Sunday 29 November 2009

Miraculous shade of green.

.
Raspberries and climbing beans.

Last weekend I put up a 3.6m x 6m shade cloth over the vegetables.

That's 12ft x 18ft for those still with Imperial connections.

But I needed the shade, plants were getting burnt. And when I watered the soil was dusty, even though I had watered it the previous evening. And it's not even summer here yet.

Since I put up the shade cloth, we have had drizzle, showers and even the occasional rain.

Wish I had done it earlier.

Mind you, after all this rain, the garden is just dusty if you turn it over with a spade. So the rain has only soaked down about 200mm (8") so far. But it is still welcome.

And, hopefully, the shade will keep some of the water in a little longer.

Fingers crossed.

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Friday 27 November 2009

Thanksgiving


To those of you who were giving thanks, I hope you had a good one.

(It is not something that has taken hold in Australia.)
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Saturday 21 November 2009

The real thing?

.

The time had come to do a bit of dousing of the Xmas cake with brandy (for a chemist's slant on this, see my Chemist's Kitchen blog.).

Now, I was not keen on using any of my cognac so I bought a regular sort of brandy to do the deed.

What puzzles me is the need to make AUTHENTIC the largest word on the label.

I would have given BRANDY a bit more prominence.

Proclaiming their virtues so loudly just makes me suspicious.
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Sunday 15 November 2009

Ozzie, the...Magpie?

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Spent a few days up the bush, visiting a farming friend.

Some of you may remember the photos of him looking after a baby kangaroo.

This time the kitchen was filled with the 'awking' sound of two baby magpies. This one, the younger of the two, was called Ozzie. Delighted in attacking toes. Mistaken for giant grubs or just mischied making?

Can't tell.
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Sunday 1 November 2009

Fruitcake.

.

I am a creature of habit and, like most humans, enjoy certain rituals.

I am not pagan but enjoy Halloween, Easter and New Year.

I am (distantly) Irish and enjoy St Patrick's Day. Especially the Guinness.

I am (sort of) Scottish and enjoy Burns Night.

I am not Christian (in the paid up member sense) but enjoy Christmas.

At the moment the house smells of fruitcake.

And it is good.
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