ok I know I am not on holidays but the idea came up while we were on holiday.
I enviously looked at frannie and jims vegetable producing efforts on a suburban block and an allotment and l live on 10 acres
I can do that i thought yet again- i had thought it last time when i was there 2 years ago and nothing happened
Ian expressed doubt about it happening this time but we booked the boys for xmas to create me a veggie patch.
I got impatient and ian wasnt here to stop me - so i started to plan
Veggie growing books were bought and read
A circular patch seemed the go and most books said that you need about 12x4m square to feed a family of four for a year. I looked at the site that ian and i had picked and measured a circle of 5m radius. you can do the maths but it should more than easily feed ian and me and possibly the large number of rabbits floating around the garden at present
I havent allowed for the kangeroos.
I measured out with pink paint and dug the first hole then the second - after about 30 minutes i decided this was a waste of time . the dirt was too compacted and very little was happening.
what to do - i googled our local hire place to see if they had any cultivators- they did but they seemed a little heavy for me and for those that know me - we all know that once i have decided i want to do something i want to do it now not later.
So i googled bunnings and cultivator - they had a baby electric cultivator - it looked just the thing - our soil at present is fairly moist after a wet september and we are blessed with lovely potato growing soil
So I headed off to bunnings and the local nursery and veg was bought and a baby electric cultivator
I cultivated most of saturday afternoon and did 2 quarters of the patch and planter potatoes, tomatoes, cabbages
i headed out sunday morning and found myself some froggie gumboots and no frannie you cant have them - they are cute
and then today i went back for more cultivating and now have planted pumpkins strawberries lettuces broccholi and i still have a final quarter left for my peas beans and sweetcorn and carrots which i have ordered from diggers
So fingers crossed - hopefully we will get the tank water connected soon as the weather is predicted to be dry for the next week
I will let you know if anything gets produced!!
the pictures and i are argueing at present will do them when i am at the flat where the internet is about 10 times as fast!!
evening view
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
well that was interesting!!
we were due to be picked up at about 5pm by the limo to take us to manchester airport - at about 3pm ian had a call from the limo service and we were told that we had been transferred to an emirates flight as the etihad flight was running about 6 hours late - a confirmatory phone call to etihad added to the confusion as they knew nothing about it !
we continued to wait for the limo and at 5pm it arrived and scott informed us that yes we were flying emirates and all would be organised at the airport - we drove across the peak district in lovely sunny weather
at the airport after an initial confusion we booked our luggage to dubai - i know we wanted to go to abu dhabi but we were assured that a limo would be there to take us to abu dhabi. a
after going through security and xray at manchester airport - my boarding pass completely and uterly disappeared - never to be seen again - i was reassured that having already gone through security meant that they would board me but it caused a little delay as they had to re print me another boarding pass to the annoyance of the boarding lady
as once we reached dubai etihads organisation was excellent as we were efficiently driven to our hotel by an emirates driver - the beach rotana - minor delays while the driver conferred with the local taxi drivers as he didnt know abu dhabi and didnt seem to have a gps
the hotel was comfortable and had an executive lounge which ian had organised so that we could eat and drink during the day as it was ramadan
we had a quick snooze and then ventured out on our sand dune and bbq safari - we were picked up by lafitte who drove his 4 wheel drive with 3 south africans - we seemed to have a real enjoyment of riding through the sand dunes at good speed and we at times flew over the crests of the dunes - our ride was interupted by a good bogging - it took the guys about 45 min to dig us out - the 2 females sensibly supervised as it was still in the high 30s and sun set hadnt yet occurred so we couldnt drink - finally the car was freed and we set off for a bbq dinner - camel steaks and sausages were tried
and a camel ride was experienced.
