Bowenvale 321

A Picture tells one thousand words.. aka what's been happening

2010-07-28T04:10:00.000-07:00

So over the past while we've been busy!!

Much of it has involved our bikes. I have been riding more as has hubby.

Here is my bike at the farm in Wonthaggi :)

Here is my race plate for my very.first.ever mtb race!

Hubby raced a wet and muddy Kona 24 Hour race @ Forrest in November, we all went for a great weekend away.

In January I spent an amazing weekend at Mt Buller riding with 19 other women and a World Champion!

Here we are at the summit.

The first skills session..

Lunch!

At the base of Mt Buller - we rode down, down, down to Mirimbah.

Lunch on day 2 :)

Shuttle, fortunately we didn't have to ride back up ;)

Home with my boy who instantly put the posters on his wall :)

We've spent some time in the kitchen; here is my boy making raspberry mousse..

My first ever pavlova.

And my first ever bread rolls!

This shot made me laugh.. my two favourite gadgets, I like music in the kitchen :)

Wish we'd done this last time we put soil in a vege garden!
We've planted a small garden closer to the house and closer to the water tank.
Hubby built a snazzy frost cover with shadecloth and washing 'line'.

I've been doing some crafty - making a knights helmet for the boy and a warm cabled hood for myself.

A few weeks back we headed across to Buxton to check out some new mtb trails; we met some friends there, rode bikes, played in the creek and had a great day :)

Bargains for the garden

2009-09-06T05:24:00.000-07:00

I was doing some grocery shopping this afternoon (boring & mundane) and found seeds for 99c a packet.. So tomorrow the boy and I are going to play in the wood/garden shed and set up the seed trays :)

Then we need to get motivated to re-do the vege garden. So far all we've planted since the fires/summer heat is potatoes and that was only a few weeks back. We've plans to move the vege patch to a spot nearer the water tank to save lugging water up the hill but the plans have yet to eventuate.

On the bike..

2009-09-05T05:43:00.000-07:00

So, I've discovered that a fun way to get used to my bike is to chase the boy around our place. Hubby came out and take some pics this afternoon.. I was practising lifting the front tyre off the ground but the camera missed it every time!

We also set up a down a bank into a short/sharp turn and around a tree 'obstacle course' but the camera went flat before we'd done it.. Fun for the whole family anyway :)

Where have I been hiding?

2009-09-04T23:46:00.000-07:00

I've been preoccupied with my new bike :)

Last weekend I went to Lysterfield Lake to ride with some other MTB girls. And it was awesome!

I rode things I never thought I would have attempted - down hills, tight(ish) switchbacks and even over logs and off (small) drops. There was plenty of nice single trail :)

I am very appreciative to the girls who were totally supportive and helpful and encouraging and were patient with me as a beginner and didn't seem to mind that I was slow.

We rode 15km all up and I was totally wrecked by the end of it.. but elated at the same time.

Since then I found the below pics (taken by Steveob on the MTBR forums) of singletrack in St Andrews and my first thought was,"That looks like great fun." I think I'm bcoming a real fan :) Hubby is pleased!

Funhouse Tour - Pink

2009-09-04T17:19:00.000-07:00

So we had a girls night out a few weeks back and went to see Pink. Wow! She is an amazing performer; super fit, super flexible, super woman! I can understand how people go more than once to see her concert.

Spinning of the usual type, a bit differently..

2009-08-11T05:15:00.000-07:00

One of my purchases at Bendigo was a lovely "Spinning Woodie" spindle (made from a banksia cone!) and I've been having some fun with it :) And how could anything be more fun to spin that this bright, funky, vibrant fibre from Ewe Give Me the Knits?

Mountain Biking - facing my fears.

2009-08-11T05:04:00.000-07:00

Long time no see, sorry... I came back from Bendi and was struck down with Gastro and spent almost the whole week in bed. After I recovered it took a few days/week to get back on track and then life got hectic, again.

My hubby is a total Mountain Bike junkie, he rides and races and it seems that the boy has the bug as well.. Anywhere Dad can go he wants to go, too. And if I am to join in on family rides I need to get over my hesitance and nervousness on the bike. So, I have recently registered to do a Women's MTB Skills course which is being held at Lysterfield here in Vic in October.. One of the instructors is the current Australian Women's Solo 24 hour champion, has just returned from competing in the World Championships where she came 4th; I said, "Oh, I rode 6km today!" hehehe..

I decided to take advantage of a brother who managed a bike store ('til last Saturday) and get some shoes with cleats so that I could try out 'clipless' pedals. So I went to see him last weekend and bought shoes, and accidentally came home with a new bike as well. It was too good a deal to pass up.

This is it; with my old bike in the background. It is an Avanti Montari with lots of good 'bits' on it; all goes over my head, but hubby approves!

The pedals which I've borrowed from hubby.

Sexy new shoes, they are very comfy and as an added bonus part of the money goes to Breast Cancer research. Down side being I'm a total novice to clip in and crashed twice yesterday when I couldn't get my feet out.. :S

ASBA Sheepshow - resuts!!

2009-07-19T00:27:00.000-07:00

I've just returned from an awesome weekend in Bendigo. Am very pleased to report that I won ribbons!

First place in Novice Spinning.

And a Highly Commended for the hat.

I also did a little bit of shopping...

Something warm to wear to Bendigo #3

2009-07-16T06:28:00.000-07:00

An oversized/slouchy beanie to keep my head and ears warm :) Loosely based on this pattern.

Something warm to wear to Bendigo #2

2009-07-14T21:08:00.000-07:00

Here are the mitts I made :) The pattern is Raspberry Mitts from Ravelry.

I have a bit of this wool left so have cast on a beanie and hope I have enough left!

And in a cool fluke I remembered I have a (warm) sleeveless jacket/vest that matches the colour of the green/petrol hat I made so I won't look completely mismatched ;)

Something warm to wear to Bendigo

2009-07-12T05:44:00.000-07:00

It was with trepidation that I delivered my 2 entries for the Wool Show on Saturday. It was also with a touch of sadness as I really, really love that hat and would've liked to WEAR it next weekend. So after delivering it to the lovely Dot in Wheelers Hill I met a few of the 'Rocketeers' at The Wool Village in Brandon Park and bought 100g of a Chunky Fireside to knit another one. Here 'tis :)

I am now on the hunt for a nice/quick mitten pattern so I can keep my hands warm :) Stay tuned, I shall update with pics as I go. I have no matching wool so am going to look like some weird freaky woollen lady with mismatched knits all over :P (unless I make a trip to Brandon Park during the week to buy more of this..... which is really too far to go, isn't it?)

Future MTB star?

2009-07-12T05:13:00.000-07:00

So the boy is a boy and anything Dad can do he wants to do, too!

