australia post delivers

Not rain, hail nor snow will stop Australia Post parcel delivery getting through.   They can now also add or 6 foot reinforced gates with big dogs laying in wait ready to attack.   Nothing will stop Australia Post parcel delivery delivering their packages.  I must admit I was grateful for not having to go up to the local post office to pick up my undeliverable parcel but I also wondered who would have been responsible if    
1.the contents of the parcel had broken on contact with the cement drive or
2. if the dogs had torn the parcel to shreds.

return to the garden

 

 

It's been 3 weeks since I have been home and my how my garden has grown.   My sister has been getting  plenty of zucchini as well as a few capsicums and eggplant.  The tomatoes are green, there is a wall of beans which are starting to flower, the onion bulbs are growing, the carrots are the size of a tapered biro, the butternut has gone mad with a dozen or so pumpkins on the vine, the rock melon has one melon but is still flowering and the corn are looking fantastic.  I am amazed

know the feeling

I went into the bottle-o of the local supermarket to get some liquid supplies to go with our dinner for the night.   I searched the fridges looking for some Hahn Light but couldn't find any.   I finally decided to admit defeat and go to the counter to ask the staff for help.  The lovely lady looked up from what she was doing at the counter and said in surprise Oh sorry didn't know you were there.  How can I help you.
Do you have any Hahn Light I asked her. Yes, I have she answered.  She looked at me for a few beats and I stared back waiting for her to offer to get it for me or to show me where it was.   Why? She finally asked.  I went blank!  I know I'm not a beer drinker but did I also look like I wasn't a beer drinker.   Finally my brain moved into gear.  I can't see any in the fridge.   I pointed back to where I had been looking.
Oh she laughed I thought you said have you had a hard life.  I too burst out laughing.  Oh we've all had one of those I finally spluttered but do you have any Hahn Light.

australia day 2012

Another wonderful Australia Day in the city. Took the train in from Thornbury and arrived about 1 so the parade was over. Didn't go in for the breakfast at Federation Square this morning. Had a sleep in instead. Loved the flyover by the roulettes but this time had a great vantage point on the hill near Sydney Myer Music Bowl. Did the rounds of the vintage cars and spent a relaxing time listening to a Scottish Band in the Bowl. They were followed by Irish and Scottish dancers. Perfect. Came home and threw some sausages on the barby.  Had them in bread with sauce - of course.

another taste of orange wine

When I bottled my orange wine I had a bit of a mishap and ended up with a half  bottle.  Thought I would experiment and see if it would keep as a half bottle.  I have bottled all my wine in recycled wine bottles with screw tops.   At the time I thought I would have to drink the wine to save it but the wine was just too rough, even though I gave it a good try.   Then a couple of months ago I opened the bottle and had a taste.  There were no funny floaty bits so thought it should be OK.  It didn't take me long to replace the cap as the wine had an after taste of metho.  I closed my ears to the cries from the family about how I should just throw the lot out before I poisoned myself and I let it sit again for another couple of months.   Today while having a bit of a clean I unscrewed the half bottle.  It immediately fizzed up like it had been aerated and shaken and I screwed the cap back on quickly.  It took several attempts of slowly letting the air out before I was finally able to take the cap off and have a taste.   WOW   It is amazing the difference a couple of months can make.  I didn't want to stop at a taste but I have to drive in about an hour and a couple of sips went straight to my head.   Apart from being so mellow now it seems to be a potent brew.  It still needs to mature for another couple of months for the optimum taste but if it keeps getting better like this it is not going to last for very long after maturity.  I do have a few concerns about opening the full bottles though.  What if they all fizz up like the half bottle or was that just a fluke because it was a half bottle.   I haven't the time right now to find out cause if it decides to fizz and makes a mess then I will have to clean it up.   So even though I am hoping that the full bottles have the same flavor as the half bottle I am going to leave it till I have thought about the best way of opening them.  Also I am a bit concerned that the full bottles might start blowing their tops, so I will have to be extra careful if I am moving them.  Oh the joys and dilemma's of an amature wine maker.

