It’s April. I’m so over April fools jokes. Especially the stupid scary ones.. not funny at all.

I pruned the g’smith apple espalier, trimmed the ballerina apples and and lowered the height of the almond three by a third. I will do more pruning to shape when it’s bare. I took all the fruit tree pruning’s to friends with rabbits.
Pulled out a spent cucumber vine and tied the newer ones, and picked ever more herbs to dry. I have a box of apples from my trees to make into a lovely apple slice and small and large apple pies. Yum.

I’m spurred on by the success of comfrey ointment to sooth and heal all my scratches and bruises and I’m very interested in whatever else I can make in the way of healing creams for various health probs.
Like GS has a fungal skin problem of several years and the chemists creams of varying names do help, but don’t cure it. It sort of looks like ringworm but not, but it ‘s related. I can’t remember the name of the condition. To hug him risks the hugger catching it.
What’s the best book I can get on making herbal ointments balms, teas, soaks etc. ? if you might know.

I got away with telling Mrs rb that her shoes were untied, as she was heading out this morning.

That was it as far as April fools went. Standard for me though. Haven’t paid attention to it since fifth grade. I only tried it one her because she needed to be warned to be on her guard at school.

MiL caused some consternation with bad bruising showing up, police were called and the nursing home suspended two of their staff.

Spent the rest of the day attempting to get a couple of thousand orange trees out. The tractors just couldn’t get a good run. Too sloppy, though I still had to manually pull the ones that the digger had undercut, then there was all the pruning and wetting down. Citrus aren’t at all fond of being dug up.

More trudging in slop tomorrow.

Happy Potter said:

I’m spurred on by the success of comfrey ointment to sooth and heal all my scratches and bruises and I’m very interested in whatever else I can make in the way of healing creams for various health probs.
Like GS has a fungal skin problem of several years and the chemists creams of varying names do help, but don’t cure it. It sort of looks like ringworm but not, but it ‘s related. I can’t remember the name of the condition. To hug him risks the hugger catching it.
What’s the best book I can get on making herbal ointments balms, teas, soaks etc. ? if you might know.

Walnut. Particularly black walnut, has a history of uses for fungal problems including ringworm.
Don’t quote me on the science but hang on, I’ll find some science on the efficacy(or not) of black walnut in various uses..

Actually, Calendula tincture, cream and ointment are good things to try making. Great for skin healing. Urtica also is something worthwhile making into an ointment.

roughbarked said:

Actually, Calendula tincture, cream and ointment are good things to try making. Great for skin healing. Urtica also is something worthwhile making into an ointment.

Thankyou RB, onto it. Calendulas everywhere in my garden.

Happy Potter said:

roughbarked said:

Actually, Calendula tincture, cream and ointment are good things to try making. Great for skin healing. Urtica also is something worthwhile making into an ointment.

Thankyou RB, onto it. Calendulas everywhere in my garden.

I know there is a cry of woo whenever anyone mentions herbs but Calendula has such a long and happy history. It has to be the best natural healing agent. I’ve never seen wounds heal so fast and so well. Urtica too. Both are for skin though Calendula is more specific for cuts while Urtica is for burns and rashes.

roughbarked said:

Happy Potter said:

roughbarked said:

Actually, Calendula tincture, cream and ointment are good things to try making. Great for skin healing. Urtica also is something worthwhile making into an ointment.

Thankyou RB, onto it. Calendulas everywhere in my garden.

I know there is a cry of woo whenever anyone mentions herbs but Calendula has such a long and happy history. It has to be the best natural healing agent. I’ve never seen wounds heal so fast and so well. Urtica too. Both are for skin though Calendula is more specific for cuts while Urtica is for burns and rashes.

They’re the sort of tips and info I’m looking for to help me decide where to start. :) I’ve got a few courses for herbalists, online too, in my favorites folder and a list of books. The courses are quite exxy but well worth it for a good one.

roughbarked said:

I got away with telling Mrs rb that her shoes were untied, as she was heading out this morning.

That was it as far as April fools went. Standard for me though. Haven’t paid attention to it since fifth grade. I only tried it one her because she needed to be warned to be on her guard at school.

MiL caused some consternation with bad bruising showing up, police were called and the nursing home suspended two of their staff.

Spent the rest of the day attempting to get a couple of thousand orange trees out. The tractors just couldn’t get a good run. Too sloppy, though I still had to manually pull the ones that the digger had undercut, then there was all the pruning and wetting down. Citrus aren’t at all fond of being dug up.

More trudging in slop tomorrow.

Good to see you staying out of mischief, RoughBarked…disturbing about the MiL, is the facility in your town or close by? My late mother once showed me a bruise where her insulin injection went in (stomach area), but it was only the one incident and she was inclined to bruise far too easily. I guess the fact she was downright rude and insulting at times, hiding behind her “I’m a little old lady, you have to put up with me” attitude, may have caused some annoyance but it was only the one time so I didn’t worry. Wonderful to see where your MiL’s facility is taking direct action considering the number of bruises.

All that hard yakka with the orange trees, you won’t be putting weight on any time soon?

pinch and punch for the first of the month back to you, Happy Potter. Getting your rewards from your gardens, I see…

J1 has toddled off to the coast, a dentist’s appointment I believe, and I’m going to ask if I can collect her cumquats…she kind of offered them to me…and make some jam…if anybody’s got a good recipe for somebody who’s only made one batch of jam (under supervision) and that was 30 years ago…cumquats would be marmalade, wouldn’t they? I’ll pick up her other citrus as well…so happy to be enjoying the fruits of my neighbour’s labour…

There’s an awful lot of material in a mosquito net (10 metres), I think the style I’m looking for is a canopy…

roughbarked said:

MiL caused some consternation with bad bruising showing up, police were called and the nursing home suspended two of their staff.