Today was round 2 of the Fat Tyre Flyers' 2009 Winter series and we all went along. He requested number three-one-one for his bike so I made one up last night and hubby attached it to his bike. Boy was pretty pleased :)

We arrived just before 9 and the race finished at 1, he was on his bike the whole time! Riding around and practicing up and down hills and on dirt and gravel and mud. He wanted to race but was not impressed when the officials pointed out that Juniors need to be 13, "I'm nearly thirteen, I'm already 3." was the reply.

:)

Oldapaca

2009-06-29T05:44:00.000-07:00

The boy has come to that stage of wanting to do everything "all by my self!" and wanting to help with so many things around the house. The latest want to do is spinning :)

He was very happy when I got out some "oldapaca" to try. He especially loved it when the tail of the yarn disappeared into the orifice of the wheel :)

Afterwards I showed him an Alpaca in a book and was told "Nooo, that looks like a sheep!"

Loving my new hat

2009-06-26T06:12:00.000-07:00

Remember this wool? Well, look at it now..

This pattern is very cool, knit sideways with short rows to shape it, it's a bit different..

I was a bit sad when I finished it that it was small but after blocking it fits me (although I usually look like a criminal when I wear a hat) :) I was planning on entering a hat in the wool show, not sure if this is the 'right' pattern for that but am prob going to send it in anyway.. it's different and funky :) (I have a mental picture of baby jackets and booties and the like, I really have no idea what the show entries will be like!)

Giddyup Horsey

2009-06-26T05:58:00.000-07:00

I flicked through an old photo album the other day looking for 'teenage' pics for a forum I am on.

These are me from 14 though to 17.. Every photo of me in the album was with horses! No tragic late 80s fringes or hideous deb dresses and the likes for this little black sheep ;) although I suspect you'd find a few bad hair shots in my Mum's pics of me (and not a horse in sight I'd guess!)

Made me a bit sad though, that horses were once such a huge part of my life and yet these days I am lucky to ride once a season.. I do fully intend to get another horse (or two or three...) one day but for now it's not an option.

This is Petit Cheval, more commonly called Chevy, he was my first pony who I leased from a friend at Pony Club, he taught me lots and was a funny character.

Hayley was a lovely mare when we bought her but she went a bit feral after a few months - I sold her to a more experienced rider who wouldn't kill themselves trying to ride her. On the ground she was as gentle as anything but on her back she was crazy. I think with retraining she would've gone a long way. (These days I'd do it myself but back then not enough experience).

This is my beautiful Pache Pony - Apache - who had been through it all a million times and gave me back my confidence after a few scary falls from Hayley. He was a super cool little boy and heaps of fun. The true 'all rounder' he could do it all with style ;)

Here is one of 'my' racehorses, I worked in racing stables for a few years, it was an interesting lifestyle and had some fun times but we all need to get a 'real' job sometime and the early starts were hideous so I moved on.. Although after that I worked with the horses at a circus and as a drover/stock hand so I couldn't quite break the horse habit straight away.

Crimson Rosella Dyed Scarf - Finished

2009-06-22T14:49:00.000-07:00

Here 'tis :)

Holiday Nostalgia - Blog This Challenge #5

2009-06-21T04:22:00.000-07:00

In perfect timing, we've been away this weekend to Rushworth to official at a rally.

My idea of a perfect holiday is a family camping holiday. A few years ago we invested in a pre-loved camper trailer and it is awesome. We now camp in style :)

I love going into the forest and especially enjoy the fun and speed of rallies; we don't compete at the moment but it's good to get out there all the same.

My favourite parts of a weekend away are seeing the boy being a boy - getting dirty, playing with dirt and sticks and roaming the bush. He loved exploring with his new head light.

Love the sunset and the transformation from day to night in the forest, the birds go still and quiet and then the night animals come out to play.

Cooking dinner on the fire, mmm fire roasted potatoes are the best. These were served with rissoles & gravy.

The reason for our visit, start control for stage 1 and 6 at the NCCA Nissan Nightmoves rally. Here is a well equipped control table ;)

And the start line; sending the cars on their way..

Warm & Cosy

2009-06-21T04:13:00.000-07:00

Have been doing some fleece prep tonight..

This is the Merino I plant to spin up for my second Bendi entry.

First pic is raw fleece.

Next is combed but unwashed; it is really clean apart from lanolin so am going to spin as is and wash it afterwards.

Here is the Alpaca I started combing a while back; I ran it through the drum carder and this is the result, lovely and soft I am very much looking forward to spinning this. I borrowed the carder from a friend in my knitting group, it's very cool!

Lastly is Jess who kept me company by the fire ;)

ASBA Entry #1 English Leicester step four.. plied

2009-06-14T06:04:00.000-07:00

So here it is plied up on the bobbin.. It's so shiny! Am about to skein it up and give it a wash; once it's dried then I think it's done :)

Next project is spinning some gorgeous chocolate brown merino, it's a shorter staple than this so think I may be best to card it before I spin it.. shall ask the advice of some experts and decide ;)

Nostepinne & Knitting

2009-06-11T05:23:00.000-07:00

I broke my wool winder the other week (it was old and worn out) and a new one is fairly pricey so I opted for old school technology. Nostepinnes (aka sticks!) are used to wind wool. I had a go at it today and it worked ok.. I *think* with the right technique they wind 'flat edge' balls but still this is knittable :) The yarn is Ixchel Bunny Angorino (ie angora & merino blend) which I spun myself. I am making a hat with it (for the wool show if time permits!)

And here we have progress on the Rosella wool I dyed, am making a scarf (obviously!). :)

Pink tickets - yeah!!

2009-06-10T07:25:00.000-07:00

Pink announced four new concerts for Melbourne, they went on sale on Tuesday. Friends and I decided we wanted to go and as luck would have it I was able to log on to Ticketek @ 9am as I had an appt and so was not at work yet :)

So at 8:55am (having dropped the boy at childcare) I sat here with 4 tabs open to Ticketek online ticketing. At 8:58 I decided to try the phone as well as the PC. I grabbed the phone and dialled and at 8:59am a real, live person answered. She advised that the concerts were on sale @ 9am but that as soon as it was on sale she'd 'secure me 3 lower gold tickets" (which I was after). So I was on hold and on the PC and had just clicked 'get tickets' when she came back to advise we had Row B, Section 9 seats - I'd seen maps and knew this was the closest seating section to the stage/catwalk, and we had second row! I was actually shaking and couldn't give my Visa details fast enough!

Megs and I had a bit of a fan girl moment saying (ok, typing via messenger) omg, omg, omg, I can't believe we got such good seats!! And giggling a lot *blush* I am sure Bec would've joined us if she were not in class but I know she's excited as well.

So come August we're all there and I cannot wait :)

ASBA Entry #1 English Leicester - steps two & three

2009-06-08T05:58:00.000-07:00

I've spent most nights this week combing the English Leicester fleece, it's so silvery and lovely.