then next day we had organised a 4 hour tour of abu dhabi - we had our own driver and guide and we were taken around the mosque - unlike the uk we were able to take pictures but i had to dress all in black to go in
we visited the cultural centre the fish market and the date market then headed back to the hotel for an afternoon of rest
a post prandial walk after tea showed us that the temps hadnt fallen much and that it was still very humid
at about 1am ian decided to log on to etihad to organise our seating for the flights back to melbourne that evening
i awoke to ian "argueine/ discussing " with the operator as we somehow had been cancelled off the flight and we were told that we should already be in melbourne as they had booked us through with emirates - no we said we were still in abu dhabi - they had driven us there and we would like to get home - finally it was decided that it would be easier to fix things in the am when the etihad office next to the hotel would be open
we were up bright and early - ie 9am and headed down to the office - the lady was pleasant but not overly helpful and also implied that we should already be in melbourne as they had arranged - no we said we had paid for and had enjoyed our break in abu dhabi and going straight through had never been discussed with us. she finally suggested that she email her supervisor and see what she could do - we headed back for breakfast and awaited our phone call
i was beginnning to think that we were going to be stranded in abu dhabi in the heat and in ramadan when she rang back to tell us we could pick up the tickets - no apologies etc - perhaps i expect too much
we were picked up from the hotel and taken to the business entrance of the airport where porters picked up our cases and took us through customs and security- way to go!!!
a quick visit to the camel stall - new camels bought and off we took
cant complain about the etihad flights - wonderful - food good slept ok
had to get a taxi at the melbourne end as the limo had been cancelled when the flight was cancelled and it was too late to re book but we didnt care - we were home - safe and sound after a lovely holiday
we continued to wait for the limo and at 5pm it arrived and scott informed us that yes we were flying emirates and all would be organised at the airport - we drove across the peak district in lovely sunny weather
at the airport after an initial confusion we booked our luggage to dubai - i know we wanted to go to abu dhabi but we were assured that a limo would be there to take us to abu dhabi. a
after going through security and xray at manchester airport - my boarding pass completely and uterly disappeared - never to be seen again - i was reassured that having already gone through security meant that they would board me but it caused a little delay as they had to re print me another boarding pass to the annoyance of the boarding lady
as once we reached dubai etihads organisation was excellent as we were efficiently driven to our hotel by an emirates driver - the beach rotana - minor delays while the driver conferred with the local taxi drivers as he didnt know abu dhabi and didnt seem to have a gps
the hotel was comfortable and had an executive lounge which ian had organised so that we could eat and drink during the day as it was ramadan
we had a quick snooze and then ventured out on our sand dune and bbq safari - we were picked up by lafitte who drove his 4 wheel drive with 3 south africans - we seemed to have a real enjoyment of riding through the sand dunes at good speed and we at times flew over the crests of the dunes - our ride was interupted by a good bogging - it took the guys about 45 min to dig us out - the 2 females sensibly supervised as it was still in the high 30s and sun set hadnt yet occurred so we couldnt drink - finally the car was freed and we set off for a bbq dinner - camel steaks and sausages were tried
and a camel ride was experienced.
then next day we had organised a 4 hour tour of abu dhabi - we had our own driver and guide and we were taken around the mosque - unlike the uk we were able to take pictures but i had to dress all in black to go in
we visited the cultural centre the fish market and the date market then headed back to the hotel for an afternoon of rest
a post prandial walk after tea showed us that the temps hadnt fallen much and that it was still very humid
at about 1am ian decided to log on to etihad to organise our seating for the flights back to melbourne that evening
i awoke to ian "argueine/ discussing " with the operator as we somehow had been cancelled off the flight and we were told that we should already be in melbourne as they had booked us through with emirates - no we said we were still in abu dhabi - they had driven us there and we would like to get home - finally it was decided that it would be easier to fix things in the am when the etihad office next to the hotel would be open
we were up bright and early - ie 9am and headed down to the office - the lady was pleasant but not overly helpful and also implied that we should already be in melbourne as they had arranged - no we said we had paid for and had enjoyed our break in abu dhabi and going straight through had never been discussed with us. she finally suggested that she email her supervisor and see what she could do - we headed back for breakfast and awaited our phone call
i was beginnning to think that we were going to be stranded in abu dhabi in the heat and in ramadan when she rang back to tell us we could pick up the tickets - no apologies etc - perhaps i expect too much
we were picked up from the hotel and taken to the business entrance of the airport where porters picked up our cases and took us through customs and security- way to go!!!
a quick visit to the camel stall - new camels bought and off we took
cant complain about the etihad flights - wonderful - food good slept ok
had to get a taxi at the melbourne end as the limo had been cancelled when the flight was cancelled and it was too late to re book but we didnt care - we were home - safe and sound after a lovely holiday
last days in the uk
We returned to chesterfield uneventfully - the train was smooth and rapid - if we booked at least 48 hours prior to travel we saved about 250 pounds - how odd it was much more expensive to pay on the day !!
