Head in the Clouds – Feet in the Dirt

Hello, hello!!
Time to pull up the corn hey?
All in good time!

A huge job started under the Macrocarpa trees today. Before we start taking down the next lot of trees (hopefully under controlled circumstances this time) we need to clear the area so we have somewhere to work without falling over pallets, bricks, polypipe, timber, wood etc etc
What a mess!

Not that moving some of those pieces of wood is going to be easy.

I thought we were going to take stuff down to the tip, but Jeff started the fire. Honestly… thats way more fun. Also because a lot of the stuff we were burning this time was drier, it didn’t create that awful smoke.

Its still a work in progress but we did get a LOT of stuff done today.

I need to move more of those big stumps of wood but I had to quit as I was feeling a wee bit of an ouch factor.

Jeff (and I) had cut up a lot of smaller pieces for our fire so I tidied up the big kindling box a bit and filled it as much as I could. I’ll have to set up another place for the rest of it.

In between barrow loads I kept chucking more wood on the fire and raked up the small annoying stuff to throw on too.

While its not exactly pretty, I lined up all the bricks along the bottom of the garden fence… hopefully it will block some gaps and deter those rotten chooks from digging under it as they seem determined to do!

Anyway, reckon this fire will still be going tomorrow so we will be able to clean up a bit more if the weather doesn’t change dramatically.
I think we should look up how to make a proper fire pit too… the cement blocks are starting to crumble.
We enjoy getting into these tasks – very satisfying to make real headway on a job.
Have a great day!
Cheers!

Hello!
I’ve been trying to work in a lower gear setting this week.
Its kinda working 🙂
I got out into the garden between rainstorms and collected a few seeds.

The runner beans are great – I didn’t plant any but they always pop up. Easy to get some new seed too

The silverbeet (chard) is also doing its thing but a while to wait yet.

Never having grown rocket before I am a bit astounded how big they get when flowering and the million seeds they produce. I should be sensible and rip them all out bar one.
I reckon I’ll have rocket sprouting everywhere next season!
Soon I won’t actually have to plant anything since so much just springs up now of its own accord!

Hey! I finally found an eggplant!!! Oh dear. I think I can admit defeat here and just pull up all my eggplant plants. Never mind.

The lettuce look a lot better since my midnight slug raid. I should go back for another go but now the weather is so much colder at night and I am way too comfy inside in front of my fire!

I left the snow peas a bit long – I am sure a lot of the pods have sprung open and distributed the seeds.
Still.. I got a reasonable amount. (More than in the photo)

I still have plenty of carrots. I have failed to get around to put in new seed and its probably too late.
I pulled up a bunch of creatively shaped ones yesterday!

I did enjoy spending time watching the bees and butterflies visiting the marigolds. They were very busy in the sunshine!

In other news, the bank paperwork is underway and I have been in touch with the ‘tree guy’
We might be making a start within the next week or so!
Better get my fill of slowing down before we have to tackle the tree clean up!!
Cheers!

Hello!
Its been a fun week of touring with Rino. Five days went really fast!
Did I mention that we met Rino’s Mum, Chinami, when we were travelling in Japan a few years back? She is part of the Tokyo Free Guide group which is awesome for people travelling in Japan for the first time or for people like us who were unfamiliar with Tokyo.
You get matched up with a guide before arriving and exchange emails and your guide finds out what kinds of things you are interested in etc.
When you arrive and meet up they take you around, show you how to use the subway system, get you orientated etc. All you pay for is their travel expenses, entry fees and food! (Highly recommended!)

Anyway, the weather stayed mostly remarkable nice for Rino’s stay which made things much nicer and easier.
Her first afternoon we trotted down to Sisters Beach.

Rino spoke English pretty much as a first language (attended international schools as a child) so communication wasn’t an issue!

It was a lovely afternoon to get to know each other a bit more and plan what we were going to do over the coming days.

The following day started out wet and cold… but we headed on up to Dip Falls, the Big Tree and Stanley.

We panted our way up The Nut and by that time, the weather had cleared up beautifully for some amazing views.

Then we drove around the area and did the tourist thing!

The tide was right so we ducked into Black River Beach for a walk and a fossick .

There were excellent sand patterns that day!

So many wallaby tracks in the sand! They were clearly having a day out at the beach!

Of course, no trip to us would be quite complete without a day up at Cradle!
We had two choices weather wise… Thursday or Saturday. Jeff was working Thursday, but knowing how the weather forecast can change closer to the day, we opted to go on Thursday and we are glad we did… the weather changed dramatically for Saturday and we managed to get the best day!

