Here you go.

Arvo green ones. Just got back from taking GS to his doctors, his new meds are working well and he’s a much happier chappy these days. Much less paranoia. Just because I have white hair.. y’know those hoops one has to jump through to get support? well for me they were burning hoops.
The revised funding package will allow him to get a new computer, also an internet account to go with it. At last. That’s a reprieve for us, and the planet!

Continuing with the garage/shed demolition, the home owner added an 11 metre long carport to the list. It’s attached to an add on room of the house made out of fibro sheet. We didn’t know if there’s any asbestos, so the owner got an asbestos removal co out to check. There was none thank goodness. She also had an electrician out to disconnect the power to the outbuildings as we’ve finished with power tools. The roof of this long carport is a problem. It was rolled on the spot from truck mounted roller whatsits back in the 70s and there’s no joins in the lengths. It’s been there all these years and there’s not a mark on it. I wonder why they ever stopped making that rolled on site stuff. Modern colourbond doesn’t compare to it’s strength.
My friend is going to recycle it into animal pens. Her hubby will be there with a semi trailer Friday 6 am to pick up all the materials.

Good news about GS.

On my side. You know I am always saying I wish I had more energy? Well I have been diagnosed with “Generalised non-inflammatory chronic pain syndrome” which is the current term for Chronic Fatigue. Basically it means I have fatigue and am in pain for no apparent reason. Any stress or activity results in a “crash” which can takes days or weeks to recover. But I don’t have any inflammation which would result from arthritic or other degenerative condition. What does that mean for me? Hopefully it will get Centrelink off my back to do xx number of hours a week, but otherwise it is not much as usual.

bluegreen said:

On my side. You know I am always saying I wish I had more energy? Well I have been diagnosed with “Generalised non-inflammatory chronic pain syndrome” which is the current term for Chronic Fatigue. Basically it means I have fatigue and am in pain for no apparent reason. Any stress or activity results in a “crash” which can takes days or weeks to recover. But I don’t have any inflammation which would result from arthritic or other degenerative condition. What does that mean for me? Hopefully it will get Centrelink off my back to do xx number of hours a week, but otherwise it is not much as usual.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

bluegreen said:

bluegreen said:

On my side. You know I am always saying I wish I had more energy? Well I have been diagnosed with “Generalised non-inflammatory chronic pain syndrome” which is the current term for Chronic Fatigue. Basically it means I have fatigue and am in pain for no apparent reason. Any stress or activity results in a “crash” which can takes days or weeks to recover. But I don’t have any inflammation which would result from arthritic or other degenerative condition. What does that mean for me? Hopefully it will get Centrelink off my back to do xx number of hours a week, but otherwise it is not much as usual.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Sorry to hear that BG. I hope you can manage it on your own. Well you have been anyway.

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

bluegreen said:

On my side. You know I am always saying I wish I had more energy? Well I have been diagnosed with “Generalised non-inflammatory chronic pain syndrome” which is the current term for Chronic Fatigue. Basically it means I have fatigue and am in pain for no apparent reason. Any stress or activity results in a “crash” which can takes days or weeks to recover. But I don’t have any inflammation which would result from arthritic or other degenerative condition. What does that mean for me? Hopefully it will get Centrelink off my back to do xx number of hours a week, but otherwise it is not much as usual.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Sorry to hear that BG. I hope you can manage it on your own. Well you have been anyway.

Yes. This is just confirming something I have suspected and been living with for some time now.

Feels like Autumn. I have bolognese sauce, neapolitan sauce and quinces simmering on the stove.

Walnuts also getting gathered. Messy, dirty things. Now I have to crack them and see how many I have to crack to get a good one.

:)

buffy said:

Walnuts also getting gathered. Messy, dirty things. Now I have to crack them and see how many I have to crack to get a good one.

:)

They do stain your hands.

Do you know which variety of walnut you have, buffy?