Tonight I started spinning it; this is about 50 grams so far (at a guess). It is quite hairy and coarse when spun, but nice to work with. It's my first attempt spinning from loose fleece - an interesting experience and very different from rovings/tops.

ASBA Entry #1 English Leicester - step one

2009-06-02T06:55:00.000-07:00

I am hoping to send two entries into the Novice section of the ASBA Sheep Show Woolcraft; today I started on the first fleece.

Straight from the post pack.

Laid out in 'locks' pre washing.

Somewhat different; after a wash. A few dark tips but pretty nice, and very little vegetable matter through it.

I combed a small section; it's lovely

I doubt the skull & crossbones were Health Dept approved..

2009-06-01T07:40:00.000-07:00

This is the sign on the door of a medical clinic in town. I have edited to remove the phone number; the rest is real!

Not sure DHS would approve somehow..

Alpaca Fleece

2009-05-31T07:03:00.000-07:00

Right, so I've decided that the sheep fleece is beyond my skills in terms of preparation, I 'combed' a small handful for 15 minutes the other night and only removed part of the vegetable matter. Other issue being I am unsure of the type of fleece and need to know for the show. So... I have bought some Merino & also English Leicester fleece so will try them, they are supposed to be clean and free of 'matter' so fingers crossed they are; I sent off my entry for the ASBA Show last week so need to get spinning :D

In the meantime I got some gorgeous brown alpaca fleece from the lovely Char in my knitting group. Here it is pre and post combing. It's lovley and soft and I am very much looking forward to trying it :)

Anyone for bikkies?

2009-05-31T06:20:00.000-07:00

Super easy, cheap recipe for about a bazillion biscuits :) We made this batch this afternoon.

250g butter, 1/2 cup sugar - cream together. Beat in 1/2 cup Condensed milk. Stir in 2 1/2 cups SR flour and some chocolate chips (or sultanas or smarties or whatever you wish). Roll teasposons of mixture into balls and press down slightly. Bake in 180C oven for 12 - 15 mins. Cool on racks.

When I grow up..

2009-05-24T06:40:00.000-07:00

We all have dreams and ambitions when we are kids; sometimes they come to fruition, other times not..

When I was in primary school I decided I wanted to work in a shop so that I could use a cash register.. My Grade three teacher told me that if she ever saw me working at a checkout that she'd drag me out by my hair! So I rethought my career path and decided that librarian was more to my style, so that I could stamp the books.. hahaha!

I went through a stage of wanting to be a jockey; I recall being bitterly disappointed when I measured myself next to the jockey statue on the Flemington lawn and found that I was too tall (I was about 10). My stepdad pointed out that it was not a life-size statue and that they were slightly taller than that in reality. The jockey idea never really stuck but as time passed it soon became apparent that horses were going to feature prominently in my life and eventually I did work in the racing industry for some time; I was a strapper/stablehand looking after the horses; I worked at Flemington and Caulfield and even Randwick in NSW over a few year period but eventually had to get a 'real' job. The hours and pay didn't appeal any longer; and neither did lifestyle.

Since then I've worked as a Spare Parts Interpreter, Warranty Clerk/Service Advisor, Admin/Logistics for a Sugar co, CSA/Analyst for an Energy co and am now an Energy Data Analyst for a Energy Management co (in between being a mum and a kinder board rep and so on!!). I love my job but y'know I'd STILL love to be a 'checkout chick' ;)

(This post was the 'challenge' on Blogged this week; it's an Australian blog-ring - check it out)

Finally bought a Subaru :)

2009-05-21T05:50:00.000-07:00

We've upgraded our 'silver car' and put deposit on this sporty little car. It's a 97 Subaru Impreza GX, it's AWD but no turbo.. Being such a rally household it's about time we bought a 'Suby' :) It drives beautifully and I can't wait to have it! We plan to pick it up on Saturday.

Crimson Rosella Dye

2009-05-19T04:29:00.000-07:00

This is the final result. There are some 'pinkish' tones to the red but overall it is OK. I am looking forward to Kraft Kolour getting back on their feet so that I can stock up on more dyes and play with more colours :))

What's cooking??

2009-05-17T03:56:00.000-07:00

I bought this steamer ages ago to use for dyeing. It was $29 at Aldi and is 3 'storey'. Tonight the boys went to bed early so I took advantage of the spare time to do some dyeing..

I have used Bendigo Luxury 10 ply and Landscape Dyes to create a Crimson Rosella inspired mix.. We have these gorgeous guys in our yard often and I love their bright splash of colour on an overcast day, so am planning on bright warm scarf or wrap with this wool to brighten up winter a little.

Carding Brushes

2009-05-16T22:10:00.000-07:00

I 'won' these from eBay as I figure the real thing will work better than a dog brush, hehehe..

This is the grey 'fleece' laid out on the floor.. When I lay out the white fleece it was in one piece, but this one is lots of pieces so am not sure if it is off one sheep or many.. It seems to be the same 'type'. There are lots of badly matted bits in it as well. The colours are nice though so hopefully can wash it up ok.

Washing Day

2009-05-16T22:03:00.000-07:00

I did a little bit of reading on washing fleeces on Ravelry and it seems many have good results with soaking the fleece in cold water before getting into the hot wash part.. So yesterday I filled a large tub/bucket with cold water and put the white fleec in overnight.

It was surprising how much dirt came out just from the soak..

We (because of course I had a helper ;) ) then washed it in two batches in hot water - two 'washes' and one rinse for each batch.

I then placed the fleece into lingerie bags to spin it out in the washing machine and it is now laid out to dry on a clothes horse outside.. I will move it into the shed to dry out of the weather, though. Once it is dry I imagine the fun begins - combing it to get rid of the grass/seeds/burs.. and there is so.much.of.it right through the whole fleece.

Operation fleece - mini update

2009-05-13T05:36:00.000-07:00

I used a handful of the white fleece and practiced washing it tonight; using this method from the Knitting-And website. And wow - look at the difference!!

Riding, a little left of centre; the Alexander Technique

2009-05-13T05:29:00.000-07:00

So the fires took out my most recent riding spot.. We went out to Kinglake on the weekend and caught up with Steve and he is getting there slowly with rebuilding the fencing and so on but it will be a long time til the park is open to riders again. We're hoping to work with Steve to get some more riding income for him on the property but it will take a lot of work.

In the meantime I had been looking around 'home' for somewhere to ride and came across Studio Evolving which intrigued me and when I spoke with Marigold on the phone I connected with her straight away. Today I went for a 3 hour intro session into Alexander Technique & Riding.

Taken from their website: The Alexander Technique is a unique approach to the study of movement. It is a means of eliminating unnecessary tension while learning to move in an easier more effective way.

It was a great experience; first we spent time getting to know Tamino (the horse I worked with) using touch/massage/grooming; likewise he got to know me :) Then a brief run-down on the human skeletal/muscle system and how it all works together and conversely how one 'wrong' part can impact on others. We then spent an amusing 15 minutes teaching me to sit and stand (I kid you not!). Marigold showed me how I was tense and stiff in the way I 'normally' sit down and stand; and then guided me to a more neutral/natural way of doing so.