frannie found us at chesterfield and we went to the pub close to the spire then headed off to organise simons banking before heading home to do the washing and venture up to the allotment for another broadbean picking
that night we headed off to a thai restaurant with paul and carol at a local pub - its amazing what the local pubs have converted into - the food was wonderful but the chilli caused me a wakeful night - think it was worth it
wednesday saw us in rain and venturing to the nettle for lunch - it had been cut off from its electricity as some one was cutting trees locally and decided it was safer to stop electricity to the local village - luckily the nettle cooks with gas
that night we went and visited gill and peter with claire and alex. we had a nice home cooked meal- ian was good and offered to drive so the builder was able to drink - i was lucky and uninsured for the whole trip so was unable to offer my services to the driving roster meaning that i was able to indulge whenever we went out feasting
our last day - said goodbye to jim at about 7 am and started to pack - ian is coming back in about 3 weeks
we weighed in at about 38 and 35kg - its amazing the amount of junk and camels we have picked up and this is prior to getting to abu dhabi
lunchtime was devoted to visiting freyja in sheffield for a final lunch - she has found a nice italian sandwich cafe about 10 mins walk from her place ian enjoyed his cofffee and frannie avoided eating hazelnuts which she thought were chickpeas but ian recognised as nuts!
then back home to wait the arrival of the limo
frannie found us at chesterfield and we went to the pub close to the spire then headed off to organise simons banking before heading home to do the washing and venture up to the allotment for another broadbean picking
that night we headed off to a thai restaurant with paul and carol at a local pub - its amazing what the local pubs have converted into - the food was wonderful but the chilli caused me a wakeful night - think it was worth it
wednesday saw us in rain and venturing to the nettle for lunch - it had been cut off from its electricity as some one was cutting trees locally and decided it was safer to stop electricity to the local village - luckily the nettle cooks with gas
that night we went and visited gill and peter with claire and alex. we had a nice home cooked meal- ian was good and offered to drive so the builder was able to drink - i was lucky and uninsured for the whole trip so was unable to offer my services to the driving roster meaning that i was able to indulge whenever we went out feasting
our last day - said goodbye to jim at about 7 am and started to pack - ian is coming back in about 3 weeks
we weighed in at about 38 and 35kg - its amazing the amount of junk and camels we have picked up and this is prior to getting to abu dhabi
lunchtime was devoted to visiting freyja in sheffield for a final lunch - she has found a nice italian sandwich cafe about 10 mins walk from her place ian enjoyed his cofffee and frannie avoided eating hazelnuts which she thought were chickpeas but ian recognised as nuts!
then back home to wait the arrival of the limo
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
london
London was fun
we ventured out in the morning to look for the place where ian had his business meeting.
down great portland st long regent street and what did i find - hamleys!! dont go in said ian - why not said i - so in we went - but then ian spent much more than i did - look at the size of the bag!!
and i had to buy a camel didnt i ??
we wentured further and into picadilly street and found ians meeting place and headed back along the other side of regent st - and there was the mac store asking us to come in - this time it was my credit card which came out burning
ian headed off to his meeting and i wandered the streets of london happened upon some one ironing on top of a pillar in trafalgar square - no idea of why but there you are
found the thames and big ben -
found carnaby st - not overly impressed and then found ian again
he had had a wonderful afternoon potentially organising future work - but not yet quite ready to move to london so just as well it can be mainly done from melbourne but he will probably head back here in october after his canadian conference
we located amanda - zoys girlfriend and headed off to the open air performance of hello dolly - the weather gods smiled upon us as it was a lovely night with no rain - no photos tho as not allowed
we had a meal in the park beforehand - poached salmon with salad and a nice bottle of sav blanc
said goodbye to amanda and headed back to the hotel for a night coffee for ian and port for us both
up not bright and early the next morning for the train trip back to chesterfield from st pancras- still dont understand why booking the train at least 24 hours prior to travel saved us about £200 cost us only £50 for both of us quite reasonable for the distance
lunch in chesterfield and banking for simon in the afternoon then off for a thai meal with paul and carol- was very nice but my body didnt appreciate the chilli overnight
the weather is damp today so its a lazy day- about to head off to the nettle for lunch and their wonderful chips then out again tonight to gill and peters place for tea
lunch in sheffied tomorrow with freyja and then we fly out - it has been wonderful month - weddings, family get togethers, travel, exploration and food and potential work opportunities for ian
back in 2 years for me prob 6 weeks for ian - will have to get that british passport so that they will keep letting ian in
we ventured out in the morning to look for the place where ian had his business meeting.
