In the strange year that is 2020, it's good to know that some things don't change......like the inevitability of the change of seasons. We had a weird winter this year with the almost unknown phenomenon of a quite heavy snowfall in Launceston. I'm still discovering things in my garden that were broken in that storm! The sound of breaking branches woke me in the middle of that snowy night and I rushed outside in pyjamas and gumboots to take a few photos of this once-in-a-hundred-year event.
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
Spring Comes To The Garden
Monday, September 14, 2020
Small Things
I must admit that small things give me a great deal of pleasure: a house filled with the smell of bread baking, a tree bursting into blossom, a contented cat asleep by the fire, home-grown vegetables and fruit and a line full of washing flapping in the sun and wind...........
About that last thing - When I moved into this house coming up to five years ago, I found that the original washing line was quite decrepit, with broken wires, bent arms and it was stuck halfway down an inaccessible ivy-filled bank. I promised myself in those first few weeks that I would replace it. Soon.
As things panned out, there was always something more pressing to be done and money needed for other things, so it's taken almost five years to get it done! In that time, I've been drying my washing on a couple of clothes horses, which blow over in a gust and don't ask me about sheets taking days to dry! Oh, yes, I don't have an electric dryer for several reasons - expensive to run, prone to starting house fires if you are not ever-vigilant about cleaning the lint filter and the clothes just don't smell like sunshine. Yes, I'm an obstinate old biddy!
But done it is now - I went out and bought a Hills Hoist (this is still the original company that designed the first rotary clothesline here in Australia, though I imagine they are manufactured offshore these days, like pretty much everything, more's the pity). I had to dig quite a deep hole to house the socket which has been concreted in place.......it's not going anywhere! So it's standing proudly in the middle of my patch of lawn and I dried my first load of washing this morning! It's removable, so when I want full use of the lawn, I simply have to take it out of the socket. Ah.......the pleasure!
Friday, June 26, 2020
A Golden Egg!
I went to check, and sure enough, there was an egg, still warm.
I hope this isn't just a one-off teaser - I won't count my chickens just yet!
I call this a golden egg, because with all the accumulated costs of housing, feed, bedding and the meal-worm farm, I estimate it must be worth its weight in gold!
Monday, June 1, 2020
A HENHOUSE AND RUN
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
Recording A Journey.......
In them are notes and sketches outlining plans and ideas, then I record with photographs what I actually ended up doing with each project - they don't always end up as I initially planned, because things can change along the way.
I'm also keeping a record of what I spend, quotes given by contractors etc.
Now I'm into the fifth year, I have filled one book and I'm a good way into the second...….I wonder how many I'll end up filling before this project is finished?
Monday, May 18, 2020
Autumn Arrives at last!
Thursday, May 14, 2020
Back Porch
The porch looks very much refreshed with a few minor repairs, holes filled and the paint job!
Friday, April 24, 2020
A New Front
I like the colours I chose - these blues go well with the terracotta bricks, I think. Orange and blue are complementary colours (opposites on the colour wheel) so they always look good together. It replaces a nondescript, rather pustulent shade of yellow, which did nothing to enhance the appearance of the house. Probably, the windows and trim would have been originally painted white, I think, although when I was scraping and sanding, there was evidence that a bilious green had been used at one stage.
I'm going to paint the little back porch in coming days, weather permitting, then that will be it until next Spring/Summer, when I can finish the windows at the back. There is always more re-pointing to be done, which can be done at any time of year.
As winter approaches, I'm pulling out the last of the summer vegetables and digging over the remaining beds to plant things that can grow over winter...….the plantings I've already done are growing well - indeed, I've already started using some of the Asian greens.
Goodbye summer vegetables for a few months - these zucchinis are the last!
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Repointing is FUN! Who knew?
So, armed with tools, mortar and new-found knowledge from Dr. Google, I launched in, expecting to find it an odious task...…...Well, surprise of surprises! I found it unbelievably satisfying to rake out the loose old mortar, clean out the debris, damp it down and re-point it with fresh mortar. It took a bit of practice to get the technique right, but I think I did an OK job of it. I kept it damp while it dried off, as recommended and this morning when I checked it is still intact and good.
Now I'm looking forward to repairing a few other places where the brickwork needs re-pointing!
Sunday, April 12, 2020
A Frog Pond
On that point I heard some frogs in the garden a few nights ago for the first time ever.....I hope it's not too long before they discover the wonderful home I've created for them. I've still to buy a little solar water feature so I can have the sound of water as well.
Oh yes - I'm also planning to make some small pieces of sculpture for the pond surrounds using a cement based sculpting medium that I bought a while back.
Saturday, March 28, 2020
More Recent Work
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Surviving in Strange Times
All that notwithstanding, I have still been pressing on with my renovations - nothing like a bit of hard work to keep yourself occupied with the added bonus that it leaves little room for brooding!
Fortunately, I quite like my own company, so being at home alone is not an ordeal for me. Missing the communal music-making, though.
So what have I been up to? I converted a useless corner cupboard (you know the ones - in a corner so its almost impossible to access what's in there. They end up being repositories of forgotten jars of unspeakable things!) I opened the back of it so that it faces into the dining room, framed it and painted it and now it is far more useful as wine storage.