Olive and Popeye, the neighbour gnomes

What happened!!!!! ????

2012-01-30T11:21:00.004+10:30

I don't know what happened to my post about the Purple dragon Carrots but if you take a look at the last post the pictures are there without any explanation. Grrrrrrrrhhh
Last night I decided to have a salad for my dinner and on searching the garden for the ingredients, here's what I came up with. Purple monster carrots sliced paper thin, mizuna salad greens, basil, avocado, baby tomatoes, grated beetroot, all from our own garden put together with a small amount of mayo and some grated cheese. It was very tasty indeed. Oh, and I almost forgot some chopped chives and onion marinated in Magi.
The colour of the carrot is extremely intense, so much so that it stains the fingers purple too.
I have been (in the past) blogging from Picasa but now I have the new computer, it doesn't seem to want to do it the way I know how, I comes up with a page full of "gobbely gook" and its almost impossible to find where one picture ends and another starts. You know what they say ???? You can't teach an old dog new tricks....well the same applies to Me. (lol)

Purple Dragons

2012-01-30T10:40:00.000+10:30

On such a stinky hot day......

2012-01-03T14:56:00.001+10:30

......its hard to find anything outside in the sunshine that looks as cool and as pretty as this waterlilly. I missed the first few flowers by being in hospital, and this one has opened up for me today.

Don't you think she is beautiful?

Christmas episode 2

2011-12-31T09:42:00.000+10:30

I was lucky enough to have capable people for guests for little did they know that they would have to cook the dinner, me being so ill. They younger brigade set the table while the older ones cooked. They had travelled from all over Australia to spend Christmas Day with us. They came from Darwin, Brisbane, Alice Springs, Canberra and Adelaide.

All seated and ready to hop into a good lunch, the table groaning with food.

But not before a check that every thing is OK by "Olive & Popeye"

Time to pop the bon-bons open (made from scratch by me) which I think were the "hit" of the day, with most people that is, you can't please everyone all of the time. Ha-ha

It seems like it was pretty good, not much left behind. Personally, I had only a bite of potato and a sniff of chicken. The day finished for me by being admitted to hospital with pnuemonia and a kidney infection that caused my heart beat to elevate to an alarming speed. I'm home again now, but not much better, at least the Pnuemonia has been laid to rest.

Tummies full and time for a rest, these two newlyweds find acomfy spot.

Our Christmas. episode One

2011-12-30T12:02:00.002+10:30

Our Christmas started out badly, with me feeling very ill. Like a trooper I tried to "battle on" but it just became worse and it was evident that that I'd need some medical help. But me, being me, I refused to give in. The day started with having to help with the dressing, no...not the salad...my husband !! ha-ha

Some time ago I purchased an icecream churn and now seemed the perfect time to try it out. My DIL, Jen, helped me out by making the icecream and once we had all the parts in the right way it worked perfectly. I must say it was the smoothest and creamiest icecream that I've ever tasted ( believe me,, I've eaten lots of different icecreams in my lifetime) This pic shows the "old boy" offering advice.

Amy, one of my grandchildren had a doll when she was young and named it Doll-doll. now to cut a long story short, when she was 16 yo it was thrown out in the trash and (she says) it caused her emotional trauma. Well then it was found (born again) and sitting large as life in Target. For a joke her parents gave the born again version. Look at the face, see how delighted this now 23yo is to have found her baby again ..... Ha-ha

They also bought their 2 dogs on holiday all the way from Canberra, this one is named Scooter.

And here is his friend Millie.
That's it for now, story to be continued (maybe tomorrow)

Oh Christmas Tree !!

2011-12-03T09:21:00.001+10:30

I felt the urge to resurrect my old "tree" this year, mostly because the dear family members will be spending the day with us. There are a couple that will be absent, it would have been great to have them all together once more, but sadly it can not be. The first picture was taken just after I finished erecting it (it took me 2 days) and the other just as dark set in. This is only an ornamental thing, no presents under our tree, this is a time to enjoy the company of our loved ones, not to engage in the "commercial hype" that the stores have turned Christmas into.

In the eye of the beholder.

2011-11-06T15:47:00.000+10:30

Just take a look at these lovelies, all blooming beautifully in my garden

This one looks better in real life, such soft lavender and pink.

Then, last but not least this magnificent blue with a dash of lemon. Sounds a bit like a drink that you'd order on a hot thirsty day (lol)

Don't forget to click on each picture to get the true beauty of these blooms

Rats tail cacti

2011-10-31T11:51:00.001+10:30

This delightful plant in my sun room has put on a gorgeous display this year. Like Jack's beanstalk, it has grown and grown but in the opposite direction, lol

I just went out and measured it and its about 6 foot long !!

A Perfect day in Paradise

2011-10-13T16:24:00.000+10:30

Today..the weather is PERFECT. The sun is warm, the bees are buzzing and the seeds are popping their heads through the soil.

This is my favourite iris, I know I've posted this one before but I just love it !!

New to my garden is this purple Pacific Coast iris, isn't she lovely? Do you get the impression that my favourite colour is purple? Well just to trick you here is another the wonderful plants growing in my garden. (I wont bore you with my veggies, but they are doing well too [lol])

This is Echium "Tower of Jewels" 2 metres high. I couldn't put a stake in to support her because she is right on top of the water pipe supplying water to the house. I've done that before and it wasn't a happy household, so I tied her in the middle to the shrub behind.
And just to show that I meant it when I said the bees are buzzing, here is a close up of the flowers.

Don't you think its a beautiful sight?

Fountain is working by solar power !

2011-10-01T16:42:00.000+09:30

The fountain has been placed ih the fish pond, the leak has been fixed, now all is "hunky-dory" in my opinion. What a clever fellow he is !! He has been saving an old solar panel that he salvaged from the dump many years ago because he knew that one day the pond water would need re-circulating.

All I want now is for the water lillies to grow and flower, it should look BEAUTIFUL.

The most important thing left for me is, get those darned weeds off the cliff face. Looks as if I'll have to get the ladder as some of them are just too high for me to reach.

Then there is this delightful bush (a native) planted last autumn that has come out in bloom, just to the right of the pond, so delicate and a lovely colour.

I like this plant so much that I decided to add a few more pics. (lol)

Christnas is coming

2011-09-30T14:58:00.001+09:30

Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat,
Please put a penny in the old man's hat,
if you have no penny,
then a ha'penny will do,
but if you have no ha'penny,
then, God Bless You.

This little rhyme we used to recite as children....long, long ago. It's been stuck in my head all day as I baked the fruit cake for Christmas. It is now out of the oven and it smells delicious, spicy and with loads of mixed fruit soused in brandy. When I removed it from the oven I poured a quarter of a cup of orange liquer brandy over it. Now to wait until it is completely cold so I can wrap it in several layers of foil, after which I shall place it in a cool spot to "ripen"

<

I've been threatened not to go near it with a knife.....he knows me too well

Its surprising what you find when you clear an overgrown garden

2011-09-20T13:50:00.000+09:30

Look what popped its head out of the undergrowth. These pretty daffodils haven't been seen for quite a few years and lo and behold, 12 beautiful soft apricot shaded flowers said "thank you" Unfortunately the wind and rain has all but destroyed the blooms and this was the only flower head remaining without too much damage.

Prime of Madiera, Echium, it always puts on a great show and hasn't disappointed again this season. The honey eating birds enjoy a drink of its nectar.

Last, but not least the dainty little flowers on this shrub (cant think of its name, but I will remember it as soon as I hit the "publish post button") lol

Christmas Dinner.

2011-09-07T14:06:00.000+09:30

What's on the menu at your place this coming Christmas? Meet Mary Christmas.....she is coming to our dinner table.

All we have to do in the mean while is to feed her well, give her a nice cosy bed to sleep on and she will join us on Christmas day.

Never smile..........