Next we headed back outdoors for a session on the wooded horse and then the real thing. It's going to take time to un-learn my habits on a horse after a lifetime of riding 'as I was taught' but already I can feel a difference.. I had Tam walking, turning and halting with just movement in the saddle and no rein pressure at all - amazing stuff, really. (and my boots and jeans were less clean when I had finished!)

Baa Baa grey sheep.. the start of a project, feel free to follow along

2009-05-12T04:47:00.000-07:00

Remember the Wool Show I was talking about? Well, the majority of woolcraft/spinning classes require you to work with fleece as opposed to carded 'tops' - which is pretty much all that I have worked with so far...

So today during my lunch break I visited a lovely spinner from my knitting group (the real term is stitch and bitch (SnB) but I have simplified it to cater for an almost 4 year old's understanding) and she very kindly allowed me to explore her fleece stash; I came away with two bags full :)

Here they are 'as is' - straight off the sheep. They've been in their bags for quite a while I'd say.
One grey/white varigated and one 'white'.

Before spinning they need washing and combing/carding. I will keep a pictorial of the progress as I am interested to see the process as it unfolds :)

Stay tuned for updates!

The lower two pics show the boy having a go at combing using the dogs' brush he loved it.

Spinning wheel is out of hibernation

2009-05-05T06:35:00.000-07:00

Given the hot, hot, hot summer we've had (not to mention the fires that consumed the whole month of February) my spinning wheel had been a bit neglected. In fact I do not think I'd used it since before Christmas until the other night.

I've been reading a bit about the Bendigo Sheep Show and it inspired me to get the wheel out again - a bit of a dust and an oil and it was good as new ;) My plan is to enter a 'piece' in the Woolcraft section of the show, although it's a bit daunting and I keep swinging between "I will" and "Maybe not".

This fibre is Masham which seems to be similar to Alpaca in it's (spun) appearance, it is quite 'hairy'. Very funky sheep, that is for sure :)

I am pleased with this attempt; I was concerned I would forget how to do it but this seems OK (so far!).

Crisp,cold, foggy Yarra Valley mornings

2009-05-05T06:27:00.000-07:00

Autumn and Spring are my favourite times of year; I love the clear, cold mornings (even when I need to break the ice on the dogs' water). This was the view the other day as the sun came up and melted the fog away.

Needless to say our wood heater has been getting a work out over the past week, and we've dug out scarves and beanies!

Cooking & Playing

2009-04-26T05:22:00.000-07:00

With thanks to Dr Suess for today's lunchtime inspiration.. I do not like green eggs & ham, I do not like it Sam I am..

But my boy did like it :) An egg & ham omelette with 2 drops of green food dye and voila - green eggs & ham :D

On a cold and wet and windy and cold (!) Yarra Valley day it can be tricky to amuse a three year old inside; added to the mix today was the fact that hubby was out all day racing (MTB) and it was left to me to keep the boy occupied... So our mission was to use every single piece of his train tracks.. Result below :D (added bonus - I got to watch Dirty Dancing while we played trains!)

Shopping & Knitting

2009-04-26T05:01:00.000-07:00

As the mum of a boy I am not often able to shop for 'pretty' stuff. So I was totally excited a few weeks back to be able to shop for a birthday gift for a 3 year old girl :) One of the mums at swimming is very crafty and I fell in love with this patchworked owl motif dress she makes. Teamed with bright tights (& skivvy) it should be good for winter. I am pleased to report the recipient loved it :)

And herewith the newest finished and started knitting items. Exhibit one is a sideways knitted jumper for our nephew, small issue of the fact that it is too big but he will grow into it.

Exhibit two is the pattern and wool for a tunic/dress for ME!! The colour is gorgeous - deep and warm and gorgeous. I am looking forward to teaming this with tights and long boots (so need to knit fast to have it done for winter!)

Crafty shopping trip

2009-04-15T05:19:00.000-07:00

Monday afternoon a friend and I made an exciting trip to Spotlight WITH NO KIDS!!

I bought this lovely red cord to make the skirt in the pattern plus sme other bits & pieces for sewing - dressmaker's chalk, hook & eyes, a zippper, some cotton.

I also bought some white machine-wash wool to dye with (see previous post) and then ducked over to Bunnings to buy myself a toolbox! This is for my sewing/knitting tools/bits and pieces.. Only issue is it may need to be upsized at some point.. oops!

Easter & Holiday Fun

2009-04-15T04:33:00.000-07:00

What is the best thing about Eater for me? The wide-eyed delight of the boy hunting for Easter Eggs!!

We had a quiet Easter, hubby was working Friday & Monday so we stayed home, but we had a great time regardless. 'Easter Bunny' came and left the below eggs - OK so maybe I got a bit carried away when I went egg-shopping - scattered around the yard.. They were in trees, under bushes, on the grass, by the steps.. Kids loved it :) (Our neighbours came in with their 4 kids).

It was a glorious autumn day and we had a cruisy time - Hot X Buns & tea/coffee for brekky & lunch and watching the kids hunt and then burn off the chocolate on the trampoline & totem tennis.

What to do on a wet, windy & cold day in the holidays? Make noise & mess!!

We had a wool dyeing session here for the boy & his friends (3 x mums had the chance to have a cuppa & chat!).

We used Jelly as the dye :) Easy to set up and safe for the kids.

Here are the end results.

Horsey memories

2009-04-06T05:32:00.000-07:00

This is such a cute pic :)

The clydesdale's name is Hercules, I used to look after these two many years ago when I worked as a horse handler at a circus, used to have to stand on a wheelie bin to put Hercules's gear on, and kneel down to do the miniature!

These guys are a part of the The Horsemen from Snowy River show which is showing in Melbourne at the moment.

I am pondering going for old time's sake.. But a part of me thinks not, I miss being around horses lately and I doubt seeing this show would help!!

It's a boy thing - Mountain Biking

2009-04-06T04:47:00.000-07:00

We headed up to Mt Beauty the other week; hubby competed in a SIX HOUR mountain bike endurance race. This pic was after the first (10km) lap. He did really well, I'm very proud of him. Completed 8 laps in the six hours - 80km of mountain bike trails is a very long way!!

Of course the boy took his bike as well, and had a great time riding with the other kids; and we even went for a walk and he rode some singletrail/downhill all on his own!

Ugly lightshades, great night

2009-03-15T04:04:00.000-07:00

This is a picture (taken on my phone) of the lights above our table at dinner during the week.

It was hubby & mine 6th anniversary; we sent the boy next door for the evening and headed to the new Indian restaurant in town.

As we are parents we booked for 6:30 and it was still daylight when we arrived.. The decor was very bright, plenty of purple, so it was with some trepidation that I surveyed the menu.

