Monday 31 October 2011

Finished object

The new vege garden is finished - except for the actual vegetables. I'm going to plant beans and basil here. I used old pallets but in the end Tom came and helped with the cutting and nailing. It looks much better for the extra work.

Tuesday 25 October 2011

Next I will create an extra vegetable bed...

So this is being cogitated. Yesterday I finally got around to cutting into some of the timber pallets that I have been scavanging, and I have laid this out to think about. What do you reckon?
 
I'm thinking of planting beans, and this would be the raised bed. It will be on the front lawn. But that is the area where the chooks play (as you can see, they were a bit shy of this new monster that appeared in their territory), so the bed will need to be protected from them, hence the high sides. I admit it looks ugly like this, but I was thinking a post in the front corner and some netting wrapped around. Then I could fill dirt into that bit at the bottom of the pallet and plant something chook-proof around the base on the outside which would make it look more attractive.

I have to say, I made a lunch of salad leaves and spring onions all freshly snipped from the garden with 2 fresh-laid boiled eggs and some mayonnaise and I think is the first time in my life I have been able to get a food from my own garden and I can't believe how good it is. So I cranked up Jenny's music machine that I quaintly call "the stereo" (senior moment?) with Fat Freddy Live at the Matterhorn and got out the heavy-duty power saw and ripped into it - felt really good. This creation has a way to go yet but I'm excited.

And I finished the socks!

Next up is a Super Mario beanie.

Saturday 22 October 2011

Worth a second look


You don't notice the pattern that the stamens make until you see this daisy in isolation.
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New garden, new season

The unfolding of a new garden is one of the great joys in life - though hope can turn to ho hum when you find that things are not what they seemed to be, for example the bulbs I thought were snowdrops that turned out to be smelly old onion weed. This garden has a few spring surprises - I hadn't recognised the creeper over the fence as clematis, and didn't realise the spiky things in the corner are bromeliads. Everthing looks lovely after the first lawn-mowing. The quince tree is blossoming, a couple of azaleas have gone all florid, and the flaxes are sprouting their flowers. My peas are setting beautifully and there is enough silverbeet to not have to buy greens at the supermarket. Bees are going for my potted flowers. The lemon tree is spouting lots of wee new leaves. And the chooks lay two more eggs every day. Abundance!

Monday 17 October 2011

Not-so-favorite things

 This is the mystery object of the day - guess correctly what this is a picture of and I'll send you one of my ever-so-environmentally correct hand-knitted dishcloths.

And below is the current project at work - a vest/ jacket thingy made in a mix of yarns. I'll say no more other than I'll be glad when it is finished, especially as next I get to make a Baby Surprise Jacket in lovely merino.


Daily Coffee Fix - Zippy's

Tuesday 4 October 2011

Rotorua Tree Trust

We have finally purchased a memorial tree for Ian. It is a mature dogwood located on the fringes of the Tree Trust. Ian's tree has a lovely spot with views across the the Redwoods as well as the Lake, and the whole of Rotorua. It also overlooks this lovely spot, the peace garden, which is looking great just now although the cherry blossom just past its best. The tuis love these trees but I'll never be an internationally-famous bird photographer. (Any one want to buy a campervan?)

Let us see you shake your tail feather

Drama! Almost a tragedy. Here's a sight you don't want to see when you let chickens roam free


A small dog ran in from the lakefront reserve, and attacked Edna. The dog owner slunk off, and I had to rescue a quivvering white heap huddled in a dark corner of shrubbery. No blood drawn as far as I could tell, but feathers everywhere! Don't laugh - but she has only one tail feather left

So far I'm still getting eggs, but maybe they are those that were in production already at the time. The funny bit would have been watching me and Rex from next door when we spent about 10 minutes lunging, flapping, cooing and shooing as we tried to entice the other hen back into my garden. Two very traumatised chooks. Edna is getting extra treats like worms from the worm farm and sunflower seeds, so hopefully the feathers will grow back.

Saturday 1 October 2011

Spotted!

Having breakfast on Saturday at Delicacy in Tauranga, I spotted these shoes - fabulous, no?