2011-09-03T15:29:00.000+09:30

..........at a crocodile !! Just a little kitsch for the pond. I've been waiting for years to fill up the pond with water and today, after 1 and a half days (daylight hours) with 2 hoses running the job is complete. Plants are in pots and placed where I think they will look good when they eventually take off. The crocs head is tethered to the pot containing Lousianna Irises which look a little droopy because they have only today been dug from wher they have grown. We bought the crocodile in Darwin when we were there recently for Sarah and Stephen's wedding.

off

These other pics are some "pretties growing in my garden at the side of the pond. Just thought I'd add them for good measure.

Now all that is left to do is clean up the mess.

PS. We put 7 goldfish in the water and haven't seen them since. I expect them to grow to an enormous size in this large expanse of water.

Small things.......

2011-08-28T10:05:00.000+09:30

..........amuse small minds, or so they say. A year or so ago I posted an article on some interesting buildings around the district, here is an up-date on one of them.

The old shed that was ALMOST fallind down, one more puff of wind DID eventually bring her down. The only thing holding her up now is the items being "stored" inside (lol)

Poor old shed, I've been watching and waiting for nearly 25 years to see if any one would come to her rescue. R.I.P.

First signs of Spring

2011-08-09T15:12:00.001+09:30

The first signs of Spring is the early bulbs start to flower. The purple amenomes are very pretty.

The problem with taking pictures of flowers is, the breeze keeps the heads bobbing around so its hard to get a shot in focus. This is a group of jonquils growing on the driveway.

The little snowdrops are so dainty.

Last but not least, I've almost left it too late for the almond blossom. We doint get to harvest many almonds because the parrots get them before they ripen. Oh well....every one has to eat, I suppose.

Pictures for Hope.

2011-07-29T16:08:00.000+09:30

This blog is for Hope, she is a very talented young lady who lives in USA. I promised I would send her some pictures of Charlie our little bull calf that doesn't have a mum to feed him. Firstly we have to go find him because tonight he couldn't hear us call him for dinner.

Then it is a race up to where he gets his warm bottle of milk.

He is a little nervous of me being there with the camera becauses it flashes and it scares him.

Another picture of him "guzzling his bottle.

And then after he drinks his milk he gets half a bucket full of lucerne chaff and crushed oats. He also likes to suck on fingers if we let him (especially if they have a little molasses on them)

He is growing very quickly, soon he will be able to go without milk and only get the dry food in the bucket.
I hope you liked looking at our Charlie, Hope

More Coober Pedy

2011-07-23T16:36:00.001+09:30

This first picture is at the turn off to the Coober Pedy township Where we stopped for fuel and a quick bite to eat.If you have the time to spare there are a few mines where you can "noodle" in their mullock heaps for opal pieces. Some people have been lucky enough to find quite worthwhile chunks of opal. As far as I know it doesn't cost anything to do this but we didn't want to stop here and I am not a lucky person anyway. Ha-ha.

There are thousands of these heaps of dirt piled up from the digging. People live underground here (as well as in normal houses) They dig an extra room when their house gets too small. Living in "dugouts" keeps the temperature at a liveable level without air-con. There is even an underground motel.

In one of the pictures, if you click on it you can see the dust rising from one of the working mines.

Another one of those that I'm SURE must have been islands when there was an inland sea.

Its a BIG beautiful country we live in. We drove from the South to the North and back again, never tired of the scenery. I think my little Panasonic camera did a good job considering that nearly all of my pictures were taken from a moving vehicle (flying low at times,lol)and through the window.

watch out, watch out.........

2011-07-22T09:12:00.000+09:30

..........Jack Frost is about !!

This is what greeted me when I went out of the back door at 8.30 this morning.

I was going to dig this patch today in readiness for the new broccoli seedlings, maybe in the afternoon would be a better idea, lol

Here are some more pictures that.......

2011-07-20T10:50:00.000+09:30

.......didn't make it into the other stories about our holiday to Darwin. First is of a small Wallaby taken at Katherine Gorge. These little creatures live around this area in their hundreds, completely un-afraid of humans, they seem to enjoy nibbling on dry twigs. We saw many dead ones on the roadside too, hit by passing traffic and laying there until their carcass is eaten by some of the many different birds, the biggest of them being the wedge tailed eagle (which in itself is in danger of being hit by cars while having their dinner) One of the things that I watched while sitting in the passenger seat was the whistling kites and hawks circling a spot fire on the side of the road, waiting for small rodents and lizards to flee the flames only to be swept up in the birds beaks for a tasty breakfast. Talk about "out of the frying pan and into the fire" Which would be the worse fate ??

The next picture is fruit bats sleeping during the daylight hours. This is also at Katherine Gorge (you may have to click on the picture to see them) We were told that they stay for about 2 weeks and the move on to Mataranka when the food supply runs out at Katherine. The odour of the "droppings" is terrible (to put it mildly) and if you are unlucky enough to be in the line of fire one could drop right down on your head. I'm so glad we don't get them in S.A.

Last but not least, another of the huge termite mounds.

Lake Hart and surrounds

2011-07-16T13:28:00.001+09:30

This picture is of Lake Hart in the far north of South Australia, one of the largest salt lakes, a remnant of the inland sea that once was. One of the things I would have liked to do while on this trip was to visit Lake Eyre the largest salt lake in our state, it is again in flood from the water that has made its way down from the Queensland floods. It takes the water 5 months to reach Lake Eyre, thousands of water birds migrate there from all over the world to nest and feed their young with the many fish that miraculously appear from the salt crusted surface. Just how do they (the birds) know that this Lake has filled with water ? It would have been wonderful to see but...we couldn't take this extra journey off road, didn't want to take Madge the Mazda over the pot holed road, (bad enough to drive her down Croft road at home when ever we need to go out) For those overseas readers this lake is HUGE..Donald Campbell set the land speed record there in 1964, obviously while it was dry (lol)

As far as the eye can see, for hundreds of kms. this low growing bushes that I think maybe some type of salt bush.

.

A great place, this country of ours.

Nightcliff Rocks

2011-07-14T16:13:00.000+09:30

The night before the wedding we all (groom's family) decided to go to Nightcliff and have fish and chips on the seashore for a casual get together dinner. The redeeming feature of that idea was the sunset. The WORST fish and chips I've ever eaten. I mistakenly thought we were in for a treat as my son, daughter-in-law and family had lived in Darwin for 20 years prior to moving to Canberra about 2 years ago, I thought they knew all the "good" eating spots, well maybe it was OK once, but not any longer. We wont hold it against them. lol.

Anyway, this picture was taken while we waited for the men to go to the shop for our dinner and because I didn't have another picture to put with this story, I've decided to tell this boring story.

Beautiful spot though....dont you think?

Its a long way home

2011-07-12T11:45:00.002+09:30

There doesn't seem to be much to look at but the long road ahead, it seems like you're never going to get there. The Outback looks very green at the moment, there has been a LOT of rain. The spinifex however doesn't look green, when it "flowers" this plant has long silvery yellow spikes. I love to look at a great expanse of spinifex on awindy day it looks live a white wavy sea.

It shows where more rain has fallen by the change in the "greenness" of the native shrubbery growing by the roadside. This second picture was taken nearer to Pt. Augusta. There is no change in the height of the bushes though, for about 100km. it appears to be no taller than about 12 inches. Did someone come along with a whipper-snipper and trim it all? (In my thoughts) The only variation is where the terrain is lower and the water runs off, the few straggly trees grow.

First sign of the Flinders Ranges in the distance tells me we are nearly in Pt. Augusta which sits at the top of Spencer Gulf, only about 350 kms. to go and we are home.

On the way home.........

2011-07-10T11:10:00.000+09:30

........we paid a visit to this little roadside store. We were told that the Mango champagne is delicious. Thinking that Christmas is only 6 months away we bought some (along with a few others or 6) and it is now safely stored away til then. No, this very happy chappie did NOT need the sack truck to transport it to our car lol.

This marker shows the spot where the Tropic of Capricorn passes through this area, 40 kms north of Alice Springs. A popular rest spot for travellers, there is a caravan park complete with the old style long-drop "rest rooms". lol

last but not least, here is a couple of the notice boards at this site. I hope that they are clear enough to read.

