TEA ROOM #76

Colleen, yes, that is the flower I imagined on it. The cactus is on a property not far from here by car. There are many offshoots but the plant is inside a fence. I will have to find the address again, as we were just driving around looking at properties after visiting the garden we saw. The cactus wasn't far from there. Those flowers are gorgeous. Do they have a perfume? It must have been growing there a long time to have become so huge.

Karen

Good morning everyone. No rain this morning but quite cold and overcast.
It was a miserable day yesterday at the Show. It rained on and off all day. There were a few breaks after lunch but cold and windy even then.
Last year after the Show, we were told all the stalls would be in one place in future , instead of being scattered around . This seemed like a good idea then.
This time , I went along to my marked place and so did another early regular. I sold a few plants as the morning went on then cars started parking along the road in front of us. We ended up in the middle of parked cars.
Other stallholders arrived later in the morning and parking where they wanted, had a great time right down in the middle of the area. I was very annoyed and so was the other person next to me. We are regulars but the newcomers got the best places where the people were.
There will be a complaint going in from both of us. Noone was directing the cars or stall holders anywhere. They all just parked where ever they wanted. Not good organisation if they want the locals to patronise the Show.
Anyway, I did sell a few plants early so not a total disaster.
I didnt win any garden prizes . They went to some of the more tailored gardens that people seem to prefer.
I dont mind as we all have our own tastes and I garden for me not the public.
Hello Colleen, I will send you some peruvian lilies later in the week. Very pretty epi.
Teresa, how awful for you having your plant trashed. I wonder , these days, what sort of young people we have around us.
Its not worth you trying to catch them at it, as they may turn on you. . So much senseless violence.
I cannot see what they gain from ripping plants apart. . In Hamilton the other day, there was a person busily planting lots of lovely small plants around the front areas of a business . I said to hubby, I wonder how long they will stay there as we see so many times that plants are stolen or simply pulled out and thrown around.
Hello Karen, hope you enjoyed your day out. That is a very large cactus. Must be very old.
Its not raining here this morning but looks like it may later. Melbourne and surrounds have had so much down there over the weekend. I have not seen that much water there in many years.
Dianne, I hope you are keeping safe if you have water around.
I am going out to stake a few of the iris as the wind and rain yesterday bent a few over.
Usually at this time of year the wind comes from the opposite direction and wouldnt worry the iris at all.
Not too bad though as they are sturdy plants.
I hope everyone else is keeping dry. Its almost Christmas and here we are shivering and wet like drowned rats. Probably get a heat wave after Christmas.
Hello Kat, Leisa, Sue, Chrissy, and Louise.
Have a great day and keep safe and warm.
I'll leave something tasty for you all to have with a nice warm cuppa.
Chocolate Butter Cake
Jean.
Happy gardening

Good afternoon to all i have not been in for a few days puter did not want to do any thing so the doctor had to come to fix it.
This morning I tackled a nother overgrown pot I bought I now have 32 plants taken from the mother plant poor dear .
This year I will not be decorating for Christmas I will be away over Christmas and the rest of this week .
Good luck to any who have a bet re. the cup
--------------------elaine.

What a dipstick.....
I thought that I was in the tearoom....

This is what I wrote nice and early this morning and put it in the wrong place.
.A pinch and a punch for the first of the month.
Where has 2010 gone?

Good morning all.....fine and sunny here this morning...
Nice to have a name for your plant, Anthony....Quite popular too.
Sorry that you are having probs still, mine seems to be ok now after a couple of weeks of frustration.

Melbourne cup tomorrow....we'll go. It seems like a million years ago that I went to the 100th running of the cup, now I'm going to the 150th.....blimey, I won't be spreading that around. ...lol.
"So you think" is a magnificent horse and he should win...he'd better, he will be carrying my money.

Yesterday was spent taking as many infected leaves of my Peach and Nectarine as I could....the worst case of Peach leaf curl I have ever experienced. Lucky it doesn't affect the fruit.
Kettle is on Jean, hope you did well yesterday.