not my morning

I should have realised when Modo woke me late this morning that the morning was not going to go to plan.  I haven't had an alarm clock for over six months now but recently Modo has taken on the job.   He has been waking me at 6 every morning with a gentle nudge then a leap onto the bed for a cuddle.  I keep telling him 6.30 Modo 6.30, not 6.00.  But now I have learnt my lesson.  Think he must have tired of me complaining so guess 6.00 it will be from now on - without the whingeing. 
When I finally got up this morning I dragged myself around trying to get ready for work.  Had only had one cup of coffee and still no makeup on and hadn't done any housework when Cam and Renee rocked up wanting to borrow the trailer.   It was their moving day today.   They were finally moving out on their own.   They had rented a nice house in Montrose - their dog Storm welcome - and today was their big day.  Half an hour later they finally had the trailer hooked up and were gone.  I had a few minutes left to finish getting ready for work.  I threw on some make up, made my second cup of coffee - essential if I am going to have any semblence of a good day - called the dogs inside to put them out the back.  Modo raced in and raced upstairs, Willow refused to come in.   Got out the bribes - liver treats - Willow couldn't resist but Modo wasn't going to budge.   I was now offically running late so I left the back door open and Modo inside.  I grabbed my second cup of coffee which I hadn't had a chance to drink, picked up my cardy and bag and rushed outside while trying to stop the coffee slopping over the top of the cup.  Slowly, slowly I told myself.  I was finally out on the road, thankfully there was very little traffic as it is still school hols.   I parked in the parking area out back and raced into work.   Swiped on with a minute to spare.   huge sigh

the olgas of victoria

On second thoughts it could be the Devils Marbles of Victoria.  I have never seen either but either way I just love this area. The rock formations are just incredible. Think you would call it the Lancefield / Pyalong area. We drove back this way from Echuca. OK they don't have the grandure of the Olgas but they are still beautiful.

a step back in time

Decided to do the tourist bit in Echuca.  We were there for an engagement party and made a weekend of it. 

yay another daughter in law to be

Jarrod and beautiful Jen Jen arrived home from Bali tonight.  This is what happened - straight from facebook.
In Bali we visited some temples, shopped had a cruise and on our one year anniversary (second day in Bali) Jarrod surprised me with a morning visit to the Monkey Forrest then a 3 hour massage session and a private dinner on the beach with our own band playing for us and a waiter to cater to us. We had a 5 course dinner with lobster as the main meal and then as dessert was brought out Jarrod got down on one knee and proposed.....I said yes.
Awwwwwwwwww.

poor willow

My poor Willow had to spend the day at the vets.   I dropped her off at 8.15.  It was supposed to be 8 but the receptionist was sick and they had to call in a temp.   And as coincidence would have it when I gave her my surname she said Oh are you Jarrods mum.  When I said yes she said to tell him that Kate says hello.
I forgot that I had a hair appointment at 3 and what with after work traffic it was about 5 before I finally got back to pick Willow up.   She was fine.   You would never have known that she had had her 4 middle lower teeth removed and her left very back molar.  She has always had crooked teeth and they were the ones she had to have removed.  The back molar had become loose and damaged as it appears that she chews mainly on her left side.   Willows teeth had a good clean and hopefully her teeth will stay good.   I will have to try to get her to eat some teeth cleaning chews to keep them in good condition.  About the only things she will chew on are pigs ears and the cardboard middle from toilet rolls.

finally packed away the tree

                            

There were still two presents sitting under the Christmas tree.   Their recipient had been notified but never arrived to open them.  So the Christmas tree was finally packed away today and the presents, looking rather unloved left sitting on the carpet, alone.  One day when the reason for the presents has faded and they no longer have the same magic the recipient will arrive to claim them.   There won't be the fanfare or the audience of Christmas Day but they will finally go home.

Taking down the tree I slowly unravelled the colourful lights from the tree and felt a little sad that I had only seen them on a couple of times over Christmas.  I love the twinkling colours of fairy lights.  So I decided to recycle them and enjoy the magic of the fairy lights every night.   I read the label carefully to make sure they were indoor / outdoor lights but the adaptor was for indoor use only.  Well the power point is indoors so that won't be a problem.  I strung them along the footpath in the greenery leading up to the front door.   Now I can't wait for it to get dark tonight so I can see my plants come alive with all the reds blues and greens dancing over them.

sunday games at home

You start with a ball and a bin

Ask your servant to hide the ball under the bin

 
Show how smart you are by getting the ball out from under the bin

 
Then once you have the ball

 Put the ball back in the bin

so you can take it back out again

another sunday another tip run

                                       

And this was the Sunday morning queue waiting to leave the tip.  The operator told us the afternoon queue was even better.

now it's time for my garden

So nice to get back out in my garden yesterday.  No vegie patch here but plenty of plants and trees.  Had half a tree to pull down and cut up.   The really hot day a couple of weeks ago and the tree bent and sagged like it was made of rubber.   Previously one of the big branches had snapped off and been caught high in the tree.   With a bit of wind in fell low enough for us to pull it to the ground and cut it up.   David only had the hand saw and found the tree to be a tough bugger.  Modo thought it was a great place to hide his ball.