The day before the wedding

2011-07-08T11:01:00.001+09:30

All the close relatives of the bride and groom met at the Casino for breakfast, a "get to know each other" meeting. I will introduce you to some of us. (lol)
The first one is the brides family, Mother of the bride Vivienne, Sarah and Stephen, (bride and groom) and Sarah's dad David.

Next is the groom's side Tony (my son) and his lovely wife Jen with Stephen and Sarah. These pictures are at the casino poolside. Notice how the Darwinites are wearing long sleeves and cardigans? They think this glorious weather is cold !!

Then there is Us with The bride and groom. All we seemed to do during this stay was EAT. At the wedding there was 2 receptions, one in the morning after the ceremony and one in the evening at a resturaunt called Hanuman, oooh yum-yum !!

Next shot inside the casino at breakfast, after all that's what we went there for. All told there was about 20 people at this early morning meeting, Sarah's grandparents had traveled all the way from Tasmania.

Mindal Beach

2011-07-06T10:49:00.000+09:30

One of the high lights of our trip to Darwin was a trip to Mindal Beach where many people gather on the shore of Darwin Harbour to watch the sunset. Some also take cruises on one of the many yachts offering dinner and sunset sights.

Mindal Market is held on Thursday night and Sunday afternoon during the "dry" season. It seems as if half the population of Darwin was there on this Thursday. It is a popular place to buy dinner from one of the many stalls offering different types of fast food, from hot potatoes to Thai, Dutch pancakes, or other Asian food to take to the beach and wait for the sunset. One of my favourite things to have whenever I visit Mindal is a mango and orange smoothie, made with fresh fruit, yum-yum.

The place comes alive after dark, fire dancers, whip cracking and Digeridoo players all busking in their alloted space. The air seems to pulse with the exciting displays of music and the clapping from the crowds, while the stall holders sell all types of craft, beads, handbags or bric-a-brac.

If you click to make the pictures larger you will be able to see the small small fishing boat (in this last one) The water of Darwin Harbour is like a mill-pond because it protected from the open sea by the bay.

A beautiful place.

Katherine Gorge.

2011-07-05T11:26:00.001+09:30

This beautiful place is known to the indigenous people of Australia as Nitmiluk. Sorry, but my pictures do not do this beautiful spot justice.

In this second picture you will see a small waterfall

We were taken by boat through this gorge with about 60 other people and entertained by two of the traditional owners of the region, the Jawoyn people. They told the dreamtime stories about the gorge and the meaning of the names. A pleasant and sometimes funny commentary while we marveled at the amazing scenery. The fresh water crocodile inhabits these waterways. We did see a few crocs, but were unable to get any pictures (well not any that are recognisable)

We saw one of the workers fishing while on his day off, he caught a huge Barramundi and, I guess, it fed quite a few people for dinner that night.

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Nitmiluk gorge winds its way through 12km of sheer rock cliff faces, some as high as 70 metres. I have wanted to see this place since I saw the film "Jedda" when I was a teenager, it told the story about a young Aboriginal girl who fell in love and married a man from a different "skin" (forbidden in Aboriginal culture) The film ends with the heart broken Jedda jumping to her death from one of the clifftops.
I highly recommend this delghtful way to spend a couple of hours to any one taking a road trip through the Northern Territory.

Devils Marbles

2011-07-03T09:24:00.001+09:30

Under a vivid blue Australian sky we stopped to take some pictures of the Devils marbles, a natural rock formation, 2km north of Wauchope in the Northern territory, known as Karlu-Karlu to the Aboriginal people.

This shot is the other side of the first heap of rocks. Its amazing how they stay perched on top and never tumle down.

This next one is my favourite, if you click to enlarge it seems that you can almost touch it.

In this national Park there are walkways that will take you through these rocks and I'm sure that there are many more to see and wonder at but we were on our way to Darwin and didn't want to take the time for a longer stay here.

Next stop Katherine where we DID stay overnight to take a boat ride down the mighty Katherine Gorge. That blog is for tomorrow.

Its best if you..............

2011-07-02T14:12:00.000+09:30

............dont leave your car on the roadside in the Outback, you could return to find it looking like this. We passed this car on the way and this is what it looked like on the return trip. No windows, no number plates and more than likely....no engine !!

We saw this one at Coober Pedy, on its way to the scrap metal merchant's yard, along with a lot of other scraps. Looks like its had a hard life.

And while the driver takes a short nap on the edge of the road , this one perched on top of the many other things he carries, to take a safe journey north.

Part 2, on the way home, Mataranka

2011-07-01T10:16:00.000+09:30

We stopped at Mataranka for some lunch and found this little eatery, Stockman Cafe and Gallery. A very pleasant place to visit. While we waited for our sandwiches to be made we looked at all the Aboriginal artwork and carvings. This over large stockman greets you as you enter.

When you walk through the entrance to this little cafe the heat of the tropics drops at least 10 degrees, the clever owners have made their own micro climate by planting lots of trees and shrubs to sheild the visitors. Mataranka is well known for the thermal springs where many tourists take time out to have a swim. We didn't.

While sitting on the verandah this cheeky bird dropped by to beg for crumbs. We were told it is a Mina bird, not the noisy Indian Mina found around the Adelaide suburbs but a native.
I highly recommend a stop over here to any one contemplating a trip through the Northern Territory.

The reason for our trip.........

2011-06-28T16:31:00.001+09:30

......to Darwin was the marriage of our grandson to the beautiful Sarah. A lovely day, warm in the tropics, quite different to the cold winter that we left in the south. Here is a picture with the bride, groom and other members of my family. From left, my daughter Julie-Anne, my son (and father oh the groom) Tony, his wife Jen, bride Sarah and groom Stephen, his brother Ben, myself and Willi (aka for the purposes of this blog, Popeye)

Cutting the cake. decorated with 2 small penguins made with beads, one with a veil the other a bow tie.

Julie-Anne standing at the viewing platform with the city of Darwin in the background.

On the way home

2011-06-27T14:20:00.001+09:30

The sign marking the border between South Australia and the Northern Territory, if you enlarge the picture by clicking on it, it will be much clearer to read. This was taken at first light of the day so it looks rather gloomy. the other side says welcome to the Northern Territory. We decided to drive non-stop from here (except to re-fuel) until we reached home.

One of the other road side signs along the way. This road passes through cattle stations and are almost always un-fenced, so it is not unusual to see cows on the side of the road (mostly live ones but some times dead, hit by a car or road train) They often sleep on the road at night and are hard to see and this is why we decided to travel only dyring daylight hours. Thankfully we did not hit anything except for a small bird that flew into the side of our car.

Top End

2011-06-26T08:31:00.000+09:30

Halfway through the Northern Territory these gigantic termite mounds begin to appear in the landscape. I tried to take a picture of the hundreds of smaller mounds dotted through the shrubbery but they are hard to see in the picture because we were moving (in the car) at the time. They reminded me of a long forgotten graveyard marking the spot where someones loved ones were laid to rest.

Further down south they change shape, giving the appearance of an abstract sculpture of a human. Grouped together in many places, they are like a family, biggest the Dad, next the Mum and acouple of smaller ones, the kids.

There are many flat topped hills like this in the Out Back of Australia which once was a vast inland sea. Can you imagine the shore line, the water lapping around these hills with the top being an island?
Maybe you can tell, I didn't do very much of the driving, plenty of time to sit in the car, camera at the *ready* and day dream. LOL !!

Some amusing signs

2011-06-25T13:46:00.001+09:30

Back now from our long trip to Darwin and return I managed some shots from the car window. Some of them may have reflections from the glass and you might need to click to enlarge them.

One of the many road trains that we passed on rhe way

This one was taken near the Coober Pedy Opal fields, no words needed.

This is a sign outside the entrance to Glendambo Roadhouse.Very funny

Between Lenswood and Woodside

2011-05-01T15:43:00.003+09:30

The drive between our house and Woodside is about 10km and I've posted some pictures for your perusal. Please click on each picture to get the full effect

The vines are somewhat bare now, it wont be long before the pruners move in.

I simply love to drive through the hills at this time of year, so colourful.

I hope my readers have enjoyed the tour through our neighbourhood. Its such a beautiful place to live.