I found that when I climbed the tree in late March and physically knocked the nuts to the ground, usually cracking off the still green fruit off in the process and peeling the rest, I got clean walnuts to store in a dry place. 100% full.

As far as I know it’s a black walnut. It is an old tree and was in the yard when we came here.

I don’t need many nuts, usually we just mow them back into the soil. But some friends want some this year. And I’ll crack a few for myself and put them in the freezer. I use them rarely – that seems to be the best way to store them to avoid rancidity.

buffy said:

As far as I know it’s a black walnut. It is an old tree and was in the yard when we came here.

I don’t need many nuts, usually we just mow them back into the soil. But some friends want some this year. And I’ll crack a few for myself and put them in the freezer. I use them rarely – that seems to be the best way to store them to avoid rancidity.

Are they really woody and difficult to extract the nut from?

Not especially.

buffy said:

Not especially.

Not Juglans nigricans then. The black walnut is an American species and the fruit is persistent. Needs to be rotted and scrubbed off rather than peeled off as with the average European walnut. The black walnut is so named because the fruit goes black and stays black. The outer of the shell of the nut is groved and the black skin adheres. The nut itself is difficult to crack without smashing the nut to small pieces which are difficult to pick out from the bits of smashed woody shell. I use two bits of wood to break them so that the nut doesn’t crumble so much. The meat of the nut usually has to be dug out with a wire. The shell has no papery parts inside, is woody all through and the kernel is tightly convoluted through the woody shell. The nut is creamy and by far nicer than any walnut to eat, only a lot of hard work to get a feed. Here is one that has been weathering for twenty odd years.

The main use for the tree is as a rootstock or an ornamental tree, where one doesnt have to mow the thousands of black cannonballs under the tree. The other possible reason for calling it black is the bark. Seen here where I’ve grafted European walnut onto American black walnut stock.

The leaves are different too.

roughbarked said:

The leaves are different too.

Weird how the vbt is working. Seems to have its order in a twist.

Black walnut leaves in back.

Another shot with Black walnut leaves in back.

Yet another shot with black walnut leaves.

love how all your black walnut pictures have birds in them :D

bluegreen said:

love how all your black walnut pictures have birds in them :D

:) birds and trees and all that. Actually it is the one non native tree outside my fence. I planted some 600 natives.

OK, must be a European one…leaves and green fruit:

Thanks for making me check, I’ve never bothered. It’s the Persian or European one.

buffy said:

Thanks for making me check, I’ve never bothered. It’s the Persian or European one.

No worries. I get help from others so it is only right that I supply the things I can help with.

And I learnt something today. I didn’t know there was a risk of botulinum growing in garlic steeped in oil. I’ve thrown mine out. I mentioned to a friend that I had some put aside and she urged me to check. I did. I would never have thought of that. Probably because it’s a bulb. Putting rosemary into olive oil etc seems relatively safe.

buffy said:

And I learnt something today. I didn’t know there was a risk of botulinum growing in garlic steeped in oil. I’ve thrown mine out. I mentioned to a friend that I had some put aside and she urged me to check. I did. I would never have thought of that. Probably because it’s a bulb. Putting rosemary into olive oil etc seems relatively safe.

The botulinum was probably on the bulb.

Arvo. I hope your Easter was a pleasant one.
We finally finished the garage/ shed/ carport/ vege frame pull down. A large tray truck was needed to cart the lot to my friends property. Now we have another garage to do! lol. But this one will be easier, inside metal frame with colourbond panels and two big louvre windows. And it’s only the garage. That job will start this Friday.

Now I’m busying myself finding lillypillies to pick, knocking on doors to ask first. I bring bags of lemons with me to offer for the berries. It’s working :)

I started tackling my satin jacket today. I cut it out about 6 months ago. It’s red Chinese satin with dragons on it. I am using a 1940s jacket pattern, adding a Mandarin collar. And lining the body. Oh dear. Making a collar from a different pattern fit onto a pattern that is so old it just has the punched out markings on it. But I think it might end up fine. I’ll just have to be patient.

