stretch her legs tomorrow, she can get straight back in. will shut the “gate” on that pen so the crows can’t get at the eggs…Tuesday is the day, folks!
Did I really spell litre as “liter”…oh the shame…
Dyslexic fingers.
buffy said:
Dyslexic fingers.
Ahhh! nods meaningfully
Good morning Gardeners. Done my morning watering. The fires in the Grampians continue, and I see from the news that a farm house required defending during the night. Probably someone I know from the practice, or a friend or relative of my receptionist. She is from the Victoria Valley.
good morning. Looks like the fire at Samaria Road is out, it is no longer on the CFA website. No rain eventuated for me last night other than a sprinkle, although others did get some.
Hello again. I’ve been busy. I had to ride my cross bike today, because I haven’t taken my ladies bike for servicing and to get the pedal fixed. I don’t like the body position on the cross bike much. And I don’t like only having hand brakes. I like my back-pedal braking. Also done watering, mowing, chopping down of sage and lemon balm, chipping of debris and heavy pruning of a bush. Now I smell all herby and I’m too hot and sweaty to continue outside.
Long is very relaxed in this household……
I have ordered a beanbag for him….Buschka really would like hers back.
:)
buffy said:
Long is very relaxed in this household……
I have ordered a beanbag for him….Buschka really would like hers back.
:)
Making a bean bag is beyond your dressmaking skills?
Had an interesting encounter with why it is wise to take care with sharp instruments today. I waved my hand at a fly and sliced my nostril. It is really difficult to make a bandaid stick inside a wet and bleeding nostril, I found.
Good morning. Nineteen degrees this morning. Buschka chose to wake Long just after 6.00am and he was not inclined to go back to bed. So I have got the sprinklers on before dawn this morning. I will definitely be napping this afternoon. Going into the thirties again today.
BG, ooops sorry for that spam the other day. Not sure what triggered that, but my old email account looks like it has done some weird stuff? Sorry.
BG, ooops sorry for that spam the other day. Not sure what triggered that, but my old email account looks like it has done some weird stuff? Sorry.
pain master said:
BG, ooops sorry for that spam the other day. Not sure what triggered that, but my old email account looks like it has done some weird stuff? Sorry.
I turn off automated images in mail. These can lead to such problems.
roughbarked said:
pain master said:
BG, ooops sorry for that spam the other day. Not sure what triggered that, but my old email account looks like it has done some weird stuff? Sorry.
I turn off automated images in mail. These can lead to such problems.
how do you mean?
pain master said:
roughbarked said:
pain master said:
BG, ooops sorry for that spam the other day. Not sure what triggered that, but my old email account looks like it has done some weird stuff? Sorry.
I turn off automated images in mail. These can lead to such problems.
how do you mean?
Go into your email settings. There should be a setting that allows to to automatically download html graphics.. turn it off. In fact I also turn off animating of .gifs and displaying images.
roughbarked said:
pain master said:
roughbarked said:I turn off automated images in mail. These can lead to such problems.
how do you mean?
Go into your email settings. There should be a setting that allows to to automatically download html graphics.. turn it off. In fact I also turn off animating of .gifs and displaying images.
I use Eudora. It is under ‘fonts and display’
roughbarked said:
pain master said:
roughbarked said:I turn off automated images in mail. These can lead to such problems.
how do you mean?
Go into your email settings. There should be a setting that allows to to automatically download html graphics.. turn it off. In fact I also turn off animating of .gifs and displaying images.
I’m just wondering how does the animated images cause spam to be sent from my account to others?
pain master said:
roughbarked said:
pain master said:how do you mean?
Go into your email settings. There should be a setting that allows to to automatically download html graphics.. turn it off. In fact I also turn off animating of .gifs and displaying images.
I’m just wondering how does the animated images cause spam to be sent from my account to others?
It can be rigged to send your address book back to the sender of the image.
roughbarked said:
pain master said:
roughbarked said:Go into your email settings. There should be a setting that allows to to automatically download html graphics.. turn it off. In fact I also turn off animating of .gifs and displaying images.
I’m just wondering how does the animated images cause spam to be sent from my account to others?
It can be rigged to send your address book back to the sender of the image.
oh.
buffy said:
Long is very relaxed in this household……
I have ordered a beanbag for him….Buschka really would like hers back.
:)
Buschka is obviously a very considerate and patient dog :D :D
roughbarked said:
Had an interesting encounter with why it is wise to take care with sharp instruments today. I waved my hand at a fly and sliced my nostril. It is really difficult to make a bandaid stick inside a wet and bleeding nostril, I found.
sounds like a tissue up your nostril was called for. And yes, be aware of what you are holding when waving your hands around!
pain master said:
BG, ooops sorry for that spam the other day. Not sure what triggered that, but my old email account looks like it has done some weird stuff? Sorry.
sounds like it was one that was going around as I heard of others getting the same thing from other sources.
I’m back. My legs seem to have filled up with lead…..they definitely did not want to ride around town this morning. But I made them go anyway. It took about an hour to water the veggies this morning. And I’ve planted out some seedling lettuces and beetroot in a very protected bit of garden in defiance of the Sun God. It has already hit 29 in the shade here. Deciding not to go to Warrnambool for dog training is looking like a Very Good Idea that I had.
From the sound of the fire radio, they are starting to have to pull in people from further afield for the Grampians fires. Although I think they are all sort of quiet at the moment.
Quiet in here today. I’ve been faffing about inside as it’s been in the mid thirties outside since around 11.00am. Haven’t achieved much at all really. I’ve just been out and done a bit of watering of the bits of veggie patch that won’t get the sun now. Although there is some cloud and the sun is going in and out.
Fire in the Grampians has gone emergency in the last couple of hours for Mirranatwa. I have patients in the Victoria Valley. And my receptionist’s family farm (her brother works the farm) is at the mouth of the Valley (about 30km from fire). Fortunately there is little wind. It’s about 60km North of us here, but fire that bursts out of the Valley gobbles up Dunkeld and then heads across the plains to here if there is a North wind. I like to be aware. The fire radio here is quiet.
buffy said:
Fire in the Grampians has gone emergency in the last couple of hours for Mirranatwa. I have patients in the Victoria Valley. And my receptionist’s family farm (her brother works the farm) is at the mouth of the Valley (about 30km from fire). Fortunately there is little wind. It’s about 60km North of us here, but fire that bursts out of the Valley gobbles up Dunkeld and then heads across the plains to here if there is a North wind. I like to be aware. The fire radio here is quiet.
from the cfa website
There is a large, fast moving bushfire 30KM N OF DUNKELD. It is travelling in a south/south easterly direction. This fire is expected to impact Mirranatwa between the hours of 7:00 PM – 7:30 PM. This bushfire is approximately 400 hectares in size and is out of control
Good morning Gardeners. I’ve watered the garden….anticipating a high thirties today. At the moment the wind is very gentle, which is a Good Thing, as Mirranatwa had a bit of a night of it with the wind picking up around 3.00am, so I see on the news. A bit smokey outside, but not too bad.
Morning all. The weekend went too fast at my friends in timboon. Lovely people, and met a bunch of other women I’ve been chatting too for over a year, great bbq and had lots of laughs clearing out my friends cluttered garage. It’s good to put faces to names.
One lady brought fresh farm eggs for us all and I accepted a doz as mine aren’t laying a lot atm. Well turns out they were fertile eggs from a mixed pen of plymoth rocks, astralorps and rhode isle reds. Roos had been hopping fences trying to steal other roos hens. Like I’m going to eat them! Nope, they are going under Lin Lin tonight. She’s broody again, lol.
I had two travel companions on my drive home, an American lady who was going to catch the train to Melb, and the light sussex rooster who will get handed over to another fellow today when he picks the roo up this evening from me, for the next link in his journey to Qld.
The lady took a few weeks out of her life to finally visit Aus when the cost of the fares dropped and had travelled a fair bit in that time. She was a special guest at my friends bbq. I had to drive on some unsealed roads to get to the farm where the rooster was, and as we drove past big paddocks she finally saw a kangaroo in the wild :)
And a hare as big as a dog! far out that thing was huge. It wasn’t scared when I pulled over closer for a look, just slowly lopped along. I teased my travel companion saying it was a bunyip lol! I’m starting to wonder myself.. that thing was too big for a hare.
We got to the farm to pick up the rooster only to be told by the young lady owner that her partner had let the chickens out early and the sussex boy was probably miles away. They have 40 acres to roam. Well the girls partner got on his atv and went in search. He didn’t take long to come back with the roo. In the meantime we patted small goats. Smelly things, but so cute.
Back home and all was good and my travel companion got a short tour of my garden and chook pens. She was amazed. Another fellow arrived to pick her up to go to Melb after some refreshments and she left with some strawberry jam and big hugs all round.
Today is grandsons 15 th birthday and we’re off tonight to a restaurant to celebrate it. I can’t believe he’s 15.
GS and gf are here so they can go with us, and hubby will take them home late.
sounds like you had a lovely weekend HP, and how nice to have the company on the drive home. Good you could give the American lady a lift too! Just joking :)
It seems it was only yesterday you spoke of your 10 year old grandson, and now he is fifteen? Happy birthday to him.
something disturbed the budgie and cockateils early this morning. I woke to flapping and banging and they were bouncing around in their cages like I’ve not seen before. I couldn’t see anything around (by torchlight) but I could hear a funny breathy hissing type of noise. Anyway went back to bed as they had settled down but have since found that one of the cockateils has blood on the front edge of his wings and there is blood splattered on the wall next to the cage. Presumably from hitting his wings against the side of the cage in his panic. Poor thing. Seems fine now though. I wonder what it was that startled them, maybe a cat outside or something? Chester Galah seemed fine though.
bluegreen said:
something disturbed the budgie and cockateils early this morning. I woke to flapping and banging and they were bouncing around in their cages like I’ve not seen before. I couldn’t see anything around (by torchlight) but I could hear a funny breathy hissing type of noise. Anyway went back to bed as they had settled down but have since found that one of the cockateils has blood on the front edge of his wings and there is blood splattered on the wall next to the cage. Presumably from hitting his wings against the side of the cage in his panic. Poor thing. Seems fine now though. I wonder what it was that startled them, maybe a cat outside or something? Chester Galah seemed fine though.
Snake? eek. You take care.
>>breathy hissing type of noise. <<
Sounds like some sort of mammal. Small possum?
Happy Potter said:
bluegreen said:
something disturbed the budgie and cockateils early this morning. I woke to flapping and banging and they were bouncing around in their cages like I’ve not seen before. I couldn’t see anything around (by torchlight) but I could hear a funny breathy hissing type of noise. Anyway went back to bed as they had settled down but have since found that one of the cockateils has blood on the front edge of his wings and there is blood splattered on the wall next to the cage. Presumably from hitting his wings against the side of the cage in his panic. Poor thing. Seems fine now though. I wonder what it was that startled them, maybe a cat outside or something? Chester Galah seemed fine though.
Snake? eek. You take care.
That is a possibility I supposed, but not sure how it would get in the house as there are weather strips under the doors. But I did have images of finding a snake with a bulge stuck in the galah cage in the morning. Thankfully it was not so.
Oh, you meant inside the house. Mouse?