I am pleased to report that my worries were groundless. We had a great evening with fantastic food and attentive service. And as the night grew dark the stark purple was replaced with a more subtle ambience which was quite lovely. It is surprising to find an Indian restaurant equal to anything we've had in the city our here in the 'sticks'. We'll definitely be going back.

We ended the evening with coffee at a cellar door/winery nearby, which was lovely as well, and something we should do more often!

There's a bear in there, and a trampoline as well!

2009-03-14T22:57:00.000-07:00

So, the boy has had a fabulous week..

We went to the Play School concert on Thursday and he LOVED it.

The venue is not conducive to photography but here is a pretty cute teapot ;)

I have to say that a majority of the Mums seemed pleased that Alex Papps was one of the presenters :D

On Friday we collected his trampoline off lay by! Set it up Saturday and he didn't seem to care that it was raining :)

Seven

2009-03-06T02:53:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Liss for tagging me..

The Rules:

1. List these rules on your blog.

2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog.

3. Tell 7 unspectacular quirks about you.

4. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

5.Link the person who tagged you.

6.Leave a comment for each blogger.

7. Leave a photo of yourself

7 Facts:

1/ I am 33 years old

2/ I am brunette

3/ I have brown eyes

4/ I am 5'2" (hubby is 6'2"!!)

5/ I am a rally navigator

6/ I ride horses

7/ I have been married for 6 years next Tuesday

7 Unspectacular Quirks

1/ I am a recovering arachnophobic (even squished a huntsman all on my own a few weeks back!)

2/ I am scared of heights (I passed up a Sound Relief ticket as it was at the top of the Southern Stand!)

3/ My middle toes are longer than my big toes (and my little toe sits under the next one)

4/ I can pick up things with my feet (see above!)

5/ My favourite holiday is a weekend (or week or more!) away with our camper trailer

6/ I am a board member of the local kinders

7/ I am eating milo with a spoon as I write this

7 tags

Tracy - http://madquilter.blogspot.com/

Heather - http://www.hisfor.blogspot.com/

Katy - http://beekaty.blogspot.com/

Wen - http://wenswoolgatherings.blogspot.com/

Kat - http://katinspace.blogspot.com/

Kelli - http://lookingoutabrokenwindow.blogspot.com/

Tia - http://i-am.vintagegrrl.net/

A Pic

This is the most recent pic of me (where you can see my face), it was taken on Christmas Eve!

Local stuff

2009-03-04T04:16:00.000-08:00

This is main street here in town, I love shopping here. And today was especially nice as people were relaxed and happy after the rain :)

And here is a 'local' we came across on the way home from kinder today.. He's v cute!

Pyjamas

2009-03-04T04:07:00.000-08:00

We evacuated from here on Monday night and went to family in the city. This is the boy sitting up with the adults on the balcony at MIDNIGHT!!! He didn't want to miss out on any fun..

Coming from the Yarra Valley to inner Melbourne was a shock - it was noisy and we hardly slept and everytime I opened the door 1 x kid & 2 x dogs tried to escape and by 5 yesterday we’d had enough so headed home.

On the way home I pulled into a park at Lilydale and cried for ages (kid asleep in the back - he was up til midnight). Just tired, weary and over it - just burn us out or f**k off.

After I made it home things felt a bit better, hubby gave me a huge hug & it was quite calm here (less windy than the suburbs) and then it RAINED!!!!

It was bliss to hop into my (gorgeous, new, Christmas gift) Peter Alexander PJs and RELAX last night, listening to the rain on the roof.

We slept in 'til nearly 1o today, the best night sleep I've had since it all started. Here's the PJ's :)

We had 25mm of rain overnight :)) And more today.

And today the fires nearby are officially listed as CONTAINED for the first time in nearly a month; and it has been a loooong 3 and a half weeks...

Took a break and went shopping..

2009-02-13T03:07:00.000-08:00

To Spotlight!!

I picked up some flannelette to make Pouch Liners with :) These will be sent to Wildlife Victoria to help with the care of our native animals that have been injured & orphaned during the fires. They go inside a knitted pouch (will make some of these also).

Pleased to say I managed to drive the sewing machine OK too! It's not perfect but I doubt the possums will mind ;)

Oh, and the backburning fire from last night? It was another bushfire!!

We were issued an Urgent Threat message this morning and spent most of the morning (from 6:30am!) patrolling, filling gutters etc. As of lunchtime things have settled again.

Backburning

2009-02-12T03:01:00.000-08:00

I've just come back from a Community Meeting in town, over 800 ppl went!

The gist is: We are safe as we can be for the next few days at least; they are very concerned about stronger Northerly winds but they shouldn't eventuate 'til Wednesday next week.

They are doing extensive back-burning & control lines before then.

We can sleep!! Things are stable, and if that were to change they will be out making a lot of noise, so it is safe to go to bed and relax. <= this was the best bit!!

Hubby is going to work tomorrow, childcare is open so the boy will go to CC but I will stay home as I'm not leaving him out here (and going into the suburbs to work) while the fires are still burning..

Just as we got home they lit some control fires across the valley.

And now for something completely different..

2009-02-10T21:03:00.000-08:00

This is my new toy!

I was given this sewing machine from a lovely lady who has updated her machine.

I had planned on getting to Spotlight this week to buy some fabric, cotton, bobbins etc but the fire conditions have said otherwise.

I am looking forward to having a play when I get the chance.

Elvis is here!

2009-02-10T15:33:00.000-08:00

The water bombing helicopters have been working here over the past few days. These photos don't do them justice - they are huge, awesome things! For those not familiar with Australian fires, "Elvis" is the name of the large Orange chopper in the top pic ;)

Fire watch

2009-02-10T15:26:00.000-08:00

The fires are still burning close by and we are still on 'alert' although there is no immediate threat. If the winds change thins can change quickly. I am tense and tired, but the 'holding pattern' we are in is nothing compared to those that have lost so much. It is just so, so sad. I have cried so many times hearing the stories that are coming out of these fires.

I am in awe of the CFA volunteers that are out there day and night fighting these fires, they are truly heroes.

These pics are taken from home, the moon rising through the smoke and the fire/smoke over the hill.

Bushfire Sunset

2009-02-08T05:32:00.000-08:00

Self explanatory really...

Fire..

2009-02-08T05:24:00.000-08:00

These trucks are pumping water from the Melbourne Water aquaduct.. the picket fence on the left is our front fence.

There used to be a house in here.. it's about 250 metres from us in a straight line.. We were extraordinarily lucky last night, the wind change came and pushed the fire north away from our home. We weren't home. We’re thankful to our neighbours for keeping an eye on our place and keeping us updated while we were away. We came back up first thing this morning, left the boy with my mum and came home to check on things. Heaps of burnt out embers/leaves/branches around the place, and by all accounts we were very lucky.