More beautiful scenery from around the district

2011-04-30T09:50:00.000+09:30

This quaint cottage near Woodside about 8km from where we live has been abandoned for many years and is about to collapse. Notice the German style architecture.

The same cottage but from a different angle. I've been meaning to take a photo of this place for quite a few years but yesterday, while my daughter Julie was visiting, we went for a drive and finally managed to get these shots. Its a little difficult to stop on the road edge because of the winding and steep nature of the terrain.

Julie was taken by the "beauty" of this cattle yard. I have driven past this spot many times and although I knew it was there I did not see the beauty in it until I saw it in this picture.

After a few scary u-turns we managed to make it back home in our NEW car !! Love it !!!

Autumn in the Mt. Lofty Ranges

2011-04-20T16:55:00.000+09:30

Here, I thought I'd share some beautiful scenery with my readers. I drive this road three or four times a week to collect my mail from the local Post Office and today (hooray !! I remembered to take the camera. The vineyards are beginning to change from green to yellow before they finally shed their leaves for the winter. This a tad under 3 kms from where we live. If you look at the horizon, our place is behind the trees approximately one third in from the left of the picture. How lucky are we to live here, simply beautiful.

To the left of the vines are apple orchards and here the apples are ripe for picking, I notice that the orchardist has the bins ready to collect them. The aroma from the ripening apples hanging in the sunshine...delicious !! I'm so glad I took the camera today.

See what you can do..?

2011-04-13T09:07:00.005+09:30

I remember some advice given to me by my Mother when I was learning how to use a sewing machine. (many years ago)

She said "Its only a machine, it will do what YOU tell it to do, if you don't, it will not work"

So the same applies to computers, there is a way around every problem, you simply have to "nut" it out !!!

This kept me awake last night thinking about how to overcome the problem I've been having trying to post my rainbow picture. Why is it....when you get used to doing something one way.....they decide to change the rules?

SEE....YOU DIDN"T BEAT ME MR CONFUSER !!! (lol)

Try again

2011-04-13T09:00:00.002+09:30

If I manage to work this thing out.....this is the picture that goes with the post from 2 days ago. FINGERS CROSSED

trouble with blogger

2011-04-12T16:55:00.002+09:30

Blogger is giving me a whole heap of grief lately, posting comments I've made on other blogs to my blog. Then today, not posting my picture. Grrrrrrrrh!!!
I'll work on it ....I wont let it beat me. Now its telling me that the picture is not found.

DOUBLE GRRRRRRRRRRRRH!!!!!

Stay tuned in folks

Somewhere over the rainbow

2011-04-12T09:53:00.000+09:30

Sitting in our living room last evening I noticed an eerie glow and on looking through the window I spied a brilliant rainbow, which unfotunately does not show up very well in this picture but if you click on the picture it becomes clearer. The sky was heavy with threatening rain. This spot seems to be my favourite to take pictures of the sunsets, in fact they are the reflections of sunsets. The setting sun is far to my right. Its such a beautful spot where we live.

New To Farm Life: Greenhouse Update (High Hopes)

2011-03-18T09:52:00.000+10:30

New To Farm Life: Greenhouse Update (High Hopes)

Aimee, I wish I lived a little closer to you. I have some greenhouse benches and under earth heating mats in my shed (a purchase from a plant nursery that closed down) you could have.

One of my dreams was to have a hot house to pot my plants in winter, it will never eventuate now.... too old....moving....bad back...and many other excuses.

Why do I feel.................

2011-03-01T14:31:00.000+10:30

................hungover !! LOL I didn't touch a drop of alcohol, only had O/J. It's the late nights, I'm definitely past them, 10pm is my bedtime.

Last night I had the opportunity to catch up with an old friend, Sylvia, who moved back to the UK about 15 or 16 years ago. We hadn't seen her since then. She hasn't changed at all....still looks the same as she always did. The trip back to Oz is to celebrate her birthday. Now, I won't spill the beans re. her age but those who know me will be able to work it out...she's 15 years younger than me !! Would you believe that? How come she looks so young still?

Years ago, the 3 of us met at Elizabeth TAFE where we were enrolled in a pottery making course. Marg on the left, Sylvia, centre and your truely on the right. Good memories of happy times. Picture taken at Zapata's Mexican Restaurant, North Adelaide.

Sunset over Lenswood 5/2/11

2011-02-06T08:56:00.002+10:30

We see some beautiful sunsets here in Lenswood and none more beautiful as this one. Click on the pictures to get the full effect. The first picture is looking south west, almost into the setting sun so that the garden foliage appears black.

This shot is looking south/south east. The dried summer grass, straw colour during the day has been tinted orange by the reflection of the setting sun.

Next, a little more easterly than the last picture, the grass has turned an auburn colour, almost the same colour as my daughter's hair. 21 years ago on this day she left us, I think she has returned in spirit this way, to say "hello"

More garden beauty.

2011-01-21T09:03:00.000+10:30

Some lovely lillies. I have had these corms for many years but this year some thing is different.....some of them have bloomed !! Maybe they like the new position in the garden bed?

This one looks pink in the picture but in fact it is quite dark, almost burgundy. So pretty.

I love this time of year...............

2011-01-05T14:21:00.000+10:30

..............when some of my favourite shrubs are in bloom. I don't know the name of this plant, but it is so beautiful. It usually flowers just before a heavy downpour which ruins the flowers, fingers crossed for this year. The next picture...........

.......is a close up of the flowers. Pity about the blackberry trying to out grow it. This is a dedciduous shrub who's foliage turns a bright orange in the autumn. I love it.

And something to fill in the remaining space, sadly neglected in its hanging basket, a Ratstail cactus. Ugly plant, delightful flower.

Part 1 Before the dinner.........

2010-12-26T11:24:00.003+10:30

.......they all looked like this, bright eyed and bushy tailed....lol This is my daughter Julie-Anne.

David and Lauren playing silly buggars with the fruit while Angela looks on. Three of my beautiful Grandchildren.

This is what the table looked like....before we all sat down to an extremly satisfying meal.

Last, but not least the HUGE Christmas pudding.......made by ME. There wasn't any holly for the top, had to settle on a sprig of mint.

Part 2. After the dinner.......

2010-12-26T11:12:00.000+10:30

.......this is what it looked like ! Bodies laying everywhere, tummies full of food. Grandson Matt sound asleep on the floor while his 2 Children, Abby and Sam build lego spaceships and burger outlets. lol

Popeye (aka Willi) eating his pudding. Grand-daughter Lauren sleeping on the couch, too tired......

......while Lauren's brother David (my grand-son) has found a place to crash out on the other couch. Could only catch a glimpse of camera shy Angela sitting at the other end.

Sleepy head Lauren, crashed out at the table before she collapsed on the couch while Julie-Anne (daughter & Lauren and David's Mum) ponders over what she will do will all of the left over food. A GREAT DAY, Enjoyed by All. Thank you Julie for arranging it.

Pigface

2010-12-13T10:21:00.001+10:30

The common name for this spectacular plant is PIGFACE......now why would anyone give such an unflattering name to such a pretty flower?

Cactus Orchid

2010-11-29T10:41:00.000+10:30

This plant is one of the ugliest, that is before it bursts into bloom. The pink one, I've had for a very long time, it never gets any bigger because I keep giving cuttings away to almost anyone that sees it. I does not like the cold and struggles to thrive against the warmth of the brick wall.

Glorious delicate colour, and a different shape than the red one below.

Mini mince pies

2010-11-26T14:45:00.000+10:30

Preparing for Christmas, today's effort is 48 mini mince pies. They wiil go into the freezer until Christmas day when they will be dfrosted and refreshed in the oven, then dusted with icing sugar. Some have shortcrust pastry stars and the remainder have frangipan tops sprinkled with slivered almonds.

Unusual activity.......

2010-11-23T13:35:00.001+10:30

......right at our front door. A European wasp has decided that it is an ideal spot to build a nest.

Firstly check that all is OK on the outside

Quite unaware that I'm here taking photos of her home making.

then go inside to see if its snug enough. I don't think she will inhabit this spot long........wait till I tell Popeye.