dancing with the stars

Back to dancing last night after 3 months away.  Two weeks with a sore back and then 2 1/2 months up at mums.  It was nice to catch up with everyone again.  Learnt the gypsy tap last night.  It is a simple but elegant dance and I picked it up quickly.   That shows that I have learnt something over the past couple of years.  I am far from being a natural when it comes to dancing but it is getting easier for me.  My friend Liz likes to say we are dancing with the stars.  Makes it sound v. elegant.

maybe the day is trying to tell me something

Have a bit of a decision to make about work.  It is so hard.  Went out yesterday morning and being school holidays there wasn't anyone at the first two stops.   First stop it rained quite heavily for most of the time there so I didn't bother connecting up.  Even the workmen who were sitting in their trucks waiting for the weather to clear eventually packed up and left.  It was a cold day and with no power there was no heating.  Better though than climbing up a ladder in pouring rain connecting into power.  Had a few problems with the internet.  Only a weak signal and it kept dropping out.   Got to the second site and put ladder up against pole in the drizzling rain and opened the power box.   A huge huntsman scurried around.   Thought it was going to jump out at me but eventually it settled down in a corner, spread itself out and just watched me.   Couldn't connect the power as the connector had moved.   Got down from ladder and retrieved my glasses and a biro.   Poked around trying to realign the power point while not upsetting the spider or falling off the ladder as I needed both hands in the power box while balancing on the ladder.  After several frustraing and rather damp minutes just as I was about to give up I was finally able to move it enough to line it up.  I then watched the skies as it came time to pack up.  The rain and wind was coming in flurries but I was able to get a dry few minutes to pack up and go home.

$30 poorer

The bus station forground and the old railway station behind.

Before going out Sunday morning I tucked $30's - a 20 and a 10 folded together into four - into my jeans pocket and then dropped $10 in gold coins in after it.   I don't like going anywhere without a bit of money on me.   I went and saw my sister and my mum and checked out my garden dropped David and the luggage at the station dropped the car off home and walked back to the station.  So far so good but by now it was after lunch and I still had 20 minutes before the bus came.  I walked down the main street to the fish and chip shop and bought a drink and a small pie.   It came to $7 so I pulled my change out of my pocket and paid for it.   After arriving by bus at Swan Hill I put my hand in my pocket for my $30 and it was gone.  Damn.  I thought about it for a few minutes and realised that it must have come out when I paid for my pie.  I did think about phoning them up and asking them but then I thought like who is going to hand in found cash.   Certainly was one expensive pie and drink.

It also reminded me of another time when I had lost money but this time it was $500.   A small bundle of 10 $50 notes.   I had been to the bank and withdrawn the money at lunch time.   I cannot even remember what it was that I was going to buy or pay for.  I folded the money in half and put it in my jeans pocket as I was in a bit of a hurry to get back to the truck.   I drove out to Yarra Glen and parked, unpacked and set up.  I remembered about the money and patted my pocket to check that it was still there.   It wasn't.   I raced around to the cabin of the truck and searched it thoroughly.   It had to be there, but it wasn't.   I was walking back to the truck when a friend came by.   You look like you've just lost your best friend.   Not quite that bad I replied but it was $500.  He commiserated with me.   Then something fluttering down the embankment behind him made me frantic.   There blowing around in the wind were several $50 notes.   I raced past him and manically began picking up the notes.   I didn't stop and count them until I was sure I had picked them all up   Then I stopped long enough to count them.  8..9..10.  They were all there. 
Which brings me back to the $30.   You would think that after a scare like that I would be a lot  more careful with my money.   Guess I learn things the  v.hard way.

the club

day lillies.  the name says it all. they bloom and live for a day

David and I went to the club for dinner on Saturday night.  V. nice.   Stayed and had a few drinks afterwards and listened to the lone performer on stage.  Bumped into a few people that David knew and I someone I hadn't seen since I was 15.  He said he used to have a crush on me at school.  Didn't know whether that was just a pick up line or not but either way it made me feel good.
We took the courtesy bus home and sat on the double seat on the right hand side behind the driver.   We forgot to put our seat belts on and when the driver took a right hand turn David in true Laurel and Hardy style flew off the seat and landed scrunched up on the floor in front of the sliding door.   I was laughing to much to help him up.   The driver pulled over and David eventually made it back to his seat.  We put our seatbelts on after that. Slippery little suckers those seats.   I was just glad I was on the inside or it may have been me on the floor.
I asked the driver if the drivers compared notes at the end of the day, like - I had a slow night tonight I only lost one.   My night was better, lost 3 on the first corner and 2 on the second.

five days later

Back at mums for the weekend and after five days my vegie garden is blooming.   The capsicum, eggplant, tomatoes and zucchini have all fruited and the rock melon have flowered.  I won't be back for another couple of weeks and wonder what they will be like then.  Lois is watering them and looking after them while I am away.