TEA ROOM # 110

Jean, I have a few here, popping the surface,.,.very strange,..,.

Anthony, if your weather there is anything like here, those little liliums will be pulling themselves back under the ground...lol

Sue ; I adore dahlias , rhodos etc and used to have heaps when I lived at Bright.
Here , they go toes up in a year.
I'm thinking maybe all the calcium in our water.
I am seriously thinking of trying more and only using rain water.

No crumbs for thos etwo here today , Charleen. The magpies scoffed the lot.

The sun is trying to push the clouds aside , but not having much luck.
I might go out and do a walk around just to see what the weeds are doing....lol
Jean.

Hubby took our old carpet out the hanger this arvo & came back with our 2 seater couch so now we have the whole lounge suite.
We can have visitors again, there is somewhere for them to sit :)
Sugar is going to be a happy pup tomorrow - she isn't in season so can go to dog club.
I'm looking forward to seeing her run about with the other dogs she is a baggage at times but a lot of fun.

Its very cold, Jean

It was such a lovely morning here, that I decided to take the camera to Mick's paddock....it was lovely there, the grass is so green and there were black Cockies and Rosellas flying overhead and little blue Wrens industriously looking for insects under every disturbed patch of grass.....

Then there were the sheep, they were being moved from one paddock to another by a very busy Kelpie...
We were watching one particular ewe that was standing aside from the rest and all of a sudden she dropped a lamb.....naturally I had to take a pic...
So here is a baby that is only a couple of minutes old.....a little while later, it got caught up in the wire fence so naturally I had to untangle it and give it back to it's mother...
I had a cuddle before giving it back...it's little heart was beating so quickly...but soon it was off with the other lambs.....

Those trees in Mick's paddock were saplings when I bought him (Mick has the pink coat).....he hates sheep.
Dianne.

This message was edited Jul 21, 2012 11:57 PM

Anthony and Jean, my Gladioli bulbs are thru about an inch, so they will flower in September.
I'll have to buy some more so I'll have some flowers in Summer....what a hardship....lol

Nothing worse , than 'having' to buy more plants.,.,,. i restrained, this morning-, only buying spagnum and super mulch.,.,.,.,.,.,.[no lily bulbs]- although, they had their talons out, trying to drag me into the rack'''''please save us'''''''Ha Ha,.,.

Good morning everyone.
Still showery here and nothing has been done in the garden due to the muddy conditions
I hear the weeds laughing each time I venture out.

Anthony, those bulbs must know it may be an early spring.
Its a terrible thing when you just have to buy more plants....lol
I know how they reach for us when they see us pass by.

I see I have a couple of buds on one of my ranunculi.
One of the magpies is sitting on her nest now.
Hubby says we may get all the bad weather we missed , coming at us during August. I hope he is wrong.

Dianne, lambs are so cute when small. We have lots in the paddock next to us.
Little devils fit through the fences and must reckon the grass outside is better.
They dont come in the garden much though.

Teresa, I bet Sugar will be glad to be back at the dog club again.
It can be a nuisance with females but something to bear with if you want to breed her.
Hope you are all settling nicely back in the house now.

Hello Sue, Chrissy and Moon.

Karen, I hope all is well up your way, You havent been in for a cuppa .

Charleen, give those furry ones a hug.

Here is a tasty start to the day .....Chocolate Slice.

Keep safe

Happy day
Jean.

Hello everyone. Jean, I shamefacedly admit I've been sleeping in and haven't had time to sit at the computer long enough to visit. A bit warmer this morning and it looks like being a beautiful day. I find the cold is causing my shoulder to ache, especially at night, but I still have limited movement too. Hanging out washing is quite a challenge for me.

Speaking of early Spring, my mini peach trees are almost flowering already. Sad, as it means I'll lose most of the baby peaches if the August winds are bad this year. Seems to happen every year now, and I get very few peaches anymore.

Dianne, what an amazing experience not only to see the little lamb come into the world, but then to resue it as well. The trees look so healthy and green. Lovely place for Mick to live.

Teresa, great to hear you are getting your house back in order, and to your liking. Give Sugar and Copper a hug each from me.