down great portland st long regent street and what did i find - hamleys!! dont go in said ian - why not said i - so in we went - but then ian spent much more than i did - look at the size of the bag!!
and i had to buy a camel didnt i ??
we wentured further and into picadilly street and found ians meeting place and headed back along the other side of regent st - and there was the mac store asking us to come in - this time it was my credit card which came out burning
ian headed off to his meeting and i wandered the streets of london happened upon some one ironing on top of a pillar in trafalgar square - no idea of why but there you are
found the thames and big ben -
found carnaby st - not overly impressed and then found ian again
he had had a wonderful afternoon potentially organising future work - but not yet quite ready to move to london so just as well it can be mainly done from melbourne but he will probably head back here in october after his canadian conference
we located amanda - zoys girlfriend and headed off to the open air performance of hello dolly - the weather gods smiled upon us as it was a lovely night with no rain - no photos tho as not allowed
we had a meal in the park beforehand - poached salmon with salad and a nice bottle of sav blanc
said goodbye to amanda and headed back to the hotel for a night coffee for ian and port for us both
up not bright and early the next morning for the train trip back to chesterfield from st pancras- still dont understand why booking the train at least 24 hours prior to travel saved us about £200 cost us only £50 for both of us quite reasonable for the distance
lunch in chesterfield and banking for simon in the afternoon then off for a thai meal with paul and carol- was very nice but my body didnt appreciate the chilli overnight
the weather is damp today so its a lazy day- about to head off to the nettle for lunch and their wonderful chips then out again tonight to gill and peters place for tea
lunch in sheffied tomorrow with freyja and then we fly out - it has been wonderful month - weddings, family get togethers, travel, exploration and food and potential work opportunities for ian
back in 2 years for me prob 6 weeks for ian - will have to get that british passport so that they will keep letting ian in
Monday, August 24, 2009
salisbury
friday found another 10000 steps for my feet - walked in and out of cambridge again this time had breakfast in a pub - pictures to be posted later
at lunchtime we bundled ourselves into the car and headed to the swan at stoford - a very nice pub accommodation stop over has a lovely beer garden next to a river with swans and ducks - had a restaurant tea before heading off to bed
on saturday we picked up gwen the builders mother and headed to lymington for a view of the sea a walk and yet another meal - we were yet again blessed with good weather and found icecream on our walk new forest icecream - ian had wild ginger wonderful
we dropped gwen off and then headed to matt and jeanettes place for a bbq tea somewhere i managed to acquire another 10000 steps all good when we are eating and drinking lots
back to the swan for the night and then another full english cooked breakfast yesterday morning
.
back into the car so that we could pop into salisbury for a wander.frannie and i found new pedometers which hang from your neck will try them out and compare to my trouser one, off to the builders ex wife barbs new place in warminster for lunch
frannie and jim diverted their trip home via ealing to drop us off at the end of the tube so that we could travel to our hotel the roads behaved themselves and we made good time
another cute hotel wandered around found a local sainsbury to get breakfast stuff as isnt included ate at a nice italian restaurant - had a salad couldnt face anymore carbohydrates
frannie got home and marlo was out and about playing didnt come home til quite late and was surprised to see frannie and jim waiting for time - i'm not surprised as they have only been home about 2 nights in the past 2 weeks think he will forgive them so long as they feed him extra food
up this morning for a period of exploring london and then tonight our open air performance of hello dolly in regents park weather forecast is for drizzle this arvo but hopefully clear tonight - we are taking amanda - austin friends zoys girlfriend - she is living in the uk for a gap year, should be fun and is only a very short walk from our hotel room
back up to chesterfield by train tomorrow for a couple of nights then off to abu dhabi - our UK journey is coming to an end have had a wonderful time - had ians usual good uk weather, seen lots of places, caught up with cousins and second cousins and an aunt and uncle, met new relatives of jim - all good fun. will be back again in 2 years
at lunchtime we bundled ourselves into the car and headed to the swan at stoford - a very nice pub accommodation stop over has a lovely beer garden next to a river with swans and ducks - had a restaurant tea before heading off to bed
on saturday we picked up gwen the builders mother and headed to lymington for a view of the sea a walk and yet another meal - we were yet again blessed with good weather and found icecream on our walk new forest icecream - ian had wild ginger wonderful
we dropped gwen off and then headed to matt and jeanettes place for a bbq tea somewhere i managed to acquire another 10000 steps all good when we are eating and drinking lots
back to the swan for the night and then another full english cooked breakfast yesterday morning
.
