The new pond

This is the new pond. the old pond did not hold water and when the water dried up the foxes got the ducks. This time we dug down till we hit clay and lined the pond with it. It has filled up with the rains and the level has stayed steady. If it still has water at the end of summer we will get more ducks. They are great for keeping the weeds around the trees down and the drains clear.

welcome to the new babies

Here they are the new arrivals. 4 goslings hatched but unfortunatly only 3 survived. This is the best picture I could get as the papas are very protective.

These are some other babies. Some baby apricots and some new seedlings

The very angry geese

These are our geese and their home. At the monment we cannot get too close as the male gets very threatening. I do however go into their pen every day and put food close to the sitting mother and every other day to give her water. They only leave the pen once a day to swim in the pond, but as soon as you go throw the gate into the permiculture area they all waddle back to protect the eggs. So I cant candle them to see if they are any good. I really hope at least one hatches for them they are so dedicated.

Our happy chooks

This is our chook house. Its an old cubby that we bought second hand for less that what the materials would of cost and we put it up on posts. During a wet winter it can get pretty muddy out the back so this way the chooks stay nice and dry. In the background you can see the goat paddock and like the sheep cannot get into the chook area. The whole area is surrounded by an 8 foot high fence so the chickens are safe. At night we still lock them up as foxes have been known to burrow under the fence.

These are some of our wonderful chickens and our rooster. We have 6 chooks who are all laying an egg a day for us and the rooster is so friendly he follows you around so close that you have to be careful not to step on him.

Next we will see the geese guarding the goose and her eggs.
see ya

Day three at the hospital

Today I spent all day at the hospital with leanne. This was her third lot of chemo and so she is half way through. Only three more to go. She is much more upbeat now and her outlook is better. She still has her monments, like the week after her treatment but on the whole she is doing very very well.
Tomorrow is the AFL grand final and for the first time in many many years there are two victorian teams contesting the coverted cup. Geelong, who won last year, and Hawthorn. Since I grew up in Hawthorn I will be barracking for them.
So go the hawks.
see ya

The secret garden

this is the door to the permiculture area out the back. this area has been a work in progress for about 5 years now, and its in here that the main vegie garden and hothouse live. We also have many many fruit trees and the chooks and geese live. We have a large pond for the geese and hopefully if the pond still has water in it after the summer we will get ducks.

Tomorrow we will go throw the door

our first vegie gardens

These were our first vegie gardens, first we built the one furtherst away and then the next year we built the second one. They are great because you can plant, weed and harvest without having to bend at all.

The first has garlic planted and in what looks like a bare patch has strawberries. The second, closer, garden hasnt got anythin in it yet, but will soon be full of lettuce, spring onions, capsicums and maybe a few cherrie tomatoes. I've decided to plant all the salad vegies in the one spot close to home making summer salads easy and accessable. This way the baby girl will be only too happy to be chief salad maker in the family.

The tour begins.

This is the bantam chicken house. We have two bantam chickens and one rooster. They live in the rose garden just outside the house. They are allowed to rome around the whole of the backyard as all the weeds have been removed, and since taking the photo we have mulched the garden with fine mulch. They are so much fun to watched and they even lay eggs.This is the first thing you see as you walk out the door. In the morning when you open the blinds you are greeted but some happy chooks wanting their breakfastl

The big crash

No I dont mean the stockmarket, I mean my family. We have all come down with that horrible flu that is going around. I have had it for a while but was fighting it off. I only had a heavy chest and many, many headaches. But baby girl got it bad after the school musical and now wonderson and dear old hubby have come down with it too. All the extra work we have been doing around the house, while the sun still shone, has stopped because we just cant breath. Also the weather has taken a turn for the worst and the fire has been relite and washing is hanging on the cloths horses again. Oh well at least the sheets got to go outside on the weekend.
Hope you feel good werever you are.
see ya

busy as busybees

This is our main vegie garden and as you can see there is stuff growing in the front section. We have planted our winter crops in here and left the back section fallow to rest. Today we tilled the back section added organic blood and bone and planted our potatoes. We then covered then up using cane mulch and gave them a good water. We also redid the seedlings as the harsh winds blew over our small hothouse about three times in the one day. I have now moved the small hothouse into the large one and its now protected from the strong winds. In the large hothouse the seeds I have planted straight into the organic mulch have started to grow. Its very exciting and hopefully this years crop will be just as good as last year.

see ya

The promise of spring

This is one of our nectarine trees in the permiculture area. I think its called "gold mine". Last year we had the first harvest but this year looks like it will be more than double its original. In the background is the sheep paddock which is seperated buy a high wire fence. Autum is my favourite time of year, but spring with its promise of the comming bounty is very exciting.
see ya

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VIC

Today its dear old hubbys brothers birthday.
So Hip Hip Hurray
happy birthday
see ya

Finally Pictures

These are the first two quilts I have ever made. The blue one was made in class and the pink one was made at home at the same time.

I have posted these for leanne who asked me for them. In the next couple of days I will take you on a tour of my backyard and food production area.

I hope you enjoy it.