:( :(

Dinetta said:

pinch and punch for the first of the month back to you, Happy Potter. Getting your rewards from your gardens, I see…

J1 has toddled off to the coast, a dentist’s appointment I believe, and I’m going to ask if I can collect her cumquats…she kind of offered them to me…and make some jam…if anybody’s got a good recipe for somebody who’s only made one batch of jam (under supervision) and that was 30 years ago…cumquats would be marmalade, wouldn’t they? I’ll pick up her other citrus as well…so happy to be enjoying the fruits of my neighbour’s labour…

Cumquat Brandy. Yummmmmmmmmm.

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

pinch and punch for the first of the month back to you, Happy Potter. Getting your rewards from your gardens, I see…

J1 has toddled off to the coast, a dentist’s appointment I believe, and I’m going to ask if I can collect her cumquats…she kind of offered them to me…and make some jam…if anybody’s got a good recipe for somebody who’s only made one batch of jam (under supervision) and that was 30 years ago…cumquats would be marmalade, wouldn’t they? I’ll pick up her other citrus as well…so happy to be enjoying the fruits of my neighbour’s labour…

Cumquat Brandy. Yummmmmmmmmm.

REALLY!!!??? Oh sounds fantastic, I’ll be checking J1’s mail every day, then!

Dinetta said:

roughbarked said:

I got away with telling Mrs rb that her shoes were untied, as she was heading out this morning.

That was it as far as April fools went. Standard for me though. Haven’t paid attention to it since fifth grade. I only tried it one her because she needed to be warned to be on her guard at school.

MiL caused some consternation with bad bruising showing up, police were called and the nursing home suspended two of their staff.

Spent the rest of the day attempting to get a couple of thousand orange trees out. The tractors just couldn’t get a good run. Too sloppy, though I still had to manually pull the ones that the digger had undercut, then there was all the pruning and wetting down. Citrus aren’t at all fond of being dug up.

More trudging in slop tomorrow.

Good to see you staying out of mischief, RoughBarked…disturbing about the MiL, is the facility in your town or close by? My late mother once showed me a bruise where her insulin injection went in (stomach area), but it was only the one incident and she was inclined to bruise far too easily. I guess the fact she was downright rude and insulting at times, hiding behind her “I’m a little old lady, you have to put up with me” attitude, may have caused some annoyance but it was only the one time so I didn’t worry. Wonderful to see where your MiL’s facility is taking direct action considering the number of bruises.

All that hard yakka with the orange trees, you won’t be putting weight on any time soon?

We live approx 15 Km away but the facility is in the town .. yes.

The hard yakka makes me drink more beer.. you know that cycle?

roughbarked said:

The hard yakka makes me drink more beer.. you know that cycle?

More beer, no: more chocolate, yes.

Dinetta said:

roughbarked said:

The hard yakka makes me drink more beer.. you know that cycle?

More beer, no: more chocolate, yes.

Yeah more beer….just attended a wine tasting that has slowed me right up. Hic. Nanna nap needed now.

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

More beer, no: more chocolate, yes.

Yeah more beer….just attended a wine tasting that has slowed me right up. Hic. Nanna nap needed now.

Sounds lovely, a wide variety of cheeses as well?

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

More beer, no: more chocolate, yes.

Yeah more beer….just attended a wine tasting that has slowed me right up. Hic. Nanna nap needed now.

Sounds lovely, a wide variety of cheeses as well?

Oh there was cheeses galore, and fruit and yummy fruit pastes. But I also had a little fill in my band and couldn’t eat anything much, magnifying the alcohol affect.

Now to get back to my previous size 12.

I am thinking of giving fb away…it’s new layout and behaviour does not appeal…not being able to remove stuff I don’t want to see, advertisements taking up about 2/3 of the page…

Dinetta said:

I am thinking of giving fb away…it’s new layout and behaviour does not appeal…not being able to remove stuff I don’t want to see, advertisements taking up about 2/3 of the page…

Yeah that stuff is a pain in the rear. There’s an ‘x’ that appears if you hover over the ad near the top right corner.. choose “ block this advertiser’. Choose ‘unfollow’ for all the peeps that link game sites up ( I hate the games so I do this) and anything else that is not important nor relevant to you, and there’s an array of settings to choose in ‘settings’ to stop all the crap.

The rain that wasn’t..well it didn’t happen like the forecast said, so I am out there hose in hand doing the human sprinkler thing. The saffron bulbs are up! I am going to give them a watering with some comfrey tea.
I cleaned up around the rhubarb and picked up another 20 or so fallen passionfruit. Generally ‘chooking’ and picking and watering. And eating the spoils :)

I’ve some cooking to do later, filling the bikky barrel and making a boiled fruit cake. And candying citrus rinds for jars of mixed peel.. and when the oranges are ripe, choc dipped orange sticks.

Still can’t get rid of the “Pages you might Like”… I have complained…there is no “get rid of this” anywhere…

Happy Potter said:

The rain that wasn’t..well it didn’t happen like the forecast said, so I am out there hose in hand doing the human sprinkler thing. The saffron bulbs are up! I am going to give them a watering with some comfrey tea.
I cleaned up around the rhubarb and picked up another 20 or so fallen passionfruit. Generally ‘chooking’ and picking and watering. And eating the spoils :)

:)

Dinetta said:

Still can’t get rid of the “Pages you might Like”… I have complained…there is no “get rid of this” anywhere…

Those and the suggested groups and recommended pages have an x right under the like thumbs up icon. It only appears if you hover the mouse pointer over it. Once you have x-ed off the lot there will be a few more appear over the coming days but not many.

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

Still can’t get rid of the “Pages you might Like”… I have complained…there is no “get rid of this” anywhere…

Those and the suggested groups and recommended pages have an x right under the like thumbs up icon. It only appears if you hover the mouse pointer over it. Once you have x-ed off the lot there will be a few more appear over the coming days but not many.

