The Dahlia Tree

Winter is only days away and don't we just know it!!! Not many leaves on the trees now!

No colour whatsoever . Just the beautiful red of the Coral Bark Maple  out in the front garden.

We have a couple of Dahlia Trees here at Candlestick Farm. One in the garden and one in the Vegie Garden. They struggle a bit here and this year, painfully slowly they both grew and grew to well over 6 foot high. Walking around the garden the other morning l noticed from a distance, a single beautiful pale pinky lilac flower high in the air!

It looked rather striking against all the greys and dark colours around it....

Until l got closer and had a better look at the rest of the tree!

Black as the Ac of Spades!!! Bitten to death by Mr Jack Frost!!! What a shame!

There were heaps and heaps of buds ready to burst too!!!..................

Ahhh well... we shall just have to enjoy the one flower for the next few days before it dies as well!

 

 

Maxie and The Dover Brick!

On a brick cleaning session the other day l came across this one! l think it's great! Dover is a small rural town not far from here so l am assuming the stamp is in reference to there. It looks hand written to me and so far it is my favourite brick!! Yes, l am getting a bit brick obsessive here! It will have a pride of place spot somewhere.........some day!!

And Maxie the Terror Pony? Poor little boy is a bit sore at the moment. In a usual flurry of hyperactive activity the other day ,he took off at a mad gallop through a closing gate. The gate shut and pinned him between it and the gate post. His back leg is very sore indeed. Not that it STOPS him though. He is still hooning around and chasing goats and chickens! He just does it with a weird hoppity hop sort of a canter instead!

There's just something about the little fellow that makes you feel so sorry for him when he bashes himself.........until he bites you..... then you don't feel sorry for him at all .....no matter HOW sad he looks!!!

It's ALL an act!!!

It's what Goats do.....

Goats are incredibly agile creatures. They stand on rocks and can climb hills, cliffs and mountainsides that leave you speechless...............

Just like ours!

They are also naughty ,cheeky and love doing things they shouldn't!

 Just like ours!

 

Silly Sheep!

I was just about to head off to work this morning, (late as usual) when l happened to glance down towards the sheep paddock. l had noticed this sheep standing here earlier but didn't give it much thought.

l had already fed and head counted them an hour earlier so I knew all was well in Sheep Land but when l looked at her again l guessed something wasn't quite right!!!.........

Head stuck in the gate! This is just a gate at this present time. It goes nowhere.....they can walk around it if they choose. It marks the last fence line (we have yet to build!) Daft old Fingal decided the grass was greener if she stuck her head THROUGH a gate she could just as easily walk around!

It didn't seem to bother her and when l opened the gate properly she just still stood there....

Came up for a carrot!

And had a bit of a reassuring scratch before she slowly ambled back to the rest of the flock! Daft thing. Glad l noticed though and gate is now duly fixed so it wont happen again!

And yes! l was late for work!

My Wheel Barrow Mate!

A big busy weekend for me!! All l seemed to do was wheel barrow heavy stuff around! All day!  I started with picking up the remaining Quinces that were lying on the ground. Three big heavy wheel barrows later the grand total tally of Quinces off our tree was a few short of 700! Amazing! l had guessed 600 but this surpassed even that!

Then ..............l cleaned a few bricks. .......

Grazed a few knuckles and raised our clean brick pallet to a fairly healthy 300. l try not to think of the 1300 left to go.................( l was watched the entire time by a lazy reclining hen who had  absolutely nothing  better to do with HER day!)

THEN......l moved onto sawdust! A few days ago we had our once yearly truck load of sawdust arrive for the horses stables. This time it was dropped off just on dark on a very wet wild windy evening. The joyous photos of Geoff and myself carting wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow by torchlight  (thank god it's not heavy!) .....do not exist.......as it was dark.....wet............wild and windy and the levels of fun and humour were not at their highest!! After a days work to come home to  that wasn't one of our favourite rated pastimes! So all that's visible is the warm cosy  finished result which appears below!!