Chookie, that azalea hedge is magnificent. I have a very old azalea bush here called Red Wings, and it used to flower like that. I think it is getting too old now and too much competition for food from the trees around it. Where is this one growing? I don't go to many markets but the place I get the odd gemstone from is the Beenleigh markets on Sundays. What I like about that one is that the man running it is great to talk to, and has the better stones at home, and is happy to bring anything in next week that you may want to look at. I was interested in the watermelon tourmaline. It is very expensive, but he had some samples at home he'd sell for a lower price. Unfortunately I haven't been able to get back to see him again, yet.

Charleen, glad you aren't allergic to those stings. We get paper wasps here that can catch you unawares, but I too find a squirt with insect spray and they drop like flies. I remember the old days when my father used to make an elaborate flaming torch to burn them and their nests outs altogether. I once watched as a preying mantis ate a wasps nest, then while it was sitting licking its chops, a mickey bird flew down and ate him. Talk about a food chain.

Anthony, hope you are keeping your toes warm there. Nature has her way of keeping her strongest plants safe from the weather, don't you find?

Colleen, I too am sorry to learn that your back is not recovering yet. Don't force anything and let others take the load for as long as you need to so you can recover properly.

Sorry if I've missed anyone. Catch you next time.
Have a lovely Sunday.
Karen

Pelican preening.

Frost no 6 this morning-a real crisp one, but the days have been brilliant.,.I picked up 14 mini alcohol bottles[for mini daff showing] for $7 at the market this morning,.,.,.,.,.,If anybody has any, let me know and i"ll buy them from you..the firewood is split and sitting next to the fire,..Ive 'super fertilised my Cardiocrinums, and am experimenting on seed raising in 'ziplock' bags,.,.,.Sooty has the 'cat flu' [from all the vet visits].,.,.,Nature is good here Karen-the best place in the world to grow bulbs,.,..,.,.Anthony

hello Karen, We did miss you.
Its always nice to see familiar faces popping in for a cuppa.
I have just been out and pruned the rose with one hand.
Very hard to stop the left hand doing anything . It will probably sulk now that right hand is doing all its jobs...lol

Lots of shoots on the roses and the daffies are all budding with one already open.

Anthony, I may have to come down for your fire. I love an open fire , but we cant have one here. The wood is so expensive and hard to get. .
Gone are the days of going out along the roadside and picking up the fallen logs and branches..
It kept the roadsides tidy and cleared a fire hazard.
Now, thanks to the greenies we cannot pick up anything and our roadsides look a mess .

Going to sit by the heater for awhile and rest.
It is cold & damp out there.

I need a cuppa.

Keep warm.
Jean.

we had a bitterly cold day, Sugar had a ball chasing after the other dogs at training.
we were trying to do rally -o & Sugar was being a rat bag, my instructor took her for a few minutes to get a feel for what would work best.
we have a bit of a plan now & Sugar actually worked better after that.
When we got home I went to unlock the back door... no key...
hunted high & low but no sign of it.
Normally we drop the key in a drawer when we go out.
Neither of us can recall taking the key out & it is not in the usual spot.
It is very frustrating as we have to take the dogs out on lead via the front door.
I went as far as to empty the drawer in case I had missed the key, looked in every single drawer in the kitchen, just can't figure out how it could have vanished & Baz is going to call a locksmith tomorrow.
what are the odds we find the blessed key once the lock is changed?

just finished uploading photos of my morning walk to work.
I get off the bus at the edge of the CBD & it's a half hour brisk walk across town.
pic 1, map of the CBD, I start at 1 on the map & finish at 20.
pic 2 - we have a sense of humour about the damage.
pic 3 - damaged buildings are being used as a canvas for art works
pic 4 - the early morning sunshine hit the top of the Bridge of Remembrance & it was reflected in the water of the river Avon.
more photos here...
http://s75.photobucket.com/albums/i294/dalfyre/On%20the%20way%20to%20work/

Good Morning.

Lovely treat Jean. Sounds like you may have to keep the left hand from knowing what the right hand is doing...grin Do hope you see improvement soon.