Coming along OK. I’m glad I chose a pattern with not too much detailing. That was deliberate, satin’s a bugger for fraying. It is presently a sleeveless jacket. But I’ve made the sleeves. I just have to get the patience to pin them in and sew them in. Then there is just the hand hemming and the sewing on of the frog.

Arvo. I’ve been doing my rainy day baking and other stuff. Seven kilos of limes zested and juiced, 3 litres of juice with the zest in the freezer in 500 ml lots. That was from two trees and still have the other two smaller trees to pick.
Rest time before I clean up.

I’m probably both too early and too late but I don’t have much lattitude or power over timing at present. I cleaned up the old broadbean patch by raking all the dropped seeds into rows and planted snow peas and lower growing peas. We shall have to see how the seasons fare. I’ll also do telephone and climbing snap peas for good measure. I’m not even sure if I will be here to care for them or harvest them anyway so, I’m only cleaning out my shed and old seeds are a part of all that.

roughbarked said:

I’m probably both too early and too late but I don’t have much lattitude or power over timing at present. I cleaned up the old broadbean patch by raking all the dropped seeds into rows and planted snow peas and lower growing peas. We shall have to see how the seasons fare. I’ll also do telephone and climbing snap peas for good measure. I’m not even sure if I will be here to care for them or harvest them anyway so, I’m only cleaning out my shed and old seeds are a part of all that.

considering relocating?

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

I’m probably both too early and too late but I don’t have much lattitude or power over timing at present. I cleaned up the old broadbean patch by raking all the dropped seeds into rows and planted snow peas and lower growing peas. We shall have to see how the seasons fare. I’ll also do telephone and climbing snap peas for good measure. I’m not even sure if I will be here to care for them or harvest them anyway so, I’m only cleaning out my shed and old seeds are a part of all that.

considering relocating?

I’ve been back and forth between the MIA and the Northern Rivers district, since September last.

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

I’m probably both too early and too late but I don’t have much lattitude or power over timing at present. I cleaned up the old broadbean patch by raking all the dropped seeds into rows and planted snow peas and lower growing peas. We shall have to see how the seasons fare. I’ll also do telephone and climbing snap peas for good measure. I’m not even sure if I will be here to care for them or harvest them anyway so, I’m only cleaning out my shed and old seeds are a part of all that.

considering relocating?

I’ve been back and forth between the MIA and the Northern Rivers district, since September last.

are you looking at a permanent move, or just floating still?

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

considering relocating?

I’ve been back and forth between the MIA and the Northern Rivers district, since September last.

are you looking at a permanent move, or just floating still?

Moved or not, I’ll still have to maintain this property until it sells.

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

I’ve been back and forth between the MIA and the Northern Rivers district, since September last.

are you looking at a permanent move, or just floating still?

Moved or not, I’ll still have to maintain this property until it sells.

indeed.

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

are you looking at a permanent move, or just floating still?

Moved or not, I’ll still have to maintain this property until it sells.

indeed.

It is a slow market here. Fuel costs and lack of facilities like schools shops and even petrol stations are all negatives against the benefits of peaceful quiet and lots of birds, few cats, friendly neighbours.

roughbarked said:

bluegreen said:

roughbarked said:

Moved or not, I’ll still have to maintain this property until it sells.

indeed.

It is a slow market here. Fuel costs and lack of facilities like schools shops and even petrol stations are all negatives against the benefits of peaceful quiet and lots of birds, few cats, friendly neighbours.

The positives sound worth it :)

I’ve done so much cooking lately, from making pies with various savory fillings, stocks of beef, vege, and chicken, and casseroles stews and soups. I’ve jars and jars of jams and jellies and pie apples and pears.
I also made a beautiful slow cooker beef and barley soup. The beef was from the quarter I swapped a small fridge for. I was hoping to pack some for GS’s freezer but the family ate the lot. I hate using canned tomatoes, they are tasteless, so I’ve been raiding the cherry tomato bush and just throwing them into the dish. What a difference in the taste of the finished food.

