Jobs done

There comes a time when you eventually find the time to get down to THE 'things to do list' and that time seems to have arrived!

Rick has restored a fence separating our back garden (or yard) with our lovely neighbours.  I did offer to help but as there was only one post hole spade and Rick did seem very keen I thought I'd let him get on with it while I supplied cups of tea and encouragement.  At appropriate intervals I offered my help and eventually my offer was taken up, when Rick realised he had not got enough clamps to hold the panels in place.  I soon realised I was not strong enough to hold the panels in place using just my arms.  Much to Ricks mirth, once the panel was level I had to throw myself against it to hold it against the posts while he fixed it into position... very funny!

The next project, which didn't require any in put from me was re-hanging the gate.

All this is the start of getting ready to rent this place out so we can move to Naracoorte so we are there ready for when ever the build will start.

All very exciting.

Mean while I am still surprised on a daily basis how much the potatoes grow, not long now till they should be ready.  The herbs and lettuce are doing really well in their portable beds.




And for something completely different....

In the last month or so I've also been involved with a free on line course run by Flinders University (one of the local Unis here).  The course is to do with Mental Wealth and the promotion of it.

I had become aware through my work in the UK and a lot of people who have come into my life that there quite a few people who had been or were suffering from a mental illness of some kind. I thought it was about time I learnt more about what it may be like to walk in their shoes.  Through doing this course I have become far more aware of the many different aspects which involve mental wealth.

Sadly there are still a lot of myths, stigma and misunderstandings regarding these illnesses which affect more of us than the more talked about diseases. There is also, thankfully a lot more help available but more awareness needs to be raised and perceptions changed.  This will enable more people with a mental illness to receive the appropriate help.

The subject is VAST to say the least but so very interesting and as with anything the more you learn you realise the more there is to learn.

Enough Said

Enough said is a lovely film which Rick and I went to see in a dear little traditional cinema just 10 minutes up the road from where we live.  The seats are comfy, no smell of popcorn just the occasional rustle of someone trying to get into their Choctop.  Choctops are chocolate topped ice-creams and a great favourite here.  The cinema is a twenties style building, it has grace and charm in abundance, an old world feel and a great atmosphere.

As the weather is warming up so is the mad hurtle towards Christmas.  There have been a couple of Christmas Pageants, which sadly I've managed to miss, a great shame because I have never seen one before.  I can not imagine how uncomfortable it must be for Santa Claus all togged up in his traditional Northern Hemisphere outfit and big white beard parading around the streets in temperatures over 20!  The shops are a little more crowded than normal, all the decorations are very tasteful.  But still not all the shops are playing Xmas tunes there are only a couple of adverts on the TV which refer to Christmas.  It is so nice to be almost at the end of November and not be fed up with the Christmas hype yet.

Pomegranates are now in the shops alongside delicious juicy mangoes, strawberries, blueberries and the stone fruits, nectarines, peaches, all of which are grown here.  Deep joy....

Poinsettias and Amaryllis are in flower, traditional Xmas flowers but the difference is here they are in garden borders. I have never before seen Amaryllis growing outside and they are magnificent planted in groups in a border.

One of the more senior  ladies from Tai Chi came dashing into class the other day announcing she had spent the day getting ready for Christmas and hunting out the durex!!  I was amazed and for a few minutes admired her stamina and joie de vivre until I realised that durex is sellotape here... thank goodness I didn't laugh out loud and then have to explain myself.

The Jacaranda trees are now in full flower lining the roads they look incredible and create a fragrant and stunning cloud of purple to walk under.

And last but not least when I walked to the shops the other day I noticed a 'Scout Recycling' bin in a carpark, aside from being cruel to Scouts I do think that is taking recycling to extremes!

Nurseries, lizards and a new toy for the block...

It's been a really busy week down in Naracoorte, which started with the very long journey through the Riverlands from Renmark.  It was a fascinating drive with the landscape varying tremendously.  Going from huge fields either side of us thorough neat little towns with beautiful federation homes contrasting greatly with tiny little stone cottages. Mallee shrub land, back to gum trees and eventually as we were nearing home, lots of vineyards and avenues of very tall very old gum trees.