Anthony, it won't be long before you will be up to your ears in gorgeous lillies. I am so very much looking forward to your pictures. Poor Sooty. I hope he recovers quickly. I had to bring my sweet old girl Mea (16) to the vet for a cold....she is still sneezing a bit, but at least she isn't showering everything when she does sneeze.

Karen, hope the shoulder eases up for you also. My daughter took me to the market down by the river at I think it is called Power House? There is a large building where the display art...and the Photojournalist's winning pictures. We also went to a mid-week market downtown and out to a "Hippy" market (my son-in-law's name for it). I especially like the big market in Eumundi...I find it VERY easy to spend money there...grin. On one visit we went down by the docks to a huge plant sale and then over to the markets by the Queensland Performing Arts center and the giant ferris wheel. I truly love spending time in Brisbane.

Teresa, what a lovely walk to work. It is so sad though to see all the lovely old buildings so damaged. And yes, they key will surely turn up as soon as the lock is changed...grin
Good thoughts to you all...our lovely rainy weather keeps the birdbath full...and the weeds growing

Hi folk - just another Yankee on the prowl here, thought I'd stop in for a sec. Found out it's just as easy to chat half way round the world as it is across the fence.

Okay, I'm not really a newbie here, been around on other threads for a few years. I met up with Charleen (the mule lady) a while back, and even visited her and the real Charley last January when we traveled to the southland on vacation. What a beautiful experience.

Wifey and I are retired now and are pursuing travel plans both now and future. We're both in our 60's, with three adult children and three grandkids. We've been to several states in the south and west US and Canada, thinking about Nova Scotia in August or early September. Last year made it to Hawaii for almost 3 weeks touring every garden imaginable.

Hornell is a small city here, about 10,000 folks. We are far from New York City in a mostly rural agriculture district, in fact we grow a lot of food for other larger cities.

Hope I'm welcome here chat. Any travelers here, feel free to ask.

Al

Al and his wife were so nice to visit with when they came by. Charley and I enjoyed the visit very much.
Charley even got some NY apples...

Good morning everyone.
I keep looking out the window in hope that winter moved on overnight.
No such luck.
I di manage a few jobs one handed yesterday, including, as I said above, all the roses.

Hello Al. Its always so nice to see new faces and we welcome our US friends.

We love Charleen and her tales of Charleys antics.
Moon is also here often with her lovely pics.
Post a few of yours, Al.
We like to see other gardens and here about what you all do with yourselves.

Charleen, could you please come and get Abigail.
I think she has moved into the back patio . I found an egg there.

Hello Anthony, keep those toes warm there.

Teresa, I'm so glad Sugar is learning manners.
Your pics are interesting to show the devastation still there .
It takes so long to fix Mother Natures upheavals.
It looks a lovely walk though.

Hello Colleen, hope you are feeling better day by day. Its a slow process because we are older .

Dianne. Hope all is well down your way . Spend some time among your brugs, if you get any sunshine.
Gardening is always good for the mind.

Hello to everyone else popping in for a cuppa.

Louise, If you do happen to look in, Happy Birthday for the other day.

Looks bleak outside so I will sit near the heater for awhile.

Here is a treat for you all. ....Chocolate Mud Cake.
I need a bit of decadence ...lol

Al, pull up a chair and enjoy our virtual goodies.

Happy day
Jean.

Good morning everyone, Welcome Al always good to hear tales from afar.
yesterday I went for a Sunday drive to Warrnambool - went to the Sunday market but the plant lady was not there so I went to Bunnings and spent too much. Got a nice well grown Hazelnut to add to my hedge and now have two as pollinators. Got an Annie Blueberry too plus a few rescues and at last I brought my long wanted first zygocactus for my new home - a pink one unnamed .

Also a well grown camellia named Susan - well I couldn't resist ! I have been planted a named plant for each of my children and grandchildren but didn't think of one for me until I saw it there. It is going to be on the side fence where I can watch it flower from the window and also it will add to the privacy hedge for next door. Since I had the tall trees cut down for more sun they have had to look into my yard so I am trying to add back their lost privacy as fast as I can.