Thanks but nope, no “x”….I’ll have a better look at the privacy settings later…

OK I went and had another look, down the RHS (if you close off the Chat) there is a list of “suggestions”. So I just kept hitting the little X on those until they ran out. There is so many suggestions. I think it was when the “friends” suggestions were being x-d that the Pages you may Like finally dropped off….grrr…One person had 1600 “friends”!! She’ll be sorry if something comes back to bite her…Every time I hit “Home” some more suggestions come up…so help me

Now there goes a Mobile Home…Montana Mountaineer edition..even got pipes from the roof to catch the rain water? Or is the gas release for the dunny? It is a house on wheels, about 1½ donga’s worth…

Arvo all hope you are all doing well. I am recovering well, but still not ready to get out there with fork and spade. In a few weeks I should be able to though.

AnneS said:

Arvo all hope you are all doing well. I am recovering well, but still not ready to get out there with fork and spade. In a few weeks I should be able to though.

Good to see you are at home, at any rate… :)

The Gardening Express online dog-a-log has an interesting idear for potted bulbs…here

Dinetta said:

The Gardening Express online dog-a-log has an interesting idear for potted bulbs…here

Love that idea!

Did you mean the lasagne one? I don’t know how you get grape hyacinths and daffs to flower at the same time……I’ve tried!

buffy said:

Did you mean the lasagne one? I don’t know how you get grape hyacinths and daffs to flower at the same time……I’ve tried!

I believe the vegetable crisper in the refrigerator helps…

I’m gonna have a rant here…Went to the local IGA (not the one I normally go to, we have a Big IGA and a Little IGA here) and was about to pay for my purchases and had just started pushing my debit card into the machine, when the checkout operator (who has tickets on herself I reckon) pulled it out and waved it…she then “kindly” pointed out to me that it had a wave feature. I got quite upset and said loudly that “I did not like to wave my cards, I preferred to use the PIN” and I didn’t hear what she said but I’m pretty sure it was along the lines “oh well aren’t you fussy”.

To my mind I didn’t approve of the purchase because the card was taken from me and waved. On Monday I will ring the bank and find out where I stand, and ask if the Wave feature can be disabled or if I can get a card that doesn’t have the Wave feature. Then I’ll decide whether or not to write a letter to the store manager: pretty sure they can’t just grab your card like that.

Rant over.

Autumn crocuses are out.

That’s nice, I think mine have died…

Looking at some chook poo in a pot, it has become very nice soil…so the sooner I get my compost boxes up and filled, the better…

hoping to get my main vege bed up and running for some autumn planting – slowly, slowly so as not to hurt my back or shoulder which is still not quite right from being frozen. Looking like a wet week coming up so that will help re-hydrate the soil.

G’day me little lovelies! Today I made my first real foray into the garden since my surgery. Pulled a few weeds and spent the rest of the time bandicooting for potatoes, yacon and jerusalem artichokes. A bit pooped now! Now to cook them up nice and mushy so that I can eat them…pity they are starchy rather than having lots of protein. I will only be able to have a small amount as I need to have a diet high in protein. :(

bluegreen said:

hoping to get my main vege bed up and running for some autumn planting – slowly, slowly so as not to hurt my back or shoulder which is still not quite right from being frozen. Looking like a wet week coming up so that will help re-hydrate the soil.

Take it easy with that shoulder bluegreen!

Dinetta said:

I’m gonna have a rant here…Went to the local IGA (not the one I normally go to, we have a Big IGA and a Little IGA here) and was about to pay for my purchases and had just started pushing my debit card into the machine, when the checkout operator (who has tickets on herself I reckon) pulled it out and waved it…she then “kindly” pointed out to me that it had a wave feature. I got quite upset and said loudly that “I did not like to wave my cards, I preferred to use the PIN” and I didn’t hear what she said but I’m pretty sure it was along the lines “oh well aren’t you fussy”.

To my mind I didn’t approve of the purchase because the card was taken from me and waved. On Monday I will ring the bank and find out where I stand, and ask if the Wave feature can be disabled or if I can get a card that doesn’t have the Wave feature. Then I’ll decide whether or not to write a letter to the store manager: pretty sure they can’t just grab your card like that.

Rant over.

You don’t have to use the wave, and in fact I prefer not to. The wave uses your card as a credit card rather than a debit card, so you then have credit card fees and the added delay in processing. I found that out by accident when I first used my new card late last year. I am back to always using the debit function and using my PIN so that the transaction is processed straightaway, rather than have to wait a couple of days like normally happens with credit purchases.

AnneS said:

Dinetta said:

I’m gonna have a rant here…Went to the local IGA (not the one I normally go to, we have a Big IGA and a Little IGA here) and was about to pay for my purchases and had just started pushing my debit card into the machine, when the checkout operator (who has tickets on herself I reckon) pulled it out and waved it…she then “kindly” pointed out to me that it had a wave feature. I got quite upset and said loudly that “I did not like to wave my cards, I preferred to use the PIN” and I didn’t hear what she said but I’m pretty sure it was along the lines “oh well aren’t you fussy”.

To my mind I didn’t approve of the purchase because the card was taken from me and waved. On Monday I will ring the bank and find out where I stand, and ask if the Wave feature can be disabled or if I can get a card that doesn’t have the Wave feature. Then I’ll decide whether or not to write a letter to the store manager: pretty sure they can’t just grab your card like that.

Rant over.

You don’t have to use the wave, and in fact I prefer not to. The wave uses your card as a credit card rather than a debit card, so you then have credit card fees and the added delay in processing. I found that out by accident when I first used my new card late last year. I am back to always using the debit function and using my PIN so that the transaction is processed straightaway, rather than have to wait a couple of days like normally happens with credit purchases.