BUT....a few sacks were put aside this year for the duck and goose pen which is always a horrid wet smelly affair when it gets full of hay and needs cleaning out. Sawdust is much easier, cleaner and drier and a nicer option for all concerned! So off l went! 

Didn't fit in the door unfortunately but l got close!

So much better now!

THEN the worst job of the day was clearing a big pile of gravel we had delivered a few weeks ago. We generally get a load in every year or so for pot holes, paths and any other jobs around the place. This lot filled up the floor in our $50 shed and made it level.

Much better!

THEN l picked up horse poo! An unavoidable daily chore! See what l mean about my day???? Poo....quinces.....sawdust and gravel!! Wooohoo!!!

l then just had time to put together this rather fun tree seat l bought the other week. It was a bit of a challenge as it didn't come with instructions and it took a few goes to get the order of assemblage right , but l got it in the end!

LUCKILY Geoff got home from work which was a good reason to stop work and light a quick fire......because..........just because!

Only to find when we got back to the house in the pitch black we had no power!!!................. Not a problem for these bunnies!

In a flash the house was warm, cosy and filled with flickering light!

To the point that when the power came back on a few hours later it spoilt our ambiance so we turned it all back off!

Just for the evening! 

Potato soup and toast cooked on the wood fire.

And dinner by candlelight ! A perfect end to a busy but rewarding day!

Lonesome Cockie

The big Sulphur Crested Cockatoos descend on our place in a flock at Walnut Time. Only then..........we never see a single one at any other time of the year. They appear from nowhere. Hang out in the big Pine Trees in the paddock, then silently swoop into the Walnut Tree for a feed.
This year however we have one that keeps coming back! Just one little Cockie who waddles around the garden eating the few remaining walnuts on the lawn. (the Tree itself is long empty).
You have to wonder why? Is he an escaped 'pet' one? Has he been disowned from his flock? Does that happen? Or is he an exceptionally smart one who knows he is on to a good thing? We shall never know but we will enjoy his little visits while we can!
Apologies again for another magnificently bad quality Australian Wildlife photo!

Bricks

At the moment life is all about bricks.....................Bricks ,bricks and more bricks..............In my wisdom (not!!!!) l foolishly decided that Candlestick Farm would be so much nicer with brick paths , brick patios and bricks in general! And not just ANY old brick.....................old red bricks!..........heavy old red bricks and expensive old red bricks!!!! (sigh!!)
Quite WHY I came to this conclusion escapes me now but the last two (or is it 3??) weekends have been taken up with long slow tedious trips across town to pick up other peoples discarded, old and unwanted red solid bricks. Hobart Reds they are called!! l am learning more and more about old bricks every day!!!
l have estimated to do all that l want to do l need 1600 of the darn things! The ute carries comfortably about 130 at time (old solid wet bricks are heavy!!!) so that's a lot of trips!

We have now amassed a magnificent 1300 !! 

900 all from one place (free too!!) and another free 100 found by my Dad in an old barn near their house. 200 bought from a fantastic old house slap bang in Hobart and odds and ends picked up from other venues about the Valley! A few more to go but that's ok.............as l now have to clean them...................Yep! Every single one!!

So with my new tool friends............plus a brickies brush..........away  I go!....... l have a lonnnnnnng way to go!!!

The only place to be....

Inside or outside animals, it didn't seem to matter today. All 4 legged beasties weren't too keen or interested in spending tooooo much time outdoors this morning!
Breakfast was shared with the cat............... The sitting room was so cosy and warm on this chilly wet Autumn (Winter???) morning. She was quite content to silently sit and watch me as l ate my cereal!

Outside was waaaaaay too wet and windy for THIS little pussy cat!

Outside was a pretty similar story only luckily l didn't have big fat Toggles breathing down my neck wanting a bite of my muesli!.

She just wasn't coming out full stop!

Me???

It's cold!

And wet!

AND windy!!!

Even Lizzie thought she was a sook!!