Bummer……already 30 degrees, the wind is from the North and it’s starting to gust to 35km/hr.
This is going to be One of Those Days, isn’t it.
bluegreen said:
something disturbed the budgie and cockateils early this morning. I woke to flapping and banging and they were bouncing around in their cages like I’ve not seen before. I couldn’t see anything around (by torchlight) but I could hear a funny breathy hissing type of noise. Anyway went back to bed as they had settled down but have since found that one of the cockateils has blood on the front edge of his wings and there is blood splattered on the wall next to the cage. Presumably from hitting his wings against the side of the cage in his panic. Poor thing. Seems fine now though. I wonder what it was that startled them, maybe a cat outside or something? Chester Galah seemed fine though.
Galahs can make such sounds.
buffy said:
Oh, you meant inside the house. Mouse?
definitely mice around and one could have climbed up on the cage.
bluegreen said:
sounds like you had a lovely weekend HP, and how nice to have the company on the drive home. Good you could give the American lady a lift too! Just joking :)It seems it was only yesterday you spoke of your 10 year old grandson, and now he is fifteen? Happy birthday to him.
Thank you. He’s so blimmin tall now. Has a voice to match.
My American friend and I chatted about food! Well healthy food, and cooking. Her reaction to sausages bought for the bbq was one of shock and horror ..“they’re raw!?!?”
Their sauasges are not bought raw, but pre cooked. She cut a stick of kabana sausage into two and cooked that on the bbq. Thats sausage! There was much chatter and laughter at the difference in our respective cultures regarding all thngs culinary. She made a seven layer salad. Bacon, and tons of it, lettuce, egg spring onions croutons..I sez hun thats a caeser salad, only we toss it. Nooo, you have to cut and lift a section with a cake lifter. We did try, but made a heck of a mess lol.
roughbarked said:
bluegreen said:
something disturbed the budgie and cockateils early this morning. I woke to flapping and banging and they were bouncing around in their cages like I’ve not seen before. I couldn’t see anything around (by torchlight) but I could hear a funny breathy hissing type of noise. Anyway went back to bed as they had settled down but have since found that one of the cockateils has blood on the front edge of his wings and there is blood splattered on the wall next to the cage. Presumably from hitting his wings against the side of the cage in his panic. Poor thing. Seems fine now though. I wonder what it was that startled them, maybe a cat outside or something? Chester Galah seemed fine though.
Galahs can make such sounds.
maybe he saw something which he was warning off and that triggered the other birds off?
buffy said:
Oh, you meant inside the house. Mouse?
Bummer……already 30 degrees, the wind is from the North and it’s starting to gust to 35km/hr.
This is going to be One of Those Days, isn’t it.
Yes, take care.
bluegreen said:
buffy said:Oh, you meant inside the house. Mouse?
definitely mice around and one could have climbed up on the cage.
I’ve observed mice sliding down a single wire, to get at seed.. the only way out being either to climb back up the wire or leap the equivalent of a death leap back to the floor.
roughbarked said:
buffy said:Long is very relaxed in this household……
I have ordered a beanbag for him….Buschka really would like hers back.
:)
Making a bean bag is beyond your dressmaking skills?
It’s all those little styrofoam balls that are the pain…I refilled some bean bags in the bath about 20 years ago and I’m still getting the little b*ggars in my septic pumpout…
roughbarked said:
Had an interesting encounter with why it is wise to take care with sharp instruments today. I waved my hand at a fly and sliced my nostril. It is really difficult to make a bandaid stick inside a wet and bleeding nostril, I found.
I just roll up tissues and stick them in…looks ghastly but works a treat…
Dinetta said:
roughbarked said:Making a bean bag is beyond your dressmaking skills?
It’s all those little styrofoam balls that are the pain…I refilled some bean bags in the bath about 20 years ago and I’m still getting the little b*ggars in my septic pumpout…
they do have a floating propensity.
Dinetta said:
roughbarked said:
Had an interesting encounter with why it is wise to take care with sharp instruments today. I waved my hand at a fly and sliced my nostril. It is really difficult to make a bandaid stick inside a wet and bleeding nostril, I found.
I just roll up tissues and stick them in…looks ghastly but works a treat…
I was using the band-aid stitches.. like a tissue up the nose, pushes cuts apart.
roughbarked said:
Dinetta said:
roughbarked said:Making a bean bag is beyond your dressmaking skills?
It’s all those little styrofoam balls that are the pain…I refilled some bean bags in the bath about 20 years ago and I’m still getting the little b*ggars in my septic pumpout…
they do have a floating propensity.
someone I once knew lost their son on his fourth birthday because he opened the beanbag he got for a present and breathed in one of the little balls and choked :(
Happy Potter said:
Morning all. The weekend went too fast at my friends in timboon. …
…Today is grandsons 15 th birthday and we’re off tonight to a restaurant to celebrate it. I can’t believe he’s 15.
GS and gf are here so they can go with us, and hubby will take them home late.
That was a lovely read about your weekend…that may have been a Big Daddy hare, lol!
Fancy your grandson is 15 y o already…here’s me thinking he’s about 12…
buffy said:
Oh, you meant inside the house. Mouse?
Bummer……already 30 degrees, the wind is from the North and it’s starting to gust to 35km/hr.
This is going to be One of Those Days, isn’t it.
I feel for you, not that that’s much help…
bluegreen said:
someone I once knew lost their son on his fourth birthday because he opened the beanbag he got for a present and breathed in one of the little balls and choked :(
Yes, and that’s another reason I do not like them…poor little tyke…
The beast is stirring……
http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/warnings-restrictions/warnings-and-advice/index.html?inUrl=websites_detail_1325624161.html
Mr buffy is home again now, and everything is ready. Just in case. It’s about 50km North of us.
buffy said:
The beast is stirring……
http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/warnings-restrictions/warnings-and-advice/index.html?inUrl=websites_detail_1325624161.html
Mr buffy is home again now, and everything is ready. Just in case. It’s about 50km North of us.
be safe
worry worry
The advice looks comprehensive?
We are pretty well protected here, with water gardens and exotic trees in front of the house. If the dragon heads across the plains I expect to be dealing with embers.
It feels like Victoria is one big fuel load burning itself out, but I guess Vic is more densely populated across the state than Qld and outback NSW…
Took some more photos of Long this evening:
And one I’ve called Scarey Pug…..for obvious reasons.
:)
he doesn’t look scarey at all, in fact he looks very happy :)
buffy said:
Took some more photos of Long this evening:
And one I’ve called Scarey Pug…..for obvious reasons.
:)
hee hee hee
Good morning Gardeners. Thirteen degrees…..lovely! The ‘rain’ consisted of one very brief shower and some mist. Just as well I watered the veggies last evening, what did come down probably went into the soil.
buffy said:
Took some more photos of Long this evening:
I’m no expert but he looks well put together…not sure how a diminutive pup can be scarey but “it’s the size of the fight in the dog” that counts…
I am up and atom…kinda…need coffee #2 but I’ve had breakfast otherwise…overcast but I don’t think there’s much in it…whippersnipped part of the back block as I plan to let the chookens down there instead of up here…Nefertiti and Shadow are getting along: Shadow only chases Nefertiti if she feels like it … she slept with me last night and Shadow of course was at the bottom of the bed, on the floor…so it’s harmony before the chickens hatch…
buffy said:
Took some more photos of Long this evening:
And one I’ve called Scarey Pug…..for obvious reasons.
:)
He’s pretty cute you know.
Long is very cute :)
Youngest girl wants a pug, down the track.
Been down and picked the snake beans. I’ll get my share if greens today for sure. Dwarf beans are starting to set beans. Capsicums have flowers and have grown inches taller. Cabbage are up. tomatoes are babies but look healthy.
Weeds will be the next battle to contend with here. All this wet has introduced some new types that I haven’t had before. Heaven knows we have enough known ones without any more introductions.
The Nastirtums planted in the resting bulb garden are up and away. Should be a pleasant show for a very drab bed when they get moving. Lots of Calla lilies up now. Nerines are flowering in another part of the garden. Red ones and yellow ones. The climbing Frangipani that’s growing over the side fence is still flowering well. It’s not the most attractive vine but it fills the yard with a beautiful perfume.
More appointments today. Later folks.
Morning, it’s nice and cool, such a relief from the heat. I’ve opened up the whole house.
I’ve turned off the vege bed drippers and gave the chookens a big armful of silverbeet. There’s a very light mist out and it’s very welcome. My tomatoes have just bout had the gong tho and I’ll be pulling some out today. I s’pect nematodes: I’ll see when I pull them out. The table is covered with ripe toms and they’ll be bottled today and tomorrow. Getting ripe passionfruit too, finally.
When exactly do scarlett runner beans produce beans? there’s flowers galore on it but no beans.
Hello Gardeners. Working today.
>>When exactly do scarlett runner beans produce beans? there’s flowers galore on it but no beans.<<
Dunno….mine carked it one hot day a month or so ago. I might get some more seed at some time. I’ve planted climbing beans instead and hope for a late crop on those. And I had them in a sheltered spot, too.
buffy said:
Hello Gardeners. Working today.
>>When exactly do scarlett runner beans produce beans? there’s flowers galore on it but no beans.<<
Dunno….mine carked it one hot day a month or so ago. I might get some more seed at some time. I’ve planted climbing beans instead and hope for a late crop on those. And I had them in a sheltered spot, too.
Yair. I gave scarlet runner beans several chances to prove themselves and decided they weren’t for my climate.
Happy Potter said:
When exactly do scarlett runner beans produce beans? there’s flowers galore on it but no beans.
too hot maybe? Some people up here haven’t had any beans set at all, while some have an abundance. Go figure.
bluegreen said:
Happy Potter said:When exactly do scarlett runner beans produce beans? there’s flowers galore on it but no beans.
too hot maybe? Some people up here haven’t had any beans set at all, while some have an abundance. Go figure.
It has been a very bad year for beans. Good luck to those who have the right micro-climate.
roughbarked said:
bluegreen said:
Happy Potter said:When exactly do scarlett runner beans produce beans? there’s flowers galore on it but no beans.
too hot maybe? Some people up here haven’t had any beans set at all, while some have an abundance. Go figure.
It has been a very bad year for beans. Good luck to those who have the right micro-climate.
I haven’t been able to grow any because Peter Pan ate the vines :(
roughbarked said:
bluegreen said:
Happy Potter said:When exactly do scarlett runner beans produce beans? there’s flowers galore on it but no beans.
too hot maybe? Some people up here haven’t had any beans set at all, while some have an abundance. Go figure.
It has been a very bad year for beans. Good luck to those who have the right micro-climate.
I’ll let you know if I do get any
My bush beans are producing. I have a mix of butter, purple, green and a green with a purple splash (dragon’s tongue – dragons seem to be a bit of a theme around this household!). I like the non green ones, easier to find the beans to pick. I have just germinated another small row for a later pick. I might be too late in the season, but I might be lucky.
:)
Good morning Gardeners. Lovely and crsip this morning at 12 degrees and very, very still. Heading into the thirties again though, although I think it is only low thirties today. The coolness should have helped with the fires in the Grampians.
Yay, forecast is only for 26. I like that.
buffy said:
Yay, forecast is only for 26. I like that.
