I'm glad you've both seen lovely moon skies @Huia and @MaryLouise - I was surprised that Cheery Husband was not out with his telescope looking at the super blue moon. I think he's just been too tired from work pressures to get stuff out after work and then have to bring it all in when done.
Very sunny this morning after lovely heavy rain overnight. I should be out weeding, but am not very motivated this morning. That I have a lovely new book to go on with and that it's a bit breezy at my place are both good excuses to sit inside drinking cups of tea and looking at the garden.
I was shocked to see that quite a lot of my bulbs are out, the purple grape hyacinths and the violet blue spring star flowers. The freesias are just getting their buds and on my street all the blossom trees are in flower. It's very pretty, but a bit worrying!
Cheery Daugher is working from home today and tomorrow Cheery son has an appointment lined up, so the start of the week is busier than normal and that's ok, but glad that it's not that way every day!!
I have mini roses in pots on the ramp outside my back door. They've all sprouted new leaves, and the small kowhai tree is flowering. I was concerned about the kowhai as its leaves weren't looking very healthy, but have since discovered that some kowhai are deciduous, which is unusual trees in that are native to NZ.
@Huia, that's one of the things I love about gardening. There is always a new plant to learn about, or a new way of approaching gardening. I even just love having my hands in the dirt and weeding!!
I'm envious that you've had success with mini roses, not so at my place, though I might give it another try! Perhaps I just keep putting them in the wrong location.
Feeling pleased that Cheery son and I managed to synchronise ourselves this morning. We were first into the toyshop to get the Lego for Father's Day, then onto the local supermarket to get the necessaries for dinner. Cats have now been walked and I'm now sitting and enjoying a podcast! Perhaps I should be doing the washing, but it will keep!
Officially the first day of spring in South Africa is 1st September, but yesterday and last night snow began falling on Table Mountain (a rare occurrence) and across the Western Cape, so it feels as if winter has a while to go yet.
1st September is the first day of autumn here, and the weather seems to have pre-empted the date for a lot of the last week Nice today though.
I've never had a lot of luck with miniature roses either @Cheery Gardener , never quite sure what I do wrong.
That’s very interesting, @MaryLouise, as most of Australia seems to be having a rather warm end to winter. Our maximum temperature has been 15°C or higher for about 10 days. Although as this [The A.C.T. And surrounding area] is a place where it also snows very occasionally, it has happened in both May and September in the last few decades.
We had our first visit yesterday from the gardening service which has become necessary as Mr WitG has torn his shoulder. The hedge is now very neat. Our irises are a gorgeous dark purple, but are getting badly knocked around by the wind.
@Sarasa, I know in my situation I probably didn't have them in large enough pots and they dried out too much. That and perhaps not giving them enough attention in terms of pests. I accuse myself here (not you!). I've never had trouble with roses in the garden, they seem to be unkillable!!
@WormInTheGrass I echo your comments re our winter, and I noted that on the gardening thread @Lamb Chopped noted that autumn appears to have arrived early this year in their end of the world. I'm glad your hedges have been dealt with, and at the same time, not happy to hear that Mr WitG has sustained an injury, not good. Purple it seems is the colour of the day with your irises blooming and at mine the very dark purple violets in full flower with their lovely scent. Bliss.
@MaryLouise when I read your note about the snow, I thought, yes, things are behaving strangely everywhere! It is bewildering living with it, and yet unsurprising given what scientists have been saying it seems like forever.
I've nipped in to say Hi everyone and racing off again to deal with the washing and drop a line to a friend before the day slips away too much!
@Cheery Gardener if you want a really hardy small rose I suggest Cecile Brunner also known as the Sweetheart rose.. It's not actually a mini rose, it's a class called Polyantha roses - my climbing one is over 2 metres high ( I don't prune it much because I have difficulty reaching that high). I also have one named Perle D'Or which is apricot, and is about a metre high.
Polyantha's are very hardy and easy to propagate. The ones I have are strongly scented, unlike some minis.
A friend is coming to mow my lawns on Monday and the Cecile Brunner needs cutting back so I'm going to take cuttings to sell and raise money for our community library. The C.B was developed before plant breeders rights (like copyright for plants) so, as I understand it, there is no restriction on selling them.
@Huia, I do love Cecile Brunner and had two in the garden of our first home, I was training them over a garden arch, so I will discuss with Cheery husband and maybe we can find a spot for one here, they are so dainty and pretty! I do hope you have lots of successful cuttings and sales for your community library.
It is very blustery here today, so we are having a quiet Sunday. Cheery daughter is at work, so we will get together tonight for an early dinner for Father's Day.
I hope all the ship fathers are receiving some spoiling today.
And it’s even more blustery today, with wind speeds over 50km/h. When I looked at the BoM (Bureau of Meteorology) app at 11:30am before venturing out to play Scrabble with a friend who lives half way to Captains Flats it said temperature 12.3°C apparent temperature 1.1°C. Haven’t seen that before. Hope you haven’t been blown out of your garden, @Cheery Gardener.