Thanks Karen for that info = the Beenleigh market won't be too far from my son at Labrador so I will get him to go look or maybe wait until I get there and go with him.

I added five goldfish to the second pond yesterday too - the frogs have made themselves so much at home that it is absolutely full of tadpole eggs - far too many - so I thought the fish may cull a few.I know many many will survive as the fish couldn't possibly eat that much. I want to encourage frogs but we are talking millions of eggs ! LOL The frog songs are getting louder as more frogs arrive , I have lost count of how many have found the ponds now but I love their night songs, my neighbours may not come Summer though!

Anthony I hope the frosts are not doing as much damage to your garden as mine did here- my poor plants have been really bitten hard and my Jostaberry burnt to a crisp- yes it also my brugmansia too.Hopefully Spring will see them recover , time will tell.

Sue, dont despair.
A few years ago we had a very severe frost which ( unusually) came right into the garden.
Some of my brugs were burnt and died right to the ground .
You should see them now. They spring back so quickly.

If you like zygos, I have plenty here. I grow both named & unnamed.
Lots of epiphyllums too. . Irises , asstd bulbs.
Sometimes I sell on eBay or Hamilton trash & treasure.

You should visit as I am sure I could fill your car with plants you NEED to have ...lol
Jean.

it was warmer this morning, 3C so i got off the bus & walked in to work.
Takes about 25 minutes and I went a slightly different way so got to see a few more things - the flats where I lived in the late '80's are still there.
They are fairly old but solidly built.
The town houses they built next door look like they are being pulled down!
I haven't been game to look closely at my gardens, after all the abuse they have suffered I am not sure I want to know.

Gday-Al, Gee, you met the 'real' Charleen and Charley !- I thought they were just legends, passed down over many centuries.....A great lady indeed!!,.,.I went to post last night, and then a massive power outage for 4 hrs,.,.I fell asleep..Howling moon, you are not wrong, and i cant wait to see some of the new fruits of the 'erratic' seed crosses,.,. that will 'surprise all' this year,.,.,.undoubtedly a great show,.,.I love it

And one that I am looking forward to seeing, Anthony. You already have so many pretties, I know the crosses will be a visual treat...eye candy...grin

Hi Al. You are gonna enjoy yourself here. And, if I may suggest, add Australia to your travel plans. The country is beautiful and varied and the people are delightful. My daughter lives in Brisbane and we have made 3 trips there....a happy adventure each time.

Good morning to you all

Yep, Al and his wife were great!!!
Jean, was it a large brown egg?? that is what she lays, such a good girl. That is your reward for the cookies, so you can make some more...

'Lo again. Oh, wow, I mean.., guess you folks don't mine me talkin' here! Okay, I can be chatty, too. Especially when threre's good food around.

We seem to be at the exact opposite of seasons as most of you are chillin' while we're baking in record heat of the summer. I'm just starting to pick my early fresh tomatoes, which we haven't had since last October. These are "Tumblers" which I grew in large pails in and off our indoor patio, started from seed in mid-March. They are small, about golf ball size but good for salads and eating out of hand. Have to admit, some don't quite make it to the table when I'm standing near the garden. The main garden crop won't come ripe until about second week in August.

This is my GD Olivia "Livey", now almost 5 years old and entering primary school in September. A lovely gardener from the very start. She is a big sister to twin babies just recently born in March a little boy and girl. The whole family was visiting over the weekend for a yard sale event.

Yes, I have been to Australia, actually Sydney, but only time enough to refuel our troop plane on it's way to Saigon during the 60's. Lovely place only wish I had more time to see it. Still on my bucket list.

Al

Pretty tomatoes, Al. we folks on this side of the pond are very fond of our fresh tomatoes...grin Livey is a little doll...I know she brightens your heart and garden. Perhaps one day you will get a chance to visit Australia for fun...I certainly hope so. The overall "flavor' of Sydney is reminiscent of San Francisco in architecture and ambiance. And who wouldn't want to pet a kangaroo or koala? grin

Good morning everyone. A brilliant red sky here at the moment.
Yesterday was mild and no rain.
I potted 2 bromeliads and pulled a few weeds ( one handed of course )
I am still resting my shoulder.