24/11/2010

Well the nest is no longer adorning our front door. Popeye waited until the "mother" wasp was inside the nest, placed a plastic bag around it and with a quick twist of the wrist the whole kit and kaboodle was inside the bag with mother showing extremely aggressive behaviour.
After he killed the poor mother wasp (I can't help feeling a bit sorry for her) we inspected the nest, no eggs inside as yet, but little 'cubicles' which looked almost as if they were made of paper, where they were to be laid. Apparently they chew up wood to construct their nest, hence the resemblance to paper. Very interesting.

Spring beauty

2010-11-11T09:42:00.000+10:30

THis is a new iris that I purchased at the Meadows Market last Easter. Very aptly named HYPNOSIS. I asked the stallholder to recommend a pink variety, this is what I got, the pictures do not do it justice.
It is the most delicate shade of apricot with bright orange beards. It almost does hypnotise one, to see it slighty moving in the breeze.
The blue one is DREAM OF YOU. This is one I purchased from the same seller the previous year.
They never fail to amaze me, such strong foliage and extremely delicate blooms.

The Aussie sense of humour

2010-10-12T11:16:00.000+10:30

I'm sure that every one has heard of the mythical monster that inhabits the waters of Loch Ness in Scotland, but are you aware that here in South Australia we also have a creature living in the salt encrusted waters of a lake in the mid-north of our state ? Just on the northern side of the town, Lochiel.

You might have to click on the photo to get a good look at it. I was lucky to be there at the time it "surfaced" to take a breath (lol) There it was....the Loch Eel !!

I took this picture some years ago when we were traveling through to the Territory. One, or maybe a few of the local "wags" have constructed "OUR" monster from car tyres. Good old Aussie humour !!

Its been a while...

2010-10-05T11:16:00.001+10:30

....but I've been working on it. You see today is my 75th Birthday and this is a picture of the house where I was born, my maternal Grandparent's home at number 17 palmer street Pt. Pirie West (the house has since been demolished and a new one built there) The event taking place in the front left hand side bedroom about mid-morning. I was named Ronda after my father (Ronald) and Joy after Mum (Joyce) and known ever since as Joy.

The earliest picture I have of myself, approx 8 months old. Cameras were few and far between, most pictures were taken in a Studio.

On the Pt Pirie docks, where we used to swim. My Mother's family were great swimmers, my mother being diving champion at age 16. How about those cossies? very becoming don't you think? lol

And last for this part of the blog is me at about 3yrs old dressed entirely in red. No colour film then. I lived with my Nanna in the same house until she passed away from breast cancer when I was 4 years old. I can still remember her.

Blogging through Picassa will only allow 4 pics at a time so sorry folks, this has to come in 2 parts, and hopefully I have it the right way around this time.

Growing older.

2010-10-05T10:56:00.000+10:30

This photograph is me sitting astride Bonnie, a trotting horse. My Nanna used to keep and race trotting horses and after she passed away my Uncle Don (mother's brother) took over with the horses. I then livedin the same house with Uncle and wife until I was sixteen years old

In this shot I was 13 years old, (can't remember being so skinny !) My dress canary yellow, made by my Mother.

I wont bore my readers with heaps of pictures taken through the years because I'm mostly doing this for my family. I have chosen some that portray me as HAPPY. That's how I want to be today. The one above was taken in my early 40's and the last in my early 70's.

My apologies for being indulgent today, but this, being a MILESTONE birthday, I feel I'm entitled to be. Now only have another 25 years to wait before the Queen's congratulatory telegram. Not really, she probably wont be Queen then and I probably wont be here LOL

Not walking the dog........

2010-08-03T20:13:00.001+09:30

...........walking the chooks !! I've been looking through a box of old photographs (doesn't every house have one?) and came across these taken in the late 80's when Popeye (aka Willi) on the left, used to work in the outback. The trip usually took 2 or 3 days, and when they wanted to take some chickens so they would be guaranteed fresh eggs for breakfast this is how they did it. Chooks were transported in a cage but had to be let out for a "comfort stop" Outback Australia is BIG and they had to devise a method to "contain" them because, of course, they would be lost forever with no hope to catch them again. Look closely and see, they each have a piece of bale twine around one of their legs.

Anyway they all arrived safely, in good nick and as far as I know supplied an egg or two each day. Good to have a chuckle at some old photos. Willi actually still had some hair !!

Baby lambs.

2010-07-30T14:04:00.000+09:30

Cute little blighters, frollicking around in the paddock all day long.

Cant get too close to them, they are off in a flash!

Three girls and one boy. We have sold most of our sheep and only kept 10 ewes and 2 rams, so there will only be ten babies this year.

This shot was meant to show all four, flat out in a race....this is the last one !! They're too quick for me, I only managed to get the slowest one.

Macchiato

2010-07-26T11:32:00.000+09:30

We've had a visit from my son and daughter-in-law, (he is an habitual coffee quaffer from Canberra) they brought with them their old coffee machine which they promised to me when they purchased their new one. When I visited them in the A.C.T. I saw him drinking these little coffees, very strong, 3 definite layers. We had coffee in an Adelaide Cafe' yesterday which was NOT at all like this even though it was the one he ordered.
So, I decided to show him that I could make a better one. This is it. What do you think? I'm rather proud of my first attempt. He enjoyed it. (maybe too polite to tell me otherwise?)
Sadly they are now on their way home again and we probably won't see them for quite a few months. It was disappointing for them to have traveled 1,200 kms to see their football team get soundly thrashed.

I've been a little lazy with blogger for a while, I've made a mental note to myself to make sure I take the camera with me when I leave the house. I pass lots of interesting places which when I see them think, "that would make an interesting blog", but, no camera in the car ! Ughhh.

Visitors

2010-06-14T11:01:00.000+09:30

Yesterday we had a visit from some of my much loved family. Front row: Lauren, (my granddaughter) myself and my dear daughter Julie-Anne.
Back row Mandy, Arthur, (Popeye's son and his partner) and David (my grandson)

It's so comforting for me to have them visit, Julie-Anne now lives in Alice Springs (2000 km away) so we don't get to see her often enough.

Sunset Thursday 3rd. June 2010

2010-06-04T08:54:00.000+09:30

Sunset reflected on the eucalypts that grow on the fire track, down one side of our property. Its a very cold evening, notice the smoke from the chimney of the slow combustion wood heater in the next picture. Its nice and cosy inside.

This picture was taken from the top of the driveway over looking the house. The next from almost the same spot but looking in the opposite direction. The sun has just disappeared behind the tree line.

Swinging slightly to the right, the dark clouds threaten rain but it did not arrive.

Back inside for me, dinner and a comfortable chair next to the fire awaits me. Forecast is for 3 degrees celsius overnight.

Autumn Glory

2010-05-21T14:53:00.001+09:30

This is the weeping cherry showing off her gloriously colourful leaves. Sadly she had a trim when the capping bricks were put on the "Great Wall" but she will grow again and be all the better next year. I love this time of year.

When our house was built they cut a slice out of the side of the hill for the house to sit on, leaving a steep drop down to my "park" I planted 12 silver birches a red maple, (if you look closely you can just see her in the front, looking like a stick, minus all her leaves) a couple of red oaks a liquidamber and a few other types, oh yes, one of them is a pussy willow. One red oak is the one at the back in front of the eucalypts, see her leaves on the ground?

This picture is to the right of the last, the 2 pines (centre-back) are not on our property, just the other side of the fence, these, and the trees on the horizon are they only ones not planted by me. I cant belive it now, I wish I still had some of the energy I had back then,

Another view showing where the feral blackberry is STILL being removed...slowly...!! Two posts in one day? what HAS come over me?

Against a bright blue Ozzie sky

2010-05-21T10:07:00.000+09:30

....the Tree Dahlias are beginning to bloom. Its a beautiful Autumn day, no rain, although the Bureau of Meteorology keeps telling us its on the way. Winter season will be with us in ten days. The bees are busy collecting pollen and in the second picture you will notice one in flight, off to her hive to deposit her "loot" before it gets too cold and (hopefully) wet.