Ps I didnt need wonderson to show me how to upload photos I worked it out myself reading the manual.

see ya

100 posts

This is my 100th post. Isnt that amazing. I didn't think I would last this long but I have.
The wind has died down today but the weather has turned very cold again. We are getting intermitten rain and then sunshine. I have had to light the fire again and will put the cloths horses up to dry the washing on. I have quilting class again today, boy the weeks fly by dont they.
This is number 8 and I'm sure the quilt only goes for 10 weeks so hopefully soon the blocks will start to look like a quilt. My dear old hubby has purchased a digital camera and wonderson has promised to show me how to upload photos so soon I will be able to post photos of the quilts I have made.That will be fun.
see ya

Huff and puff and blow the house down

The weather has turned nasty today. The wind has been blowing all weekend but at least the sun was shinning. It was great washing weather.
But today the day has darkend and it looks like storms are on their way.
Being outside yesterday with all the wind has taken its toll on baby girl and myself, both waking up with earaches and sore throats. She had to go to school this morning for a SAC. Its a very important test in year 11 and 12. But she asked if I could pick her up after that.
Next week school holidays start, so we will both be happier for the rest.
Stay well everyone
see ya

wardrobe cleanout

I have finally cleaned out my wardrobe and drawers. I have been putting this off for long time, because I might need those clothes one day. I have lost over 35 centremeters from my body and a lot of the clothes do not fit any more. But this fear of needing them one day was ruining my chances of loosing even more. If I didnt get rid of the largers clothes then I didnt have room for my new smaller clothes so then I could only wear the bigger clothes and I did not look good. This then depressed me and guess what, I ate all the wrong foods again and the cycle continued.
So everyone throw out the fat clothes and look and feel good, so that you are motivated to continue to get fitter and healthier.
see ya

dust if you must

Found this on another blog and thought it was wonderful


Dust if you must
Dust if you must, but wouldn't it be betterTo paint a picture, or write a letter,Bake a cake, or plant a seed;Ponder the difference between want and need?Dust if you must, but there's not much time,With rivers to swim, and mountains to climb;Music to hear, and books to read;Friends to cherish, and life to lead.Dust if you must, but the world's out thereWith the sun in your eyes, and the wind in your hair;A flutter of snow, a shower of rain,This day will not come around again.Dust if you must, but bear in mind,Old age will come and it's not kind.And when you go (and go you must)You, yourself, will make more dust.Remember, a house becomes a home when you can write "I love you" on the furniture...A poem written by Rose Milligan of Lancaster, Lancashire, England.First published 15/9/98 - 21st edition of The Lady.

sunny days

its definently begining to feel like spring now. the sun is out, the birds are singing and all around everyone is smiling. After the long, cold and wet winter we are all so glad to sit in the sun and warm our bones abit.
I do like winter, it gives you a break from the frenetic pace of planting, harvestin and preserving. I also like to stay indoors on a cold day and get stuck into creating, but its always great to get back outside and start the cycle again.
Happy gardening everyone!
see ya

wouldn't it be nice

Wouldn't it be nice if everyone were happy
wouldn't it be nice if everyone had fun.
wouldn't it be nice if the world were joyous
and that everyone would feel as one.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DON

today its dear old hubbys 47th birthday. I am cooking him a cake as I type this and it smells yummy.
He doesnt know about the cake so it will be a surprise.
Yesterday we weeded the garden bed that rested over winter and hubby tilled it using our petrol tiller. Its so much easier on your back. We also tilled the soil in the igloo and I planted some seeds. I planted watermellon, cantalope, pumkin and some okra seeds. There is still plenty of room for some tommies and cucumbers.
So all in all we had a very productive day.
see ya

HAPPY FATHERS DAY

Today its fathers day in australia. So to all the dads have a great day. When we got home from the final( thank god) show last night we had an extra come to stay the night. When we got up this morning we had 6 teenagers. Hows that for multiplication. I love the fact that my kids know that all their friends are welcome at our place, and that my someone needs a place to crash they invite them here.
So dads day got an exciting start. He got is pressie late, kids sleep in, and I offered to cook him breakfast in bed.
He doesnt like breakfast in bed so her got up and ended up cooking breakfast for both of us.
Isnt he sweet. thats why we love him.
Yesterday we finally finished the igloo so today I will be playing in that.
Have a great day
see ya

the good old days

Today I spent the whole day with Leanne at chemo. Its her second one and has four more to go.
Got home just in time to collect eggs, eight of them, give the goats water, and ask the baby girl to fill the wheelbarrow full of wood. I dont think it occurs to others that this job needs doing.
Then it was off the school, 20 minutes away by car, to get baby girl to the show early to get ready.
Then it was back home to eat, change and go back to the school to see the show and pick up baby girl.
I miss the good old days were I spent the days at home looking after little children that were happy to stay home.
see ya

And now for the show

Its that time of year again. Baby girl is in the school play and the first show is today at 10.00am. I will be picking her up at 1.00pm and tomorrow will do it again only to drop her off for the night show and then its a pattern till Saturday when she only has the night show. She usually is exhausted by the end and I envision her sleeping all of fathers day away.
Oh well it is good fun and she loves it.
Only one year to go after this and she finishes high school.
Boy that makes me feel old.
see ya

Eggstrawdinary

My goodness, only a few short weeks ago I was complaining that I had to buy eggs. Now I'm getting between 4 and 6 a day. we cannot eat that many eggs so I will have to start baking. We still have frozen silverbeet from last year so I will be making greek egg and silverbeet pie. The kids love it and its great cold for lunches and morning teas at work.
We buy our chooks from and organic grower and they cost a little more but the are worth it.
Good on you girls.

Spring Is Here

Yep spring is here. Even though the mornings are frosty the days seem to have that warm smell about them. A big parcel of seeds arrived last week so I will be planting them in the giffy pots and putting them into the small hothouse I have.
I can tast the fresh summer veggies now.
I hope your harvest will be plentiful and your rains abundant where every you are.
see ya