Thanks AnneS. I didn’t know that and will ring my bank shortly.

OK, bank rung, local branch visited: I have an EFTPOS-only card coming my way. Feel so much better now.

It’s feral kitty season. One caught, one in the garage with the trap set. Beautiful black cats, feral as hell!

Nerfetiti has been catching mice … went to put Tink back in the roost the other night, Nerfetiti follows me down, riffles through the long grass, I get back up stairs and she shoots pass with a rodent of a rat size…turns out to be a mouse…the next morning she left a carcass in the corner of my bedroom, so an eye witness tells me, has a lovely long snooze, wakes up and eats the mouse. This explains the blood I’ve found on the vinyl (only one bedroom has a carpet and it’s shut up) in the last week…what a cat!

bluegreen said:

It’s feral kitty season. One caught, one in the garage with the trap set. Beautiful black cats, feral as hell!

second caught, a grey kitten. Looks like I got mum this time with her kitten. Last time I got two kittens but wasn’t able to catch the mum. I know it is the same one though as I recognise her. Trap set in case there is another but I don’t think so. Called the council but the compliance fellow is not answering, he is to ring back.

bluegreen said:

bluegreen said:

It’s feral kitty season. One caught, one in the garage with the trap set. Beautiful black cats, feral as hell!

second caught, a grey kitten. Looks like I got mum this time with her kitten. Last time I got two kittens but wasn’t able to catch the mum. I know it is the same one though as I recognise her. Trap set in case there is another but I don’t think so. Called the council but the compliance fellow is not answering, he is to ring back.

Hi bluegreen. Will your council collect the cat for you? I need to drop off caught cats at our council’s pound, which is more than 20km away.

Speedy said:

bluegreen said:

bluegreen said:

It’s feral kitty season. One caught, one in the garage with the trap set. Beautiful black cats, feral as hell!

second caught, a grey kitten. Looks like I got mum this time with her kitten. Last time I got two kittens but wasn’t able to catch the mum. I know it is the same one though as I recognise her. Trap set in case there is another but I don’t think so. Called the council but the compliance fellow is not answering, he is to ring back.

Hi bluegreen. Will your council collect the cat for you? I need to drop off caught cats at our council’s pound, which is more than 20km away.

Yes, they have done it before.

bluegreen said:

Speedy said:

bluegreen said:

second caught, a grey kitten. Looks like I got mum this time with her kitten. Last time I got two kittens but wasn’t able to catch the mum. I know it is the same one though as I recognise her. Trap set in case there is another but I don’t think so. Called the council but the compliance fellow is not answering, he is to ring back.

Hi bluegreen. Will your council collect the cat for you? I need to drop off caught cats at our council’s pound, which is more than 20km away.

Yes, they have done it before.

That is good. Hopefully they will do it again, and soon.

You have reminded me that I need to start setting up my trap again before I see the carnage that not setting it up brings. My original trap was lent to a friend but was destroyed when a shed fell on it during a storm. This new replacement trap does not seem as good, but the supplier assured me that it is better, as the new design prevents animal injuries.

What have you beein using as bait bluegreen?

Speedy said:

bluegreen said:

Speedy said:

Hi bluegreen. Will your council collect the cat for you? I need to drop off caught cats at our council’s pound, which is more than 20km away.

Yes, they have done it before.

That is good. Hopefully they will do it again, and soon.

You have reminded me that I need to start setting up my trap again before I see the carnage that not setting it up brings. My original trap was lent to a friend but was destroyed when a shed fell on it during a storm. This new replacement trap does not seem as good, but the supplier assured me that it is better, as the new design prevents animal injuries.

What have you beein using as bait bluegreen?

The trap is the trap door type, and I have been using the cheapest tinned cat food I could find.

bluegreen said:

Speedy said:

bluegreen said:

Yes, they have done it before.

That is good. Hopefully they will do it again, and soon.

You have reminded me that I need to start setting up my trap again before I see the carnage that not setting it up brings. My original trap was lent to a friend but was destroyed when a shed fell on it during a storm. This new replacement trap does not seem as good, but the supplier assured me that it is better, as the new design prevents animal injuries.

What have you beein using as bait bluegreen?

The trap is the trap door type, and I have been using the cheapest tinned cat food I could find.

Good to hear that it’s working. I have used the cheapest tinned sardines with mixed success. A fellow poster once told me to spread the smelly oil from the tin around the area. This works great but it’s not a nice thing to do around the house, hence my slackness in setting it up regularly. Also I need to ensure I can drive to the pound the next day. I once let my FIL use this trap at his place. He caught a cat first try using mackarel, but had to let it out as he was going away the next day! The silly cat was re-caught on the next attempt though.

Speedy said:

bluegreen said:

bluegreen said:

It’s feral kitty season. One caught, one in the garage with the trap set. Beautiful black cats, feral as hell!

second caught, a grey kitten. Looks like I got mum this time with her kitten. Last time I got two kittens but wasn’t able to catch the mum. I know it is the same one though as I recognise her. Trap set in case there is another but I don’t think so. Called the council but the compliance fellow is not answering, he is to ring back.

Hi bluegreen. Will your council collect the cat for you? I need to drop off caught cats at our council’s pound, which is more than 20km away.

Have you tried telling them you have no transport and it is their job to come and get the feral animal? It actually is their job. At least around here it is. We have made the local animal officer drive out 30km to us when we ‘captured’ a local wandering dog.

buffy said:

Speedy said:

bluegreen said:

second caught, a grey kitten. Looks like I got mum this time with her kitten. Last time I got two kittens but wasn’t able to catch the mum. I know it is the same one though as I recognise her. Trap set in case there is another but I don’t think so. Called the council but the compliance fellow is not answering, he is to ring back.