Thank goodness. No rain in sight though, still.
Good morning all…glad the temps are becoming more bearable…it’s been an eye-opener to watch the sustained over-30’s in your posts…
Nice and cool here, currently 21.6C and we’re going for a high of 32C, which is nothing really in the climate scheme here…still overcast with clods but I’m sure we’ll get a burst of grass-growing sun by about 10:00.
Going to get hot I think. Had trackies on yesterday.
It’s a bit of a rush today. We want to get outside things done because the 4day forecast says more rain to come. Maybe we could do some mowing later on this afternoon when the ground is a little bit drier.
D is doing the car. It’s unbelieveable what wet country roads can do to a new car. Those country roads are a real mess too. Floods and constant rain has made them into an obstacle course.
The vacuum cleaner is still whirring at me so I’m off for now.
pomolo said:
Going to get hot I think. Had trackies on yesterday.It’s a bit of a rush today. We want to get outside things done because the 4day forecast says more rain to come. Maybe we could do some mowing later on this afternoon when the ground is a little bit drier.
D is doing the car. It’s unbelieveable what wet country roads can do to a new car. Those country roads are a real mess too. Floods and constant rain has made them into an obstacle course.
The vacuum cleaner is still whirring at me so I’m off for now.
Cars are only new until you insert the ignition key the first time.
Harvesting a worm farm. Ick. I am going to fire up a third farm for dog poo.
Tomorrow dentist appt for round two of root canal. Double ick. I am a lot more relaxed about going to the dentist now, but I’m still going to take my two chill pills.
But a bright part to my day.. I was given a box of belladonna lilly bulbs :) They were potted up as the ladys cat was getting sick from eating them. Silly cat.
And.. I found a free black silkie roo on offer nearby :D :D I’m just waiting on a woman to get back to me as to when I can collect him.
Hello, passing through on the way to bed. Busy in Casterton. Garden doesn’t bear looking at. Then archery, but my shooting was pretty abysmal. I didn’t bother to score, I couldn’t be bothered concentrating.
I think some sleep is in order.
roughbarked said:
pomolo said:
Going to get hot I think. Had trackies on yesterday.It’s a bit of a rush today. We want to get outside things done because the 4day forecast says more rain to come. Maybe we could do some mowing later on this afternoon when the ground is a little bit drier.
D is doing the car. It’s unbelieveable what wet country roads can do to a new car. Those country roads are a real mess too. Floods and constant rain has made them into an obstacle course.
The vacuum cleaner is still whirring at me so I’m off for now.
Cars are only new until you insert the ignition key the first time.
If you’re concerned with the market that is so. To us it’s still a new car.
Our valotta Lily is flowering. It’s beautiful. We have waited a few years for this to happen. It was planted in the wrong place it would seem. D put it into a pot last year and it now gets more sun. It worked.
pomolo said:
Our valotta Lily is flowering. It’s beautiful. We have waited a few years for this to happen. It was planted in the wrong place it would seem. D put it into a pot last year and it now gets more sun. It worked.
Off to Gooooooooooogle valotta Lily…
Why haven’t I heard of these before?????
Good morning Gardeners. Fifteen degrees and a very light sort of misty drizzle going on. At least it means I don’t have to water before work today. I’ll probably have to do a proper watering tonight though. Fortunately I sprinkled around quickly as it got dark last night, so whatever skywater is happening will soak in properly in the right places.
If anyone is interested, here is a map of the burnt bit….
http://osom.cfa.vic.gov.au/public/osom/attachments/1332795582/20130221_0300_Grampians_VictoriaValley_PublicInfo_A4.pdf
buffy said:
If anyone is interested, here is a map of the burnt bit….
http://osom.cfa.vic.gov.au/public/osom/attachments/1332795582/20130221_0300_Grampians_VictoriaValley_PublicInfo_A4.pdf
I am wondering with the Harrietville fire if the issue of Highland grazing of cattle will get another viewing. Probably not but perhaps should.
I’d like to thank someone – Phooey i think? – for the lemon verbena sorbet recipe. I have made about 4 or 5 of them so far and they have all been eaten.
I found that kiwifruit is ok if pears are not around.
i get back and hog the forum but – btw
prune your lemon verbena now – while it’s flowering – same goes for your basil.
in both cases i’m getting good regrowth by clipping every branch back to a shoot – maybe half to a third of each branch lopped. .
justin said:
i get back and hog the forum but – btwprune your lemon verbena now – while it’s flowering – same goes for your basil.
in both cases i’m getting good regrowth by clipping every branch back to a shoot – maybe half to a third of each branch lopped. .
All perennial and biennial herbage.. cut them back now. ;)
justin said:
I’d like to thank someone – Phooey i think? – for the lemon verbena sorbet recipe. I have made about 4 or 5 of them so far and they have all been eaten.
I found that kiwifruit is ok if pears are not around.
Excellent! :D
Phooey said:
justin said:
I’d like to thank someone – Phooey i think? – for the lemon verbena sorbet recipe. I have made about 4 or 5 of them so far and they have all been eaten.
I found that kiwifruit is ok if pears are not around.
Excellent! :D
:) it really is good when something you offer, works. :)
justin said:
prune your lemon verbena now – while it’s flowering –
mine’s lucky to even have leaves on it atm. One has died due to heat/insufficient water. No pruning is going to be done that will put anything into shock or promote growth it can’t sustain.
bluegreen said:
justin said:prune your lemon verbena now – while it’s flowering –
mine’s lucky to even have leaves on it atm. One has died due to heat/insufficient water. No pruning is going to be done that will put anything into shock or promote growth it can’t sustain.
keep you fingers crossed then – and prune your basil.
i’ve lost heaps this year.- including my pawpaw when i transplanted it – one plant (out of four in a pot) is just hanging on.
justin said:
bluegreen said:
justin said:prune your lemon verbena now – while it’s flowering –
mine’s lucky to even have leaves on it atm. One has died due to heat/insufficient water. No pruning is going to be done that will put anything into shock or promote growth it can’t sustain.
keep you fingers crossed then – and prune your basil.
i’ve lost heaps this year.- including my pawpaw when i transplanted it – one plant (out of four in a pot) is just hanging on.
my basil never made it out of the punnet alive :(
bluegreen said:
justin said:
bluegreen said:mine’s lucky to even have leaves on it atm. One has died due to heat/insufficient water. No pruning is going to be done that will put anything into shock or promote growth it can’t sustain.
keep you fingers crossed then – and prune your basil.
i’ve lost heaps this year.- including my pawpaw when i transplanted it – one plant (out of four in a pot) is just hanging on.
my basil never made it out of the punnet alive :(
that’s sad – no pesto – eekk!! – how many others have no basil?
sorry BG – its hot here and basil grows like a weed. I feed the prunings to the chooks at times.
justin said:
bluegreen said:
justin said:keep you fingers crossed then – and prune your basil.
i’ve lost heaps this year.- including my pawpaw when i transplanted it – one plant (out of four in a pot) is just hanging on.
my basil never made it out of the punnet alive :(
that’s sad – no pesto – eekk!! – how many others have no basil?
sorry BG – its hot here and basil grows like a weed. I feed the prunings to the chooks at times.
i’ve probably showed my basil here?
I must go and cook the ratatouile (sp?)
friends took figs last weekend and said they were now watering their veges twice a day.
whoa – they’ve only a small garden but that’s more water then i can afford.
I’m still watering every second day – and most of what’s left is now well established.
must go cyas.
justin said:
bluegreen said:
justin said:keep you fingers crossed then – and prune your basil.
i’ve lost heaps this year.- including my pawpaw when i transplanted it – one plant (out of four in a pot) is just hanging on.
my basil never made it out of the punnet alive :(
that’s sad – no pesto – eekk!! – how many others have no basil?
sorry BG – its hot here and basil grows like a weed. I feed the prunings to the chooks at times.
I do have some in oil in the freezer from last year, so I am not totally deprived! lol!
roughbarked said:
justin said:
bluegreen said:my basil never made it out of the punnet alive :(
that’s sad – no pesto – eekk!! – how many others have no basil?
sorry BG – its hot here and basil grows like a weed. I feed the prunings to the chooks at times.
i’ve probably showed my basil here?
yes you have, skite! lol!
justin said:
bluegreen said:
justin said:keep you fingers crossed then – and prune your basil.
i’ve lost heaps this year.- including my pawpaw when i transplanted it – one plant (out of four in a pot) is just hanging on.
my basil never made it out of the punnet alive :(
that’s sad – no pesto – eekk!! – how many others have no basil?
sorry BG – its hot here and basil grows like a weed. I feed the prunings to the chooks at times.
Overabundance of basil here, but then I’ve been drip watering. This morn they got the boiler full of cold water from bottling tomatoes.
And yeah, my chooks have been living on fruit excess’ here for ages. Currently tucking into plums that I had no hope of finding the time to sauce them.
Back from the dentist, feeling crap but thats from the happy pills lol. Nanna nap in a minute. Glad thats over. Next appt down the track is for a facial orthopedic surgeon to fix my wonky jawbone. Sigh.
Nothing could stop me picking up the black silkie cockerel though, and he is gorgeous. Already dog friendly too. That’s very handy :)
Pillow calls.
bluegreen said:
roughbarked said:
justin said:that’s sad – no pesto – eekk!! – how many others have no basil?
sorry BG – its hot here and basil grows like a weed. I feed the prunings to the chooks at times.
i’ve probably showed my basil here?
yes you have, skite! lol!
Basil and thyme have done well this season. Oregano has hung in.. Parsley has decided to throw in the self seeding game.. unless I do changes.. maybe some mulch and some rain?
bluegreen said:
my basil never made it out of the punnet alive :(
justin said:
sorry BG – its hot here and basil grows like a weed. I feed the prunings to the chooks at times.
My chooks just help themselves…
>>how many others have no basil?<<
I have a small amount in a pot. The seed I put in the garden (and watered) didn’t germinate. Probably a bit late now. In the morning I intend to pick some Red Delicious apples, some peaches, some perpetual spinach, some lettuce and some bush beans. Only small amounts of each, but enough for us. The tomatoes are some good, some bad. I’ve only had two small fruit so far, but I never worry too much about that as they tend to be very, very late in my garden. Oh, and there might be a small zucchini to pick too.
You’re doing well for a zucchini down there, Buffy…
Oh, zucchini can grow to excess here. I haven’t had an excess lately, but if you get them to go, they go really well. This year I have Costata, a striped and ribbed one that looks fabulous cut across. I reckon there is a yellow one in there too, but no fruit yet. I planted a handful of mixed seeds and I get what I get.
buffy said:
Oh, zucchini can grow to excess here. I haven’t had an excess lately, but if you get them to go, they go really well. This year I have Costata, a striped and ribbed one that looks fabulous cut across. I reckon there is a yellow one in there too, but no fruit yet. I planted a handful of mixed seeds and I get what I get.
…a surprise garden! The trick is to get them to “go”, by the sound of it…bit tricky with the temps and all…and would you have to watch out for powdery mildew?
Heavens above! I miss only one day and you lot go overboard. 4 pages to slog through now. OK. I’m on it.
Gee I’ve done well. Night.