I’ve concluded that I need a pressure canner. Preferably asap. I’ve printed out the advertisement for the one I want and plastered it to the fridge and pantry doors with hints about an early birthday pressie LOL.

My hands are going to drop off, so a resting relaxing weekend coming up doing not much at all :)

And my saffron crocus bulbs have made tiny little green tips above the soil surface now. I wonder if any of them will bother to flower this year.

buffy said:

And my saffron crocus bulbs have made tiny little green tips above the soil surface now. I wonder if any of them will bother to flower this year.

I haven’t ever tried but if they are ars reliable as Zephryanthes are in spring and autumn , then expect copious amounts of time on your knees carefully snipping.

Pfft…they aren’t in long pots for nothing you know! Can lift onto the table, snip, and put back.

:)

The Autumn crocus (Sternbergia) have been out for a month or so:

http://www.photogallery2.jaylach.com/d/5202-5/Yellow+Autumn+Crocus.jpg

(not my picture)

buffy said:

Pfft…they aren’t in long pots for nothing you know! Can lift onto the table, snip, and put back.

:)

Cool. :)

I don’t have any crocus but the Zephryanthes are a riot.

But then my apples are flowering. It could be that I have come home to water them a few months too latre.

Hope you get some flowers from your saffron buffy. I tried to grow them once but they got lost in the weeds!

Have you had a flush of warm weather RB? Sounds like you apples think it is Spring :)

Took my bike for a ride yesterday. Just down to Yea and back. The weather was perfect and the bike didn’t break down so all good. The payback is a bummer, although I have mitigated it somewhat by taking something to help me sleep last night. The occasion was for members in the Moto Guzzi Club of Victoria to discuss a ride in Europe next year, put on every 5 years as a “pilgrimage:” to Mandello del Lario, the home of Moto Guzzi. I’d love to go but the cost is too high for me both in terms of $$ and energy.

The weather has been rather warmish compared to some other years when I remember early frosts by the 14th April. We’ve only ad one cold night so far. One that made me chuck a sleeping bag on the bed.

It’s raining :D

We have had piffling bits under a mm for the last couple of nights…

bluegreen said:

It’s raining :D

I got five spots yesterday. I was moving around a lot so that’s probably why I could count five.

buffy said:

We have had piffling bits under a mm for the last couple of nights…

By tomorrow morning that will all change.

I’m enjoying the cooler weather to work on the ex almond tree bed, extended it about a metre wider and before I stick some perennials in, using it to grow some winter veg. Spits and spats of rain aren’t doing a thing for the dry soil so I’ve emptied the big water tub storage onto it.

And very busy with giant son and his computer woes. The boy has been very careful not to damage his beloved PC, but over 3 years old it’s now needing some new parts and an upgrade. I popped a post onto a bss site to ask their brains trust for info for a good and honest, tried and tested computer company, to build a super duper gaming machine to my specs. I’d be prepared to pay a good amount for the right machine, seeing as his pc and his w.o.w game is his life calming force.
I was contacted by a lovely fellow in the media and communications with a videographer bizz with a proposal. He will make a video promo advertisement for a local small computer business up to 3.5 grand value, if they make me the whizz bang machine for me for free. I was blown away. This fellows work is awesome. GS would feature briefly in the ad on his gaming machine. A couple pc centers are interested and a little proposal was sent to both. If this pans out it’s a four way win, GS gets a flash machine, the pc company gets a promo advertisement they could only dream of, we get to keep the money we would have spent and the videographer gets advertising for his work. This is the kind of bartering system I like.

Good hey :)

Awesome photography. Watch some of the scripts, if you can, they take a little while to load.
http://www.wootownstudios.com/

Watch some cacti flowers bloom

Happy Potter said:

I’m enjoying the cooler weather to work on the ex almond tree bed, extended it about a metre wider and before I stick some perennials in, using it to grow some winter veg. Spits and spats of rain aren’t doing a thing for the dry soil so I’ve emptied the big water tub storage onto it.