Hi bluegreen. Will your council collect the cat for you? I need to drop off caught cats at our council’s pound, which is more than 20km away.

Have you tried telling them you have no transport and it is their job to come and get the feral animal? It actually is their job. At least around here it is. We have made the local animal officer drive out 30km to us when we ‘captured’ a local wandering dog.

I asked a few questions years ago before deciding to invest in a trap. I can’t remember exactly what was explained to me at the time, but it must have been that I must take a caught cat to the pound myself, or that there was another issue that would make it impractical for them to collect from me. Perhaps I should ask again.

buffy said:

Speedy said:

bluegreen said:

second caught, a grey kitten. Looks like I got mum this time with her kitten. Last time I got two kittens but wasn’t able to catch the mum. I know it is the same one though as I recognise her. Trap set in case there is another but I don’t think so. Called the council but the compliance fellow is not answering, he is to ring back.

Hi bluegreen. Will your council collect the cat for you? I need to drop off caught cats at our council’s pound, which is more than 20km away.

Have you tried telling them you have no transport and it is their job to come and get the feral animal? It actually is their job. At least around here it is. We have made the local animal officer drive out 30km to us when we ‘captured’ a local wandering dog.

I asked a few questions years ago before deciding to invest in a trap. I can’t remember exactly what was explained to me at the time, but it must have been that I must take a caught cat to the pound myself, or that there was another issue that would make it impractical for them to collect from me. Perhaps I should ask again.

I would. What council area are you in?

They will try to make you do the travelling, but I think it’s the council’s responsibility to deal with feral animals. Push them.

buffy said:

I would. What council area are you in?

The Hills – NW Sydney.

buffy said:

They will try to make you do the travelling, but I think it’s the council’s responsibility to deal with feral animals. Push them.

Yes, I know they do deal with foxes and rabbits etc. I will ask again. Thanks buffy.

From your council website (you don’t want to know why I know how to navigate a council website!)

http://www.thehills.nsw.gov.au/Impounded-Animals.html#.U0fDZVcnb4Y

Says the council officer will come to collect a dog….I don’t see what the difference is with a cat. In Victoria they are all covered under the animal act (State stuff), so dogs and cats are probably the same.

another kitten spotted near the cage the others are kept in so the trap has been set up again. Just as well the others didn’t get collected yesterday then. I am going to have to go into town to get some cat food if they are going to be here over the weekend. They have already scoffed a couple of sausages and some bits of roast chicken carcass.

bluegreen said:

another kitten spotted near the cage the others are kept in so the trap has been set up again. Just as well the others didn’t get collected yesterday then. I am going to have to go into town to get some cat food if they are going to be here over the weekend. They have already scoffed a couple of sausages and some bits of roast chicken carcass.

second kitten caught and more cat food bought for them.

Don’t you just hate it when you put in 4 varieties of strawberries. And you remember to put labels on them. And then the labels fade and you can’t quite pick out what the 4th one is/was because the label faces West and it faded more than the others!?

I can read (just) the labels for Chandler, Hokowase, Toyanoku (or something like that) but the fourth side of the bed……I reckon I put Cambridge Rival in there, so I’ve called it that. I’m pretty sure I didn’t buy Kunawase.

Whatever they are, they were pathetic at producing strawberries this last season. They are into their 4th year, I think, look healthy, but didn’t fruit much. Even the ones I put out into the sun didn’t try very hard. Talking around though, the Summer was a bit generally poor in this district. Still looking at the tomato plants here, which are putting on a second spurt, growing, flowering, being beautiful.

Today’s Garden Club outing was to Yalkuri Trees. They grow on young trees either in air-pruning pots or in special bags in the ground to an advanced size for wholesale clients. They buy potting mix by the B-double truckload!

Wonderful photos BlueGreen…just lurve the horseshoe gate! “My other car is a Potting Machine!” and the pots, I’ve never seen the like before…

Dinetta said:

Wonderful photos BlueGreen…just lurve the horseshoe gate! “My other car is a Potting Machine!” and the pots, I’ve never seen the like before…

The pots come in pieces which are easily dismantled so they can be reused, the trees get sold in bags. They are designed to prevent the roots from getting pot bound. The fellow made the gate when he was sixteen, he said.

Veg Gardener doesn’t work at that mine where the fatalities occurred last night…I was concerned when I read the headline, I can tell you!

Dinetta said:

Veg Gardener doesn’t work at that mine where the fatalities occurred last night…I was concerned when I read the headline, I can tell you!

He is OK. He has posted about it elsewhere.

You Gardeners are a quiet lot at the moment. My excuse is going to work…what’s yours?

:)

I’ve really got nothing to say…

roughbarked seems to be missing. Not on the Holiday forum for over two weeks either.

I’m wondering if he’s gone opal fossicking?

Waiting on the last episode of Janet King to pop up on iView…

What do you think of Death in Paradise? Annoyed with the lack of clues? I preferred Poole, his disinclination to cope with the heat and customs and culture was rivetting…

Just busy here, then busy some more.
Picked up two unwanted silkie hens that were going to be put down. The owner also gave me their feed dishes, bales of hay and bags of layer pellets. They are moving and don’t want chickens where they are going.. too much trouble she said. I suppose not everyone appreciates chickens.

The little granddaughter now. I love this photo, such a thoughtful look. I wonder what she was thinking.

And she is Little Miss Independent.
I can wash my own hands now…

We were at their place one night for tea and relaxing after the meal when Tia gave us each a hug and kiss, said good night and toddled off out of the room. We watched and waited, then I snuck a peek around the doorway thinking she was hiding, but she’d taken herself to bed, put the blankets over herself and was asleep!

I guess she didn’t like the company! LOL.

Happy Potter said:

The little granddaughter now. I love this photo, such a thoughtful look. I wonder what she was thinking.