Still here, hanging on by my fingernails @WormInTheGrass, thanks for checking! Seriously though, it has been quite bad interstate and all warm thoughts go to the families of those killed, injured or sustaining serious damage. It was a dreadful couple of days. I hope all is well with everyone else!
We did manage a mini garden cleanup on Saturday morning, at the time there was very little wind, so very pleased we managed to get that done. Sunday through to yesterday has meant staying indoors and just waiting for it all to pass. Cheery husband normally takes his motorbike to work, but yesterday I insisted he took the car. I was worried that he may have been blown over or be hit by some flying debris, had he gone on the bike. We avoided that and he even made it home early from work, so that was a bonus!
I'm going to go out shortly and water the plants as I imagine things are pretty dried out now and need refreshment, I am contemplating some weeding, but think I'll decide after I know how cool it is outside!
Shock! Horror! Some recent research suggests that kiwis, New Zealand's national bird actually originated in Australia.
An article in today's Press (Christchurch's daily paper) titled "Kakapo are the true ancient species of New Zealand, not Kiwi or the Takahe".
It sounds like it should have been printed on April !st.
I knew there had been a tropical lake at St Bathans, ( complete with crocodiles and flamingoes) because once when my brother D who lives in the US was visiting we went to a a display in the Canterbury Museum about it, but these further discoveries are even more mind blowing.
@Huia my goodness, that is new news about the Kiwis, I'll have to look for more info about that! I had not heard about the Kakapo until a man on the TV show Hard Quiz had that as his speciality subject. I remember him speaking about Lisa the bird that had squashed her own egg, but the chick was saved as the egg was repaired with sticky tape! A sad situation averted.
I'm a bit grouchy this morning as it's a bit too breezy for husband to add weeding/fertilising stuff to the lawn, so that has to wait until next weekend. I only discovered this after I'd risen early to give the cats early lead walks and get them back inside and out of his way. Oh well, live and learn!
Cheery husband has dashed out to the shopping precinct across town to get our warehouse-type shopping done and home before it gets too busy. It will be good for him to get home and have a bit of a rest before work cranks up again.
He has had a dreadful week with lots of late nights on a work project. I tried to stay awake until he got home, but just couldn't do it! He was supposed to be on leave this week coming, but has had to postpone that as the project needs more attention and he'll have a few days off once it's done. This has been the story of our life together and I'm hoping he can look at retiring sooner rather than later.
Mr WitG and I are off on our long awaited road trip to Broken Hill and back, hopefully timed so that it is neither too hot nor too cold while we’re there.
Thank you, @Piglet. First step successfully accomplished, but as it was the familiar trip from our place to Sydney and is mostly freeway, and the weather was fine, that was not unexpected. I can report that Lake George still contains water. A spot of mother-in-law visiting will be undertaken this morning. @Cheery Gardener I hope Cheery Husband’s work pressure eases up soon.
I hope visiting with your MIL goes well, @WormInTheGrass. I'm very glad to read that your drive was event free - that is a very long drive and I had wondered if you were doing it in stages or going straight through.
It's good to read that Lake George still has water in it, the mysterious ways it fluctuates continue to fascinate me. I remember when the old road was there that the water came right up to the side of the road, which was a bit hairy at times. Also to think that there was a Yacht club there just amazed me in the drought of the 80s and subsequently.
Cheery husband home late last night and off again before I rose this morning. I'm sure everything has to be finalised mid-week, so he is pushing through for that and then a bit of time off, which will be well deserved!
Do enjoy your holiday @WormInTheGrass and I hope others on this thread are travelling well!
@Cheery Gardener, we were going to Sydney every third week in the second half of last year before MIL went into residential care, so we have driving to Sydney down to a fine art. Also the new bit of freeway that cuts out having to drive all the around the edge of the airport has made a big difference to the last bit of the trip to the eastern suburbs.
Visit to MIl went well.
Hugs @WormInTheGrass we too wore a path in the road to Sydney over many years with the Cheery son. I often think my Dad would be glad to see how much use we got out of the road along Lake George that was designed as part of the Bicentennial roads project. His team worked on the design about 10 years before the upgrade actually happened.
We haven't done that trek for quite some time now and Son really misses it. We'd try to sweeten the exercise with a trip to Hobbyco or to the Kinokuniya bookshop in Galleries Victoria. And I did feel a pang of regret when the old toll boths on the M5 were removed. Probably heaps better for the staff who worked them, but I always had my $3.30 in a self seal bag in the cup holder of the car. Two bags to cover both ends of the trip.
I'm glad the visit with your MIL went well and I'm also thinking of you @Huia, hoping that you are recovering OK from your visits to your brothers, that would have been tiring physically and emotionally.
Having a slow day today, not much happening just a couple of emails to sort out! Have a good day everyone!
@Cheery Gardener I am getting over my exhaustion which had a lot of grief and other mixed feelings entangled with it.
Now I am planning to go back to Wellington, probably in October/November. This time I will ask for G to be moved into his bedroom so I can talk to and hear him better. I have a beautifully illustrated book about elephants I want to share with him as well as a book with photos of cars that were on the road when we were children (he's always been interested in cars),
Also, although I will only have a day with him, I'm planning to stay the night in Wellington and come home on the InterIslander and bus the next day. It's a long time since I have done that trip, but I really enjoy it and it means I only have to pass through Wellington airport once.