We went up to Marions Lookout where we had lunch, before heading across to the base of Cradle and scrambling back along the Face Track and the Twisted Lakes track

We hiked over 13kms that day and it was great!

The Twisted Lakes track is a bit more of a challenge here and there but it is a very pretty detour off the normal route.

The following day we did a short drive around the cape but kept things pretty low key and finished up on Saturday by driving up to some of the local towns and then heading home via some beaches.
Reckon Rino has had a fairly decent look at our area in her short time.
Not to mention getting to pick and eat some of our fresh food!

BTW that carrot weighed in at over half a kilo!! (All eaten now haha)

She was pretty amazed at our tomatoes too – we picked 12kgs one morning.
That is my next job after posting this – sort, cut and cook!

So now – guest free and no plans! Wow. Since early last year we’ve hosted 26 people so its time for a decent break! Its been crazy and fun but we are looking forward to a solid six months of just us and get caught up with all the Norwich House ‘stuff’

Hope you’ve all had a great weekend!
Cheers

Sunday afternoon I will catch up on the last few days fun – been pretty busy but having a lovely time with Rino.
We hiked over 13kms yesterday at Cradle and it was a stunner of a day up there. Good choice of time to go… now its pouring!

Anyway, I get home to find a parcel in the mail!
This gorgeous pure wool jumper made by my very clever Mum. I love the rusty colour and it fits beautifully!
I wore it out into town today – it was wet and miserable and cold… and I eventually had to take it off because I got too hot!!
So its going to be used a lot this upcoming winter!

I was not long home and about to sit and open my present when Dad rang. I said that I was about to have a hot chocolate and open my pressie when he said very relieved… oh you’ve got it? Here – tell your mother!!
Mum proceeded to tell my where my parcel had been. They posted it last week and because A. I had been busy and distracted and B. I never expect parcels to arrive quickly and C. Hadn’t realised it was about the end of the week, I hadn’t unduly worried.
Apparently it went from Wodonga (Victoria) up to Sydney (NSW) then across the country to PERTH!!! (WA) before making it to Flowerdale!
So I said I’d open it and be in touch later to tell her how much I loved my present haha

Well… of course when I opened it I knew why she was ringing all over the place! So much work had gone into it – I’d have been having kittens if it was me! So glad it eventually got back to where it was supposed to be!
And I rang back immediately to tell her how well it fitted and how much I loved it!

I’ve tried cable stitch and know how annoying it is.
Parts of it have also been undone and redone (one was a moth issue!!!) Its a bit of a thing in our family to tease Mum about her knitting. She is a ‘bit’ of a perfectionist and was notorious for undoing and redoing knitting projects!
So kinda glad this one has followed tradition!

So lucky me! I have an awesome Mum!
Cheers!!

Hi!!
Just flying by to say hello!!
Keeping on my toes. Rino is a really lovely girl and we are enjoying having her stay. Its a whirlwind tour as she only has 5 days.
Planning to hike at Cradle tomorrow – the weather is meant to be good. (But we all know that can sometimes just turn into snow)
Fingers crossed for a good day.
Will catch up soon with photos and stories.
In the meantime I am just here to show off my carrot!! Half of this monster fed 3 of us for dinner last night (yes there was more on the plate than carrot)
I am running a little contest on my gardening page to guess the weight (in grams)
Love to hear your guesses too!!
Cheers everyone xxx

OK – thats clearly not yard work… buuuuut … I took no photos today so I am sharing the current crocheting projects first before I waffle on without the aid of photos to tell you what a fab job we did in the yard 🙂
You might remember I started crocheting a fancy blanket in blues for my Canadian niece? Well… its nearly done.
Then I got distracted – I bought myself some lovely yard and got all keen to make myself a cosy knee rug (winter is coming after all)

I love the colours and its a bit chunky!

Then I found some thin yarn (by accident) that I thought might make a nice baby blanket?? So I put aside mine and started on that. Happily a friend had a surprise baby (yah – thats how out of the loop I am with people) so I have a bubs to finish it for

Its a nice blend of silvery greys – its slower work with the thinner yarn and small hook. Not sure how big to go… and it will need to be something used on top or for show maybe – I am just thinking small fingers in those holes… Still… I can work on the idea 🙂

Of course, being in the middle of three blanket projects isn’t enough and I picked up some yarn the other day for another Christmas present I have in mind. I wanted to do something new so I learned how to crochet the willow pattern granny square! (I love youtube)
Its hard to get the colours right in the artificial light -and there is a cream yarn too which I have now made up two squares of – they all look rather nice together. Will have to get Margie to teach me to crochet them all together when the time comes (If I can hold off starting any more that is!)