And very busy with giant son and his computer woes. The boy has been very careful not to damage his beloved PC, but over 3 years old it’s now needing some new parts and an upgrade. I popped a post onto a bss site to ask their brains trust for info for a good and honest, tried and tested computer company, to build a super duper gaming machine to my specs. I’d be prepared to pay a good amount for the right machine, seeing as his pc and his w.o.w game is his life calming force.
I was contacted by a lovely fellow in the media and communications with a videographer bizz with a proposal. He will make a video promo advertisement for a local small computer business up to 3.5 grand value, if they make me the whizz bang machine for me for free. I was blown away. This fellows work is awesome. GS would feature briefly in the ad on his gaming machine. A couple pc centers are interested and a little proposal was sent to both. If this pans out it’s a four way win, GS gets a flash machine, the pc company gets a promo advertisement they could only dream of, we get to keep the money we would have spent and the videographer gets advertising for his work. This is the kind of bartering system I like.

Good hey :)

Bloody awesome! (Excuse the language, but WOW!)

bluegreen said:

It’s raining :D

only got about 6mm, but it was nice while it lasted.

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

We have had piffling bits under a mm for the last couple of nights…

By tomorrow morning that will all change.

Not around here. Possible showers over the weekend. Nothing approaching “rain” in the forecast.

buffy said:

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

We have had piffling bits under a mm for the last couple of nights…

By tomorrow morning that will all change.

Not around here. Possible showers over the weekend. Nothing approaching “rain” in the forecast.

We are supposed to get some rain Friday/Saturday.

57mm overnight! I think it is safe to say the Autumn break has arrived :)

13 mm so far here. looks like that may get to maybe 15 mm.

bluegreen said:

57mm overnight! I think it is safe to say the Autumn break has arrived :)

Not listening…not listening….not listening…..

buffy said:

bluegreen said:

57mm overnight! I think it is safe to say the Autumn break has arrived :)

Not listening…not listening….not listening…..

It is all I can hear. Slow drizzle that occasionally like now, gets heavier.

0.2mm here in the last hour……

Had that much a couple of days ago too!

Whoopee!!!!

Wait…wait…..still spitting….hang on! There is runoff from the roof! Not much, but runoff.

Good morning Gardeners. We have 4 degrees this morning, had a great walk with Buschka around town. And around 6mm rain in the last 24 hours. Which is better than a spit in the eye.

:)

Especially as I dug over mulched up poo and straw yesterday and planted out some seedlings.

It is a wise gardener that smells the rain coming and gets things done before it arrives.

And the red nerines are out.

Stunning things.

Nerines are so pretty :)

Old bulbs that I’d planted years ago in the almond tree bed are popping up. Mainly erlicheer jonquils, they were just waiting for the right conditions. My saffron look great but no flowers, yet. I’m expecting a lot wont after being divided. But they will next time.

A little rain here and there, it ads up. I’ve been baking again. And picking lillypillies. Now got 5 litres of boiled down and strained juice. Two litres will be jelly and the rest cordial.

See that dark green Funeral Pine in the middle of the picture? About 45 minutes with the professional tree loppers and it’s a pile of wood and chips. Yay!

That chainsaw prowess is very, very impressive. And the chipper is magnificent. Very, very scarey!!

Sorry, Funeral/Italian/mediterranean Cypress.

buffy said:

See that dark green Funeral Pine in the middle of the picture? About 45 minutes with the professional tree loppers and it’s a pile of wood and chips. Yay!

That chainsaw prowess is very, very impressive. And the chipper is magnificent. Very, very scarey!!

I love a few hours with a chainsaw.

buffy said:

Sorry, Funeral/Italian/mediterranean Cypress.

Doesn’t matter, it is dead.

And on Monday it was cut down. And this morning the pile of chippings and foliage is smoking. I’ve just barrowed multiple loads out the back and spread it out to cool it down.