I have also transferred a chunk of money into an account I can access by ATM in case I need to go up in a hurry.
Yes, @Huia, prayers for your next trip to be much smoother. @Gee D, I think we more or less traversed your home territory on our way from Brontë to Woy Woy yesterday. We have undertaken two pretty scenic rides on the little passenger ferries on Brisbane Water. One to Empire Bay and back, and the from Ettalong Beach to Palm Beach and back.
That’s really interesting about your Dad being involved with the redesign of the Lake George Road. I reckon he did a good job.
Yes, @Huia, prayers for your next trip to be much smoother. @Gee D, I think we more or less traversed your home territory on our way from Brontë to Woy Woy yesterday. We have undertaken two pretty scenic rides on the little passenger ferries on Brisbane Water. One to Empire Bay and back, and the from Ettalong Beach to Palm Beach and back.
That’s really interesting about your Dad being involved with the redesign of the Lake George Road. I reckon he did a good job.
Which way did you travel to Woy Woy? You would have gone past us if you went north on the Highway. Had we known, we would have stood beside the road waving flags as you went past.
I did not know about the ferry from Ettalong to Palm Beach. 60 and more years ago, there was a regular ferry from Palm Beach to Patonga - it may still run. That would be a much more sheltered trip than one from Ettalong.
@Huia, I completely hear what your mean about your visiting your brother and the plans you are making to share special things with him sound absolutely perfect. October will be here very soon, I hope all your plans go smoothly.
I am not sure how cold it is where Zappa is, but I had to get up in the wee small hours and put a flannelette pj top over my long sleeved tee and make a warm milk to get me back to sleep. A real mix of temps at present!
Husband has finally started his leave and I've just crossed 2 jobs off his to-do list! One that wasn't on my list, but he had in mind was to clean off the yellow paint our daughter had helpfully added to our car by scraping a pole in her work carpark. The worst of it is gone, but apparently a "second go" will be had tomorrow while I am out with friends. I am very much looking forward to a good catchup and a nice lunch and perhaps a piece of cake!
Your tripping around sounds very nice @WormInTheGrass, I hope you have reached Broken Hill safely!
I've been lurking for the last couple of months, due to a distinct lack of enthusiasm for life in general. The lingering infections in my system seem to be sapping my energy, and I'm hoping that this latest round of antibiotics will deal the final blow. I've still managed some of my community commitments, but one activity a day leaves me worn out.
@WormInTheGrass comments on the ferry journeys on Brisbane Water brought back memories of those little vessels plying their trade past our holiday rentals on the shores of Ettalong and Booker Bay in the late 50's and early 60's. I also remember watching the Palm Beach ferry berth at Patonga, a rustic fishing village back then, but I think transformed somewhat. It's about twenty years since we were in that part of the Central Coast.
Hi @Barnabas_Aus, hope the antibiotics finally do the trick and you get your mojo back.
Thanks to you and @Gee D for your memories of the Central Coast ferries. They were a bit of a serendipitous discovery for us.
Mr WitG thought he’d like to go to Dubbo via the Hunter Valley and Sandy Hollow, as he’s never been that way.
Then I happened to see a photo of St John the Baptist Catholic Church at Woy Woy, and thought “that’s not your average suburban parish church” [Search for St John the Baptist Catholic Church Woy Woy photos, and you will see why]. It is a very excellent example of a post Vatican II church. So we decided to go and see it, and ended up going to Mass there on Wednesday morning.
As we had spent Tuesday morning visiting Mr WitG’s Mum at her aged care residence we needed somewhere to say on Tuesday night. While I was looking at a map, I saw the two ferry routes marked, and thought they looked interesting. We enjoyed both of them, although the Ettalong- Palm Beach one might interesting in windier conditions.
At Palm Beach wharf, there was a timetable for a ferry to Mackerel Beach and Currawong Beach, but I didn’t see one for a ferry to Patonga. @Gee D, Mr WitG, who is the Sydney half of this relationship, says that we were on the Highway, as opposed to the Freeway, from Pymble to Hornsby.
Do either of you gentleman have any knowledge of Sydney ferries occasionally running day excursions, using one of the large Manly ferries such as South Steyne, which ran from Circular Quay, out the Heads of Sydney Harbour, back into Broken Bay, as far up the Hawkesbury as was practical, and then back again. Mr WitG thinks they existed in his childhood, (early 60s) but I can’t find any information. He never managed to go on one himself.
@Cheery Gardener, we are taking it slowly, so have only got to Dubbo so far. We are staying here for the weekend so that we can catch up with various members of our son’s girlfriend’s family. They are lovely people.
Next stage is Lightning Ridge.
Does Cheery Son know about the Lego shop in the Canberra Centre?
Hi @Barnabas_Aus, hope the antibiotics finally do the trick and you get your mojo back.