Good morning. Eighteen degrees at sunup this morning. Lots of stuff done, now a shower and off to work. This is the last time I am working a late on a Friday night. Twenty seven years is enough.
:)
Hello from smokey Hamilton. The wind has gone around to the North and the smoke is now blowing in here. This is not a Good Thing.
buffy said:
Good morning. Eighteen degrees at sunup this morning. Lots of stuff done, now a shower and off to work. This is the last time I am working a late on a Friday night. Twenty seven years is enough.
:)
27 years is a lot – do you get a bouquet or gold watch?
buffy said:
Hello from smokey Hamilton. The wind has gone around to the North and the smoke is now blowing in here. This is not a Good Thing.
keep us posted- stay well.
buffy said:
Hello from smokey Hamilton. The wind has gone around to the North and the smoke is now blowing in here. This is not a Good Thing.
No, it is not :(
justin said:
buffy said:Good morning. Eighteen degrees at sunup this morning. Lots of stuff done, now a shower and off to work. This is the last time I am working a late on a Friday night. Twenty seven years is enough.
:)
27 years is a lot – do you get a bouquet or gold watch?
I think she now gets a glass of good vino and free-to-air Friday night TV…
>>27 years is a lot – do you get a bouquet or gold watch?<<
I work for myself…..so I guess I get what I give myself!
You see, I did 15 years of Thursdays too, and I dropped that last year. And I have so much enjoyed going home ‘early’ on Thursdays that I decided the Fridays could go too. Although there is a down side. When I consult late, I start late, so I will lose my Friday mornings in the garden.
Fire is still going, we are not as smokey at the moment. It will be a watching weekend. Again.
Like I said elsewhere, this is the price you pay for living in Australia Felix. It is worth it.
Buschka has resisted his charm, but she had to give in at last….
This is the first time she has shared the beanbag. Until now she has vacated and gone somewhere else when he has made overtures to share.
:)
buffy said:
Buschka has resisted his charm, but she had to give in at last….
This is the first time she has shared the beanbag. Until now she has vacated and gone somewhere else when he has made overtures to share.
:)
Long seems to have a way of breaking down resistance :)
I picked Red Delicious apples this morning. And white fleshed peaches. I think as the peach is about a month later than the Anzac, it might be one called Fragar. It was growing in the garden at Casterton and I took some cuttings a couple of years ago. One of them has this year borne about 20 fruit. Which I am not sharing. It’s a little gem of flavour.
Yum!!
OK, not picture perfect, they look a bit ‘organic’, but yum!
buffy said:
Buschka has resisted his charm, but she had to give in at last….
This is the first time she has shared the beanbag. Until now she has vacated and gone somewhere else when he has made overtures to share.
:)
Wow, talk about sleeping on the edge…Buschka doesn’t look overly delighted by this…
buffy said:
I picked Red Delicious apples this morning. And white fleshed peaches. I think as the peach is about a month later than the Anzac, it might be one called Fragar. It was growing in the garden at Casterton and I took some cuttings a couple of years ago. One of them has this year borne about 20 fruit. Which I am not sharing. It’s a little gem of flavour.
Sweet…(pun intended)…
buffy said:
Yum!!
OK, not picture perfect, they look a bit ‘organic’, but yum!
I used to have a set of plates like your top one…went the way of all plates in a household full of children…congrats on the harvest…
I’ve only got the flat bowls and some bread and butter plates. They were cheap ones from Safeway, I think. I needed some that could go in the microwave…..our kitchen set has a gold bit in the decoration.
And good morning. Cool at the moment but going into the thirties. I’ve watered. Now I have to get up and paint before it gets too hot to do it. (Inside, so not too bad)
buffy said:
I’ve only got the flat bowls and some bread and butter plates. They were cheap ones from Safeway, I think. I needed some that could go in the microwave…..our kitchen set has a gold bit in the decoration.
And good morning. Cool at the moment but going into the thirties. I’ve watered. Now I have to get up and paint before it gets too hot to do it. (Inside, so not too bad)
I got mine from WoolWorths…they were so colourful and just the right size for a lot of things…
buffy said:
Buschka has resisted his charm, but she had to give in at last….
This is the first time she has shared the beanbag. Until now she has vacated and gone somewhere else when he has made overtures to share.
:)
So lovely. I envy you and your dogs.
Morning from me too. I’ve watered as well, whatever I can in the early morn. It’s 24/7 thing here atm with drippers. I got one of those ‘pocket’ hoses that expands with water pressure and it has a little flow valve instead of a nozzle. It’s handy to regulate the flow. When I turn the tap off it deflates and drags itself back.
I’ve everything ready to go to install a misting system in the fernery. It hasn’t gone ahead though as I have a broody sitting like a rock on 11 eggs in there. Opps. We shall wait until there’s movement :)
buffy said:
I picked Red Delicious apples this morning. And white fleshed peaches. I think as the peach is about a month later than the Anzac, it might be one called Fragar. It was growing in the garden at Casterton and I took some cuttings a couple of years ago. One of them has this year borne about 20 fruit. Which I am not sharing. It’s a little gem of flavour.
I’m jelly.
buffy said:
Yum!!
OK, not picture perfect, they look a bit ‘organic’, but yum!
Really jelly now.
The young aquaponics fellow will be here today, definitely he said. Good that he’s feeling better. He went off the grid for several weeks.
I looked into how to do the system myself, but the more I read the more confused I got, lol. I’ll have to wait for those who know to show me. I reckon a couple of the polycarbonate roof panels will have to come off to provide more ligght to the grow beds.
Then there’s the heat problem. My patio is a heat box and made worse by the fact that the air conditioner exhausts hot air onto it. It’s the coldest spot in winter too.
JJ and his girlfriend are back together, but sticking to the ground rules hubby and I set for them. Or we’re gunna smack their heads together. They are going fishing with gf’s 3 kids (we love those kids to bits, and the gf :) ) and are calling in shortly. I better set the table for morning tea :)
Still no watering happening here. 2 days of rain happening from tomorrow.
You have my sympathy down south. I guess you won’t get your rains until ours are finished up here.
I’ve been out watching the dragon flys. Just like tiny helicopters whirring about. We also have a total over supply of cicadas here if anybody would like some. We can’t hear on the phone sometimes and they are a bit like having an MRI when you’re standing next to a tree they have moved onto.
Happy Potter said:
The young aquaponics fellow will be here today, definitely he said. Good that he’s feeling better. He went off the grid for several weeks.
I looked into how to do the system myself, but the more I read the more confused I got, lol. I’ll have to wait for those who know to show me. I reckon a couple of the polycarbonate roof panels will have to come off to provide more ligght to the grow beds.
Then there’s the heat problem. My patio is a heat box and made worse by the fact that the air conditioner exhausts hot air onto it. It’s the coldest spot in winter too.JJ and his girlfriend are back together, but sticking to the ground rules hubby and I set for them. Or we’re gunna smack their heads together. They are going fishing with gf’s 3 kids (we love those kids to bits, and the gf :) ) and are calling in shortly. I better set the table for morning tea :)
Morning HP and have a happy day.
Happy Potter said:
JJ and his girlfriend are back together, but sticking to the ground rules hubby and I set for them. Or we’re gunna smack their heads together. They are going fishing with gf’s 3 kids (we love those kids to bits, and the gf :) ) and are calling in shortly. I better set the table for morning tea :)
pomolo said:
I’ve been out watching the dragon flys. Just like tiny helicopters whirring about. We also have a total over supply of cicadas here if anybody would like some. We can’t hear on the phone sometimes and they are a bit like having an MRI when you’re standing next to a tree they have moved onto.
One benefit of not having hearing aids (and the only one) is not being able to hear cicadas…
buffy said:
Yum!!
OK, not picture perfect, they look a bit ‘organic’, but yum!
they do look good. thanks for the fire update too – i’m glad it’s only smoke some of which has blow over here on a strong easterly wind.
i lost my apples due to windiness
most the quinces are being pecked by birds.
the figs are enjoying the weather here along with the grapes
OK. I don’t know how many more years I am going to be able to do 12ft ceilings. Actually, I do. I’m only doing these two rooms because they are small. I have a bigger job – kitchen and hall – which I have decided to do later in the year. But I will pay someone to do the ceiling and cornices and then I’ll do the walls and finishing stuff. It’ a bit precarious up the ladder balancing and reaching.
(Going to be good though. The high ceilings and fancy cornicing do look smart)
We seem to still be hogging the fire fighting aircraft…..We presently have Bomber 351 (air tractor), Bomber 353 (PZL M18-dromader) and Bomber 357 (PZL M18 – dromader), also Firebird 301 and Firespotter 387 over in this general area. Last weekend we had 14 craft around the Grampians.
Had another lot of smoke come through an hour or so back, but still not too bad. Getting very hot outside again now though.
buffy said:
OK. I don’t know how many more years I am going to be able to do 12ft ceilings. Actually, I do. I’m only doing these two rooms because they are small. I have a bigger job – kitchen and hall – which I have decided to do later in the year. But I will pay someone to do the ceiling and cornices and then I’ll do the walls and finishing stuff. It’ a bit precarious up the ladder balancing and reaching.
(Going to be good though. The high ceilings and fancy cornicing do look smart)
D and I painted inside our house when we moved in 17years ago. Swore then that we’d never do it again. Our house is tiny too.
buffy said:
OK. I don’t know how many more years I am going to be able to do 12ft ceilings. Actually, I do. I’m only doing these two rooms because they are small. I have a bigger job – kitchen and hall – which I have decided to do later in the year. But I will pay someone to do the ceiling and cornices and then I’ll do the walls and finishing stuff. It’ a bit precarious up the ladder balancing and reaching.
(Going to be good though. The high ceilings and fancy cornicing do look smart)
Yes it’s worth the effort, but I do think ceilings are harder work than walls…can you hire two high ladders with scaffolding? I’m thinking of doing that when a bit more $financial$ pretty sure that’s how Mum did it: she had her own painter’s ladder from when Dad used to do maintenance work on the outside of the house, and I still have the scaffold…duckboard…wooden walk thing…
Mowed the footpath and half the front yard yesterday. The mower sounds more and more crook. Whippersnipped the edge of the gutter as a thumb sign to those who think my place is derelict…who knew I have a talent for accurate whippersnippering the edge of the gutter…figjam…
Dinetta said:
Mowed the footpath and half the front yard yesterday. The mower sounds more and more crook. Whippersnipped the edge of the gutter as a thumb sign to those who think my place is derelict…who knew I have a talent for accurate whippersnippering the edge of the gutter…figjam…
Wonder how the grass grows on the footpath unless it is a green sward.
What type of mower is it? and by sounding more and more crook do you mean misfiring or blowing smoke or..?
roughbarked said:
Dinetta said:
Mowed the footpath and half the front yard yesterday. The mower sounds more and more crook. Whippersnipped the edge of the gutter as a thumb sign to those who think my place is derelict…who knew I have a talent for accurate whippersnippering the edge of the gutter…figjam…
Wonder how the grass grows on the footpath unless it is a green sward.
What type of mower is it? and by sounding more and more crook do you mean misfiring or blowing smoke or..?