Hello Moon. You must make a longer visit and see the other states when you next come over.
We have some beautiful places here in Victoria and West Aust is well worth seeing.
I'm sure Anthony would tell you that Tassie has some spectacular scenery too.

Al, a very pretty little girl in a very pretty patch of garden.
Love the red dahlias & gladioli. .
We will be interested in seeing more of your particular piece of the USA.
I love tomatoes and will be planting some this year in the hanging tomato bags.
They can hang on the rotary clothes line as I dont use it any more. Hopefully this will keep some of the creepies off them.

Charleen, yes it was a brown egg but I ate it for breakfast instead of making cakes.
I hope Charley is behaving.
Are you still having very hot weather there ?

Anthony, my first daffodils are open along with a couple of grape hyacinths.
Lots of bluebells poking up too. ( pink bells also)

Hello Dianne, Colleen, Teresa and Sue.

I am off to the kitchen to see what I can give you all for morning tea.
I know Karen likes this one.
Try some HummingBird Cake.

Happy day
Jean.

Good morning everyone. I'm feeling a lot better this morning. Thanks everyone for the well-wishes. I can't believe that I've been so incompacitated. A wonderful neighbour came yesterday and spent 4 hours dusting vaccuming and washing all the floors for us. She also hung out the washing and will be back today to take it in. The boy's school even rang yesterday to see if they could help in anyway. I am very grateful to everyone and am trying to think of ways to repay all their kindness. Any ideas? Colleen

So glad you are feeling better Colleen. I am sure everyone will be very happy you are back on your feet...but perhaps a nice baked goodie from your kitchen would bring a smile. You have shown us some yummy treats you and the boys have made.

Jean, Al will be able to show you lovely snow covered fields and beautiful Fall leaf displays. He is up in the Northeast corner of the US. We have been fortunate enough to spend a few days in Sydney and a week at Uluru, The Olgas and Mt Conner/Alice Springs area. We have seen quite a bit of Queensland, from Fort Douglas and the Barrier Reef down to Cairns, Paronella Park, Townesville and through the mountains to Noosa and of course, the must see Gold Coast. we really want to go to Melbourne and Canberra, but also I want to see Perth and Adelaide. My daughter laughed and said I pretty much want to tour the entire Australian coastline....I say YUP I surely do. Then I want to go to Tasmania and New Zealand...hopefully all before i turn 80...LOL

Good morning everyone. Oh Jean, yes Hummingbird cake is divine. Don't see it around much here but grab a piece when I do.

Al, nice to meet you. Looking forward to hearing more about you and your garden etc. Hornell sounds like a nice place to be. I am so over the rat race, sirens daily (wondering if its anyone you know), police car chases, helicopters and their huge noise going overhead..........ahhhhh!!! I don't think there is anywhere left in Australia's coastal towns and cities that is still quiet. Its all so overdeveloped these days, and noisy.

Not much happening here. I got some new, cheap blinds for two bedroom windows yesterday, and Barry put them up for me. I thought, no use paying good money for them if housing is only going to kick me out anyway. They won't fit into a shoebox. Its nice to have the privacy and light control. Curtains are OK but the venetians are better. Only one window left now, but I think I'll use the curtains on it for now.

One of our drives about locally, this feral goose seemed quite attached to the white horse.
Have a lovely day
Karen

Colleen, glad you are feeling a bit better. take things very slowly.

Karen, hope you are feeling so much better now too. A bit of warmer weather up there makes a difference .
I love geese but not the place for them here with so many foxes.

Moon , you would have loved the red centre around Alice Springs and Ayers Rock.
I will be looking forward to seeing pictures of the beautiful Fall trees from Al later.

Anthony will be happy to see another man in the Tea Room instead of him being surrounded by all we ladies chattering away...lol

Off to Casterton now. I need some new shoes and hubby wants some too.
He will keep wearing his out in the wet instead of changing...

Jean.