Thanks to you and @Gee D for your memories of the Central Coast ferries. They were a bit of a serendipitous discovery for us.
Do either of you gentleman have any knowledge of Sydney ferries occasionally running day excursions, using one of the large Manly ferries such as South Steyne, which ran from Circular Quay, out the Heads of Sydney Harbour, back into Broken Bay, as far up the Hawkesbury as was practical, and then back again. Mr WitG thinks they existed in his childhood, (early 60s) but I can’t find any information. He never managed to go on one himself.
Yes, Sydney Ferries (or whoever it was then) used run a ferry from the Harbour to Broken Bay - from memory, every second Sunday through summer. We'd be at Pearl Beach for January holidays, and had a good view across the southern part of Broken Bay from the end of the point by the swimming pool. The ferry would round Barrenjoey, travel a bit of the way into Pittwater where it did a circle, then head back out for the return to the Harbour. Again from memory, it was usually the Showboat or one of the Steynes that made the journey. The other ferries were not large enough to deal with any ocean swell. I'm talking of the 50's/early 60's.
I have a vague recollection that a decade or so ago, a large hydrofoil ferry would take a run to Dee Why/Long Reef headland on Sunday afternoons, but don't want to swear to that. As an aside, the headland marks to division between the Tasman Sea to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the north. Extending east, the latitude passes just north of the small islands off the north of the main North Island of NZ.
@WormInTheGrass Cheery son doesn't mind a trip to the Lego shop, but we tend to make a special effort to go just after opening to avoid crowds and coughers. Same with the other big toyshops, he also loves. We often combine a trip to my favourite auction house to his favourite toyshop in Fyshwick, win win for us! I hope you've had a lovely time in Dubbo and the next part of your trip goes well.
Very much enjoyed my lunch outing with friends yesterday. It was just beautiful sitting outside for lunch, lovely and sunny with good food and company, but by late afternoon (when we were the last to leave), it was totally freezing. As soon as I got home, I changed straight into my jammies to try to warm up a bit. I'm not sure if I got a bit too chilled, but am having a nice slow day today.
Cheery husband is making the best of his holidays with scraped paint removed from old car daughter drives, he's also made a start of getting branches down from dead tree on the boundary with the neighbours. This is progress!
A friend and I went for a drive through the mountains (fynbos biome) to look at wildflowers (gazanias, lachenalia, sparaxis, freesias, ixias ,gladioli, wild orchids and lilies) in the spring sunshine, also hoping to get my mojo back at some point.
Cheery husband sounds like a very busy and helpful man to have around!
Your drive sounds lovely @MaryLouise, I hope it was cheering. Adding my good wishes for @Barnabas_Aus feeling exhausted is frustrating, I do hope this last lot of antibiotics get rid of the infection for you!
Cheery husband is one of those people who can turn his hand to most things and problem solving comes easily to him, it's a way of thinking that I'm a bit envious of. The unfortunate thing is that his work is quite demanding and weekends are not long enough to do really big chores, so he probably dreads holidays as I always have a "few suggestions" lined up for him. However, I try to limit myself to one task per day, so that he does get some downtime and rest before returning to work. After this week, I anticipate the next batch of tasks will have to wait for the Christmas holidays. However, I am grateful for what I can get and anything is an improvement over nothing!
@Cheery Gardener we have had a lovely time in Dubbo, seeing various places and catching up with our son’s partner’s family, who are lovely people. Packing up to go to Lightning Ridge today.
Sounds like Cheery Husband is at least having the satisfaction of a job well done and you are also accomplishing things. @Gee D, I did not know that about the division between the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea.
I think my father told us many decades ago. I've just checked, and the International Hydrographic Organisation gives a different boundary. I'd have expected a body with such a distinguished name would get it right, but perhaps none of the staff had a father who knew.
@Cheery Gardener we have had a lovely time in Dubbo, seeing various places and catching up with our son’s partner’s family, who are lovely people. Packing up to go to Lightning Ridge today.
Sounds like Cheery Husband is at least having the satisfaction of a job well done and you are also accomplishing things. @Gee D, I did not know that about the division between the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea.
Enjoy Lightning Ridge @WormInTheGrass. We used to have an annual visit there as a Masonic fraternal event and got to know many in the opal game. If you are looking to buy opal, I recommend you scope out some of the smaller retailers, as they are often selling stones which they have mined and mounted themselves. Mrs BA has a beautiful pendant from one such establishment [the name escapes me now], at a more reasonable price than the tourist trap just up the road.
Your wife's pendant sounds just lovely @Barnabas_Aus and I'm going to remember your tip about smaller retailers, in case I ever make it to The Ridge.
Today has been jobs including cutting down a dead tree in our yard, it's been a project with husband cutting off bits to reduce the bulk and I helped him take the top down today. We then spent ages cleaning up all the bits of dropped twigs and broken off bits on the footpath, as lots of dogs walk in our area so I hope we got all of it!! Maybe we can get the rest of it down tomorrow.
Good luck, with your dead tree dismantling, @";"Cheery Gardener". Hope the two of you manage to get it done.