The grass on the footpath becomes more of a green sward as the Wet progresseth. I am thinking of throwing some purchased Dynamic Lifter on it, saving the under-roost droppings for the roses, etc…
Ah off the top of my head, it is a Honda 4 stroke. A mulcher mower. By more and more crook, I mean that if I have the whatsit … blades… too low, it struggles until it conks out. Then it won’t start no matter what. So I have done today’s half of the front yard on a high setting, planning to re-do with a lower setting in a few days time. It also blows smoke. Just does not have that strong energetic putter-putter of a tuneful mower.
Is it me? I bought some fabric / upholstery deodorant today, as the mattress had meece living in it all those years ago when the house was first let…during nights like tonight, humidity causes the meece smell to waft gently from the mattress. This wakes me up. So I sprayed with Pet Deo and the perfume seems rather strong.
I also sprinkled NapiSan Vanish onto my one square of carpet, the perfume just about knocks me out. Am I noticing the smells more or are they all heavily loaded with perfume?
Usually I use EcoStore laundry powder and EarthChoice softener (the towels can come out like sandpaper otherwise: bracing I know but I prefer the little luxury of towels I can fold without snapping in half..) For my hands, Pears and EcoStore hand washes. For the vinyl floor: Earth Choice floor and surface cleaner with a drop of peppermint added. Just a drop. Any more and I can hardly get back into that room for a few hours. All these have a faint perfume, just enough to be pleasant.
It’s hard to get EcoStore here. Earth Choice is available but for laundry powders and liquids it’s good old Kitchen and Lever (or the other way around?) et al…
Dinetta said:
Am I noticing the smells more or are they all heavily loaded with perfume?
I can’t stand perfumed products either.
Dinetta said:
roughbarked said:
Dinetta said:
Mowed the footpath and half the front yard yesterday. The mower sounds more and more crook. Whippersnipped the edge of the gutter as a thumb sign to those who think my place is derelict…who knew I have a talent for accurate whippersnippering the edge of the gutter…figjam…
Wonder how the grass grows on the footpath unless it is a green sward.
What type of mower is it? and by sounding more and more crook do you mean misfiring or blowing smoke or..?
The grass on the footpath becomes more of a green sward as the Wet progresseth. I am thinking of throwing some purchased Dynamic Lifter on it, saving the under-roost droppings for the roses, etc…
Ah off the top of my head, it is a Honda 4 stroke. A mulcher mower. By more and more crook, I mean that if I have the whatsit … blades… too low, it struggles until it conks out. Then it won’t start no matter what. So I have done today’s half of the front yard on a high setting, planning to re-do with a lower setting in a few days time. It also blows smoke. Just does not have that strong energetic putter-putter of a tuneful mower.
Most Honda owners never take the mower back for the first service because they usually run so well. The instructions should detail that the mower should be serviced after five hours of operation. Basically any mower should be given a minor service before starting. If the mower is kept clean and the blades kept sharp, the load on the motor and all moving parts will be less. The load will also always be less and the cut much cleaner if the first mow of thick grass is done at a higher blade setting. You’ll probably note a build up of grass clippings around the rotor guard and in the exit chute. This also inhibits the ease of mowing. Keeping the operation area of blades an chute clean will make mowing more easy. A Honda always works much better with a new air filter. All motors do and it is no different with a Honda though genuine parts are not inexpensive. Cleaning the air filter will always help the motor start immediately and run more efficiently. It is most probably this that causes the mower to blow smoke. Mowing lawns is hard on air filters. The load of heavy thick grass on a low setting with a dirty air filter will cause the mower to gag and cut out and be hard to start. Taking the air filter off will cause the mower to start more easily in such situations and is a direct indication that the air filter is clogged. Fuel and spark are the two main issues with motors. If the spark plug is clean and adjusted correctly and is making spark then the problem will be fuel, a part of which is the air that is sucked in through the air filter to generate the fuel-air mix that combusts. Thus the spark plug should be checked and cleaned and adjusted to the correct gap regularly and the air filter should be cleaned before use and replaced when cleaning no longer solves the problems. Honda motors all have an oil level sensor that cuts off the ignition whenever the oil level is too low. This is a good thing. Keep the oil level at the correct level. Over filling the oil level and running on rough ground may also cause the mower to blow black smoke.
Good morning. Only dropped to 18 degrees overnight, still warm. The sun is out now and the temp is climbing. But no wind to speak of at the moment. I’ll be up the ladder putting a topcoat on the ceiling very shortly.
>>Ah off the top of my head, it is a Honda 4 stroke. A mulcher mower. By more and more crook, I mean that if I have the whatsit … blades… too low, it struggles until it conks out. Then it won’t start no matter what. So I have done today’s half of the front yard on a high setting, planning to re-do with a lower setting in a few days time. It also blows smoke. Just does not have that strong energetic putter-putter of a tuneful mower. <<
I had one of the early mulcher mowers and it worked brilliantly for years. Is yours one of the newer ones with the plastic insert bit so you can either catch or mulch? Whichever it is, make sure all the area around the blades is clear. In damp stuff (Autumn/Winter/Spring for us), the clippings stick in there and clog things up. Because the way the mulching works is to throw the clippings upwards, so they then go through the blades again on the way down, wet stuff can stick and then the blades can’t move properly. Sometimes I find it necessary to stop several times during damp mowing to clean out underneath (just as well we have gum trees around, sticks are a dime a dozen!). It is easier, if you have the time, to do a high cut, then a medium cut, then a low cut on successive days. If yours has the insert bit, you have to remove it periodically and clean that too.
If you are mowing in dry stuff like I am at the moment, just gumleaves, dust and grass heads, you can collect a lot of junk on the plastic insert. But more importantly in these conditions, the dust gets into the air filter. (And sometimes into other mysterious working bits). If you know where the air filter is, take it off and tap it clean after each mow or so. Mr buffy cleans ours with the air pressure Boy’s Toy too sometimes. Recently my mower got gluggy and the mower man said it was a blockage in the carburettor. This is a Hazard of Mowing Dust. Works fine now that he has fixed it.
Morning. Woke to heavy rain happening. Thought that it must be the predicted 200 to 300 mls arriving but it was just a shower. Sun is out now and it’s pretty warm.
We might get our gear on and go to the Sunday markets for a poke around. Not that we don’t already have gear on but we’re still in our PJs.
Found the white headed Pigeons nest. They decided to put it in the old Duranta. Away from the house and our peering eyes. Maybe they were embarrased.
roughbarked said:
Most Honda owners never take the mower back for the first service because they usually run so well. The instructions should detail that the mower should be serviced after five hours of operation. Basically any mower should be given a minor service before starting. If the mower is kept clean and the blades kept sharp, the load on the motor and all moving parts will be less. The load will also always be less and the cut much cleaner if the first mow of thick grass is done at a higher blade setting. You’ll probably note a build up of grass clippings around the rotor guard and in the exit chute. This also inhibits the ease of mowing. Keeping the operation area of blades an chute clean will make mowing more easy. A Honda always works much better with a new air filter. All motors do and it is no different with a Honda though genuine parts are not inexpensive. Cleaning the air filter will always help the motor start immediately and run more efficiently. It is most probably this that causes the mower to blow smoke. Mowing lawns is hard on air filters. The load of heavy thick grass on a low setting with a dirty air filter will cause the mower to gag and cut out and be hard to start. Taking the air filter off will cause the mower to start more easily in such situations and is a direct indication that the air filter is clogged. Fuel and spark are the two main issues with motors. If the spark plug is clean and adjusted correctly and is making spark then the problem will be fuel, a part of which is the air that is sucked in through the air filter to generate the fuel-air mix that combusts. Thus the spark plug should be checked and cleaned and adjusted to the correct gap regularly and the air filter should be cleaned before use and replaced when cleaning no longer solves the problems. Honda motors all have an oil level sensor that cuts off the ignition whenever the oil level is too low. This is a good thing. Keep the oil level at the correct level. Over filling the oil level and running on rough ground may also cause the mower to blow black smoke.
Gee whiz, thanks RoughBarked… :) The Mower did go back for it’s preliminary 5 hour service, in fact it has been serviced, like all the toys, every Christmas. However that hasn’t happened this year. P did check the oil (tiniest dipstick ever) and also took out the air filter and gave it a good couple of bangs. Rough ground might be a key. IF I can remember where it is, should I take out the air filter and give it a good vacuum?
P buys the “toys”, I play with them and then he takes them back to the Mower Shed for their annual check up and his annual chat to the owner of the MS…
buffy said:
I had one of the early mulcher mowers and it worked brilliantly for years. Is yours one of the newer ones with the plastic insert bit so you can either catch or mulch? Whichever it is, make sure all the area around the blades is clear. In damp stuff (Autumn/Winter/Spring for us), the clippings stick in there and clog things up. Because the way the mulching works is to throw the clippings upwards, so they then go through the blades again on the way down, wet stuff can stick and then the blades can’t move properly. Sometimes I find it necessary to stop several times during damp mowing to clean out underneath (just as well we have gum trees around, sticks are a dime a dozen!). It is easier, if you have the time, to do a high cut, then a medium cut, then a low cut on successive days. If yours has the insert bit, you have to remove it periodically and clean that too.
If you are mowing in dry stuff like I am at the moment, just gumleaves, dust and grass heads, you can collect a lot of junk on the plastic insert. But more importantly in these conditions, the dust gets into the air filter. (And sometimes into other mysterious working bits). If you know where the air filter is, take it off and tap it clean after each mow or so. Mr buffy cleans ours with the air pressure Boy’s Toy too sometimes. Recently my mower got gluggy and the mower man said it was a blockage in the carburettor. This is a Hazard of Mowing Dust. Works fine now that he has fixed it.
Thanks to you too, Buffy. All advice gratefully received.
It’s about 3 – 5 year old. It does have that plastic insert but I“m pretty sure it’s not in at the moment. Also I have the back flap tied up. This means I walk to one side of the handles but that’s OK. I’ll tip it over later and have a better look at the blades and the spindle (?) that the blade plate rotates on.
Will definitely take out the air filter. Not sure if I have the air compressor here or if it’s down there…
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.
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.
V
I“ve been doing high cuts all along, no point in wasting a Wet Season sward with scalping cuts, but this time I thought “Oh I’ll do a low cut, the grass is thick and growing so fast”… and lowered the blade plate…
Lesson learned…
pomolo said:
Found the white headed Pigeons nest. They decided to put it in the old Duranta. Away from the house and our peering eyes. Maybe they were embarrased.
Does that duranta have thorns? I’ve a Giesha Girl duranta that has a few wrens / (other little bird) nests and they live there (the birds do) when not nesting. Because of the thorns…
Dinetta said:
buffy said:I had one of the early mulcher mowers and it worked brilliantly for years. Is yours one of the newer ones with the plastic insert bit so you can either catch or mulch? Whichever it is, make sure all the area around the blades is clear. In damp stuff (Autumn/Winter/Spring for us), the clippings stick in there and clog things up. Because the way the mulching works is to throw the clippings upwards, so they then go through the blades again on the way down, wet stuff can stick and then the blades can’t move properly. Sometimes I find it necessary to stop several times during damp mowing to clean out underneath (just as well we have gum trees around, sticks are a dime a dozen!). It is easier, if you have the time, to do a high cut, then a medium cut, then a low cut on successive days. If yours has the insert bit, you have to remove it periodically and clean that too.
