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.

A typical Clear Mountain weekend

Had grand plans for the weekend but am still suffering asthma-type symptoms from recent chest infection. So, take it easy my Mum said... don't do too much... don't burn the candle... (all good coming from someone who lives in New Zealand and is, shall we say, "pot to kettle - over". Anyway, I thought about her advice for, about three seconds... Having said that I didn't go to fire brigade training this morning, which involved one of those large multi storey ladders (wise move, MOTH said).

Anyway, lots has been happening here this week, especially given it's the start of winter and things should be slowing down.

I took a walk around the place this afternoon to see what was going on... Now remembering, it's autumn/fall, there is an unusual combination of fruit and vege developments going' on...

Our first bananas are only weeks away from being ready to harvest

I planted garlic last weekend and some of it is already raising it's arms to the sky

The paw paw tree is laiden with fruit. Note, it seems to drop it's leaves around the fruit to focus on giving everything to the fruit. You will notice I cut the centre stem out of the tree in it's first year (last year) and the result is much more, smaller fruit.

Mr Pineapple Head (thrown in the ground last year) is expected to bear fruit next year.

The chooker moles missed a pumpkin seed that seems to have escaped from under the back of their palace and has started to grow down the hill, complete with little pumpkins about the size of large grapefruit. I love pumpkin soup!

My first attempt at Rosella was stumped by bloody caterpillars but I think I might have enough fruit to harvest for one or two jars

Our tamarind plant flowered this week, beautiful

Meanwhile it rained on Saturday and so I just got to hunt and gather (like I do every Saturday) and then sharpen my chainsaw blades. Good news was I got to use them on Sunday morning. This is one of the many trees that came down during the Australia Day (end of January) storms over the electric fence, which is why the donkeys have been agisting at the neighbours place since.

The last of the trees over the fence from the January storms. Seriously, I have another 20 - 30 dead trees to cut down for firewood still.

MOTH and I trimmed the fenceline, weed sprayed the fenceline and then there was the chainsawing. Took nearly all day. Don't underestimate the slope in this picture, it's about 30 degrees (and the other side is way steeper, about 40 - 45).

I also have a cunning plan being developed to address what the chooker moles and one Max cat have done to my previously beautiful Sir Walter lawn around the clothes line.

Speaking of Max, this is what our now 6-7 month old baby has been up to...

Cuuute, snuggled up on the couch

Tired Max

... who apparently grows in his sleep!

Of course, I went and some donkey cuddle time this afternoon, as I do whenever I can. I am hoping to have them back on our property next weekend, fingers crossed it doesn't rain.

Gotta' go now. MOTH has made some amazing greek lamb dinner with roast lambm garlic mash, tzatziki, and home made hummus.

Hummus recipe (previously shared on this blog)