Back to the present.
Sorry that you computer probs, Elaine.
My monitor went on Saturday morning....lucky that I still had my old one.
Bad luck about the stall positioning Jean..unorganized people drive me nuts....maybe I've gone nuts after putting the post in the wrong place.
Dianne

Can anyone help me with a name for this plant? I usually keep labels of plants I buy but can't find one for this. I thought it was a Daniella or Lomandra, it has small blue flowers.

hehehe Diane...but I did have a cup of your tea in the October thread.....

Hi Mya....there must have been more than tea in mine.

It looks very much like a Dianella tasmanica, tiny, but pretty blue flowers.



This message was edited Nov 1, 2010 3:50 PM

Hi everyone. Just popping in to say hello. Have been really busy with the cactus today. Still have another carload to get and some big ones in the next lot. Boy am I aching. Have had my shower and my tea and ready for an early night. The trouble is if I go to bed early I'll be awake about 2- 3am ready to get up. Dutch I put an answer in tearoom 75 for you as well. I haven't caught up on all the reading yet so forgive me if I don't answer something. Chrissy and Kazza I haven't posted yet. Will let you know when. Hope everyone's had a great day and good luck for tomorrow if you have a bet. Colleen

tip on the cup trifecta dianne-3-1-8,.,.this comes from a veteran tipster[who won the first trifecta they bet on]-who doesnt normally go with favourites,but in this case,theres a fair bit of stable manure racing.i did study the racing guide[for at least 15 minutes]but i have entered these 3 numbers in the cup trifecta for over ten years and i think its time,.,.-anthony

Done anthony....going to put my weekly plant allowance on those numbers.......

Thanks for the identification, I wonder if I could grow some plants from the dark blue berries?
I have another plant, a tree that just came up. I bought this house with no garden, just a paddock so it is not from a previous owner. It is quite a nice tree, beautiful leaves and this year I noticed flowers if you can call them that. If a seed was dropped by a bird, it could be a potential pest. I only have 1/4 acre and I don't really have room for it. Before I kill it, I would like a name and I could look up how big it will grow etc.

Good morning everyone. If anyone has some sun please send it down for the Cup.
Here, it is misty. Could be fog or could be rain. Probably both the way the weather has been.
I can hear the weeds laughing their little heads off outside. Just when I thought I was in control .
Oh well , it must get warm soon and then I'll be laughing as they shrivel in the heat.
Anthony, I may take your tips with mine when I pick some.
Sorry dutch hippy, can't help with ID but it does look pretty. Looks like the lily of the valley tree, but someone more expert than I will know.
Hello Mya, I hope your garden is doing well after all the rain you have had up north.
Hello Dianne, Have agreat day at the Cup. If I was in Melbourne , I'd be going too. I have been to 15 Melbourne Cups, mostly back in the 60s, 70s & 80s. I saw the wonderful Red Handed and Light Fingers. . I was lucky enough to have seen Rising Fast race way back when.
I am not a mad punter, but I do like a small bet on the horses now and then.
What Melbournite doesn't try their luck on Cup Day ?
Hello Colleen. I have just been looking at the most beautiful flowering cacti pics sent from Panama by one of hubbys friends.
I am still watching mine for buds. Brian would love to see you looking after all his babies.
Hello Elaine. You must be really happy with your lovely bargain plants. What a great buy.
Make sure you rest and admire them. Don't overdo things.
I am going out in the mist/fog to see what the irises are doing. I still have about 60 to open . The epis are slow due to the cold I think.
Hello To everyone else out there. Keep warm and dry .
I hope you have good luck if you have a small wager on the Cup.
I will leave something nice out in the Tea Room for any wanting a cuppa.
Almond Cake with Strawberries.
Happy gardening
Jean.

Have a great day everyone ...hope you have picked a winner!
can't play today ...George comes home for good so it's full on .