Visitors

2010-05-17T08:07:00.000+09:30

I LOVE visitors especially when they are Great Grandchildren. Here is Abby (Abigail) and Sam, two of my Great Grand children .

Sam working on his Nintendo. He is a very bright child.

Abby always has a nap when visiting Grandma, who is sad to see them leave. They are both delightful. Love them.

Big ones, small ones.....

2010-05-07T18:32:00.001+09:30

....some as big as your head !!.... or bigger!! Here is a head of broccoli picked tonight from my garden, still with some rain drops clinging to it and its as tight as a drum !!

I had a tub of seedy weeds that I covered with water to kill off germination, don't want to encourage unwanted weeds to the garden beds. I think it had been "brewing for almost 2 years, forgotten, hiding under an overgrown shrub that should have been pruned...but wasn't. So we dug a trench where we wanted to plant the broccoli, covered it with soil and planted the seedlings on top of it Just goes to show that expensive fertilisers are not needed.

.Dusk, on Anzac Day

2010-04-26T10:44:00.002+09:30

Long shadows over the valley as the sunset is reflected on the trees that line the roadside.

Ten minutes later...please click to enlarge the pictures...the colour has changed to a fiery red. Days are becoming noticeably shorter. Having worked for the last 3 days cutting out a very large feral blackberry, I was able to take this shot below.

With the sun set now to my right looking over the valley. the end of another days hard work.

And at the going down of the sun.....we will remember them.

Zygo-cactus

2010-04-22T10:03:00.000+09:30

This stunning Zygo grows in our sun room. It seems to get better every year. Click on the picture for a better view. Like the weeping cherry tree, I cant help but to wonder at its beauty and post a picture each time they're in bloom.

The Great Wall of Lenswood.....

2010-04-17T16:09:00.000+09:30

.......is nearing completion !!! Hooray !!! Today we have put the first coat of paint on the wall. Its a new type of paint with some sort of grit added to give a rendered/bagged finish. Its been a long time coming, about six years. I think, maybe a bit longer. Please disregard all the mess...the building materials and junk still to be cleaned away and the last of the paving to be laid. This is the bottom of the driveway where the wall begins.

Then next is the continuation up the drive, the black wall in the middle is going to be a fish pond/water feature. (The boy thinks he is going to put trout in there but he has another think coming, lol) the inside will need re-painting because of the cement that was dribbled down the walls when the capping bricks were put on.

Now down the side of the house where the garden has been in a bit longer and has grown almost to maturity.

Further back, down the side, outside the dining area is the weeping cherry tree that I've blogged about when it has been flowering. Its now beginning to lose its leaves for the Autumn. When I get my act together and put away all the fiy repellant, ant-rid, secateurs, rose cuttings etc. etc. it will look great !!!!! What I would've liked to have seen is a bit more contrast in the colour between the wall and the capping. But beggars cant be choosers.

Ouch !!! Our ACHING BACKS !!!

FIGS !!!

2010-04-13T14:26:00.000+09:30

At last !! I've been asking Popeye to look and see if the fig tree had any figs ripe enough to pick and this is what I got. Unbeknown to me he has been picking them and feeding them to the sick cow....yes..that's right the sick cow!!!!!!! Here I've been, hanging out for some figs only to come second to the animals. What the cow didn't get, the crows have had a banquet on, so think myself lucky. (he says)

The problem is, I can no longer get to the trees myself (I'm past climbing hills) so I have to rely on someone else to pick them for me.

The up-side of the story is, the cow has put on masses of weight and is looking much healthier. As those who know me know, I do not need to put on any more weight !! LOL But, I DO LOVE FIGS

10 green bottles...............

2010-04-09T15:54:00.001+09:30

..............hanging on the wall.... no, there's only eight and some of them are brown. But these bottles remind me of the old song the kids used to sing as we traveled along in the car. Drove me to distraction by the way ! Think about that for a while....the things our kids did that drove us to distraction....funny how they convert to happy memories 45-50 years down the track. LOL

These are some of the bottles of lemonade cordial that we made yesterday with the bumper crop of fruit we had on our tree. Now just add a couple of ice cubes and some soda water and you have a very refreshing drink.

The bottles I purchased at a garage sale quite a long time ago for 50cents. A real bargain. They work perfectly in the Vacola preserver, I haven't even had to buy new rubber seals for them yet. They are used only for this purpose each year.

Pears and Quinces

2010-04-08T10:50:00.000+09:30

I wouldn't win any prizes in the local Country Show for my fruit packing skills (LOL) but they will taste great which ever way they drop into the jars. Click on the pictures for close up. The first two jars are pears with other fruit added. I'm really looking forward to trying the second one, lemonade slices added. Nine jars of each type of pears and seven jars of my favourite, Quinces. Last year when I preserved quinces, I cooked them first because, as you all know, that when Quinces are cooked for a long time they take on this glorious orange colour. It was a big mistake to do that because they all broke up in the jars, even though they still tasted yummy. So, putting on my thinking cap, I decided to place them into the jars raw, as you would do any fruit and leave them in the preserving pan for several hours. Not good for the power bill though. UGH!!

Then with the skins and cores from the quinces....five jars of quince jelly. The pulp waste goes to the chooks, they have to eat too. No waste around here.
Next project ...... lemonade cordial. That wont take long, I have a helper to squeeze the lemonades, only he doesn't know it yet.

I'm surprised at...

2010-03-19T10:23:00.002+10:30

......the interest in these strange flowering bulbs, here is a picture of one that has just begun to poke through the soil.

And one that is beginning to show its colour. It appears that the millipedes have been nibbling, darned pests, nothing, it seems will get rid of them.

Here is one in bloom , on a stem about 6 inches long. As the flower fades the leaves will slowly emerge looking like two long Ox tongues, hence the common name Ox tongue lilly. Botanical name Haemanthus Coccineus. (thanks Cathy) They like to be in a crowded situation in the garden where they seem to thrive. Mine have yet to reach the crowded stage as I have given so many of them away over the years and this is all I have left. Any one wishing to have some of these, look out at country weekend markets, this is where I got mine. They are hard to find in a garden nursery.

The sun rise this morning....looking east from our house toward the Mad Gnomes place (see the solar panels on their roof) If you click on this picture to enlarge, it looks much better.

Red sky in the morning....Shepherds warning. It does indeed look like we will get a little of that wet stuff that falls from the sky today. Fingers crossed !!!

Look at what I "found".......

2010-03-11T09:04:00.000+10:30

.......on Ebay !!!! a beautiful skein winder. The first picture shows it folded up when not in use.

Next is how it looks ready for use.

Lastly, here it is being used. Winding some alpaca yarn that I spun a couple of years ago. Having this winder means, no more whinging about aching arms, aching from them being outstetched while holding the skein (from, you know who) no more twisting around the back of a chair because you know who complains too much about his aching arms. LOL Now I can do it from the comfort of my armchair !!
Having searched for one of these for a long time, I was very happy to "win" this never used one. They were common many years ago but since the commercial yarn has been wound into balls ready for use they are hard to find. Would you believe that I can remember when the only knitting yarn available was sold in skeins...not balls. LOL

4 weeks old

2010-03-07T16:54:00.000+10:30

Here is the little calf born 4 weeks ago, just starting to put on a bit of beef, so to speak. We still have to supplement his milk as his Mum only has milk in one quarter, and she is as skinny as a rake. Mumma cow hardly ate anything for almost 3 weeks and we thought we would lose her but she is picking up , albeit very slowly. She will only eat her hay if it has molasses poured over it.
This is the Mumma cow that had extremely severe mastitis, poor thing. I feel for her. The vet says she will be dry from now and will never regain her ability to feed except for from the back left quarter. Probably some of her teats will fall off!

If you hear I have died from shock it will be because the vet's bill has arrived. LOL

A Happy occasion.

2010-02-20T10:34:00.000+10:30

Here we are at Peter Lehmann's Winery celebrating my dear friend' Hilda's 87th. birthday. On the left is her husband Jim, Hilda. myself and Popeye. A delightful day and lunch enjoyed by about 40 people,(friends and family) which was prepared by Hilda and Jim's daughter Ayleen, who is the Chef at Lehmann's restuarant. Lovely people, true friends. Their friendship is treasured by both of us.