I am enjoying doing these ones.

Anyway – yard work!
Tomorrow we are due to collect Rino from the airport in the early afternoon. I thought the yard was looking so shabby that it was about time we made it look like we actually care!
Jeff got out the mower and made a start. I moved hoses, cords and miscellaneous ‘stuff’ to help out.
We took the netting off the raspberries – oh dear what a mess in there. I had to get the spade and dig out heaps of massive thistles that had taken over.
The kind with armour-piercing barbs.
I am not sure I enjoyed that bit. 😀
I also weeded the front path – it really needs a new load of woodchip put down on it. There were also the straggly geum plants – they send out flowers on long stems that look great… but after they die off they look not great. They’ve been looking not great for too long.
The sunflowers had had it, so out they came – as well as weeding back one half of the strawberry patch.
Meanwhile, Jeff has mowed and whippersnipped his way around the yard and garden. So much easier to navigate in the veggie patch now!

While I was weeding something, Jeff decided to take the steel plate off the septic to take a look… and I am thinking ‘what were you thinking????’ (Hey Rino, welcome to Tassie, don’t mind the pong haha)
BUT – its mad. I have to take a photo. There is a concrete slab down the back with the steel plate on. Lift plate to reveal… a whacking great hole bored down about 15-20ft and probably about um… a metre and a half wide?? (I’ll take a snap)
Its all dirt walls and goes down into dirt. A small polypipe goes down into it but its one that comes from another area and goes nowhere.
Ummmm… I wonder where our septic goes?
After seven years here we still come up with mysteries!!

Well… since we are having a guest come in I figured I should come in and wash the dirt off, make up a bed and do some vacuuming and tidying.
I am in the bathroom washing my hands – a lot (that red dirt!!) and I glance in the mirror to see an ant on my head!! One of the half to three quartre inch, massive pincer type ants!! NOT COOL!
Cue the mad ant dance.
I’ve flicked my bandanna off in the hope the ant went with it. No ant to be seen.
Since I have hair you could lose a badger in, I had to yell for Jeff to come and inspect. Getting bitten on the head by one of these buggers was not going to be an optimal end to the day.
He cant see anything, helpfully hands me a hairbrush and stands back.
Hair must have been surprised at the vigorous brushing since it doesn’t get groomed much.
No sign of ant falling out or ant on floor or vanity or bath or bench.
Time to disrobe – didn’t want the chance of ant rummaging about in any of my crevasses.
Finally while I am standing there in my foundation garments, ant wanders over the bath mat.
Ant is now missing along with all toilet contents in the mystery septic.

Life around here is never really dull
Cheers!

Hello!!
Yesterday I finally got to the end of making that batch of relish. 14 new jars! (Can’t have too many in my opinion)
I also cleaned out the fridge and did other ‘stuff’ and did a silly amount of dishes… I don’t want to talk about all the dishes.
Moving on… 🙂

So… today was my birthday!! I’d planned to go to the market where Jeff and I were going to do a scavenger hunt with $20 each to get funny presents (his birthday is next week)
Of course the market is not on 🙁 I forgot that there was an extra Sunday in this month so there is a three week break between markets not a two week break.
We dropped in to see Ruby & Margie but they were still at church.
Strike two.
Supermarket. (Because thats a happening place on ones birthday) I bought myself some special orange chocolate… except when I got home and took a mouthful I discovered I had picked up salted caramel since the stupid packaging is orange like the orange chocolate!! (Sadly the salted caramel was too rich for me but Jeff seems to be enjoying!!)

ok… so. Today wasn’t going brilliantly sparklingly well… so I put on my gardening duds and planted stuff!

The potato plot being recently dug to within an inch of its life, was the easiest and best spot to use.

I ‘spot composted’ with the leftover mushroom compost and started getting the plants in.

Dug up plenty of fat worms.

Two types of cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower. I haven’t done a lot with winter gardens in the past, so this seems rather ambitious! Hopefully I will have some success.

Thats one bale of straw!! Those bales are so tightly packed!! Hoping that will slow the weeds

Luckily I’ve kept all the polypipe and stake supports I’ve made in the past. Some are a bit wonky and some of the stakes are a bit shorter because they have broken… but it still works well enough to support the nets and hopefully keep those cabbage moths at bay.