It's cold and wet wet wet ...some kinda Spring huh ...coldest Oct in 18 years (reckon it's been pretty wet too ...here at least).

I think the horses may need flippers today.

the good thing with my rhodie is that it will grow back where it was damaged, in a couple of years it will look better than new :)

I just spent half an hour tying my rose back up, the thing keeps pulling away from the fence.
I use things that look like u shaped nails, sure there must be a name for them?
it takes me forever to hammer them into the fence, always seems to be one side goes in & the other sits on the surface but after lots of rude words & some serious banging with the hammer I got it sorted.

Such a lovely morning here, took Copper for his walk, cool breeze but not too bad at 7.30am , now it is really windy so hopefully the sheets on the line will dry quickly.

Hi everyone. Good luck to punters today, and I hope the weather is good for it. May the best horse win.

Been up at daybreak, cutting back branches off trees that have got away in the rains. Still a long way to go, and I'm thinking some of the weed like trees need to go. But nice just to see under the trees for the moment. Have a Macadamia that really only has 2 main branches, one reaching for the sky, the other trying to get across from one side of the back yard to the other. It is totally full of baby nuts at the moment, so I'll leave it until after the crop falls, then will take back some of that lower branch to see if it lifts once the weight is off it.

The pile of rubbish is becoming a major problem, so once its all done, I think I'll have to hire a trailer and see if we can get it to the dump.

Have a great day everyone. And again, good luck with the cup. No bets for me today, but Anthony, I will watch your numbers and see how they go.

Karen

Macadamia tree many years ago. Much thicker and heavier now.


This message was edited Nov 1, 2010 4:04 PM

2 again!

Whoohoo..I had Americain in a sweep! Yay! Luckily I didn't make it to the Tab or I would have lost :)
Perfect day here..no rain but we have mozzies after the rain. ..more rain is on its way.
Epies are flowering! I haven't got a lot but one or two here and there. Have a great night all.

lost,lost,lost .......$10 only but had a great time at a Cup Luncheon.....had a lady at our table ,she is 93 years,sharp as a tack,I think even sharper really.Her son was the director of the movie Pharlap and has just finished a movie on The Melbourne Cup called The Cup,being released in 2011.She was telling me the story behind the movie, The Cup and it sounds a great inspirational movie ,a true tear jerker.....

Hope there were a few winners out there and not too many sore heads...........

BTW,I'm wearing the hat!!!!!!!!!!

no,i lost my life savings,-yes,my $19 is gone,..,

So Funny! Love the hat!

Hello, is everyone out spending their winnings already? Anthony, we need a commiseration drink, though actually I didn't have a bet.

Mya, looking good, hat and all.

I haven't even been out to say hello to my plants this morning, not yet. A restless night, and I'm up yawning. But it looks like too nice a day to mope around, though showers are predicted. Hope everyone has a good one.

Karen

Good morning all. I can't believe it. There's thick fog everywhere. in November??? I'm off to get the rest of Brian's cactus this morning. Have potted the other lot that I got. Boy what a job. I'll have some help with the bigger ones today, thank goodness. Some of them are really heavy. I've got places aching that I didn't know I had. lol. Will put a pic up when I get them all potted or into the ground. Hope everyone is well and I'll be back later. Colleen