This picture was taken on the 7th. of January 2010 and has been a long time coming. First of all I had to wait for the picture to come via email to me and when it did it was HUGE. Only one persons head could be seen on the screen at any time. Then....me being so "savvy"computerwise....I had to work out how to save it to my pictures, then upload it to Picasa and crop it. Yay!! I did it.

Now, fessing up. .....The reason I had to rely on someone else to send me the photos is....on the way to this party we stopped at the Herbig tree at Springton (previously Blogged) and I used up all the spare room on the memory card and didn't have the instruction booklet with me, so I didn't know how to delete some of the old pictures............lesson learnt !!

Two things I now know how to do !!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrhhh! Tomatoes !!!

2010-02-12T11:05:00.002+10:30

Wouldnt' you know it............if you want to read my blog about tomato puree, you need to scroll down and read the 2nd bit first.......its all to much for me !!

Part 2 Tomato Puree

2010-02-12T10:59:00.002+10:30

Continued from previous blog.... This picture shows the waste from 3 x 12 litre buckets full of tomatoes after they have passed through the machine once. (not finished yet).....

Next shows the "gutsy" stuff that comes from the skins after passing through 3 or 4 times. You put it through until no more pulp will will come out. By now the stuff in the tub should be reasonably thick.

After 7 times this is all that remains. Discard this into the rubbish bin because if you put it in the compost you'll get "feral" tomatoes growing everywhere ! Believe me, we left compost in our bin for 4 years, went to the Territory to work, when we came back..used the compost....thats when we discovered how long tomato seeds remain viable !!

Using 2 jugs, one for the tub and one for pouring into bottles. That way avoids too much mess. We use 375ml. bottles, or a little over 1 and a half cups full, which is ample for 2 people. Pour from the jug in the tub into the bottle jug the exact measurement, avoiding any spill over. Then all thats left to do is cap the bottles using beer tops with plastic inserts and Popeye's trusty bottle capper. The job is ALMOST complete. Place the bottles into the preserver and slowly bring to the boil. Hold on simmer for 1 hour and the job is done....for another couple of years...I hope. 45 bottles !! I use it for pasta sauces, soup etc. Yesterday I think I had a brainwave!! (note the, I think) If I wanted to make sauce (ketchup) why couldn't I cook the pumpkin,or apple and onions, spices etc, in the vinegar until they are soft enough to pulp through this machine, open a few bottles of tomato puree, mix it all together and finish the cooking process until the sauce is done? Food for thought, no pun intended. LOL
Some add spices and salt to their juice before the bottling but I prefer to keep mine "clean" and add seasoning as required to whatever dish I am cooking.
I do use this machine for other things as well. Crab apple paste, Quince paste are simple to do. Just cook the unpeeled fruit with enough water to almost cover until the desired colour shows in the liquid. Strain through muslin (I use the same trusty sacks that are used for the tomatoes, boiled before use.) Save about 1 litre (pint) of liquid for paste use the remainder for jelly. Put the fruit through the pulper and mix the saved juice through it add sugar and cook till done !! Yum-yum, delicious with goat cheese!! The machine also doubles up as an excellent wine press

Now here's hoping that this all comes out on Blogger the way I intended. She says taking a DEEP breath.

Tomato Puree...

2010-02-12T10:04:00.001+10:30

This will have to be posted in 2 Blogs so fingers crossed, here's hoping that I'ved sussed it out so that its all the right way around.
Firstly slash through the skins of the ripe, bright red tomatoes about half an inch or 1 cm apart.. Place in an open weave sack or muslin cloth and hang on the clothes line overnight to drip out the acidic juices into a bucket. Next morning discard the juice and bring the tomatoes in for processing.

This machine we purchased some time ago it has a mincing attachment for when we want to make our sausaages (heavy duty stuff) it has a reverse button so anything stuck can be removed without taking it all to pieces again. First attach the "screw"

Next on goes the sieve. The next picture show the process beginning. the peel and seeds come out the front into a shallow container, while the juice and pulp drops down into a tub.

This tub is kept only for food preparation. Many kilos of mince meat have been mixed up with herbs and spices in it.

Back in Mt. Torrens

2010-02-10T11:45:00.000+10:30

Here is another of the old buildings in the Main street of Mount Torrens. Too many trees to get a good picture but this will give you the general idea. Some how I missed this one when I posted on Sunday, so I've added it today's blog

Now this is one of the many old houses, left to deteriorate slowly until it is no more. Its on Uley Road One Tree Hill. Someone once lived here, I wonder if they were happy, did they have a large family...etc. Maybe thats why the house was abandoned, to move to a larger house. Here it sits in the midst of a field of stubble, two dead fruit trees and a few scrubby weeds. The land all around is slowly being "gobbled" up by developers building new homes. It will more than likely be bulldozed when the owner can no longer resist the temptation of "big bucks" being paid for land in this area. Notice the "inside" walls still show signs of the whitewash painted on them.

Did you ever wish you was a cow ?

2010-02-08T09:23:00.000+10:30

WISH NOT. Here is a picture of the anti-biotic injection our sick moo cow had to have. This is the last of four, the same. Today she had the last injections into her teats (hopefully the last) She has lost all interest in her little one who is now being fed on replacement milk from a bottle. The problem was severe Mastitis. At least she is beginning to eat now, very slowly.

More Mt.Torrens

2010-02-07T12:54:00.000+10:30

For some strange reason Firefox will not allow me to post more than 4 pictures at a time, so here is a couple more that should have been in the previous Blog. This lot INCLUDE the General Store/ Post Office

The town that time forgot

2010-02-07T12:47:00.000+10:30

Mount Torrens, about 20km from where we live is full of old interesting buildings and cottages. Some with very pretty gardens.

All of these pictures were taken from my car window and they are all in the main street. This one serves as the Country Fire Service garage

If you click on the pictures to enlarge them, notice that they ars mostly built from stones collected from the field.

Most of the buildings here were built late 1800's to early 1900's, not many modern homes here at all. The General store also doubles up as the Post Office.
I took the opportunity to take some photos for my blog while I was in the township, one of our cows has a problem. The vet has been treating her but she has not responded quite the way she should have. He lives in Mt. Torens and being Sunday I had to take the trip to pick up the medication. All we have to do now is go and give her this HUGE syringe full of anti-biotics in the rump. Love this life !!!

Remembrance

2010-02-05T12:09:00.002+10:30

This is a sad day for me, and my family of course. Sad also because there is no one close by to sit with and talk about it. You see today is the 20th. anniversary of the passing of my eldest daughter Kate, aged 35, the result of a road accident. She was a beautiful kind-hearted woman and I shall always remember her with her glorious long red hair, even though she had worn it short for quite a few years prior to the accident. She left 3 children, 2 of them teenagers. She would be proud of them, I'm sure.
This happened 9 weeks after my youngest daughter Alison lost her battle with cancer aged 29. leaving 2 little girls. I loved both them so much, I only wish that I had shown them how much while they were still with us.
They say there is a reason why things happen in your lifetime but its hard to fathom and if some one knows............

ALWAYS REMEMBERED WITH A LOVING HEART

New calf

2010-01-31T09:46:00.000+10:30

Introducing the new calf, 2 days old when this picture was taken.

It is a bull calf , son of Zimmer the Limousin bull we recently sold. In an earlier post there is a picture of Zimmer's replacement, Ferdinand the black bull.

Visitors

2010-01-29T13:56:00.001+10:30

I love to have visitors especially when they are family that I dont get to see very often. So here I am having had lessons from my whizz bang computer expert son Tony, (true statement) on how to download an album onto my face-book page....and, you guessed it....I still cant work it out!!! This is after he even wrote down the directions for me. What a dud his Mum is :-(

Back row is Amy, Jen, myself and Tony. Front row, Ben, Willi (aka Popeye) and Stephen. Amy from Sydney, Stephen and Ben from Darwin, Jen and Tony from Canberra.