Look what's flowering. Don't know what it thinks it's doing. So pretty though. Colleen

Colleen, it must be catching.
I have had 7 epis flower through late autumn into winter
The last has just finished.
I hope this means plenty of flowers later in spring.
Yours is very pretty.

Cold outside so I am staying in near the heater
We bought our new shoes and I was pleasantly surprised at getting a very nice pair much cheaper than the larger shops.
It does pay to check the local shops first.

It was a lovely drive over with all the Cootamundra wattle out along the road .

Jean.

Colleen that Epi is beautiful!

Very warm here. Temps in 90's so have to stay in shade, if possible.
Charley is behaving as only Charley can behave.
Hope all are doing well....

Yes, Ladies - I'll try not to be the only rooster in the hen house. Or as Charley would say, " I'll try really hard not to make an ass out of myself! "

(I think this is originally Charleen's picture)

Al

This message was edited Jul 24, 2012 12:44 PM

Good morning everyone. A mild but cold day yesterday .The sun is up and shining here this morning. The wind is cold though.
I will attempt to cut my couple of grass clumps back today. I should be able to manage it one handed .
I like these grasses with their feathery heads but they do need a haircut each year.

I have my first snowdrop out along with a lone daffodil. Lots more buds though.
The jonquils are as bright as ever.

Helli Al, you will see more of our Anthony once his beautiful liliums start to flower. They are wonderful .

Karen, glad you managed to score a piece of Hummingbird cake. I knew you would smell it .

Colleen , nice to see you are able to get around a bit easier now.

Sue, have you any lavender growing down there ?
It would do nicely around your pool.
I mean the smaller ones not the rampant large ones.

Teresa, have you put everything back how you like it in the house now ?
How is little Miss Mischief behaving ?
No need to ask if Copper is because we know he is a gentleman..

Hello Moon, are you feeling the heat there still >
I could try and send some cold but I think you will get enough when your winter arrives.

Charleen, I found another lovely brown egg this morning. Abigail will get an extra lot of crumbs now.
Pat Charley & the furry ones for me.

I am off to have another cuppa then go see what is going on around the garden.

I love seeing the bulbs open one by one.
I notice my spider lily has died by the look it though.
I dont seem to be able to grow them here. I may try one in a pot one day , but they do get rather large for pots.
Oh well, plenty more bulbs that will grow here anyway.

Heres a treat for morning tea... Sultana Teacake.

Keep safe and enjoy the day.
Jean.

Thanks for the offer Jean. There is no telling what our winter will do here...we have been moved a half zone warmer this past year and we are certainly feeling more tropical this summer. i did love Ayer's Rock....I got to watch the sunrise over the rock on my birthday....a rather special moment for me. When I was 13 my closest friend and her family moved to Lake Victoria. She and I saved our money for almost 3 years so I could fly over and spend the summer with her. Sadly a few months before I was to go, her Mother passed away. I swore I would get there....I just didn't realize it would take 40 years to do it...grin Speaking of red clay.....my grandson got up close and personal with it.

Hahaha, Al, love that pic of Charley. His laugh is infectious, for sure.

That goose is a Greylag, wild, not native to Australia, so don't know where he came from. Maybe an escapee. He was a loner, just waddling around in a field of horses.

Jean, my bad shoulder is on the right, and being right handed makes life very difficult. Its been 2 years now and still not recovered, though I have a slightly better range of movement than it was, and I think it is only the cold weather now bringing out the soreness. Hope yours recovers much quicker.

Moon, your grandson is a real cutie. The red background is just amazing.

Charleen, keep cool. Do the mules cope better with the heat or the cold?

Colleen, none of my epis have flowered out of season, which is disappointing, so I hope they make up for it when they do flower. That pink one is simply beautiful.

I'm off to the dentist this morning. I hope, after 3 long and trying visits for just one tooth, it will be the last of it today. I also hope any other teeth that need fixing don't put me through all this trauma and pain. Am really thinking of finding a new dentist (this one is a new dentist) as I need someone with more experience with diabetics and their unique problems when it comes to dental work and the time it needs to heal. I don't understand how so much damage to my mouth was done just drilling. Wish my old dentist hadn't retired just yet. Never had these problems with him as he was so careful.