And she is Little Miss Independent.
I can wash my own hands now…

We were at their place one night for tea and relaxing after the meal when Tia gave us each a hug and kiss, said good night and toddled off out of the room. We watched and waited, then I snuck a peek around the doorway thinking she was hiding, but she’d taken herself to bed, put the blankets over herself and was asleep!

I guess she didn’t like the company! LOL.

What a sweetie!

Happy Potter said:

The little granddaughter now. I love this photo, such a thoughtful look. I wonder what she was thinking.

And she is Little Miss Independent.
I can wash my own hands now…

We were at their place one night for tea and relaxing after the meal when Tia gave us each a hug and kiss, said good night and toddled off out of the room. We watched and waited, then I snuck a peek around the doorway thinking she was hiding, but she’d taken herself to bed, put the blankets over herself and was asleep!

I guess she didn’t like the company! LOL.

Oh I don’t think it would be that…she’s very much her own person I reckon…would you say she’s what they call an Old Soul?

>>What do you think of Death in Paradise?<<

I was surprised to find that I took to the new bloke pretty much straight away. I really enjoyed Poole, but this one is different. Sufficiently different that for me it works.

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

The little granddaughter now. I love this photo, such a thoughtful look. I wonder what she was thinking.

And she is Little Miss Independent.
I can wash my own hands now…

We were at their place one night for tea and relaxing after the meal when Tia gave us each a hug and kiss, said good night and toddled off out of the room. We watched and waited, then I snuck a peek around the doorway thinking she was hiding, but she’d taken herself to bed, put the blankets over herself and was asleep!

I guess she didn’t like the company! LOL.

Oh I don’t think it would be that…she’s very much her own person I reckon…would you say she’s what they call an Old Soul?

Quite the old soul I would say but more so, mature for her age already. She took me by the hand into the playroom to have a look at her lego, patted a stool by the low table and said ‘sit’. Lol.

Vege swap day :)
I have loads to take again, it’s that time of year when there’s an abundance. Jams and relish, lemon curd, lime curd and passionfruit curd, dried herbs, apple slices, eggplant slices and candied mixed rind.
Fresh celery, eggplants, lemons by the bagful, capsicums and rhubarb. Seed packs of everything. No eggs, chookies still recovering from a moult, and worming, meds lice and mite treatments.

19 silkie bubs in the brooder box and that’s it for the year. Incubator has been sent to a friends for storage, lol.

Happy Potter said:

Quite the old soul I would say but more so, mature for her age already. She took me by the hand into the playroom to have a look at her lego, patted a stool by the low table and said ‘sit’. Lol.

Might be a chip off the old block (yours) chuckle

Happy Potter said:

Vege swap day :)
I have loads to take again, it’s that time of year when there’s an abundance. Jams and relish, lemon curd, lime curd and passionfruit curd, dried herbs, apple slices, eggplant slices and candied mixed rind.
Fresh celery, eggplants, lemons by the bagful, capsicums and rhubarb. Seed packs of everything. No eggs, chookies still recovering from a moult, and worming, meds lice and mite treatments.

sounds delicious, I must check to see if our local markets are on any time soon, looking for some citrus to play with.

Happy Potter said:

19 silkie bubs in the brooder box and that’s it for the year. Incubator has been sent to a friends for storage, lol.

So early in the year!

I think we should watch this space…

Annnnndd.. by special invitation to the girls inlaws for tea last night, daughter and her hubby were giggling and laughing at seemingly nothing.. we all played with the little granddaughter as she whipped out the entire contents of Jans plastics cupboard, helped her build things with it and had fun. And her parents kept giggling..
None of us noticed the tots t shirt..

It says ‘ I am going to be a big sister’. So…. that was what they were giggling about! My girl is pregnant! and this is how they chose to tell us, by advertising it on the little ones t shirt lol!
And this time no ivf, it happened naturally :D
It’s very early in the piece so they aren’t going to announce it just yet. (Hehe, but shhhhh! )

Due date 25 th Dec. hehe.

Ooooh! Wonderful news! Quelle surprise! I never used to tell anyone until I was 15 weeks, more for peace of mind than anything…and yes, in case anything went wrong, again for privacy. Hope your daughter has a happy pregnancy, and keeps as well as possible…

Happy Potter said:

Annnnndd.. by special invitation to the girls inlaws for tea last night, daughter and her hubby were giggling and laughing at seemingly nothing.. we all played with the little granddaughter as she whipped out the entire contents of Jans plastics cupboard, helped her build things with it and had fun. And her parents kept giggling..
None of us noticed the tots t shirt..

It says ‘ I am going to be a big sister’. So…. that was what they were giggling about! My girl is pregnant! and this is how they chose to tell us, by advertising it on the little ones t shirt lol!
And this time no ivf, it happened naturally :D
It’s very early in the piece so they aren’t going to announce it just yet. (Hehe, but shhhhh! )

Due date 25 th Dec. hehe.

sweet :)

Happy Potter said:

Annnnndd.. by special invitation to the girls inlaws for tea last night, daughter and her hubby were giggling and laughing at seemingly nothing.. we all played with the little granddaughter as she whipped out the entire contents of Jans plastics cupboard, helped her build things with it and had fun. And her parents kept giggling..
None of us noticed the tots t shirt..

It says ‘ I am going to be a big sister’. So…. that was what they were giggling about! My girl is pregnant! and this is how they chose to tell us, by advertising it on the little ones t shirt lol!
And this time no ivf, it happened naturally :D
It’s very early in the piece so they aren’t going to announce it just yet. (Hehe, but shhhhh! )

Due date 25 th Dec. hehe.

LOL. Love the T-shirt :) Congrats to them and the rest of the family.

Made some shortbread from a new recipe today…might have to give the result to the chooks to save myself from them…

Dinetta said:

Made some shortbread from a new recipe today…might have to give the result to the chooks to save myself from them…

Haha. That’s the problem with baking cakes and sweet treats.

