Today the paving was started.

Have a few jobs to do tomorrow so we will do more paving on Friday if the weather stays fine. The forecast for the next couple of days is rain.

Cooked some nice Silver Dory with chips and steamed vegetables for dinner. Very nice. We don't eat enough fish meals at this house because Steve isn't that fussed. I sneak one in every now and then and he doesn't mind.

Tracie

Holidays

I'm on Holidays, 16 days of not going to work. This will be the first holiday I've had in 5 or more years. I'm so looking forward to it.

I'm going to do a little bit of this and a little bit of that but most of all I'm going to relax.

Tracie

Today we did the mulching around the garden beds but we ran out of mulch. We will need one more scoop to finish, will get that next week while I'm on holidays. I'm having two weeks holidays starting next Tuesday, have lots of things I want to do at home and in the garden. We are having a stay-cation. I'm looking forward to it very much.

Today I cleaned out two of the gardens one ready for corn and the other one ready for tomatoes. I planted a ROMA, MORTGAGE LIFTER, and a rich red tomato. Steve will plant some seed and get some seedlings started but these three little plants well get us started in the tomato stakes.

We still have quite a few Brassicas that are developing, Broccoli, Cauliflowers and cabbage.

Back to work tomorrow.

Tracie

I can't believe it's been 6 months since I wrote a post here. Well here I go again I will try to keep it a bit more up to date.

We have really neglected to garden in the last 9 months since I started to work full time, I just don't seem to have the time I used to have when I was nannying, I at least had Sundays to garden, now that my weekend consists of Tuesday and Wednesday, it has been a little hard to get used to. Steve also works a normal week so he doesn't have as much time on the days I'm off.

Today we started off by having a sleep in, I worked till 9.00pm last night, working in retail is a little crazy sometimes, then we did our junk mail, then it was off for a trip to Flower Power for some Mulch so we can finish mulching around the garden beds, ( we only started this little project last spring) and some soil to top up the garden beds. Then we went to Bunnings for some Seed Raising mix, it's cheaper here than at Flower Power. We also picked up some nice looking Tomato plants this will help us get a head start with the tomatoes for summer.

While we were digging around in the garden this afternoon we found this giant purple Sweet

Potato it was 2.482 kilos this is the biggest sweet potato I have ever seen and the biggest one we have ever grown, this was the only one we found today I hope this isn't the only one that has grown this season.

Today we also picked some nice broccoli it has been really yummy this year, I think it is all the rain we have had this season. Cabbage moth hasn't been around as much either.

I will try and write a bit more often.

Tracie

Our Pond

Last Easter (2010) we turned the filter off on our swimming pool. The cost of electricity and chemicals to run it was extremely expensive.

We did do quite a bit of research before doing this, and decided if we were going to still have a body of water in the backyard we may as well make it pretty.

This week we put the first of the plants in the water, look at what they have attracted. Beautiful Dragonflies.

This fellow or lady, was quite large and having a great cool off in the water.

and doesn't this guy have the most gorgeous red tail.

Our pool has a few other water bugs as well. Our next step after we have put a few more plants in is to add fish...

Tracie

Well today is my 48th Birthday. I have had a nice relaxing day. Breakfast with my hubby, then a phone call from the boss to say happy birthday, and why don't you stay home today nice surprise.

The photo above is of the beans we planted on the 9th Jan. They are already popping their heads up out of the dirt, will be able to plant them out next week.

These lettuce are growing like weeds, they seem to grow taller every day. I think you can just about watch them grow.

Here is Ethel on top of the Box of weeds I bought them home yesterday. It is keeping them busy. In a few days they will have it all emptied out and all the good bits eaten.

Can you see the ginger rooster in the background behind the girls, Kirby spends hours in the chook pen with the girls, we think there may be a mouse catching his eye.

This is my Rosie girl. She doesn't like the hot weather. She hates it above about 25 degrees c. Here she is under the shade of a gum tree keeping cool.

Well this was just a quick catch up of around my place. Work keeps me really busy so not much time to catch up on blogging.

Tracie

"Christmas is coming the goose is getting fat etc etc......."

The new Job is going great. The best move I have made so far. It is very quite at the moment not many people buy beds pre christmas, but they tell me that after christmas we will be run of our feet.

Have today off. I don't start work tomorrow till 1.00pm - 9.00pm. Thats okay as I get to do a few more christmas things. We were having Christmas down here but with the change in job we are going to have Christmas at Pymble this year. When I have been in the job longer I may be able to organise Christmas eve off next year. I know it's a whole year away but I like to be organised.

Today I have made 2 Festive fruit and nut cakes to give as gifts. I like to give gifts that I have made. Made a huge batch of white christmas to give as gifts as well. YUM.

Well I have 3 fairy skirts still to make so I had better get to it.

Tracie