This is looking over the hills across from us. The fires are still burning, but seem to be small and not growing; although we have received current "Alert" messages from the CFA this evening.. Hubby and I are on watch (he is sleeping at present, I will swap with him in a bit).

Water...

2009-02-08T04:53:00.000-08:00

We headed to Gippsland to (attempt to) escape the heat forecast for Melbourne over the weekend.

We went to the Mouth of the Powlett to splash about earlyon Saturday, it was lovely, a gorgeous sea breeze blowing and not hot at all (although that changed very quickly once we got back to the farm).

Here is Bargs bringing Jess back to me, she was too excited to come back so he dragged her!

Knitting in hot weather..

2009-01-31T02:33:00.000-08:00

Isn't a brilliant thing to do, but I did it anyway. Finished (all bar the buttons) this wrap/cover today.

Now to find the 'next' project..

Heat, heat, heat

2009-01-31T02:18:00.000-08:00

Poor Bargs & Jess have felt the heat, Bargs especially with his thick, black coat..

Lots of hose downs (for which they no doubt think I'm the worst thing in the world), ice and time indoors over the past few days.

They've both perked up tonight now that the temps have dropped. This was taken earlier today (we had 40 again).

It was quiet here after dinner and I wondered where the boys were..

Found them watching Bolt :) Our bedroom is nice and cool with the window and double doors open to let the night air (and bugs!) in.

Like a kid in a lolly shop!!

2009-01-26T04:18:00.000-08:00

I was checking out the Sheeps Clothing blog tonight and reading Stacey's profile I discovered two of her favourite films were two that were my total favourites when I was younger..

National Velvet & International Velvet!

So I went in search of DVD and look what I found on eBay :D

I can't wait 'til it arrives; I watched Phar Lap on DVD last night too, so it's a bit of an equine theme here lately.

Refined stash & knitting mojo has returned..

2009-01-26T03:58:00.000-08:00

So here we have the new, improved stash!

I enlisted the help of a friend, Kelli, a month or so back to be ruthless (I'm not good at ruthless) and sort out the overflowing stash of yarn & fibre..

A fair bit was sold to Ravellers so it's gone to good homes. Some I donated to one of the op-shops in town here.

Also, I am please to say my knitting mojo has returned!

Hubby was watching a movie the other night while I stalked the house flicking through pattern books and sighing a lot..

Finally, I just grabbed a ball of Blue/Red Vintage Hues and some needles and cast on a nappy cover/wrap. I've knit plenty and don't use a pattern so it's easy and got me back in the rhythm again! No idea who it's for yet, but no matter.. :)

Camping fun..

2009-01-17T16:27:00.000-08:00

Hubby is away at a Mountain Bike Race this weekend; on Wednesday he set up his old dome tent to make sure all the pieces were there. The boy was super excited to be able to sleep in a tent and came running inside to get his pillow, a blanket and 'frankie'. It's been ages since we've been away camping, our camper trailer is very sad sitting in the shed! We're hoping to get away for a weekend soon..

You say tomato, I say tomato..

2009-01-11T02:32:00.000-08:00

So we've covered the tomatoes with bird nets and have suddenly got a massive amount of edible fruit!!

The story behind the green ones is hubby cut a small bunch of red fruit and when he pulled it out about 4 ft of branch came along with it, we only have 4 tomato plants - 2 x cherries and 2 x lisses and they have taken over the WHOLE garden bed and are threatening to invade the zucchinis as well!

I suspect I'll need to give away a LOT of tomatoes soon, there is just so much on the plants, although I want to try my hand at making sauce so probably need heaps to do that, I've picked the green fruit from the pruned branch - the plan is to make green tomato pickles..

Bikes, Bikes, Bikes..

2009-01-08T02:30:00.000-08:00

We live in a very popular motorcycle area, in fact our road is well known as a place for rides, so much so that the Shire has published a brochure/guide.

Over the past few weeks it has been super busy with bikes and it's fun to watch/listen to the different bikes, I love walking down main street and admiring the bikes (and annoying hubby by telling a leather clad, bearded, bald headed bikie that his Harley is 'beautiful' - he thinks it's girly, I say that it's a compliment and the riders take it as such) from classic old Triumphs to super glossy and shiny Harley Davidsons to the newest Japanese road bikes that look as though they belong at Philip Island.

It annoys me though when a minority of riders think they ARE on Philip Island and put the safety of themselves and others at risk by riding too fast, cornering dangerously.

Sadly yesterday two bikes collided head on in the 'Spur' (Black Spur) which is THE motorcycle must do around here, and one rider was killed, another rider and passenger were seriously injured.

Hopefully the rest of this year can be a safer one on our roads.

Kauni Effektgarn EQ

2009-01-07T17:22:00.000-08:00

So I've been eyeing off this yarn for some time, and finally gave into temptation when I discovered an Aussie seller.. I was very excited when it arrived at the post office!! Now to decide what to make with it!! (for the non-knitters, this wool works in gorgeous rainbow effect.. see here for an example)

Horses..

2009-01-02T22:55:00.000-08:00

I went riding again today and remembered to take the camera! (but no pockets so no on-ride pics, sorry). Hubby's cousin came and we had a great ride, and I am way less sore than last time!

So, here we have Sumo (closest to the camera) and Poppy (who I rode).

A close up profile of Freckles (aka Nutcase). He's v cute but can be unpredictable.

And this is Santa, so named as he was born on Christmas Day (who my cousin rode)

Socktopus completed

2008-12-31T18:07:00.000-08:00

I forgot to post the finished product :) Here it is. I think my nephew liked him, his mum did!

New year, new craft, and snoozing dogs

2008-12-31T18:02:00.000-08:00

So this is my first crochet project.. It's a bag, can you tell?

I borrowed Chicks With Sticks Guide to Crochet from our local library (which has to be the best library I've been to in years, small but well stocked and up to date books) and this is the first project in it.

It's not a good thing when the Vet Nurse greets you by name, means I've been there too often.

Bargs is getting 'old' much to his consternation, the mind is willing but the body cannot keep up as well anymore, he is such a leggy dog and so full on that he's starting to get arthritis. He's had a month's course of Cartrophin for that and has come good (poor thing was stiff and sore for a few weeks) and has learnt that jumping down the retaining walls is not a good idea.

Now he has a foot injury and has been limping for a few days. I took him to the vet last night and they suspect a grass seed but cannot see anything so we need to keep him quiet as possible and take him back if it's no better on Friday.. This is him doing 'quiet' and below is Jess doing the same.

Christmas pressies, kid style

2008-12-27T03:12:00.000-08:00

My dad's wife and my half brother & sister gave the boy a cricket set for Christmas, to say he liked it would be somewhat of an understatement!

This one he's skateboarding on his tractor.. boys will be boys!