If you are mowing in dry stuff like I am at the moment, just gumleaves, dust and grass heads, you can collect a lot of junk on the plastic insert. But more importantly in these conditions, the dust gets into the air filter. (And sometimes into other mysterious working bits). If you know where the air filter is, take it off and tap it clean after each mow or so. Mr buffy cleans ours with the air pressure Boy’s Toy too sometimes. Recently my mower got gluggy and the mower man said it was a blockage in the carburettor. This is a Hazard of Mowing Dust. Works fine now that he has fixed it.
Thanks to you too, Buffy. All advice gratefully received.
It’s about 3 – 5 year old. It does have that plastic insert but I“m pretty sure it’s not in at the moment. Also I have the back flap tied up. This means I walk to one side of the handles but that’s OK. I’ll tip it over later and have a better look at the blades and the spindle (?) that the blade plate rotates on.
Will definitely take out the air filter. Not sure if I have the air compressor here or if it’s down there…
.
.
.
.
VI“ve been doing high cuts all along, no point in wasting a Wet Season sward with scalping cuts, but this time I thought “Oh I’ll do a low cut, the grass is thick and growing so fast”… and lowered the blade plate…
Lesson learned…
Buffy’s inf is good and she agrees with mine. :)
I have in the past tied the chute flap up and tried to walk on the side(laws of physics turn this into a pipe dream). One day, the main shaft twisted itself off and the rotor plate including blades.. whizzed past my leg by a matter of millimetres..
roughbarked said:
Buffy’s inf is good and she agrees with mine. :)
I have in the past tied the chute flap up and tried to walk on the side(laws of physics turn this into a pipe dream). One day, the main shaft twisted itself off and the rotor plate including blades.. whizzed past my leg by a matter of millimetres..
It’s a Honda motor on a Victor mower…not sure what that means…it does mean, however, I should note the model number from somewhere and look it up on the WWW…
Have tipped it over, cleared out the air filter (fascinating thing), checked the oil…obviously my memory is defective as the dipstick is at least 5” long…the blade plate shaft was clear…all clear underneath in fact…storm clods are gathering so I’ll duck out in a minute and mow again…then let the chookens out and they can follow me around the back yard…
Well, that’s the undercoat/sealer/primer on the walls. Tomorrow the topcoat can go on. Then we wait for the cabinetry, the floor covering and then the builder and plumber can finish off with the shower screen and the pedestal basin. Builder is away for a week anyway.
Arvo. Back from my days adventures. I went to the poultry auction to pick up three 6 week old black silkies and ended up bidding on, and winning, a trio of splash silkies. They are gorgeous!
It was so hot there I thought I was going to faint. My linen shirt was soaked, went and sat in the car with the air con on with the basket of chicks waiting for the auction to end. I went back with 5 mins to go and stood in front of the cage I was bidding on, paid the fellow and he boxed the three I won, then I left immediately.
I left the birds inside in cages with food and water dishes and went for a little nap. I feel a bit more human now.
Tomorrow or tues I’m off to Macedon with a friends trailer to pick up some bricks. They will be used to sit the aquaponic grow beds on. They are too good for this purpose, they Italian, very ornate and interlocking blocks for retaining walls. But in the absence of anything else or the money to buy bricks, they will do. They’re free from a lovely friend and they’re being stored under some decking. She and I are going to drag them out and load the trailer. Hello spideys lol.
The mans at work, and JJ is going to make he and I a spot of tea later. I have some watering to do. And pop chicks and splash chooks into pens. Somewhere lol.
Where are you going to put the new chickies (congrats on scoring them) and the bricks sound lovely…you’ll show them off one day, you’ll see…
Dinetta said:
Where are you going to put the new chickies (congrats on scoring them) and the bricks sound lovely…you’ll show them off one day, you’ll see…
There’s a roo in the splash trio that I won’t be keeping, and I’m sure one of the little blacks is a male. I will pass them on or cull if homes can’t be found. I left broody pens empty inside the silkies run, didn’t get to fold them away and rake the area, so they will come in handy for temp housing for this lot.
All of them will get the newcomers treatment, worming dusting, and vits’.
I was thinking re the bricks.. if they are nice enough then I won’t have to cover the sides with teatree as I was going to, to hide whatever I was going to stand the beds on.
If there’s a Grand Central Station in the chooken world, it’s at your place, Happy Potter lol!
I think I will take the dog for a walk after all, he’s been really good and hasn’t tried to dig the chickens out at all today…
Dinetta said:
If there’s a Grand Central Station in the chooken world, it’s at your place, Happy Potter lol!I think I will take the dog for a walk after all, he’s been really good and hasn’t tried to dig the chickens out at all today…
LOL, at both statements :)
Was just thinking, I’ve been hatching buying or swapping chickens at will because there’s no one to say otherwise. Other poultry friends and aquaintances are saying they didn’t get this or that bird today at the auction because their other half said no. So that makes me uncontrollable LOL.
Dinetta said:
pomolo said:Found the white headed Pigeons nest. They decided to put it in the old Duranta. Away from the house and our peering eyes. Maybe they were embarrased.
Does that duranta have thorns? I’ve a Giesha Girl duranta that has a few wrens / (other little bird) nests and they live there (the birds do) when not nesting. Because of the thorns…
I’m not sure. It’s an old one. Been there for years. I have a few Giesha Girls too but never noticed thorns on them but I do prune them every year.
Happy Potter said:
Was just thinking, I’ve been hatching buying or swapping chickens at will because there’s no one to say otherwise. Other poultry friends and aquaintances are saying they didn’t get this or that bird today at the auction because their other half said no. So that makes me uncontrollable LOL.
P refused to have chickens for ever so long, then he said OK if Sonny Jim builds the hen house. This never happened of course but once the 10 “hens” and Pancho joined the family, he became suckered because of the eggs. And that is why he bought be 8 hens for Christmas, lol!
pomolo said:
I’m not sure. It’s an old one. Been there for years. I have a few Giesha Girls too but never noticed thorns on them but I do prune them every year.
OK, maybe not thorns but they do have pricklies along the branches…I hardly pruned mine because it always seemed to have an active nest where I wanted to prune…
Good morning Gardeners. Lovely and cool here at 15 degrees now. Although it took quite some time to drop. I was still sweating in the early hours of the morning.
Might go for a little bike ride before climbing the ladder again. Topcoat to go on the walls today. Then we wait for the builder and cabinet maker to finish. Should only be another couple of weeks now.
OK, turned into, I’ll just do some mowing before climbing the ladder. Lovely mixed up ‘lawn’ of chopped up grassheads and eucalyptus bark and twigs now. I rather like it. Now eating. Then the ladders and the paint.
:)
I hope the neighbours liked the wake-up lawnmower at 7.20am.
Happy Monday. Haven’t made a plan for today. Whatever I do it will have to be inside. I know I’ve got ironing and mending to do but will I get that desperate???
Should have rented some more DVDs.
getting back to Basil..
roughbarked said:
getting back to Basil..
it looks more like a shiny seaweed with those salt crystals on top and bearded edges….
i thought someone said that nothing eats basil – and yet there is a row of eggs, an ant, a ‘roach and a weird looking brown thing on this very plant.
i’m going to take a magnified look at my basil…
Well, mowing done. Ceiling cut in and rolled (2nd topcoat). Walls cut in and rolled. (1st topcoat, and hoping I won’t need to do a second. I rolled the paint on fairly thickly for both coats. And the sealer/undercoat/primer tricoat was tinted.
There is a new coffee shop open here in Penshurst. It’s been a year and a half since Kelly died and we lost our coffee shop. I’ll go round later and see how good their coffee is.
justin said:
roughbarked said:
getting back to Basil..
it looks more like a shiny seaweed with those salt crystals on top and bearded edges….
i thought someone said that nothing eats basil – and yet there is a row of eggs, an ant, a ‘roach and a weird looking brown thing on this very plant.i’m going to take a magnified look at my basil…
Right click/save to disk. for later closer inspection. ;)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99559986@N00/8504627429/sizes/o/in/photostream/
justin said:
roughbarked said:
getting back to Basil..
it looks more like a shiny seaweed with those salt crystals on top and bearded edges….
i thought someone said that nothing eats basil – and yet there is a row of eggs, an ant, a ‘roach and a weird looking brown thing on this very plant.i’m going to take a magnified look at my basil…
It is the flower head of the basil, the brown stuff is the dried out petals. I don’t think there are any ants or ‘roaches, thought maybe aphids but not sure.
roughbarked said:
justin said:
roughbarked said:
getting back to Basil..
it looks more like a shiny seaweed with those salt crystals on top and bearded edges….
i thought someone said that nothing eats basil – and yet there is a row of eggs, an ant, a ‘roach and a weird looking brown thing on this very plant.i’m going to take a magnified look at my basil…
Right click/save to disk. for later closer inspection. ;)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99559986@N00/8504627429/sizes/o/in/photostream/
its a basil flower stem – the brown thing is a spent flower – the white ‘salt’ is fallen petals
i have a photo (coming) with bees as well – but no ‘roaches, eggs or bearded undersides.
buffy said:
Well, mowing done. Ceiling cut in and rolled (2nd topcoat). Walls cut in and rolled. (1st topcoat, and hoping I won’t need to do a second. I rolled the paint on fairly thickly for both coats. And the sealer/undercoat/primer tricoat was tinted.
There is a new coffee shop open here in Penshurst. It’s been a year and a half since Kelly died and we lost our coffee shop. I’ll go round later and see how good their coffee is.
after all that work you deserve a good coffee (with cognac).
i can see the white petals, the ant, the flower stem leaves
pomolo said:
Happy Monday. Haven’t made a plan for today. Whatever I do it will have to be inside. I know I’ve got ironing and mending to do but will I get that desperate???Should have rented some more DVDs.
LOL! I vacuumed the floors, this wet weather makes the outside track in…no point in mopping, it just takes too long to dry…
Dinetta said:
pomolo said:
Happy Monday. Haven’t made a plan for today. Whatever I do it will have to be inside. I know I’ve got ironing and mending to do but will I get that desperate???Should have rented some more DVDs.
LOL! I vacuumed the floors, this wet weather makes the outside track in…no point in mopping, it just takes too long to dry…
I read my book, ate, and drank coffee. Totally wasted a whole day.
Has to be ironing and mending today. Can’t spend two days reading. Or can I?
pomolo said:
Has to be ironing and mending today. Can’t spend two days reading. Or can I?
you can if you haven’t finished the book yet ;)
pomolo said:
Has to be ironing and mending today. Can’t spend two days reading. Or can I?
I could!!
Evening :)
I did lots of running about today, poultry supplies place for grower pellets, pet place for Max’s food, got a new bigger rat trap..then an eye test for both of us and I need a new script. 2 new pairs of glasses on order, one pair multi focal for everyday and the other for distance single vision for night driving. But my eyes are otherwise healthy, no glaucoma or mac’ degeneration. Yay.
Hubby wasn’t so lucky. He has the start of cataracts and as time goes on he will need eye surgery for new lenses.