back into the car so that we could pop into salisbury for a wander.frannie and i found new pedometers which hang from your neck will try them out and compare to my trouser one, off to the builders ex wife barbs new place in warminster for lunch
frannie and jim diverted their trip home via ealing to drop us off at the end of the tube so that we could travel to our hotel the roads behaved themselves and we made good time
another cute hotel wandered around found a local sainsbury to get breakfast stuff as isnt included ate at a nice italian restaurant - had a salad couldnt face anymore carbohydrates
frannie got home and marlo was out and about playing didnt come home til quite late and was surprised to see frannie and jim waiting for time - i'm not surprised as they have only been home about 2 nights in the past 2 weeks think he will forgive them so long as they feed him extra food
up this morning for a period of exploring london and then tonight our open air performance of hello dolly in regents park weather forecast is for drizzle this arvo but hopefully clear tonight - we are taking amanda - austin friends zoys girlfriend - she is living in the uk for a gap year, should be fun and is only a very short walk from our hotel room
back up to chesterfield by train tomorrow for a couple of nights then off to abu dhabi - our UK journey is coming to an end have had a wonderful time - had ians usual good uk weather, seen lots of places, caught up with cousins and second cousins and an aunt and uncle, met new relatives of jim - all good fun. will be back again in 2 years
Friday, August 21, 2009
more cambridge
My feet and i did over 30000 steps yesterday - my record!!!
we walked into town for breakfast/brunch my breakfast pizza shared with frannie then walked back home- 10000 steps
we walked back into town to do some touristy shopping in the arvo - another 10000 steps-didnt manage to find socks which i usually take home for my tai chi group but frannie did at heathrow ! - can now stop looking. collected pubs on the walk home for lindsey to visit the loos - seemed a little stupid to use the loo then fill up again at the pub so that i needed to find the loo again but tabitha said i couldnt use the pub loo without having a drink - so i did.
final 10000 steps was going to the italian restaurant for tea - we felt we had to have a meal to remember il gambero which burnt down on lygon st last night - ant and i used to eat there fairly regularly when he first moved down to melbourne. vale il gambero
had a nice meal excellent staff and service food good but the wine not to our taste only minor problem was that the outside lights were working so we ate in the failing light.
my feet are recovering in bed at present - will need to take me back into cambridge again this morning before we head off to salisbury - think i will wear my asics not my sandals for todays wanderings
we walked into town for breakfast/brunch my breakfast pizza shared with frannie then walked back home- 10000 steps
we walked back into town to do some touristy shopping in the arvo - another 10000 steps-didnt manage to find socks which i usually take home for my tai chi group but frannie did at heathrow ! - can now stop looking. collected pubs on the walk home for lindsey to visit the loos - seemed a little stupid to use the loo then fill up again at the pub so that i needed to find the loo again but tabitha said i couldnt use the pub loo without having a drink - so i did.
final 10000 steps was going to the italian restaurant for tea - we felt we had to have a meal to remember il gambero which burnt down on lygon st last night - ant and i used to eat there fairly regularly when he first moved down to melbourne. vale il gambero
had a nice meal excellent staff and service food good but the wine not to our taste only minor problem was that the outside lights were working so we ate in the failing light.
my feet are recovering in bed at present - will need to take me back into cambridge again this morning before we head off to salisbury - think i will wear my asics not my sandals for todays wanderings
Thursday, August 20, 2009
freyjas birthday and cambridge
And sunday was a day of rest. we pottered around the house and gardens and ventured out to chatsworth farm shop and then frannie and i went for a walk in the wet lands - a peaceful day. and then frannie made the biggests and bestest yorkshire pudding we all had ever seen for tea - was magnificent!!