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Quite the old soul I would say but more so, mature for her age already. She took me by the hand into the playroom to have a look at her lego, patted a stool by the low table and said ‘sit’. Lol.

Might be a chip off the old block (yours) chuckle

Funny you say that. Older sis and 2 aunts both told me ‘that was youuuuuuuu’. The little cutie is very quiet too, one word answers..

Thankyou for the congrats, I will pass them on :)

Argh, fun and games here. GS is allergic to Max’s fur. I’ve given him some telfast. This happened the last few times he was here too. He sat on a couch that the dog slept on and broke out in hives.

Happy Potter said:

Argh, fun and games here. GS is allergic to Max’s fur. I’ve given him some telfast. This happened the last few times he was here too. He sat on a couch that the dog slept on and broke out in hives.

Poor boy (GS)…

Nerfertiti trills… I’ve often said she’s got Siamese in her…sometimes she gives a funny little yodel before miaowing…would this be right (Siamese)? She “talks” an awful lot…

We had a magnificent 8 degrees this morning. Lovely for riding the bike and mowing the grass. I have conceded only so far as to put on a t-shirt with 3/4 sleeves instead of short ones. And even then I considered coming inside and changing at one stage.

Off to the local cafe for lunch with my parents shortly.

buffy said:

We had a magnificent 8 degrees this morning. Lovely for riding the bike and mowing the grass. I have conceded only so far as to put on a t-shirt with 3/4 sleeves instead of short ones. And even then I considered coming inside and changing at one stage.

Off to the local cafe for lunch with my parents shortly.

I hope your parents are keeping well? Are they enjoying the cold weather?

Last night I realised why Victoria is “On the Move” – up to here…fantastic chill nip at 18C but balmy with it…

buffy said:

>>What do you think of Death in Paradise?<<

I was surprised to find that I took to the new bloke pretty much straight away. I really enjoyed Poole, but this one is different. Sufficiently different that for me it works.

I’ve taken it off my iView watch list…the “tension” that was there with Poole, has disappeared with Goodman…and the plots are unbelievable…However if they brought back Judge Anne Stone I might change my mind…

Perfect baking day. Cold and blowy and showers. First up, dog treats. Max loves them and it saves the man from paying $13 a bag for them.

Then large apple slice and savory pies cooked in the pie maker. Then bikkies by the trayful, and a mud cake for grandson Bo Bo. He’s getting taller and taller and has an appetite to match.

Good morning Gardeners. I have conceded and put on a light cardie over my work clothes. Four degrees and a clear sky here this morning.

Good morning. At 4C I would have 3 jumpers, a singlet and wool socks…maybe not a beanie or gloves, tho’…

Managed to stop Sonny Jim cutting down all the trees on the vacant block, his father told him to “thin” them…and here’s me enjoying a little “me” time by figuring out the distances I walk/ride whilst I had a car to measure with…come home and arrrgh! My trees. Explained to SJ that these local trees grow in a group, and I want them where they are as a baffle to the strong winds that can happen in summer. The chainsaw is going to the dry dock, we may be up for a new carby but better to buy a new carby now than a new chainsaw later.

I now have the whippersnipper so I can continue to tidy up that block, and SJ helped me move the base of the proposed compost bays to the allotted space. Also the worm farm has a more level surface to sit on. So it was a good day and a nearly disastrous day.

The cat has disappeared AGAIN because the two “girls” came up with SJ, to play with Shadow. Sheesh. All she needs to do is slash a nose or two and the dogs will back off.

So, has anyone got any news about RoughBarked? He’s been gone a while now…

Dinetta said:

So, has anyone got any news about RoughBarked? He’s been gone a while now…

Does anyone frequent any of the other forums he visits? If he is not there then perhaps his computer not playing nice?

Could be. Buffy was asking the other day, she also frequents the nature forum and the science forum which RoughBarked attends more than here…maybe it is his computer…I think his daughter is about to produce her second infant soon?

Dinetta said:

Could be. Buffy was asking the other day, she also frequents the nature forum and the science forum which RoughBarked attends more than here…maybe it is his computer…I think his daughter is about to produce her second infant soon?

or he could be mining opals.

I was just wondering that. He’s been missing from the Holiday forum as long as from here.

And hello Gardeners. I’m at work, but not tomorrow. Tomorrow will do some gardening. I picked two Black Krim tomatoes this morning.

And no sign on the FFFS forum since 2nd April.

Oh well, maybe he struck a wonderful lode of opals … hope so…love his opal photos…

Fashionista daughter has just come back from watching two-up…

Morning green ones. Jj’s moved out, finally, into a shed at a mates..he can have all his crap around him lol. We’ve cleared the last bedroom out and making it a store room. Next week we will re paint and fix a crack in the ceiling plaster.

It’s not the last of the kiddlywinks returnees though. Youngest girl is still in the shed room of a weekday and soon her bf will join her here, until their house is built around Nov/Dec. His parents house sold and they are moving up country way. The store room will come in handy. I’ve been gathering things for them for their first home, like a glory box. They won’t need much in the way of kitchen things :)

Today the man and I are off to the city, taking in a show and then staying at a city hotel for the night. A mini holiday for us! lol. The youngins will look after Max and feed the chooks.

Happy Potter said:

Today the man and I are off to the city, taking in a show and then staying at a city hotel for the night. A mini holiday for us! lol. The youngins will look after Max and feed the chooks.

Nice!

We are doing the city and show thing in a couple of weeks. Rocky Horror Show. But we have quite a bit further to travel!