Checked out a new freezer to replace 2 old ones from a seconds place at half the new price (freezer perfect, box ripped. I’m gunna rip the box up anyway aye)
Gardening wise, I picked a big bagful of eggplants and tomatoes, hand pollinated several more pumpkin flowers, picked a barrowful of pigweed and the chooks hoed into it, picked lemons and limes, a huge bunch of rhubarb, a dozen passionfruit and a bagful of apples.
And for once I didn’t have to water a thing :)
And for once I didn’t have to water a thing :)
Happy Potter said:
Hubby wasn’t so lucky. He has the start of cataracts and as time goes on he will need eye surgery for new lenses.
did they put drops in his eyes? I was told I had the start of cataracts once by an optometrist who used the drops to dilate the iris. Later I saw another one who didn’t use the drops and said they were fine. I told him what the other person said and he said that the drops will show things that are beyond the normal eye function and are really of no concern. It is not until it is evident in the normal eye function that you start worrying. It was interesting and made me wonder if it is really necessary to use the drops. Buffy might have an opinion on this.
bluegreen said:
Happy Potter said:Hubby wasn’t so lucky. He has the start of cataracts and as time goes on he will need eye surgery for new lenses.
did they put drops in his eyes? I was told I had the start of cataracts once by an optometrist who used the drops to dilate the iris. Later I saw another one who didn’t use the drops and said they were fine. I told him what the other person said and he said that the drops will show things that are beyond the normal eye function and are really of no concern. It is not until it is evident in the normal eye function that you start worrying. It was interesting and made me wonder if it is really necessary to use the drops. Buffy might have an opinion on this.
Yes, this was confirmed after several visits but it is very early and not causing him any loss of sight atm. He will have to have more frequent tests. He has only recently started needling prescrption glasses and he is finding them very hard to get used to. He ran over one pair with a forklift, another pair with a work ute, and complained that another pair wern’t any good, until he realised when he poked himself in the eye that one of the lenses had fallen out.
Mrs Daughter set about finding him ‘dad proof’ glasses. And like it or not, he needs those rope necklace things that stop glasses from falling and hitting the floor when they’re dropped, don’t know what they’re called, spec’s lanyard?, or he will lose them again.
>>Hubby wasn’t so lucky. He has the start of cataracts and as time goes on he will need eye surgery for new lenses. <<
Cataract is a perfectly normal part of ageing. Pretty much everyone gets cataract. The cells of the lens of the eye are embryologically the same as skin…..so UV and light over a lifetime degrades the clarity of the lens. There is also a peculiarity of the structure of the lens….it’s like an onion. The stuff you were born with is in the centre, and over a lifetime new layers go on the outside. So the thing retains a lot of stuff that other structures in the body remove.
How old is he? Most of the people I see (and remember, my practice is largely geriatric, with 20% of the consultations I do being with people 80 or older, so I have a skewed idea of what is old! 80 is not old to me!!) do not need to do anything about their ageing lenses until their middle seventies. My philosophy is to correct with lenses (glasses) as long as possible to retain the legal requirements for driving, while remembering that night driving gets considerably glarier and should probably be avoided by older folk who haven’t yet had their cataracts done. When I note cataract that has started to affect vision, either because I have to change a glasses prescription in a particular way, or because even with lenses the person can’t get quite as far down the chart as before, I check again 6 months after that. Remember also that I have had my practice for 27 years and have been practising in this district for 31 years, so usually I’ve got years of previous records for me to know when things start to change. So, if there is change at 6 months, I adjust the glasses again, and check at 6 months. It’s actually pretty rare for that to happen. Often we go up to ten years after the first indications that something is on the move before we actually have to use a surgeon.
There is great variability in people. Some people I mentioned very early cataract to 20 years ago still haven’t needed to get anything done. A couple of times every two or three years someone goes from very early to go to the surgeon in 6 months or less.
It’s likely to take quite some time to come to anything.
My great grandmother went blind from cataracts. This was back in the 1940’s. She used to occupy herself by tatting from memory.
buffy said:
>>Hubby wasn’t so lucky. He has the start of cataracts and as time goes on he will need eye surgery for new lenses. <<
Cataract is a perfectly normal part of ageing. Pretty much everyone gets cataract. The cells of the lens of the eye are embryologically the same as skin…..so UV and light over a lifetime degrades the clarity of the lens. There is also a peculiarity of the structure of the lens….it’s like an onion. The stuff you were born with is in the centre, and over a lifetime new layers go on the outside. So the thing retains a lot of stuff that other structures in the body remove.
How old is he? Most of the people I see (and remember, my practice is largely geriatric, with 20% of the consultations I do being with people 80 or older, so I have a skewed idea of what is old! 80 is not old to me!!) do not need to do anything about their ageing lenses until their middle seventies. My philosophy is to correct with lenses (glasses) as long as possible to retain the legal requirements for driving, while remembering that night driving gets considerably glarier and should probably be avoided by older folk who haven’t yet had their cataracts done. When I note cataract that has started to affect vision, either because I have to change a glasses prescription in a particular way, or because even with lenses the person can’t get quite as far down the chart as before, I check again 6 months after that. Remember also that I have had my practice for 27 years and have been practising in this district for 31 years, so usually I’ve got years of previous records for me to know when things start to change. So, if there is change at 6 months, I adjust the glasses again, and check at 6 months. It’s actually pretty rare for that to happen. Often we go up to ten years after the first indications that something is on the move before we actually have to use a surgeon.
There is great variability in people. Some people I mentioned very early cataract to 20 years ago still haven’t needed to get anything done. A couple of times every two or three years someone goes from very early to go to the surgeon in 6 months or less.
It’s likely to take quite some time to come to anything.
Interesting, and thankyou, his opthomoligist didn’t tell him anything like that but just to wait. He is 54 next month.
Distress call from GS, and I have been on the phone for ages.. said he felt someone touching him, he was adamant something was touching his arm and leg, and ‘saw’ things, but didn’t hear anything like voices, so I’m just monitoring him. He doesn’t sleep sometimes for days on end and I told him his mind can’t work properly without rest, so talked him into going to bed. Like I haven’t told him that 100s of times before. Psych appt thurs for him.
Massive downpour just now and the water came up to the back door, patio flooded and I had to rescue some tool boxes and things on the concrete. The gutters overflowed again, water ran down the house walls and I had to rescue the broody in the fernery. She was dry under the eve but water was running under her nesting box which is a small pet carrier. I put her in the laundry for the night. She’s sitting like a rock and she didn’t make a peep and not a single feather was ruffled.
The frogs are back. It’s been a long while since they were about, but then I remembered we’d taken all of the yabbies out of the pond, so they were probably just waiting for the biteys to dissapear! The bio filter container sprung a leak at the outlet hose join. I switched the pump and uv clarifier off and it’s a still pond for now. It only had to last for one more month thn the AP grow beds will take it’s place. Needs lotsa duct tape ;)
>>He is 54 next month.<<
Without knowing his personal circumstances, I would say it would be rather exceptional for this to be a problem inside about 15 years. It’s also possible there is some congenital (from birth) marks on his lenses which is what has been remarked upon. The youngest adult I have sent for surgery was 32 at the time. But they had used steroid ointments of unknown strength around the eye area and developed steroid cataract. Those ones came on fairly fast but that is not normal.
Some surgeons these days go in a lot earlier for surgery than others. “My” surgeons (the ones I refer to in this area) are conservative. I like that.
And good morning Gardeners. Fifteen degrees and foggy here this morning!
Gardening wise, I picked a big bagful of eggplants and tomatoes, hand pollinated several more pumpkin flowers, picked a barrowful of pigweed and the chooks hoed into it, picked lemons and limes, a huge bunch of rhubarb, a dozen passionfruit and a bagful of apples.
—————————————————————
morning happy potter
picked lemons and limes? – ripe or green?
it’s apple and pear time here but the citrus is not ripe as yet.
ducks are making lots of noise outside my lounge room window where a pool forms with the runoff from the patio roof. Lots of little contented noises as they dabble with the occasional loud quacking from the females.
bluegreen said:
pomolo said:
Has to be ironing and mending today. Can’t spend two days reading. Or can I?
you can if you haven’t finished the book yet ;)
And I did. I did squeeze in some mending though.
Dinetta said:
pomolo said:
Has to be ironing and mending today. Can’t spend two days reading. Or can I?
I could!!
Ha ha.
justin said:
Gardening wise, I picked a big bagful of eggplants and tomatoes, hand pollinated several more pumpkin flowers, picked a barrowful of pigweed and the chooks hoed into it, picked lemons and limes, a huge bunch of rhubarb, a dozen passionfruit and a bagful of apples.—————————————————————
morning happy potter
picked lemons and limes? – ripe or green?
it’s apple and pear time here but the citrus is not ripe as yet.
Half ripe lemons – I find they set jams better than the fully ripe yellow , limes also have the stongest flavour when still deep green. I find that limes left on the tree until they go much lighter or yellow to not have much lime flavour and taste more like a lemon.
I made seven pasatta bottles of lime cordial and it’s dissapearing fast. I did tell them ‘moderation’ as it’s sugary, but the man especially loves it. He drank a whole 1.5 lt jug yesty. It’s very strong though and only 150 mls of the cordial base is needed for a 1.5- 2 lt lt jug. It has a lovely deep real lime flavour. I don’t give bottles of this one away or share any as he hogs it. If I tell him I need a tub of seasol to bolster the 5 lime trees, it magically appears, no worries at all lol.
buffy said:
>>He is 54 next month.<<
Without knowing his personal circumstances, I would say it would be rather exceptional for this to be a problem inside about 15 years. It’s also possible there is some congenital (from birth) marks on his lenses which is what has been remarked upon. The youngest adult I have sent for surgery was 32 at the time. But they had used steroid ointments of unknown strength around the eye area and developed steroid cataract. Those ones came on fairly fast but that is not normal.
Some surgeons these days go in a lot earlier for surgery than others. “My” surgeons (the ones I refer to in this area) are conservative. I like that.
And good morning Gardeners. Fifteen degrees and foggy here this morning!
I will be sure to let him read your comments :)
Happy Potter said:
Evening :)
I did lots of running about today, poultry supplies place for grower pellets, pet place for Max’s food, got a new bigger rat trap..then an eye test for both of us and I need a new script. 2 new pairs of glasses on order, one pair multi focal for everyday and the other for distance single vision for night driving. But my eyes are otherwise healthy, no glaucoma or mac’ degeneration. Yay.
Hubby wasn’t so lucky. He has the start of cataracts and as time goes on he will need eye surgery for new lenses.Checked out a new freezer to replace 2 old ones from a seconds place at half the new price (freezer perfect, box ripped. I’m gunna rip the box up anyway aye)
Gardening wise, I picked a big bagful of eggplants and tomatoes, hand pollinated several more pumpkin flowers, picked a barrowful of pigweed and the chooks hoed into it, picked lemons and limes, a huge bunch of rhubarb, a dozen passionfruit and a bagful of apples.
And for once I didn’t have to water a thing :)
We only picked snake beans and french beans today. Hold on. I picked a rock melon but made a boo boo because it wasn’t fully ripe. It looked as though it was. Had to throw it away. I’ll do better with the next one. Apparently they should almost fall off the vine when they are ready. You live and learn.
