Grapes and Gardening

Geoff got his grapes in at the weekend. Two rows of Pinot Noir. Hopefully in a few years we can get a few bottles worth from them!

l started  to weed the front flower beds which was a challenge! The soil is quite poor with what seems to be years and years of fire remains and old bolts and big bits of wood! Luckily l have good access to heaps of sheep poo so l will slowly build it up to a decent mix in the not too distant future!

Elle told me this morning that she really would like a haircut and could l please organise the sheep shearer as soon as possible! She's a big heavy old girl who really ought to be shorn twice a year as her fleece gets quite spectacular after 12 months!! Not an ideal breed for this type of country but we do love her!

Black Caviar

She won again! What an amazing mare! The Greatest Racehorse in the World! She pipped Phar Lap as winning more races in succession ever. 14 starts 14 wins and a black beauty to boot. Well done Black Caviar!

Being Intrepid!

The biggest  paddock on our place is the roughest! It's got swathes of bracken, gorse, broom, prickly bush and the stream which runs through it is choked with blackberries.
Last night armed with beer, cider, shears and clippers (dogs and the cat!) we headed out to at least cut a path for us to be able to get around the areas we have not been able to. It will be a bit of work to get this paddock in order along with the help of goats and maybe eventually the odd pig or two.

Treeka gingerly crossing the stream after Geoff cut a swathe through the blackberries.

 

 Getting there!

Possum found a rocky outcrop to view our progress.(Lilli was in my backpack at this stage, blackberries at ground level are eye piercing for a Chihuahua!)

Looking back towards the house

We came across this gorgeous fence pot with a cheeky hat of lichen on it. (You are going to love this place Jen!)

Recycle

As we live on the other side of Fleurty's Rivulet we do of course every day cross over a bridge.
Up until  a few years ago it was a quaint rickety (no doubt!) wooden one. Now its been replaced with an ugly concrete structure and all the old timber was pushed to one side on the bank. Yesterday Geoff and l started to get them up to the house so we can reuse them somewhere on the property. Some are terribly rotten (how scary to think you drove over them!!) but some are in perfect condition to reuse.
Hopefully they wont weigh so much once they dry out!!!

The modern bridge with the remaining old timbers up on the bank.

Geoff got to re live his old childhood love of climbing trees last night as we put some fairy lights up in the Walnut Tree. Such is the size of the tree we soon realised we will need an awful lot more metres of them to really set it alight, but with Nephews and Niece's coming to stay the night a few hurriedly put up lights was a little bit of magic for them and better then nothing!! And l  think Geoff just really wanted to climb that tree!!

Tabs and Jamie enjoying running around.

Jamie, a splash of orange amongst the last of the Spring Daffodils.

Discombobulated!!

This word whether its appropriately used or not in this actual case seems to define how Geoff and l are feeling at the moment! We still feel a bit out of sorts with catching up with people  thanking people, giving stuff back friends have lent us ,paying bills and generally organising ourselves! l suddenly remembered yesterday that we hadn't paid any of Geoff's Dental bill for about 4 weeks and l have faithfully made a payment towards it every week ever since we had it! l still blame the inability to get on the Internet freely whenever we want but surely our lives shouldn't be so dependant on it??

Glorious day today with the blossom finally coming out on our cherry trees. We have a couple of very old ones in the orchard. Sadly they look a bit rotten so don't know how many more years we will get out of them but they certainly are pretty at the moment!

This is my eagle deterrent!!! Its my lovely grass chicken that my aunt send me out from England many years ago! He is standing proudly on the arbour hopefully looking bigger and more fierce then any passing eagle who maybe was hoping to land there!

Mr Magnificent might possibly be a little miffed that l don't think he is fierce and brave enough to fend off any passing Wedge Tail but l just know he would simply refuse to sit up there all day!!

Possum looking pretty having a drink this morning.

Eggs!

Yesterday we sold our first 'farm produce"

Well OK admittedly it was only 3 dozen eggs sold to people at work but that equates to half a bag of wheat so that's better than nothing!! Whats more is that l have a standing order for one dozen a week to a lady who works in the Garden Centre so the big bucks will soon come rolling in!!!!

We finally (on the very last day there) moved our fish and their home. The first night they were here we had an enormous frost that actually killed off all the new green shoots on the walnut tree! It was with a bit of trepidation l approached the bowl on the first morning to see if a) they were still alive and  b.) had they frozen solid!! All was well though as they are quite sheltered from the elements under the shadow of the  (bare ) walnut tree and the house. Pushka greeted them like old friends!! (Amazing neither cat has eaten them really )

Possum looked on from above. Which was a bit of a worry as she couldn't then get down and also there was a massive eagle eating a wallaby in the paddock this morning and l'd imagine a cat on a tin roof (!?) would be prime fodder!

l went to check the eagle out and was quite horrified at the size of it as it lazily flew up into the trees as l approached. l hurled the dead wallaby over the fence in the paddock next door and asked it kindly to stay over that side of the fence. l am a bit nervous today at work seeing one so close to the house l must admit

Treek came with me but as was to be expected was totally useless! Luckily l didn't take Lilli to give the eagle an idea of what was on the menu here now!

Day off tomorrow and might change the colour of the toilet! Really not into the aqua marine blue especially the cistern!!!

Then might do some planting! We have a lot of pots and plants bursting to get out!

 

Frosty Morning and Goodbye Glen Huon!

Woke up to crunchy white grass this morning. Freezing cold but beautiful all the same. Today is our last day going back to Watson's Road as the tenants move in tomorrows. It will be such a relief to not have to come here every day after work and finally be able to spend some time at Franklin! Daylight Savings began today too! Hooray!
The Mercedes all frosty white as she can't fit in the garage for stuff

Was very nice to see Geoff getting the fire going when l was out feeding the animals!

Hungry sheep enjoying a treat of wheat to start the day!

A peculiar photo of Lilli catching the morning rays through the window!

Goodbye Glen Huon!