Good morning everyone. A very good morning as I had the three place getters in the Cup. I have always been lucky with my Cup picks. I backed Americain to win and the others for a place so made a nice little bit with my huge layout of $10 . I will never make a fortune on the TAB but I do enjoy the fun.
Anthony, you had the winner in the numbers you gave us too. Didn't you follow it ?
Lucky you Kat, congrats on the sweep win. We had no sweeps around here.
I'm still waiting on my epis to flower. They are so very slow this year. Probably the cold.
Mya , what a lovely day you had. The lady looks like she is enjoying herself.
Hello Karen. You must be worn out doing all that cleaning up. Have a rest day out the back of the Tea Room in the sun.
Hello Charleen. How are things in your area. Getting cold by now I would think. Give those furry friends a pat and a biscuit from the kitchen.
Colleen, are you still moving cacti ? I saw some tiny buds on one of mine. I think its a red one.
Hello Teresa. I know those things you mean. We call them staples and they can be a darn nuisance to try and hammer in with the rounded top. Used for fencing here mainly. Once they are in, they work well . Its a lot easier to hammer in to pine than hardwood though.
Chrissy, I hope all went well with moving your brother in. We wish him the best.
Hello Louise. Are you sitting back down there enjoying the sun ? How did your trip go ?
I hope Hank got the recognition he deserves for the hard work on the book.
Its not raining here at the moment so I am trotting off to inspect the irises. We are supposed to get warmer weathe rlater in the week but I'm not holding my breath.
Have a great day everyone and sit out in the sun if you have any.
Try this yummy Mud Cake. One of my favorites.
Jean

Mud cake is beautiful, bet it is luscious. Oh, yes, it is cooling down, I sure cdon't look forward to winter either. I should have hitchiked to Florida with our friend. Been getting colder down there too, last winter or so. Even had snow.
got the furbabies two large bales of hay and they have their heads in there eating away. Coolness is n the air and they are getting rather shaggy, so they are ready for the winter. Glad your weather is getting much better too.
Charleen

Good morning,
No Cup trip for me yesterday, our daughter rang at 9 in the morning in tears, telling us that she and our grandaughter were sitting on the side of the road, after putting her car thru two barbed wire fences, along the side of a dam, just missing it.....Then coming to a stop after hitting another fence and running into a tree......They weren't hurt except for the seat belt bruises, because the air bags deployed...we gave them that car instead of trading it in, because it is such a solid thing, a Subaru Forester........it was a gravel road and normally, that car would take any sliding in it's stride....The problem was, that she tried to protect her daughter and put one arm across Steph, then tried to steer with one hand..forgetting all about the protection that the airbags provide......

Linda had been unable to get out of the driver's side because the wire had wrapped around the front doors..they got out thru the window on the passenger side....Ray had to cut the barbed wire away from the front of the car,before it could be towed away.
The car will be a write off, according to garage........Last night, the thought of what the barbed wire could have done to them, or that they could have gone into the dam, as a car did 2 yrs ago in the same spot, kept me awake for most of the night.....

Writing to tell you about it this morning, is actually very calming.......Was she speeding? she doesn't think so.....who knows...
It makes you think about what happens in a situation like that..the road was very slippery and wet......instinct will always make a mother try to protect her child.....Do they need to take specialised driving courses? Would they help?
I haven't got the answer, but I thank God or whomever for watching over my 2 yesterday morning.

No...I didn't back a winner...back later.
Dianne




This message was edited Nov 3, 2010 8:38 AM

Thank God, they made it through all that. They are very lucky to be alive.

Oh Dianne how dreadful.
Thank goodness they will be ok ...probably flashbacks for quite a while.
I have three grandchildren who drive the awful roads around here and your heart hammers every time there is an accident reported.
Not only because you hope it isn't someone you know (or worse still love.) but because an accident means suffering for someone and their family.
I hope your day calms right down now ...an accident is called an accident because it is just that an accident.
Pssst it took me years not to throw my arm across the passenger seat when I had to suddenly stop ...sometimes the adult passenger would get quite a shock! (I often used to drive customers to the railway station if they left their car for repair).

Dianne, thank goodness they survived intact. Having a good car helps. Will join you all in the tea room for a cuppa so we can all relax.

Karen

Dianne, thank goodness they are okay. It could so easily have been tragic.
I guess we mothers all have that instinct to protect our young.
Go sit out on the patio behind the Tea Room in the sun. We will all enjoy a relaxing cuppa.
Jean.

Thanks for your concern, I enjoyed the cuppa with you all.
The thought of Chrissie clutching at her clients, rather tickled my fancy.
The car is a write off, but my girls are fine.