Monday was freyjas birthday and we were off to york to celebrate - we needed the two cars - we picked up freyja from her place in sheffield. we found parking in york - headed off to the cafe el piano for a vegetarian tapas meal. and then off to the dungeons via a shop which had a camel bracelet - what fun
the dungeon was fun but not too spooky. off to the nettle for tea
austin packed his bag as he is leaving from cambridge which we head off to on monday.
A packing of the car occurred. the vixen isnt particularly big and austin has lots of luggage and we needed to put ian and my bag and also frannie and jims bag in the boot and then put 5 of us in the car to launch our expedition to cambridge.
we made good time with the only interuption being a tractor pulling a long trailer for about 10 miles on a narrow windy road. there were lots of irritated drivers and passengers by the time it finally pulled off.
off to the pub for tea - by the river - a most relaxing spot.
walking is the order of the day while in cambridge and it takes about 30 mins to get into town.
yesterday austin had decided that he wanted to build a bear so we walked into town and found the build a bear shop - oscar bearington the 3rd was created and birth certificate delivered. he is heading back to kaori in japan with austin.
we then went and had lunch with peter and joan in their local pub. they seem fit and healthy - peter especially so - kept up with all of ians work doings which i find difficult to deal with as he has so many at present. spent the afternoon showing photos before heading back to gareth and tabithas for a steak and veg tea cooked by
ian.
this morning we walked into town again and had breakfast pizza. unusual concept - bacon and eggs tomato and cheese. austin managed to eat spag bog for his breakfast.
he has been bundled into the vixen with frannie and jim and is currently heading to heathrow for his flight back to japan - ian gareth and i are letting our feet recover before walking back into town - am getting my 10000 steps easily at present. hoping to go punting tomorrow morning before we leave for salisbury to catch up with the builders mother. ian has organised himself and me to go to london on sunday to see an outdoor performance of hello dolly in regents park on monday night - the forecast at present is for no rain but this changes daily so fingers crossed!!
Monday was freyjas birthday and we were off to york to celebrate - we needed the two cars - we picked up freyja from her place in sheffield. we found parking in york - headed off to the cafe el piano for a vegetarian tapas meal. and then off to the dungeons via a shop which had a camel bracelet - what fun
the dungeon was fun but not too spooky. off to the nettle for tea
austin packed his bag as he is leaving from cambridge which we head off to on monday.
A packing of the car occurred. the vixen isnt particularly big and austin has lots of luggage and we needed to put ian and my bag and also frannie and jims bag in the boot and then put 5 of us in the car to launch our expedition to cambridge.
we made good time with the only interuption being a tractor pulling a long trailer for about 10 miles on a narrow windy road. there were lots of irritated drivers and passengers by the time it finally pulled off.
off to the pub for tea - by the river - a most relaxing spot.
walking is the order of the day while in cambridge and it takes about 30 mins to get into town.
yesterday austin had decided that he wanted to build a bear so we walked into town and found the build a bear shop - oscar bearington the 3rd was created and birth certificate delivered. he is heading back to kaori in japan with austin.
we then went and had lunch with peter and joan in their local pub. they seem fit and healthy - peter especially so - kept up with all of ians work doings which i find difficult to deal with as he has so many at present. spent the afternoon showing photos before heading back to gareth and tabithas for a steak and veg tea cooked by
ian.
this morning we walked into town again and had breakfast pizza. unusual concept - bacon and eggs tomato and cheese. austin managed to eat spag bog for his breakfast.
he has been bundled into the vixen with frannie and jim and is currently heading to heathrow for his flight back to japan - ian gareth and i are letting our feet recover before walking back into town - am getting my 10000 steps easily at present. hoping to go punting tomorrow morning before we leave for salisbury to catch up with the builders mother. ian has organised himself and me to go to london on sunday to see an outdoor performance of hello dolly in regents park on monday night - the forecast at present is for no rain but this changes daily so fingers crossed!!
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