Another tick of my long list!!
The good thing about birthdays – getting to chat to all members of my family! That was fabulous – we all get a bit busy at times, but birthdays are for decent catchups so I love that.
Plus it is my gorgeous niece Emma’s Birthday as well!! Happy days when I was living close by them and I got jelly cakes and fairy bread every birthday just like a kid!!
Jeff and I did go out to dinner which was great! The restaurant down the highway does fabulous gourmet wood fired pizzas and it totally hit the spot… and NO DISHES!

Cheers!

(Snicker – hotwire now protects the corn thanks to the farmer but the rotten greedy cows reached in on the other side far enough to snag one of the running pumpkin vines that got too close to the fence!!! Happily the pumpkin was left behind with not many teeth marks! Made me laugh.)

Friday done and dusted!!
I escaped the kitchen and took a drive out to Bunnings with my $50 voucher that I won at the garden tea party a number of weeks back!
I had intended to buy a tarp so I could get and store lots of straw bales…
But I stopped by my cousins shop to say hi and hand over a bag of tomatoes and she gave me one!! How great is that?
I went to Bunnings anyway and got some cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower seedlings as I am figuring with the time of year and still another guest to arrive that I wouldn’t get seeds in in good time. Might as well jump start with the seedlings.
Plus got some extra netting of the fine mesh to thwart cabbage moths.
(Oh and I might have treated myself to a snag in bread with onions and sauce and a coke – Bunnings often have a sausage sizzle…mmmm)

I dropped into spotlight to get some yarn for another planned Christmas present – and also found tablecloths on sale at $10 each. We haven’t had new ones in an eon and I found two large square ones and picked those up too…
Onward to Wynyard where I bought a mini wheelie bin and put it back at the cafe for coffee ground collections now that I have time and a compost again.

I might have picked some more tomatoes yesterday!
I also chopped up 6lb with onions and half cooked my relish… I’ll probably have to finish it tomorrow.

I started reducing a batch of tomato paste too late yesterday and was up horribly late while it did its thing. Made the mistake of trying out the cast iron pot and it was too slow. Lesson learned. Will go back to the baking trays instead.

I also sold another 3kgs of tomatoes – but still doesn’t look like I have done anything because of the new pick I did haha
Will take some to the cafe as thanks for the coffee!

Last night when I locked the chooks up I noticed a
cornucopia of slugs (yes that is the correct collective noun) feasting on my lettuce!!
I spent a very sticky 20 minutes picking them off! Yuck!

The chooks weren’t interested (rightly so) so I jumped on them.
I reckon I could go out there with a bucket one night and fill it! Maybe … when I feel keen. And its not raining.

Oh, and I picked our first watermelon! For someone that can grow massive potatoes and tomatoes, this is hilariously small!! I’ll have to check the seed packet. Maybe its a small variety? It was tasty and sweet though!

Hope you have a great weekend planned!
Cheers

Hi!
Was a nice day yesterday – so Jen and I did a bit more sightseeing – a wander down on the beach at Fossil Bluff, followed by a loop around Anniversary Bay.

It was quite low tide so nice to see more of the rocks and area than usual

Sand trees? From a spooky forest maybe?

Millions of years ago…

Anyway, Jen moved on this morning and I am up to my ears in tomatoes. Sheets are in the wash, preparing for our next and last guest early next week!
(Well not last ever but aiming to be guest free for 6 months so I can catch up with myself haha)

Hope you are having a great week!
Cheers

Hello!
Lucky us! It stopped raining for most of the day.
We went with our friend Jen out to Dip Falls and Stanley today!
Nice to escape the tomatoes for a while haha

With the recent rain, at least there was a bit of water over the falls. I felt the fact that I haven’t hiked since the Overland very keenly going back up the stairs though!

There were a lot of tourists out today! There was a cruise ship in Burnie so people were doing day trips. Kinda odd to have ‘crowds’ at places like this!!

At this time of year there would normally be a lot of fungi about, but apart from these two I spotted – not much at all.
Got a bit cold a bit quick I think.

Jen and I walked to the top of The Nut while Jeff indulged in a number of coffees in the shelter of a cafe.
Sensible really…the walk up is – challenging, but the wind!! Wow… blown about everywhere! It was great but when we sat back in the car it was like ‘whew – peace!’
Happily we got some decent views today too.
This shot was taken as we did a lap of the area.
Then we did tourist photo things 🙂

I am a bit ‘meh’ about these big, kinda tacky frames… but then I have to admit they are a little more fun that I WANT to admit!!! Ahh well… just go with it!

Anyway – I was trying not to get a late night, but I am still wrestling with my old computer as it huffs and puffs its way though my requests!! Sadly, I am not going to be in bed an hour ago!!

Hope your day was lovely!
Cheers