We have had an interesting day in Lightning Ridge including a visit to the Artesian Bore Baths which are delightfully warm, and trip for Mr WitG to the Chamber of Black Hand underground sculptures. @Barnabas_Aus, your advice has been noted.
Thanks @WormInTheGrass you've picked a good week to be away -6 the other night. Today was too windy for tree cutting, so Cheery husband has broken down all the limbs we've taken down. He wants to keep them for the wood fire, I want to get them into the green bin (over time). Your day exploring sounds very interesting and the Bore Baths sound amazing!
Hi @Cheery Gardener, yes I saw the report about -6.9°C minimum on the ABC website. It was only -1°C in Dubbo. We were rugged up pretty warmly when we went to the Spark outdoor movie show in Lightning Ridge and the site also provided blankets as well. Managed to get up to see a slightly chilly sunrise at Brewarrina this morning.
Do you have somewhere that you can store the firewood to season properly?
In general, this seems to a good time to be travelling through this part of the country, as the middle of the day is quite warm, but the nights are still cool. We were shown around the Cultural Museum and the fish traps by a knowledgeable and cheerful indigenous ranger.
Ooh an outdoor cinema, a childhood highlight was seeing Grease at the Bourke outdoor cinema, very cool at the time. Today Cheery husband was investigating wood shed/gardenshed combos. He has ordered some pavers to use as flooring and we also received a load of mulch for the garden. Tomorrow will be a big day getting that moved in from the street and distributed. Today I weeded some of the lavender bed and will hopefully get back to that at the weekend.
I am enjoying hearing about the highlights of your trip @WormInTheGrass. I hope others are having a good week also. I enjoyed your outline of the ferry routes @Gee D I think one holiday we took a ferry to Manly and the Hydrofoil back to (I think) Circular Quay. I loved those old ferries and made sure that Cheery son and daughter had a ride one time we were in Sydney with my nephew and sister. Good times!
Thinking of you Zappa. Although your highest temperature is only a degree less than it is here, the lowest is significantly worse.
Awww ... thanks! It was a wee tad nippy. Though as it happens I was on the (blustery) road to Otepoti. Had to take the Road More Travelled as my preferred route was closed by snow.
I''ve been cleaning the kitchen. I walked outside to put some stuff in the recycling bin and saw my first monarch butterfly of the season. I had been feeling frustrated because I couldn't open a bottle of cleaning liquid. but the butterfly raised my spirits. It's amazing how small things can do that.
Thanks @Huia. Hope the bottle eventually cooperated. It happens to me sometimes. We’ve now arrived in Mildura after a busy time in Broken Hill and an overnight stay in Menindee on the way between the two.
Hope all is well at the Cheery household.
You are covering some territory @WormInTheGrass, is the country looking green or starting to dry off?
@Huia, I know what you mean about spirits lifted by the sight of something so simple yet special, I feel it too. I was about to pull a dandelion flower before it turned into a clock, and as I leant down I saw a lovely orange butterfly just resting there. Just lovely and it also reminded me that what is a nuisance to me as a gardener, it a needed resting place for other creatures.
Thanks also for the heads up re the vegemite having a blue label, I know you posted it on another thread, but I've forgotten which one!!
This has been a busy but also quiet week here. Cheery son had a couple of appointments and that always involves making sure he is ready, has the hospital given us the right type of appointment etc, so I am glad those are done. It takes a lot of my mental energy and I don't enjoy that!
Today is cold - max of 24 on Monday, but max of 12 expected today, I think it's currently 7! Very glad to report we've had some rain, as things have been very, very dry. I have been waiting for this rain as we bought some seedlings last weekend but it's been so dry till now, we decided to wait to plant after the rain has stopped. Hopefully more rain next week, which will help them settle in.
@WormInTheGrass - It finally cooperated when a friend came to mow the lawn. He said another woman he visited had difficulty with the same kind of bottle, the smaller sized janola one. I think it's a plot to encourage us to buy the biggest bottle, which is easier to open.
I went into a shop today to buy a small appliance for grilling meat - it's like a sandwich press but engineered so that the fat can run off and be collected. I know the oven can grill perfectly well, but last time I did that it caught on fire and I needed a new oven. I got lost looking for it and the helpful assistant who showed me where they were said that they were half price tomorrow, so I will go back then.
Earthquakes are really the gift that keeps giving. I got a circular in my letterbox a few weeks ago saying that drains from houses in the area were found to have been cracked by the the quakes and needed to be fixed. I knew this was true and not a scam because the people over the road had had theirs fixed so I got the same company to send a camera through my drains and they too are showing cracks. As I don't always hear well on the phone, my wonderful neighbour came over and we rang the earthquake insurers (who now have a new name) to make a claim and give them and the the company who filmed the drains permission to talk to each other.
Comments
Very sunny this morning after lovely heavy rain overnight. I should be out weeding, but am not very motivated this morning. That I have a lovely new book to go on with and that it's a bit breezy at my place are both good excuses to sit inside drinking cups of tea and looking at the garden.
