Stuff I see...

Well, the list got smashed last weekend - and some! Only things not done are sprinkler system and plant pumpkins seeds. But I also went out and bought about 150 plants and MOTH helped me plant out the new garden. And we cleaned up the place to look brand new in preparation of our special visitors. Chooker moles also got some extra attention they really didn't want.

This weekend there's a whole lot of preserving going on. So far we have Wild Guava Chutney bottled, Chilli Jam on the stove for the next 12 hours and there's green PawPaw Chutney "resting" for booking tomorrow.

I also popped some pork ribs that had been marinated in BBQ Bourbon sauce into the wood fired oven this afternoon for several hours… LOOKING GOOD! Then MOTH is going to crank it up a few degrees for pizza night.

I popped out into the yard to see what I could see and there is a surprising amount of colour around for this time of year.

I need to get on top of these aphids on the lemon tree tomorrow...

 But it looks like I already have some help on the kaffir lime tree (I love ladybirds)

With the new garden bed almost done, it got a quick cat scan of approval from Max the Manx...

Included in the garden are our new coffee trees (below), a blueberry patch, plenty of herbs and other edible plants.

Here's a shot of the new finished shed… how did we ever live without this!

Oh, and we had the film crew from Totally Wild here yesterday to do a story on Rescued Donkeys. Guinness (aka Mr G for the kiddies) thought he was a filmstar!

Gotta say, it was fun - even the last part that I'm not too sure Ranger Stacey was prepared for…

Should be on TV in about 8 weeks time.

The list

Well, the long weekend is over and I am stoked to say the list (see previous blog) was all but accomplished (excluding planting pumpkin seeds and the stuff that was to flow over to next weekend). I did add a few more (significant) things to said list and, with MOTH's help (albeit not 100% keen), we got it done. Poor MOTH, he wasn't keen on helping me plant the couple of hundred plants I turned up with on Monday afternoon.

But great news, my new garden bed has finally gone from this…

And, with a little help from a very large excavator, to this…

And then I did this…

… to this…

After a comprehensive cat scan…

...this is what passed muster...

Just a sprinkler system, a few more plants and some  mulch to go… thank goodness there's another long weekend coming up!

Then I can start on my next project…

BTW - Jeff has settled in magnificently and I think someone is a bit of poser when the camera comes out. How could any human dump such a magnificent creature, he is just so lovely.

Meanwhile MOTH got caught on Sunday afternoon tormenting Red Rooster by recording his crow and then playing it back to him over and over and over. Poor bloody rooster is mighty confused now! Again, how could someone dump an animal so magnificent?

And there's always time for another UpsideDownAmil shot of Moet (they all do it)

Four days off and I feel another list coming on...

I'm a compulsive list writer. If I don't I get easily distracted and don't achieve my goals. And there is nothing more satisfying than crossing something off a list.

So, I've got four whole days to get some things done around the place and I can't wait - that is as soon as I've written my list.

I want to finish my new garden bed this weekend. That'll involve several tasks...

And we have a film crew coming on Thursday to do a story on the donkeys so I'll have to tidy up that section of the yard. That'll involve several tasks...

Then there's the usual stuff cleaning, washing, tidying house stuff - more tasks...

In between all of that there's some animals that need tending, feeding, groomed, etc. - lots of tasks here...

Oh, and did I mention I get easily distracted?

See why I need a list!

1. Pull out nut grass
2. Fix watering system
3. Tidy under stairs area
4. Move paint tins to shed
5. Move water trailer
6. Water all the animals
7. Clean out chook shed
8. Move palm fronds out of garden
9. Lay bricks in centre feature on new path
10. Move compost heap (maybe leave the one for next weekend)
11. Mow lawns
12. Fix fence around new garden and make wee entry gates
13.  Get a load of crusher dust for donkey stall
14. Get a load of deco to finish paths with
15. Plant kafir lime tree
16. Return empty seedling pots to Dean's nursery
17. Install new sprinkler system in new garden (next weekend?)
18. Chop down banana tree
19. Move firewood from orchard
20. Stack hay off trailer so I can do items 18, 13, 14 and 10
21. Hose out donkey stall and downstairs patio
22. Buy and plant something yummy in bottom garden bed (tomatoes, basil and marigolds?)
23. Plant heritage seeds in trays
24. Plant pumpkin seeds
25. Spray weeds

There, feel better already... Now off I go...

Crocheting a rug

I want to make a throw rug and have decided on making one from crochet.

Haven't crocheted since I was a little girl and have no idea where to start. I would prefer natural fibres than acrylic but that's about as far as I've gone.

Any suggestions?

Oh and it will be shades of red.