So happy with the new blinds. They make the rooms look more cosy and are so practical.

Have a happy day.
Karen

Tillandsia Tricolour in bud.

Good morning everyone- well Cackleberry Castle ( Thanks Barry!) is now completely finished with indoor outdoor nesting box so I can peek in from outside and collect the eggs,I will paint it all much later as too many other things on the go right now and I want to oil the timber first to make sure it lasts outdoors.

Spent yesterday doing the floor and mounting the feeder and waterer so all is ready to move in. Separate gate to the yard and my neighbour says he has never seen such a luxurious henhouse - not really it is pretty standard but he thinks I must be going to have 80 hens because the yard is big. Just 4/5 will be fine for me.They need lots of room and eventually I will divide some off for the grass to grow back so they have two alternate runs.

The rooster comes tomorrow and Lulu and he will move in together so it is new to them both at the same time. Though Lulu has been right underfoot during the build and 'inspected' every little thing as it was done even down to pecking the pencil while the handyman was measuring with it. He loved her and picked her up often for a cuddle and asked where she was if I didn't let her out when he arrived.( I thought she may have been a nuisance - but no he liked her right there! LOL)

As soon as the wire was on I planted the passionfruit I had waiting.It is near the outdoor waterer so the overflow will keep it watered as well. And the choko is in a pot until frosts are finished. Now to get the rest of the garden beds in and planted around the wire boundary.

Handyman's next job will be the gazebo around the pond in a few weeks. I am looking forward to that immensely.

Jean, Thanks for the reassurance, I was worried about the brug and frost bitten softies.I would love to see and raid your garden, I will call in on my way to Casterton one day and bring my purse! LOL Will let you know when but probably Sept/Oct I would think. No I don't have lavender here I did think it may be too wet for it but I guess it grows in england so should grow here - it is like a UK climate here where I am except hotter Summer - not much different to parts of Tassie I think from my stay at Uni in Launceston.

Colleen so glad to hear you are feeling a bit better - yes hand out some cooked goodies or preserves when you make them .No one helps with a thought to returns, so just do what you feel is ok. So happy you are improving.The boys will be relieved to have Mum back on deck properly but don't overdo it when you begin - do it slowly and carefully - voice of experience! LOL

Karen why would Housing move you? Once in you are there for life unless you want to move aren't you? Mind you a change is as good as a holiday sometimes. Mine is exciting every day with something new to learn about the garden and area.

All what a lovely little image of your GD, she will make a great gardener if you encourage her now. And how lucky to have twin babies to love ! Lucky you.

Hi Al, Yes we are opposites in Seasons so we are freezing in Winter while you cook In Summer. Our tomatoes go in Sept/Oct for a January/Feb harvest. Am preparing the Spring beds now for Septembers plantings. Blossoms beginning to appear on almonds and other fruit trees just budding up now.

Sue you are welcome to pop in whenever . It is best to call firs tin case we are out .
Be nice to see a DGer in person.
I love your chook house.

Karen , I know all about problems with housing as I spent many years when first married (to first husband ) back in the 60s, in public housing.
They moved you whenever they felt like it.
The then Housing Commission felt we should be in a flat because.. no kids.
No choice as to where , If one didnt want to move one went to the bottom of the waiting list.
After having a boy & a girl, I was told they could not share a room so we had to move into the newly built 20 storey towers in Flemington .
We spent many long years there waiting for a house. Ever tried to raise 5 kids 10 floors up where the lifts work maybe 4 days a week.
Getting kids & shopping up that high is a nightmare.
So is sharing one laundry with 10 other flats when one of the two washing machines doesnt work.
I have a lot of sympathy for any one in public housing .
We finally were given a house in Broadmeadows, which was back then , a really long way out of Melbourne.

Enough of that. It may be much better these days.

Moon that little fellow looks great with the red background.
It is certainly a brilliant place for the shades of red . I love the inland.

Better go and think about doing something constructive.
Karen, I am right handed but its surprising what one does with the other hand without realising it.

Keep warm everyone ( or cool in the US )

Jean.