New toy & new veges

2008-12-27T03:02:00.000-08:00

So we hit the Boxing Day sales and bought a point & shoot camera.. Yay! Grabbed a bargain on the Panasonic Lumix DMC FS2, and we get a free digital frame by redemption, too :)

This pic was taken with it - the stash of cherry tomatoes I picked today, well those which I didn't eat anyway!! They are very tasty, albeit a little hard to pick - our tomatoes are all huge and overgrown and it's tricky reaching in to get these little guys.

Warm ground & wet rain

2008-12-25T17:37:00.000-08:00

I love the smell of rain on a warm day.

We're having a quiet day at home after hectic day(s) for Christmas. It's warm but overcast and we're getting occasional showers. Smells lovely :)

I often wish I had a camera with me..

2008-12-22T16:49:00.000-08:00

These are not my pics, I borrowed them off the net! Our camera is a DSLR and is not small enough to carrying 'just in case' - I am hoping to find a cheap, compact point & shoot at the after Christmas sales..

Saturday I had a day 'off' and took myself to Kinglake to go horse riding..

This is the property, Kinglake Homestead, as you can see it's surrounded by bush - the Kinglake National Park which is where we rode. It was great to bed back on horse and Steve who owns the Homestead was pleasant company. It's been a long time since I've been on a horse and my muscles let me know about it on Sunday (and Monday, and even today..)

On the way home I came across a Blue Tongue lizard sunning itself on the road; I stopped to move him off to the edge so he wouldn't get squashed. Only thing was he decided that my car tyres were the best place to hide! I spent a few minutes following him from wheel to wheel until he finally moved off away from the car and road!

Local goodies for Christmas

2008-12-17T05:03:00.000-08:00

The Yarra Valley is a food and wine region and sometimes I can get slightly carried away...

This lot includes a 1kg Christmas Pudding from Handmade in Healesville, and a few of the most delicious jams available from Jamlady Jams. Lisa uses organic sugar and fresh local products in her jams. And as well as being a very talented cook she is very lovely. The boy and I enjoyed our visit to purchase this lot and even met 'Maggie' a magpie which Lisa and her busband have hand raised. :)

So the flavours I bought.. Lime Marmalade, Mango Saffron, Pear Vanilla & Ginger, Blackberry Shiraz, Raspberry Grappa, Peach & Passionfruit, Apricot & Cardamom. Mmmm! Some are gifts, some are to keep.

Socktopus

2008-12-13T16:39:00.000-08:00

My current knitting project is Socktopus, here is 2/3 of the head/body and one leg done... I found the pattern on Knitty and just HAD to make one! A gift for my nephew :)

Guess what I've got in my hat, mum!

2008-12-13T16:32:00.000-08:00

The story being I asked him to tidy his room; being a boy he opted to make more mess!

Putting lego in your hat and shaking it to rattle is fun :)

News from the vege patch

2008-12-13T16:22:00.000-08:00

A little while ago we planted watermelon seedlings, for some time it appeared they were not going to make it, but the rain/sun/rain pattern over the past week has helped them and look! They've produced their second set of leaves :)

Another fan of our (late) Spring weather is the corn, we've cobs growing on all 4 stalks..

Broccoli is growing, growing.. As you can see the caterpillars are fans as well but thankfully they've spared the edible parts.. Same can't be said of cabbage & cauliflower though.. It seems that planting all the brassicas together created a smorgasbord for them..

Once each bed is 'finished' in this garden we'll rip it all apart and renovate..

Bigger garden,lots of inter-planting and companion planting for pest control (whitemoth/caterpillars are the only issue we've had, so the plan is to put cauli/cabbage/brocoli throughout the garden with tomatoes, silverbeet, celery and some flowers (white pansies) to disguise them) plus inter-planting other veges for better growth.

Girl's weekend!

2008-11-29T16:06:00.000-08:00

I've booked to go to Sydney for a girls weekend away next year!

I was a bit hesitant at spending money on me (is that a mum thing?) but hubby insisted I deserved a break and Virgin had cheap flights so I booked!!!

Clever kid - just a brag

2008-11-25T04:07:00.000-08:00

This is his first go on a real bike - no training wheels!!! He's been watching his dad I think :)

Harvesting veges..

2008-11-25T01:49:00.000-08:00

Kind of impressed with this lot..

Silverbeet, two types of zucchini there are two particularly huge ones (we had more than this but a certain 3 year old decided to feed the dogs) and (drum roll please) a few Pontiac potatoes!

The potatoes are starting to die down so we burrowed in under the pile and pulled these out. We're planning on leaving the rest 'til all the plants have died down, then dig through the whole pile. I was impressed with the soil/compost in the potato pile, it'll make a great starter to our new garden beds.

Spinning something new

2008-11-18T16:23:00.000-08:00

So this month is New to Ewe challenge for the Ewe Give Me the Knits group on Ravelry.. I had some South African Fine hand dyed by the talented Mandie so thought I'd give it a go.

This is the result (hanging to dry)

And in other 'new' spinning news, meet Harvey..

He belonged to another knitter who was after a new home for him, so I offered to take him in :) I have yet to try out this new wheel but hope to do so tonight.

Check out the veges!

2008-11-15T04:22:00.000-08:00

After we planted our veges (including the tomatoes) we were advised by numerous people, "You shouldn't plant tomatoes 'til Cup Day". Thing is somebody forgot to mention it to our plants.. Check out the fruit :) The plants are growing heaps and covered in fruit & flowers!

We also have baby Cauliflower and Broccoli!!!

And, in a fit of ''because I can" I've planted watermelon seedlings. It will be interesting to see how they go!

Time to come home..

2008-11-09T03:39:00.000-08:00

We had such a great trip, and we're definitely planning a return trip again, I am not a beach person but up there I was!

Here are a couple of pics of the surrounds of the cabin we stayed in at the caravan park and one of the inside while we were packing to head home.

Hook Island

2008-11-09T03:34:00.000-08:00

Hook Island was our next stop. The resort there is very basic but lovely, it made me think someone turned up in their Kombi one day and just stayed... (clearly there was no Kombi, that was just the vibe of the place!). Hubby went snorkelling while the boy and I hit the pool.

Then it was time to go on the semi-submersible boat to see fish and coral. It was low tide when we went so the water was a but murky but we got some close up views of the coral. Back on board Voyager it was time for a rest (sleep!) all the way to Daydream Island.

Whitehaven Beach

2008-11-09T03:24:00.000-08:00

Once we'd built our castle we decided to go for a swim; Whitehaven is on Whitsunday Island which is a National Park, there are basic toilet facilities and so we headed there to change.. The toilets/deck are raised and I stupidly dropped my lip balm over the edge - right next to a LARGE lizard (goanna?) and when Hubby was bravely retrieving it he came across a Green Tree snake and also (more scarily) a brown snake.. So we kept to the path after that!

After a swim it was time for some frisbee and beach cricket before we boarded the boat for lunch on our way to Hook Island.