I was shocked to see that quite a lot of my bulbs are out, the purple grape hyacinths and the violet blue spring star flowers. The freesias are just getting their buds and on my street all the blossom trees are in flower. It's very pretty, but a bit worrying!
Cheery Daugher is working from home today and tomorrow Cheery son has an appointment lined up, so the start of the week is busier than normal and that's ok, but glad that it's not that way every day!!
I'm envious that you've had success with mini roses, not so at my place, though I might give it another try! Perhaps I just keep putting them in the wrong location.
Feeling pleased that Cheery son and I managed to synchronise ourselves this morning. We were first into the toyshop to get the Lego for Father's Day, then onto the local supermarket to get the necessaries for dinner. Cats have now been walked and I'm now sitting and enjoying a podcast! Perhaps I should be doing the washing, but it will keep!
I've never had a lot of luck with miniature roses either @Cheery Gardener , never quite sure what I do wrong.
We had our first visit yesterday from the gardening service which has become necessary as Mr WitG has torn his shoulder. The hedge is now very neat. Our irises are a gorgeous dark purple, but are getting badly knocked around by the wind.
@WormInTheGrass I echo your comments re our winter, and I noted that on the gardening thread @Lamb Chopped noted that autumn appears to have arrived early this year in their end of the world. I'm glad your hedges have been dealt with, and at the same time, not happy to hear that Mr WitG has sustained an injury, not good. Purple it seems is the colour of the day with your irises blooming and at mine the very dark purple violets in full flower with their lovely scent. Bliss.
@MaryLouise when I read your note about the snow, I thought, yes, things are behaving strangely everywhere! It is bewildering living with it, and yet unsurprising given what scientists have been saying it seems like forever.
I've nipped in to say Hi everyone and racing off again to deal with the washing and drop a line to a friend before the day slips away too much!
Polyantha's are very hardy and easy to propagate. The ones I have are strongly scented, unlike some minis.
A friend is coming to mow my lawns on Monday and the Cecile Brunner needs cutting back so I'm going to take cuttings to sell and raise money for our community library. The C.B was developed before plant breeders rights (like copyright for plants) so, as I understand it, there is no restriction on selling them.
It is very blustery here today, so we are having a quiet Sunday. Cheery daughter is at work, so we will get together tonight for an early dinner for Father's Day.
I hope all the ship fathers are receiving some spoiling today.
We did manage a mini garden cleanup on Saturday morning, at the time there was very little wind, so very pleased we managed to get that done. Sunday through to yesterday has meant staying indoors and just waiting for it all to pass. Cheery husband normally takes his motorbike to work, but yesterday I insisted he took the car. I was worried that he may have been blown over or be hit by some flying debris, had he gone on the bike. We avoided that and he even made it home early from work, so that was a bonus!
I'm going to go out shortly and water the plants as I imagine things are pretty dried out now and need refreshment, I am contemplating some weeding, but think I'll decide after I know how cool it is outside!
An article in today's Press (Christchurch's daily paper) titled "Kakapo are the true ancient species of New Zealand, not Kiwi or the Takahe".
It sounds like it should have been printed on April !st.
I knew there had been a tropical lake at St Bathans, ( complete with crocodiles and flamingoes) because once when my brother D who lives in the US was visiting we went to a a display in the Canterbury Museum about it, but these further discoveries are even more mind blowing.
I'm a bit grouchy this morning as it's a bit too breezy for husband to add weeding/fertilising stuff to the lawn, so that has to wait until next weekend. I only discovered this after I'd risen early to give the cats early lead walks and get them back inside and out of his way. Oh well, live and learn!
Cheery husband has dashed out to the shopping precinct across town to get our warehouse-type shopping done and home before it gets too busy. It will be good for him to get home and have a bit of a rest before work cranks up again.
He has had a dreadful week with lots of late nights on a work project. I tried to stay awake until he got home, but just couldn't do it! He was supposed to be on leave this week coming, but has had to postpone that as the project needs more attention and he'll have a few days off once it's done. This has been the story of our life together and I'm hoping he can look at retiring sooner rather than later.
@Cheery Gardener I hope Cheery Husband’s work pressure eases up soon.
It's good to read that Lake George still has water in it, the mysterious ways it fluctuates continue to fascinate me. I remember when the old road was there that the water came right up to the side of the road, which was a bit hairy at times. Also to think that there was a Yacht club there just amazed me in the drought of the 80s and subsequently.
Cheery husband home late last night and off again before I rose this morning. I'm sure everything has to be finalised mid-week, so he is pushing through for that and then a bit of time off, which will be well deserved!
Do enjoy your holiday @WormInTheGrass and I hope others on this thread are travelling well!
Visit to MIl went well.
We haven't done that trek for quite some time now and Son really misses it. We'd try to sweeten the exercise with a trip to Hobbyco or to the Kinokuniya bookshop in Galleries Victoria. And I did feel a pang of regret when the old toll boths on the M5 were removed. Probably heaps better for the staff who worked them, but I always had my $3.30 in a self seal bag in the cup holder of the car. Two bags to cover both ends of the trip.
I'm glad the visit with your MIL went well and I'm also thinking of you @Huia, hoping that you are recovering OK from your visits to your brothers, that would have been tiring physically and emotionally.