Horrible night. I ended up going to bed about 4 am. I just woke up to feed chooks and let the roo out. Muggy and hot, and will get more rain this arvo I’m told. Bring it on.
Yawn.
I’ll drag myself to quilting today. One of the older ladies is leaving to go into a nursing home and this will be one of her last visits. We have some hand made pressies for her :)
There’s barely a green leaf left on my tomato bushes, all I can see is lot’s of ripening fruit among brown twigs. I lifted the netting off the two triangle strawbery beds to let the more daintely footed chickens in to clean up bugs. They are doing a grand job.
After I take lots of runners from the plants I will be lifting the beds up and removing them, and the mulch underneath, and letting the lawn grow back. We need it. Chooks need it, the dog needs it and even the man said he missed having the lawn to do some of his martial art training on. So the lawn will reappear. The strawb raised beds will probably go one each into chook pens and get refilled and have barly sprouted in them. Covered with wire mesh until it grows taller.
Dinetta said:
My great grandmother went blind from cataracts. This was back in the 1940’s. She used to occupy herself by tatting from memory.
I have been thinking how blindness would affect me if it happened. (because of my wet macula) I figure I would toss in the towel if I couldn’t observe wildlife and the garden. They are my interests now. As for braille, forget it. The sensitivity in the finger tips is no longer acute. What a depressing thought.
Happy Potter said:
Distress call from GS, and I have been on the phone for ages.. said he felt someone touching him, he was adamant something was touching his arm and leg, and ‘saw’ things, but didn’t hear anything like voices, so I’m just monitoring him. He doesn’t sleep sometimes for days on end and I told him his mind can’t work properly without rest, so talked him into going to bed. Like I haven’t told him that 100s of times before. Psych appt thurs for him.Massive downpour just now and the water came up to the back door, patio flooded and I had to rescue some tool boxes and things on the concrete. The gutters overflowed again, water ran down the house walls and I had to rescue the broody in the fernery. She was dry under the eve but water was running under her nesting box which is a small pet carrier. I put her in the laundry for the night. She’s sitting like a rock and she didn’t make a peep and not a single feather was ruffled.
The frogs are back. It’s been a long while since they were about, but then I remembered we’d taken all of the yabbies out of the pond, so they were probably just waiting for the biteys to dissapear! The bio filter container sprung a leak at the outlet hose join. I switched the pump and uv clarifier off and it’s a still pond for now. It only had to last for one more month thn the AP grow beds will take it’s place. Needs lotsa duct tape ;)
Poor GS. Life must be a huge puzzle for him.
So glad you are getting some rain down that way.
pomolo said:
Dinetta said:
My great grandmother went blind from cataracts. This was back in the 1940’s. She used to occupy herself by tatting from memory.
I have been thinking how blindness would affect me if it happened. (because of my wet macula) I figure I would toss in the towel if I couldn’t observe wildlife and the garden. They are my interests now. As for braille, forget it. The sensitivity in the finger tips is no longer acute. What a depressing thought.
in poverty stricken countries is it not unusual for babies to be born blind from cataracts and if not operated on before they reach the age of about 10 will be permanently blind as the neural pathways can’t form after that. Only by the intervention of O/S aid organisations can these children ever have a hope of a “normal” life.
Happy Potter said:
justin said:
Gardening wise, I picked a big bagful of eggplants and tomatoes, hand pollinated several more pumpkin flowers, picked a barrowful of pigweed and the chooks hoed into it, picked lemons and limes, a huge bunch of rhubarb, a dozen passionfruit and a bagful of apples.—————————————————————
morning happy potter
picked lemons and limes? – ripe or green?
it’s apple and pear time here but the citrus is not ripe as yet.
Half ripe lemons – I find they set jams better than the fully ripe yellow , limes also have the stongest flavour when still deep green. I find that limes left on the tree until they go much lighter or yellow to not have much lime flavour and taste more like a lemon.
I made seven pasatta bottles of lime cordial and it’s dissapearing fast. I did tell them ‘moderation’ as it’s sugary, but the man especially loves it. He drank a whole 1.5 lt jug yesty. It’s very strong though and only 150 mls of the cordial base is needed for a 1.5- 2 lt lt jug. It has a lovely deep real lime flavour. I don’t give bottles of this one away or share any as he hogs it. If I tell him I need a tub of seasol to bolster the 5 lime trees, it magically appears, no worries at all lol.
Talking of cordials. I bought a bottle of ginger cordial for non drinkers at D’s party. Although I’m not a cordial drinker it’s not too bad. It comes from our local Buderim Ginger Factory.
bluegreen said:
pomolo said:
Dinetta said:
My great grandmother went blind from cataracts. This was back in the 1940’s. She used to occupy herself by tatting from memory.
I have been thinking how blindness would affect me if it happened. (because of my wet macula) I figure I would toss in the towel if I couldn’t observe wildlife and the garden. They are my interests now. As for braille, forget it. The sensitivity in the finger tips is no longer acute. What a depressing thought.
in poverty stricken countries is it not unusual for babies to be born blind from cataracts and if not operated on before they reach the age of about 10 will be permanently blind as the neural pathways can’t form after that. Only by the intervention of O/S aid organisations can these children ever have a hope of a “normal” life.
There is just so much ‘need’ in the world.
Happy Potter said:
Half ripe lemons – I find they set jams better than the fully ripe yellow , limes also have the stongest flavour when still deep green. I find that limes left on the tree until they go much lighter or yellow to not have much lime flavour and taste more like a lemon.I made seven pasatta bottles of lime cordial and it’s dissapearing fast. I did tell them ‘moderation’ as it’s sugary, but the man especially loves it. He drank a whole 1.5 lt jug yesty. It’s very strong though and only 150 mls of the cordial base is needed for a 1.5- 2 lt lt jug. It has a lovely deep real lime flavour. I don’t give bottles of this one away or share any as he hogs it. If I tell him I need a tub of seasol to bolster the 5 lime trees, it magically appears, no worries at all lol.
Ok – my limes are a bit small but i’ll check them out for juice. we share your hubby’s taste for limes – we have been drinking lime cider all summer because it’s great in a glass full of ice.
no passata bottles here but the brew club (us) has capping capability. it’s getting close to apple and pear cider time as well. i’ll try getting a clearer cider using ‘finings’ this time.
Talking of cordials. I bought a bottle of ginger cordial for non drinkers at D’s party. Although I’m not a cordial drinker it’s not too bad. It comes from our local Buderim Ginger Factory.
———————
the Bunbaberg brewed ginger beer (non-alco) is good but i’ve not tried Buderim.
We brewed quite a lot of non-alco lemonade and that is very powerfully lemonny, or seems so because the commercial lemonades don’t taste of lemon much at all.
pomolo said:
I have been thinking how blindness would affect me if it happened. (because of my wet macula) I figure I would toss in the towel if I couldn’t observe wildlife and the garden. They are my interests now. As for braille, forget it. The sensitivity in the finger tips is no longer acute. What a depressing thought.
If I can’t see, I can’t hear. Simple.
justin said:
Ok – my limes are a bit small but i’ll check them out for juice. we share your hubby’s taste for limes – we have been drinking lime cider all summer because it’s great in a glass full of ice.
no passata bottles here but the brew club (us) has capping capability. it’s getting close to apple and pear cider time as well. i’ll try getting a clearer cider using ‘finings’ this time.
Living the Good Life…
Picking ripe cherry guavas through my bedroom window…they just ripened in the last 2 days…swear that tree has grown a metre in the last month or so…
Dinetta said:
justin said:Ok – my limes are a bit small but i’ll check them out for juice. we share your hubby’s taste for limes – we have been drinking lime cider all summer because it’s great in a glass full of ice.
no passata bottles here but the brew club (us) has capping capability. it’s getting close to apple and pear cider time as well. i’ll try getting a clearer cider using ‘finings’ this time.
Living the Good Life…
Harvest time.
Normally we are freezing tomato sauces but all the toms this year have been eaten. i have some late planted romas just starting to fruit, but the early toms produced a few and then turned brown.
Right now we are picking herbs (parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, lemon balm and verbena), eggplant, capsicums, jalopena peppers (from last year’s plants), asian and french radishes, lebanese and burpless cucumbers, beetroot, carrots…… and sunflowers
Corn, sweet potatoes, tumeric, beans, leeks, ochre, squash, zucchinis, butternuts and potatoes are all growing and might produce – if this rain cheers them up a bit.
justin said:
Harvest time.
Normally we are freezing tomato sauces but all the toms this year have been eaten. i have some late planted romas just starting to fruit, but the early toms produced a few and then turned brown.
Right now we are picking herbs (parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, lemon balm and verbena), eggplant, capsicums, jalopena peppers (from last year’s plants), asian and french radishes, lebanese and burpless cucumbers, beetroot, carrots…… and sunflowers
Corn, sweet potatoes, tumeric, beans, leeks, ochre, squash, zucchinis, butternuts and potatoes are all growing and might produce – if this rain cheers them up a bit.
I was going to say “apart from the butchers’ you wouldn’t need to go to town” but you don’t eat meat do you? It all sounds splendid, hope the potatoes come on for you,,,
GS is settled and calm :)
I’ve been quietly copying recipes into a pretty book for Mrs Daughter for a gift, all her favourites that she loves to make. It’s been very relaxing with the sound of rain on the patio roof and the pobblebonks calling.
I’ve been very busy processing all the seasonal goodies, drying herbs and yet even more eggplants, freezing chopped tomatoes, and so on. I tipped over the third and last spud tower and got a quarter of a bag of spuds. They were all down the bottom. In fact there were more slugs than spuds and all I could see was a sea of chooks bottoms as they had heads all down digging up the goodies. Back to the old way of growing them.
The trailer load of interlocking blocks will arrive tomorrow morning. It was delayed because they found about 120 more partially buried under this decking and are cleaning them for a second load.
What on earth will I use the excess for.. hmm..I could replace the flimsy plastic border keeping the mulch in the fernery bed.. also build a better border around my vege beds. That would make them higher. Then I could fill them up with more goodies!
:D
Happy Potter said:
I’ve been very busy processing all the seasonal goodies, drying herbs and yet even more eggplants, freezing chopped tomatoes, and so on. I tipped over the third and last spud tower and got a quarter of a bag of spuds. They were all down the bottom. In fact there were more slugs than spuds and all I could see was a sea of chooks bottoms as they had heads all down digging up the goodies. Back to the old way of growing them.The trailer load of interlocking blocks will arrive tomorrow morning. It was delayed because they found about 120 more partially buried under this decking and are cleaning them for a second load.
What on earth will I use the excess for.. hmm..I could replace the flimsy plastic border keeping the mulch in the fernery bed.. also build a better border around my vege beds. That would make them higher. Then I could fill them up with more goodies! :D
Glad you’re managing to save most of your summer goodies. “Better” eggs for the next week or so, eh? (All that protein). How were you growing the potatoes this time? I have forgotten…
One thing about the brick blocks, they will not go “off”…
Good morning Holidayers. It feels chilly this morning …… because it is 9 degrees! I quite like it. I think I heard a shower of rain during the night.
Sorry, got my forums wrong….Good morning Gardeners!