Easter 2010

Home grown roast potatoes, Christians parmesan cheese paprika roasted zucchinis and finally my scarlet runner beans all went down to mt Martha for the Easter feast.

Matt and Belinda and the kids arrived. Wendy was already there when we arrived and Christian and cassie turned up last – having got lost – not sure how they managed this as they have been coming down to mt Martha for years.

Ian and I picked up Simon on the way down. We stopped off for ians obligatory 2^nd coffee of the morning and picked up a chocolate crayfish at the same shop to take for Stella and tony.

Ian and I have stayed down for the night – and indulged in fish and chips for tea. Midsomer murders was the TV viewing for the night. We have lost daylight savings so it is getting dark too early now but ian and I managed a walk down to the foreshore before tea.

Emily arrived via Bendigo and Beaumaris. The clutch on her car is playing up and getting in and out of gear is entertaining so I gather – we are all hoping that her car lasts until the end of the year when hopefully she will be gainfully employed and can afford a loan otherwise the bank of grahyde may have to come out of retirement – yet again.

Ant and jess and krumm didn’t come down as they are spending Easter in Blackwood with jess’s family. We went up there for Saturday morning – we watched the blackwood easter parade and then went down to the carnival. It was quite entertaining for a small community of about 300. There were many out of towners at the carnival. We managed to find 2 camels – a finger puppet and a bag. Wendy did remarkably well – she found an old camel – thermos we think – I definitely don’t have one of those. Well done Wendy

Ant then took us a walk along the creek and to the springs – fizzy water coming out of the ground – very odd.

We are off to chaddie today to catch up with ians mother and then we will do a shop at Chadstone.

The house is as usual being babysat by Ross – we are eternally grateful to him and his assistance with the dogs and now the chooks.

chook run extension

one has to love ebay.

i went exploring chooks, chickens and poultry on ebay and found a chook run extension.
i checked out the prices and descriptions and bid for it and it duly arrived yesterday.
Ross must have been home as it was inside when i got home last night and bright and early i was up constructing my run.

The construction and materials werent as good as the bunnings chook coop but i wasnt expecting them to be considering the price and the feedback on the ebay site but it was remarkably easy to put up by myself and the chooks will enjoy it during the week while i am at work.


ross seems to have taken over the middle of the day letting them out and in again in the evening.

they are exploring further around the front garden and are chasing off the sparrows from the bird seen on the ground. hopefully the native birds which are larger will put up a better fight.

i have been back on ebay and bought an upright bird feeder and drinker so that their water will last longer and the feed will be above the ground and hopefully away from the mice. will probably be delayed in delivery due to easter but we will see.

All we have to do now is await the arrival of our first eggs in about a month and also hopefully the arrival of more rescue chooks from the vet school.

The girls

The veggie patch is coming along



we haven't had huge amounts of produce but then again i hadn't done a lot to prepare the ground prior to planting.

I am starting to dig in the mulch and cow poo ready for next summers plantings.

We should also by then have a fully operational watering system from water tanks so that i will be able to water more than 2 times a week.

we have enjoyed beans peas broad beans broccoli squash spinach and silver beet and a few tomatoes. but we have really enjoyed our potatoes and have learnt to microwave them and then roast them covered in a sprinkling of salt. I hope i have enough in the ground to dig up for next weeks Easter feast.

Last week however we acquired 3 chooks. They have been "rescued" from the local vet school. One of my staff members daughters is studying vet and the staff member announced that the school had left over chooks and did anyone want them. I had been researching chook runs and coops on google and was ready to go with knowledge but had to find a coop.

So last weekend we put together a flat pack chicken coop from bunnings - it was remarkably easy i must say- especially as ian did most of the putting together using his electric drill.


The girls - bubble, squeak and leftover moved in last Saturday. They will be pleased to know that they have names as everyone knows that you cant eat animals that you have named. They spent this week acclimatising and yesterday i was brave and let them out for their first free range. They stuck around that end of the garden - next to the veggie patch and last night needed only a little encouragement to go back inside the hutch. They didn't however need any second telling to come out this morning.

Krumm has been up for the weekend.
He has shown great interest in the chooks - i think however that they would have preferred a quieter weekend with no visitors
He got up this morning and had to make sure that the foxes hadn't got his girls - all was well

I am hoping to find a run extension on ebay so that they can have extra room to move around in when ian and i are working although i think that ross will soon play with them and let them in and out.

We are hoping for out first eggs in about a month as they arent very old at present. I am also hoping to get another 3 or so in the near future to keep them company - the vet school seems to have an on going supply.

We have got ourselves a tumble composter- i have never been able to make good compost but have been assured that the tumble ones work well. I have also invested in a worm farm. Emily is a bit concerned as it lives next to her bedroom but so far it isnt making any nasty smells and the worms seem not to have died - always a good start for a worm farm.

I have broad been seeds starting to grow ready to be planted. Full steam ahead for the next season of veggies.

2010 new year

the veggie patch is coming along well

we are now producing small amounts of peas broad beans brocoli zuccinis silverbeet squash and so far a single cherry tomato. We have for the first time in about 10 years have a few apples on the trees and possibly some lemons if they continue to grow.
I think i may have some corn growing
It has cost a small fortune to set up the latest cost being the mulch to help protect against the hight 30d days
The rabbits seem to have decided to keep away from the patch - helped by a hastily put up fence and the kangaroos have had a stern warning about keeping off the veg!




the start of the veggie patch
ian is putting in holes for the fence posts - we do like bylsma hire
early days of the beans and peas

our new apples!



santa dropped in to protect the corn which is now somewhat larger - about 3 weeks later

see i told you the corn had grown

my broccoli ready to eat

I stopped gardening temporarily on NYE to enjoy the rain in Daylesford with ian and simon

new veggie patch

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!!

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

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