During the week we visited some very interesting nurseries, one of which is only 50 km from Naracoorte, there is a lovely straight road to it.  I was sorely tempted with a couple of the trees there, a saville orange (think yummy marmalade) and a native finger lime.  The branches on the later tree  are covered in inch long thorns, picking the fruit would not be for the feint hearted but they look so interesting I think it would be worth it.  Anyway these will be trees for the future once we've got the watering system on the block sorted out.

We wandered into the shop empty handed and were greeted with the smell of freshly cooked gluten AND dairy free mango and coconut cupcakes coming out of the oven!!  They looked far to good to avoid so a couple were ordered.  The treat arrived a few minutes later, the cupcake had been garnished with lime and mango syrup, a generous drizzle of caramel and a delicious slice of mango..... oh my goodness... it was delish and the coffee was delightful too. Thank goodness it is not in walking distance of where we will be living!!

In between seeing friends and visiting nurseries and op shops we've shifting soil from Deb and Robert's garden, making it ready for a fire pit.  Chasing the chooks around the garden in a feeble attempt to get them in for the night.  My attempt was not helped by Fred grabbing the stick I was trying to use to herd them.  He thought it was a great game and with one woof had the chooks going all directions.

We also visited the block to check on the trees, all plants are doing very well now.  We dug moats around the fruit trees and gave them a very generous watering, of course the next day it rained.

And while we were there we spotted this beautiful dragon lizard sunning himself on the fence.

When we were a safe distance away he raised his nose to the sun, a true sun worshiper.  When we were closer he stayed very still, not even blinking.

Luckily Fred didn't spot this one.

We have a new toy for the block.  It is a very pretty shiny new heavy duty mower, a Deustcher to be exact with a fairly powerful Briggs and Stratton engine and set of two cutting blades.  With two blades it made light work of the foot high bracken and was easy to use.  Poor Rick though determined to finish once he'd started might not totally agree with that statement having spent almost 5 hours mowing!  It looks fantastic now though, well worth all his efforts.





In the process we found we had a new addition to the flock, three lambs now and the sheep look amazing having filled out on the grass.  They are apparently almost fluffy enough to shear.

And we also discovered more lizards, another smaller dragon lizard and this dear little blue tongue.
Both were moved to our piles of logs, which are designated lizard and other fauna hotels.

It is a sobering reminder that now the warmer weather is here other equally fascinating but not so harmless cold blooded creatures are also about now.


The week passed in a flash and soon we were Adelaide bound again.  The skies were full of rain heavy clouds and it was no surprise we got caught in a few down pours.

What did surprise me though was the way the roads steamed afterwards.... it looked very magical.

And life goes on....

After the wedding which was such a joyful event came a week of preparation for the celebration of Hazels life.

It was my first Aussie funeral, which in the end turned out to be very like a UK one but the organisation was very different.  The Funeral Directors are based more on USA traditions, for instance an open casket is not unusual.  Although in true Aussie style all was very laid back, we met the chap conducting the service just an hour before the funeral.  Greg (No 2 son) wrote and delivered a wonderful eulogy which had us alternating between laughter and tears.  The service flowed from start to finish and was very lovely, a celebration as Hazel would have wanted.  We had collected rose petals from our gardens to scatter and these combined with the beautiful roses on her coffin created an amazing scent.

And so life goes on......

Temperatures have been alternating between 13c and 30c, which I'm told is a little unusual.  All the creeks are full and there are water birds a plenty.  I've spotted three different types of Ibis, lots of baby ducks, goslings and cygnets.

Some of the gum trees have just come into flower and in the early mornings joyful, colourful and noisy Lorikeets happily feast on the nectar at their very own Gum Tree Cafe.

The potatoes have grown faster than I have ever known them grow before and I've not used any particular rocket fuel on them.  We should be eating them by Christmas.  The herbs are doing very well as is the lettuce crop.  The lettuces are all native varieties but for now I can't remember their names.  We are looking forward to trying them which should be soon.  Weeds are still trying their hardest and as the ground hardens off it gets more difficult to dig them out.