Having a slow day today, not much happening just a couple of emails to sort out! Have a good day everyone!
Now I am planning to go back to Wellington, probably in October/November. This time I will ask for G to be moved into his bedroom so I can talk to and hear him better. I have a beautifully illustrated book about elephants I want to share with him as well as a book with photos of cars that were on the road when we were children (he's always been interested in cars),
Also, although I will only have a day with him, I'm planning to stay the night in Wellington and come home on the InterIslander and bus the next day. It's a long time since I have done that trip, but I really enjoy it and it means I only have to pass through Wellington airport once.
I have also transferred a chunk of money into an account I can access by ATM in case I need to go up in a hurry.
@Gee D, I think we more or less traversed your home territory on our way from Brontë to Woy Woy yesterday. We have undertaken two pretty scenic rides on the little passenger ferries on Brisbane Water. One to Empire Bay and back, and the from Ettalong Beach to Palm Beach and back.
That’s really interesting about your Dad being involved with the redesign of the Lake George Road. I reckon he did a good job.
Which way did you travel to Woy Woy? You would have gone past us if you went north on the Highway. Had we known, we would have stood beside the road waving flags as you went past.
I did not know about the ferry from Ettalong to Palm Beach. 60 and more years ago, there was a regular ferry from Palm Beach to Patonga - it may still run. That would be a much more sheltered trip than one from Ettalong.
I am not sure how cold it is where Zappa is, but I had to get up in the wee small hours and put a flannelette pj top over my long sleeved tee and make a warm milk to get me back to sleep. A real mix of temps at present!
Husband has finally started his leave and I've just crossed 2 jobs off his to-do list! One that wasn't on my list, but he had in mind was to clean off the yellow paint our daughter had helpfully added to our car by scraping a pole in her work carpark. The worst of it is gone, but apparently a "second go" will be had tomorrow while I am out with friends. I am very much looking forward to a good catchup and a nice lunch and perhaps a piece of cake!
Your tripping around sounds very nice @WormInTheGrass, I hope you have reached Broken Hill safely!
@WormInTheGrass comments on the ferry journeys on Brisbane Water brought back memories of those little vessels plying their trade past our holiday rentals on the shores of Ettalong and Booker Bay in the late 50's and early 60's. I also remember watching the Palm Beach ferry berth at Patonga, a rustic fishing village back then, but I think transformed somewhat. It's about twenty years since we were in that part of the Central Coast.
Thanks to you and @Gee D for your memories of the Central Coast ferries. They were a bit of a serendipitous discovery for us.
Mr WitG thought he’d like to go to Dubbo via the Hunter Valley and Sandy Hollow, as he’s never been that way.
Then I happened to see a photo of St John the Baptist Catholic Church at Woy Woy, and thought “that’s not your average suburban parish church” [Search for St John the Baptist Catholic Church Woy Woy photos, and you will see why]. It is a very excellent example of a post Vatican II church. So we decided to go and see it, and ended up going to Mass there on Wednesday morning.
As we had spent Tuesday morning visiting Mr WitG’s Mum at her aged care residence we needed somewhere to say on Tuesday night. While I was looking at a map, I saw the two ferry routes marked, and thought they looked interesting. We enjoyed both of them, although the Ettalong- Palm Beach one might interesting in windier conditions.
At Palm Beach wharf, there was a timetable for a ferry to Mackerel Beach and Currawong Beach, but I didn’t see one for a ferry to Patonga.
@Gee D, Mr WitG, who is the Sydney half of this relationship, says that we were on the Highway, as opposed to the Freeway, from Pymble to Hornsby.
Do either of you gentleman have any knowledge of Sydney ferries occasionally running day excursions, using one of the large Manly ferries such as South Steyne, which ran from Circular Quay, out the Heads of Sydney Harbour, back into Broken Bay, as far up the Hawkesbury as was practical, and then back again. Mr WitG thinks they existed in his childhood, (early 60s) but I can’t find any information. He never managed to go on one himself.
Next stage is Lightning Ridge.
Does Cheery Son know about the Lego shop in the Canberra Centre?
Yes, Sydney Ferries (or whoever it was then) used run a ferry from the Harbour to Broken Bay - from memory, every second Sunday through summer. We'd be at Pearl Beach for January holidays, and had a good view across the southern part of Broken Bay from the end of the point by the swimming pool. The ferry would round Barrenjoey, travel a bit of the way into Pittwater where it did a circle, then head back out for the return to the Harbour. Again from memory, it was usually the Showboat or one of the Steynes that made the journey. The other ferries were not large enough to deal with any ocean swell. I'm talking of the 50's/early 60's.
Very much enjoyed my lunch outing with friends yesterday. It was just beautiful sitting outside for lunch, lovely and sunny with good food and company, but by late afternoon (when we were the last to leave), it was totally freezing. As soon as I got home, I changed straight into my jammies to try to warm up a bit. I'm not sure if I got a bit too chilled, but am having a nice slow day today.