Currently reading books on vegetable growing, and native plants…again…

Morning. We had a blast on the weekend, the show was very funny, mrs browns boys. Sore tum from giggling rating :) The hotel got our room mixed up and we ended up with in the posh suite with a two roomed apartment. Two king size beds. Spent ages deciding which one to pick, lol. Did not make use of the full kitchen or laundry. The apartment was bigger than our home, lol. My car was cringeworthy, valet parking. Eek.. we didn’t know. They parked it out the back and left the prestige cars out front. I hid. LOL. We shoulda borrowed the girls car. haha.

Max missed us and I saw him howling on the ‘max cam’ that we have in the kitchen pointed to his bed area. KK and bf were out, but not for long. Then that night she sent me a text to say they took his bed into their room so he could sleep there for company. I said don’t worry about taking his bed, he will end up in the bed with yous anyway. She: ‘no he will not!’.

Got home sun morning after checking out early, snuck thru the side gate and went to their shed/room. Here’s Max snoring loudly laying on his back between them with plenty of room to spread out, the couple almost hanging off the bed sides. Hehe.

School day, cakey stuff. Still the last of the exams to complete before I can get my hands on flour and stuff. I’d missed a couple Mondays because of the usual family dramas. I’m going to see if I can take on their bread baking course and do both. I’ll be pushing it though.

Laters.

Happy Potter said:

Morning. We had a blast on the weekend, the show was very funny, mrs browns boys. Sore tum from giggling rating :) The hotel got our room mixed up and we ended up with in the posh suite with a two roomed apartment. Two king size beds. Spent ages deciding which one to pick, lol. Did not make use of the full kitchen or laundry. The apartment was bigger than our home, lol. My car was cringeworthy, valet parking. Eek.. we didn’t know. They parked it out the back and left the prestige cars out front. I hid. LOL. We shoulda borrowed the girls car. haha.

Max missed us and I saw him howling on the ‘max cam’ that we have in the kitchen pointed to his bed area. KK and bf were out, but not for long. Then that night she sent me a text to say they took his bed into their room so he could sleep there for company. I said don’t worry about taking his bed, he will end up in the bed with yous anyway. She: ‘no he will not!’.

Got home sun morning after checking out early, snuck thru the side gate and went to their shed/room. Here’s Max snoring loudly laying on his back between them with plenty of room to spread out, the couple almost hanging off the bed sides. Hehe.

School day, cakey stuff. Still the last of the exams to complete before I can get my hands on flour and stuff. I’d missed a couple Mondays because of the usual family dramas. I’m going to see if I can take on their bread baking course and do both. I’ll be pushing it though.

Laters.

:D :D

Happy Potter said:

Morning. We had a blast on the weekend.

Good to read about! Sounds like a refreshing time was had…

In the next few days I’m going to run around with a white sage smudge stick, one bedroom in particular gives me the yips. Any advice? Yes I know some of you think this is hokum but what have I got to lose. Also one website article said the residual aroma can whiff of mary-ju-whana…hope not…

I hate waste…..but what is a girl to do? When the dill self seeds and you’ve got eleventy gazillion baby dill plants there are only so many that you can disperse around the veggie patch! I’ve also thinned out the parsnip seedlings and planted the thinnings. I wasn’t sure if that would work, but I tried it last year and they do survive. Does anyone know if I can do that with carrot thinnings? I might give it a go just to find out.

>>white sage smudge stick<<

I’d never heard of this, so I looked it up. Why not just chat with the ghosts? I’ve always just said ‘hello’ when I see something out of the corner of my eye. I don’t really believe in the supernatural, but life can be more interesting if you sometimes chat with yourself. This also works for dogs, magpies and plovers. I don’t generally have a big problem with any of them, I always say hello to them.

But then, I’m a bit weird. I do rather like the smell of sandalwood incense though. Or a bowl of quinces in the kitchen at this time of year.

buffy said:

I hate waste…..but what is a girl to do? When the dill self seeds and you’ve got eleventy gazillion baby dill plants there are only so many that you can disperse around the veggie patch! I’ve also thinned out the parsnip seedlings and planted the thinnings. I wasn’t sure if that would work, but I tried it last year and they do survive. Does anyone know if I can do that with carrot thinnings? I might give it a go just to find out.

I believe it can be done but you have to do it very carefully so as not to bend the fine tip of the root. Generally they don’t like it though.

buffy said:

>>white sage smudge stick<<

I’d never heard of this, so I looked it up. Why not just chat with the ghosts? I’ve always just said ‘hello’ when I see something out of the corner of my eye. I don’t really believe in the supernatural, but life can be more interesting if you sometimes chat with yourself. This also works for dogs, magpies and plovers. I don’t generally have a big problem with any of them, I always say hello to them.

But then, I’m a bit weird. I do rather like the smell of sandalwood incense though. Or a bowl of quinces in the kitchen at this time of year.

As a Christian I would say a prayer in there, but that’s my faith. I always say hello to the cockatoos when I go out to let the chooks out (they are waiting to pick at the leftovers,) but the numbers are increasing so maybe that’s not such a good idea? lol!

What harm can it do (smudge stick)? I know that burning the lavender and sage combo candles and melts are very calming to me. However I haven’t been able to obtain them from the local Loot for some time, and I miss them…

It sounds like it’s just the burning of incense.

We’ve had rain! About 25mm.

buffy said:

We’ve had rain! About 25mm.

I heard on the news that Hamilton got the highest rainfall. Only 6mm here.

Good morning Gardeners. Six degrees and there has been a little more rain overnight.

>>I heard on the news that Hamilton got the highest rainfall. Only 6mm here.<<

All I can say is – it’s about time! I had a look back over the rainfall totals for the past 12 months. You have to go back to October to find anything decent (82mm). Although I also noticed that March 2013 (14mm) and April 2013 (12mm) were Pretty Pathetic. So this rain is very welcome for an Autumn break.

Good morning, Gardeners. OK, this morning it’s cold…..2 degrees.