The Apprentice

2010-01-27T16:03:00.000+10:30

Popeye went to Mt. Pleasant market today and managed to bid successfully for this young bull, a little on the thin side, but when you consider that he more than likely hasn't had food or water since yesterday, he doesn't look too bad.
He arrived in our yard very hungry and managed to gobble up a large 'biscuit' of hay in next to no time.

Here he is displaying his manhood, and has already been calling out to our girls. He has quite a lot of growing to do yet.

Australia Day

2010-01-26T14:34:00.000+10:30

Here we all are at the Lobethal Bierhaus for lunch on Australia Day. From the left, Popeye aka Willi, myself Olive aka Joy, daughter-in-law Jen and son Tony. A very nice meal.

All that remains...

2010-01-24T12:43:00.000+10:30

This is all that remains of someones home, built long ago. Who built it and how long ago is a mystery. More than likely one of the German settlers during the mid 1800's. Makes me wonder about the family, what did they do? how many children did they have? etc.
One thing for sure, I'll bet there was many a kettle boiled over the fire in this fire-place.

Once upon a time......

2010-01-07T16:44:00.001+10:30

.....no, this is not a fairy tale
its a true story about a German couple who lived in a tree for 5 years
from 1855-1860. This tree is on the outskirts of the Springton in South Australia approximately 40km from where we live.

This tree is now a tourist attraction, many people from all around the world stop to read about this remarkable family. (The person reading the history here is my husband )

The next picture is about the family and descendants. You will need to click on the pictures to be able to read the words.
One of the more famous decendants is Simon Goodwin, a member of the Adelaide Crows Football team. There is a picture of him included on one of the notice boards.

And finally, a brief biography about the family. Father, Mother and SIXTEEN children !!

An amazing story !!!!

Strange weather

2010-01-01T09:40:00.000+10:30

The last day of 2009 was stinky hot...nearly 42C. Thunder and lightening. Then the water bombing planes started to fly over..never a sound that brings any pleasure. I later heard that the scrub fire was at One Tree Hill and under control. Not far from here, as the crow flies.
This morning, New Years day we woke to fog !!! Looking from my window I noticed that a "volunteer" tiger lilly had water drops hanging from the un-opened buds. What a great start to 2010.
Here, harder to see are hundreds of water drops on the surface of the agave.
Yesterday I said my blogs in 2010 would NOT be about my garden because of the untidy state it is in, here I am... first post for the year...about the garden.
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL.

Happy New Year.....

2009-12-31T20:12:00.002+10:30

....to all the people, friends and relatives who read my blog. I haven't been posting for a while but my New Years resolution is to *pull my socks up* and armed with my camera go forth and take a few interesting shots. (LOL) They probably wont be pictures of my garden because I haven't been able to keep up with it for the last year or so and it sadly has fallen to neglect. Around the hills towns I have noticed some interesting old buildings so maybe they will feature in my first post for 2010.

2009 has not been a good year for me both health-wise or personally but hopefully that will all change this coming year.

Once again, HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!

All over for another year.

2009-11-26T17:16:00.000+10:30

The shearers have been and gone. All alpacas shorn
(except one that took off and defied all attempts to catch her)
so she (Aniseed) will have to wear her overcoat for another year.

Gosh, am I glad its finished, except for cleaning the garage.

Does anyone want to buy some Alpacas?

Shearing day.....

2009-11-26T11:12:00.000+10:30

Last summer, after the long scorching drought, I made a vow that I'd NEVER, EVER complain about the rain again......but when the alpacas are due to be shorn, we don't need it to rain. This is such a traumatic day for the animals AND us. First they have to be DRY then they need to be herded into our garage, under cover so they wont get any more wet than they are. Then, after we have them in for the shearer to arrive at 9am. I find out they are not coming until the afternoon. GRRH, GRRRRH !

These pictures are they "boys" in the holding pen. They will be a bit scatty by the afternoon but I cant help that. they all took off up the driveway and we had to chase them around to get them back down. The "ladies" are in their feeding pen, they will be more tetchier than the boys, its a smaller enclosure and there are more of them, but they must be kept dry. Why couldn't the rain wait until tomorrow...or tonight?

The second picture is Ezekial, poor little fellow, he didn't grow very big. It seems as if he put all his growing into fleece production. He is a strange looking alpaca, reminds me of Santa with his beard. He has a short snout and thick wool around his eyes and when I saw him coming in I thought, I cant see his eyes, his fleece is so thick............but then I realised that my husband had put his halter on incorrectly and covered his eyes. LOL

All I can say now is........."Thank goodness we have Wiltipoll sheep !" (Self shedders, no shearing)

Its a GIRL !!

2009-11-22T14:06:00.000+10:30

Born this morning. Looks like inspection time at the zoo. An earlier calf born on the 4th. of September, also a girl thinks she has a playmate at last. Strange, this is the first pictures I have ever taken of the cattle babies and we have had cows for 22 years.

I was feeling sad because its father went to the saleyards last wednesday, he was a beautiful example of a Limousin bull. Much happier however when I heard that the butchers were outbid and he went to live for a few years longer, somewhere in the Murraylands. Loxton, I think.

Baby amimals are beautiful.

One puff of wind............

2009-11-20T13:14:00.000+10:30

........and it will come tumbling down. This is the shed I wrote about in a blog last week. We have watched it slowly deteriorate over the last 20 or so years. I have wanted to take some pictures of this shed but always (until today) have forgotten to take the camera
The first shot is the front view and the second from the side.
Dont you think she's a little beauty?
Any good Aussie bloke would be proud to own it L.O.V.L.

Easy-peasy............

2009-11-19T13:18:00.000+10:30

The first crop of peas from Popeye's veggie garden. Enough for two meals for two people. Mashed spuds, peas and gravy tonight, along with a piece of steak of course. I LOVE mashed spuds ans peas, they seem to belong together. More like salad weather today though, 43C and its not summer yet !! PHEW !!!

What does one do.......

2009-11-13T12:11:00.000+10:30

.....when the temperature is nudging 39c on a lovely spring day ? Hop into the car and take some photos of old buildings in and around near where we live. These buildings always get me pondering...who built them, who lived there, how many children did they have, what did they do to amuse them selves etc. The first two houses are in Lobethal, the first one uninhabited, notice the high pitched roof and if you click on the picture you'll notice there is a small door into the roof area. Lobethal is a town in the Adelaide Hills settled by Germans in the 1800's, hence the german style to these old homes. This second one has been well maintained over the years and it is in the Main street. Such a lovely cottage.

Next I show a tobacco oast, which hasn't been used for the purpose of drying tobacco for many, many years, not a bad thing, to my way of thinking, but its such a pity that most of these buildings will be either demolished or fall down from being neglected. I know of a shed that has been slowly falling down for over 20 years but it was too far to travel in the heat to get a shot at that one. Next time! (if a big puff of wind hasn't blown it down completely)

Lastly this quaint cottage, nearer home, sits in a vineyard. I wonder how long it will be before it is knocked down so that the small piece of land it sits on can be used for planting more grapes.

Another beautiful Iris

2009-11-06T14:12:00.000+10:30

This is another of the new Irises in my garden. I purchased this one at the Meadows Easter market also. Stunning !!

A very pleasant luncheon with lovely people.

2009-11-03T08:01:00.003+10:30

Yesterday I was treated to a very nice lunch at Muggleton's in the tourist town of Hahndorf.
Present was my beautiful Grand -daughter Melissa, her Dad Robert, and his wife, Sue.

I was extremely pleased to be given a photo of one of my other gorgeous Grand-daughters, Stacey,(Melissa's older sister) who has recently graduated from University of Adelaide. Two degrees, Arts and Economics.

I am so pleased for her. Sadly I couldn't attend the ceremony because of the restrictions on numbers. Each graduate is only permitted to invite 3 people. So, here is a PROUD Grandma posting her picture so that everyone who reads my Blog can share. (hope she doesn't mind)

Oops I have made a mistake.

2009-10-30T11:30:00.000+10:30

This is the picture of the Ceanothus I thought I was adding to the previous blog. No excuses ..... just a dithery old woman !!
The picture in the other blog is Jacob's Ladder.

One day I'll get the hang of it !!