Cheery husband is making the best of his holidays with scraped paint removed from old car daughter drives, he's also made a start of getting branches down from dead tree on the boundary with the neighbours. This is progress!
A friend and I went for a drive through the mountains (fynbos biome) to look at wildflowers (gazanias, lachenalia, sparaxis, freesias, ixias ,gladioli, wild orchids and lilies) in the spring sunshine, also hoping to get my mojo back at some point.
Cheery husband sounds like a very busy and helpful man to have around!
Cheery husband is one of those people who can turn his hand to most things and problem solving comes easily to him, it's a way of thinking that I'm a bit envious of. The unfortunate thing is that his work is quite demanding and weekends are not long enough to do really big chores, so he probably dreads holidays as I always have a "few suggestions" lined up for him. However, I try to limit myself to one task per day, so that he does get some downtime and rest before returning to work. After this week, I anticipate the next batch of tasks will have to wait for the Christmas holidays. However, I am grateful for what I can get and anything is an improvement over nothing!
Sounds like Cheery Husband is at least having the satisfaction of a job well done and you are also accomplishing things.
@Gee D, I did not know that about the division between the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea.
Enjoy Lightning Ridge @WormInTheGrass. We used to have an annual visit there as a Masonic fraternal event and got to know many in the opal game. If you are looking to buy opal, I recommend you scope out some of the smaller retailers, as they are often selling stones which they have mined and mounted themselves. Mrs BA has a beautiful pendant from one such establishment [the name escapes me now], at a more reasonable price than the tourist trap just up the road.
Today has been jobs including cutting down a dead tree in our yard, it's been a project with husband cutting off bits to reduce the bulk and I helped him take the top down today. We then spent ages cleaning up all the bits of dropped twigs and broken off bits on the footpath, as lots of dogs walk in our area so I hope we got all of it!! Maybe we can get the rest of it down tomorrow.
We have had an interesting day in Lightning Ridge including a visit to the Artesian Bore Baths which are delightfully warm, and trip for Mr WitG to the Chamber of Black Hand underground sculptures. @Barnabas_Aus, your advice has been noted.
Do you have somewhere that you can store the firewood to season properly?
In general, this seems to a good time to be travelling through this part of the country, as the middle of the day is quite warm, but the nights are still cool. We were shown around the Cultural Museum and the fish traps by a knowledgeable and cheerful indigenous ranger.
I am enjoying hearing about the highlights of your trip @WormInTheGrass. I hope others are having a good week also. I enjoyed your outline of the ferry routes @Gee D I think one holiday we took a ferry to Manly and the Hydrofoil back to (I think) Circular Quay. I loved those old ferries and made sure that Cheery son and daughter had a ride one time we were in Sydney with my nephew and sister. Good times!
Awww ... thanks! It was a wee tad nippy. Though as it happens I was on the (blustery) road to Otepoti. Had to take the Road More Travelled as my preferred route was closed by snow.
I''ve been cleaning the kitchen. I walked outside to put some stuff in the recycling bin and saw my first monarch butterfly of the season. I had been feeling frustrated because I couldn't open a bottle of cleaning liquid. but the butterfly raised my spirits. It's amazing how small things can do that.
Hope all is well at the Cheery household.
@Huia, I know what you mean about spirits lifted by the sight of something so simple yet special, I feel it too. I was about to pull a dandelion flower before it turned into a clock, and as I leant down I saw a lovely orange butterfly just resting there. Just lovely and it also reminded me that what is a nuisance to me as a gardener, it a needed resting place for other creatures.
Thanks also for the heads up re the vegemite having a blue label, I know you posted it on another thread, but I've forgotten which one!!
This has been a busy but also quiet week here. Cheery son had a couple of appointments and that always involves making sure he is ready, has the hospital given us the right type of appointment etc, so I am glad those are done. It takes a lot of my mental energy and I don't enjoy that!
Today is cold - max of 24 on Monday, but max of 12 expected today, I think it's currently 7! Very glad to report we've had some rain, as things have been very, very dry. I have been waiting for this rain as we bought some seedlings last weekend but it's been so dry till now, we decided to wait to plant after the rain has stopped. Hopefully more rain next week, which will help them settle in.
Hope things are well with @Gee D @Barnabas_Aus, @MaryLouise, @Zappa, glad you have had some proper winter! How are you all travelling?
I went into a shop today to buy a small appliance for grilling meat - it's like a sandwich press but engineered so that the fat can run off and be collected. I know the oven can grill perfectly well, but last time I did that it caught on fire and I needed a new oven. I got lost looking for it and the helpful assistant who showed me where they were said that they were half price tomorrow, so I will go back then.
Earthquakes are really the gift that keeps giving. I got a circular in my letterbox a few weeks ago saying that drains from houses in the area were found to have been cracked by the the quakes and needed to be fixed. I knew this was true and not a scam because the people over the road had had theirs fixed so I got the same company to send a camera through my drains and they too are showing cracks. As I don't always hear well on the phone, my wonderful neighbour came over and we rang the earthquake insurers (who now have a new name) to make a claim and give them and the the company who filmed the drains permission to talk to each other.