Whitsunday Island Cruise

2008-11-09T03:11:00.000-08:00

After we left Cape Gloucester we headed to Airlie Beach for a few days of family holiday time.

We stayed at the Whitsunday Adventure Caravan Park which was awesome. Very family friendly, great facilities, great staff, we'll definitely stay there again (as we're definitely going back, we all fell in love with this area!). The girls at the desk recommended Voyager 3 Island Cruise as a good way to see the Whitsunday Islands; and so first thing Monday morning we were collected by a bus and taken to the Marina to board our boat.

We enjoyed watching the world go by as we headed to Whitehaven Beach, and had fun building a sandcastle and moat with the one of most beautiful backdrops you'll see.

Eco Resort & Dingo Beach

2008-11-09T02:57:00.000-08:00

This is the pool at the Eco Resort, definitely a gorgeous location! The wedding was perfect and the bride and groom were beautiful and so happy. (we were swimming next day, not at the wedding!)

This is the Pub @ Dingo Beach, and this is the beer garden where we had lunch.. Sunday Seafood BBQ :)) Was a great place to have lunch!

Cape Gloucester, QLD

2008-11-09T02:50:00.000-08:00

Next morning we woke (early) to a clear blue sky and clear blue water.

We had breakfast on the verandah and pretty soon were joined by some locals..

After breakfast we went for a walk along the mangroves behind our cabin and then along the beach..

A couple of posts... Our QLD holiday

2008-11-09T02:42:00.000-08:00

We were all very excited to travel to North Queensland to attend the wedding of my oldest girlfriend. Usually not a trip that we could afford but I wasn't missing Kaz's wedding, and we scored some cheap flights on Tiger, so off we went!

The wedding was held at Cape Gloucester Eco Resort and they'd booked us a cabin at Montes Resort just a few hundred metres up the beach. We arrived just as the sun was setting.. What a gorgeous spot!

This is the view from the verandah of our cabin at Montes Reef Resort at Cape Gloucester, one of the few places on the east coast of Australia that the sun sets over the water!

Family portrait outside the cabin, it's unusual to get all 3 of us in front of the lens.

These little guys paid us a visit at night time, very cute :)

Just a few more garden pics..

2008-11-05T04:09:00.000-08:00

Potatoes after being freshly mulched with Lucerne hay. It's a pretty big pile now!

Look!! Zucchini! Very exciting :)

I've found out where all the peas have gone.. LOL!

Not sure what this is, it's a tree which was already here.. Any guesses?

5 days part II

2008-11-03T15:38:00.000-08:00

Zucchini flowers and mini fruit.. :)

Teeny tiny capsicum. There are more flowers and fruit forming on the plant, also.

Peas!! Lots of pods but not enough plants, in hindsight, next time we'll put more in..

And the whole garden.. We've decided we need to renovate and make the beds larger. We got a bit carried away when we planted.. :)

What a difference 5 days makes!

2008-11-03T15:30:00.000-08:00

We've been in QLD (a lovely break!) and came back to mega growth in the garden! Silverbeet needed a serious pruning ;)

We had Pilaf one night to use up some of the Corriander trees, check out the strawberries! Quite a bit of fruit forming, too.

Potatoes, they've grown a foot or more! They were mulched to the top leaves before we left!

Tomatoes.. there are cherry tom's in there also, but you can't see them for the grosse lisse growth spurt.

Creativity..

2008-10-02T05:51:00.000-07:00

I'm constantly amazed at the imagination 3 year olds possess.. This was entirely his work after I'd emptied the F&V box... Wheels, a steering wheel and a seatbelt stolen from my wool stash!

And I've been crafty also with some more spinning:)

More from the garden

2008-10-02T05:44:00.000-07:00

Remember the potatoes a few weeks back? Look at them now, some are as tall as the straw bales!

This cabbage in the corner is HUGE, the rest are growing too, but they're dwarfed by the largest.

Here's one of the zucchini's, they're doing well :)

And one of the boy practicing his climbing skills (with 'frankie' the blankie)

More spinning

2008-09-22T18:01:00.000-07:00

This is the Eucalyptus Merino from Ewe Give Me the Knits :)

I picked up the Ashford Wheel yesterday and had a play with it last night, it's not as pretty as the wheel Tara loaned me, and it's very light and tends to walk a bit, and the wheel seems hard to turn.. Not sold, yet.

Mine, mine, mine!!

2008-09-20T22:41:00.000-07:00

Look at what I bought off eBay :) My very own wheel :D

It is in Kyneton which is a lovely country drive from here, so am hoping to collect it next weekend.

Spinning progress!

2008-09-17T07:16:00.000-07:00

Look!! I'm improving :))

That is all :P

Exciting times part II

2008-09-14T04:09:00.000-07:00

Can you see the flower buds on the tomatoes?? All four bushes have them - yeah!

Peas are putting out climber shoots..

The only down side so far has been a few snail eaten plants, we've tried beer with no luck so this afternoon I sprinkled rock salt around the leafy greens to see how it goes.

These two pots (with passion fruit) will sit either side of an arbor (?) and so they can climb. The pots are to keep them in place and stop them spreading too far.

And lastly, here is the boy modelling the slate paving he 'holped for daddy' today. Hubby spent quite a few hours laying these :) This area is at the doors to one of the garden sheds and the garage.

Exciting times in the garden

2008-09-14T03:57:00.000-07:00

Spring has most definitely sprung! Lots and lots of growth and flower buds and the like happening. This is our Peach tree about to shoot leaves.

This potato plant came up this week and look at it already!

Buds on the capsicum seedling.

Zucchini are very happy and growing well.

First go on the wheel.. hmmm

2008-09-14T03:51:00.000-07:00

So I think I can probably get the hang of this spinning caper.. but I think I need a 'real' teacher in place of youtube & books to get the 'feel' of things..

That there is my first go so not TOO bad.. I got it onto the spindle (which is more than can be said for the second go just now).

During the week I visited Ewe Given Me the Knits and bought some oh so lovely Merino and Blue Faced Leicester to spin with.. I will definitely be buying from Mandie again, the fibre is divine and her service is exceptional :D I purchased 1 x High Tower 1 x Eucalypt Merino 1 x Beige Merino and 2 x Mulled Wine Merino and I cannot wait to see them spun up(once I can spin OK)

Another hobby, a new toy!

2008-09-07T04:58:00.000-07:00

I need to say a huge thanks to the lovely Feisty Wench who has loaned me her first Spinning Wheel to try/learn on!! What a generous and lovely offer it was :) I made a trip across town yesterday to collect the wheel. So exciting!! BUT - I seriously have NO IDEA how it works, although I figured out the pedal part! I have decided to stalk my local spinners guild for advice & tips (yes - we actually have one - how cool!??)

Speaking of growing..

2008-09-07T04:42:00.000-07:00

Check out the strawberries & the herb pot! It must be Spring :))