I had a good cry when Mel died on "Packed to the Rafters"....it was the sight of the family gathered together that did it for me....love that show.

Congrats to those who collected on the winner yesterday, after the Geelong cup, I thought that I would back Americain, but I didn't...easy come, easy go.
He's a strapping lad...17hands.

Dianne

lucky you and your girls,dianne.

Dianne so glad they're both alright. Sorry about the car. The cactus are all home now. If anyone wants to see some of them they're over in the C&S site. I'm really pooped.. Colleen

Whhhaaa yes me too Dianne re Mel.

Not since Molly passing away all those years ago has anything been so tragic in a soap. Thank goodness it is only a soap!
Replaying it next Monday night.

Meanwhile who watches X Factor ...it's getting down to the end,
I love Sally .All the others are good too though.

I think it's been a busy day for most of us by the look of things and once again the rain is coming down here right now.
It's been a nice day here sunny for a change.
Lots of seeds popping up.

This boy is 15 hands and he like to run, you should have seen him when BIL brought the his truck into pasture. He trotted behind that truck, he knew we were going to go get him some hay. Patrick had a heck of a time hooking up for the longears were standing right in the way. When we got back with the hay we snuck in and got italmost to the carport we put it under to keep it dry, before they saw him. I was up at the gate. They were ready for the hay.

Clever horse. They sound like children.

Chrissy, I love Sally in the X factor too. She has an amazing voice. It is sad to see the good ones going home now.

A grey morning this morning. Hmmm........think I'll go back to bed and have a sleep in.

Have a nice day, everyone.

Karen

good morning all. A grey morning here too Karen. Still a bit of rain. My daughter in Perth is not liking the heat they are having over there. I told her I would gladly swap some cold for her warm weather.
Chrissy, I never watch any of those shows so haven't a clue about what is going on in them . I don't like soapies or reality shows.
I am afraid all I watch are wild life, gardening or archaeolgy, ancient history type shows. Of course I always catch my favorite Star Gate, Star Trek and NCIS on at night.
Having Austar means lots of great shows that I can record to watch anytime.
Hello Charleen, nice of the longears to be of help there. We saw a few donkeys in a paddock the other day. They were standing at the fence watching cars go by. Cute faces they have.
Colleen, I will go and have a look at Brians cacti. You must be worn out. Love the epi flowers, mine are so very slow this year.
Dianne, I hope you and your girls are feeling a lot better now. It could have been so very bad. Go buy a lottery ticket for them.
Hello Anthony. I have buds on the asiatic lilies. Going to be an early year for them . They are not as tall as other years but have multiplied well.
Louise, I hope you are relaxing in the sun. Give those darling girls a pat and a doggy bikkie.
Love to see how your garden is going.
Hello Teresa, Kat and anyone else out there.
I must get out in the kitchen and see what I can leave out for you all to enjoy.
Something different....Chocolate Banana Cake.
Have a happy day.
Jean.

Jean, Here is pic of babies and their hay. They still expect their afternoon scoop of sweet feed.
You know that they use the donkeys as a companion for their hi-dollar horses. Don't want them to be upset away from home. The longears have a charm all their own, too.

Charleen, don't you just want to hug them. They look so cuddly. Looks like Charley loves his photo taken.
Jean.

Hi everyone. Still busy but not too busy as to have found this little beauty. Thanks Jean. Hope all are okay. Last load of washing going now. Phew. Colleen

Jean - I liked your taste in TV...
just add Bones to the list & you have covered all my faves too :)
we had a coolish start to the day & it was lovely for walking Copper.
I put a load of washing out when we got home & then noticed some nasty looking clouds.
By the time I got to work just after 10 it had cleared to a stunner of a day & we ended up getting quite warm.
My BIL bought us pizza for dinner & I picked up some beer (Monteiths Radler) & we are sitting back & relaxing watching Stargate Universe.