FOGGY MORNING, SUPER MOON, BOOK, VEGIES AND FLOWERS.

 

 We have had some very cold mornings lately, the sun was peeping over the horizon and the fog was in two layers. Looked lovely however it was a little early for the camera to catch how pretty it looked.

Did you see the SUPER Moon this week? Just as it was coming up and before the sun had set I had the camera out to see what picture I could take, this what I captured.

 

Tiny and Nana went to Mauries funeral this week, he graded our roads for years, really miss his work could tidy up the sides and keep the bitumen from breaking away. Tiny was a close friend, been friends for a long time.

The book was our club read this month, we all enjoyed the story, rather sad story of families that have split up and try to get on with their lives.

Some vegies starting to put on growth after the rain.

Walking around today I found some pretty flowers putting on their display of colour to warm up the winter days. Beautiful Chinese lantern covered in orange flowers, really comes to life in the cold weather.

      

Hibiscus still flowering, will start to look sad and loose leaves when we have bad frosts, very tender.

My little pot of pansies starting to put on a display, will last for months.

Plenty of spraying out on the farm now we have had lovely rain, weeds are coming up fast. Today has been sunny and warm just what is needed to get things growing.

Now the longest night has been days will lengthen.

Bye for now. Love to everybody.

 

NANA ON THE FARM.

 

PA'S BIRTHDAY, SILO'S. BOGGED TRUCK.

We had a wonderful time at the Long Weekend in June when family visited, Pa had a birthday and the girls put a notice on the back door, decorated a chocolate cake which we ate up the paddock. Pa was busy spreading super and the girls had to be patient and wait till Pa was finished so we could have a picnic birthday party at Williams paddock.

Pa 's truck got stuck in the sand after all the rain, when Nana was going to see how things were going with pulling the bogged truck out Nana took this photo of the neighbours silo's shining in the morning sun. Used a very long lens and was surprised at the result.

The truck was stuck and had to get the Versatile tractor to pull the truck out of the wet sand.

The lovely rain we received this week has made the sand a trap for big vehicles.

Whew! out  Thank Goodness.. Just needed the help of a big tractor. Photo doesn't show the chain that was being used.

How quickly the grass grows after a good rain, green is showing everywhere and the dry sown crops are starting to 'pop' out of the soil.

That's all for this week.

Love to all.

 

NANA ON THE FARM

 

SPRAY CART, WHITE GIRLS

Pa

Pa filling up the spray cart. 

Pippa doing some potting up of jade plants

Dressing up

Nana made some play dough for the girls to play with. Bonnie has made some turtles for us to see.

Zoe is making a picture with pieces of napkins, torn into pieces and glued to a picture board.
Nana and Pa enjoyed the visit of family, weather was perfect, lovely and sunny and hardly a breath of breeze.
LOVE EVERYBODY.

NANA ON THE FARM 

THE RAINS HAVE ARRIVED. PLAQUE AT GEM, TEA COSIES, KITTEN.

 Today 1st June 2013, the first day of winter and with that we have had beautiful soaking rain overnight and it has continued most of today. What a relief and with the ground warm everything will just power away  - we hope -. There haven't been puddles around the farm for such a long time, one could go and jump in them.

 Looking towards the barn.

 View from the side gate

It is very up-lifting to see the shallow water lying around in puddles. A sight we have been waiting for, for so long, the puddles will soak into the soil very quickly.

The Pioneer Settlement will be celebrating 50 years soon, and I found this plaque near the Gem(Paddle Boat) with Ross Holloway's name as Director. This was Eric Holloway's cousin - he had a vision for the town that the history of the past should be preserved for future generations. I am sure he would be pleased to see how the settlement has grown into the tourist attraction for the town. The Pyap boat wharf is being restored making it safer for the public to board.

These tea pot cosies are on display at Spoons, made by friends, Bev Roberts and Rita Monkhouse.

Kids how big have the kittens grown!, all soft and fluffy with their winter coat.

Pa couldn't play golf today, still raining would make a very uncomfortable game with cold hands, wet sticks, better to give it a miss.

We will be able to get onto finishing the cropping and start the spraying, fertilizing programs etc. The carpet of green is already starting to show, the small showers of last week started the germination process.

That's all for now.

Love to all

 

NANA ON THE FARM.

POTTING UP PLANTS, GALAHS, SALT BUSH FLOWER, CROPPING PEAS, KITCHEN.

Again I am potting up plants for the Hospital OP Shop Open Gardens in October. Have done about 60 at present and have another four big buckets to get to, should finish up with about 100 plants.

While I was working away I noticed some galahs in a gum tree behind the big shed and having my camera with me decided to try a long lens photo, this is the result. The day was perfect, lovely blue sky, white clouds and hardly a breeze, the galahs didn't know I was taking a photo.

Wandering around out the back garden I came across a salt bush in flower, although very small the colour was lovely. These native plants come up so easily, spread by the birds.

Pa is still cropping, although we are not too sure if it the right thing, we are still looking up at the sky and waiting for rain, lots of it would be great. Super is being unloaded from the truck and augered up into the air seeder. I had just arrived as Pa was finishing unloading, was taking his lunch over to him. Pa is going to lower the bin. The light was terrible today, and the photo is very hard to see.

The yellow shute was covered in pea inoculant where it had spilt, such a bright colour.

Girls - I have finally taken the time to organise an area in the kitchen for the lap top, looks good. Have put the microwave up on the top shelf, and when I came in after water therapy Pa had his golf GPS charging there as well. Think Pa will love this little spot.

The weather man seems to think we will possibly get some rain this weekend, hope he is right. It has been so long since we had a decent drop of rain, had some showers but our last rain was in September 2012. Farmers are looking for feed for their animals as we have no green grass and hay will be very expensive and hard to find soon. It is so dismal looking out on the dry and parched ground.

Hopefully I will be back into my usual activities as I have finished with the therapy at the hospital and the pool, was taking up a lot of time. Walking still with a limp, the leg will get better soon.

I have had so much pleasure from the photo album ,thank you again love to see all the family photo's and remember what we have done together. Izzy and Holly you did a wonderful job organising everything, I am so proud of you both.

Love to you all.

 

NANA ON THE FARM.

AUTUMN COLOUR, ,PHOTO BOOK,OP SHOP, PARDALOTE

Autumn has arrived and my crepe myrtle has been covered in beautiful red leaves. The last few days have been very windy, this wind has pulled all the leaves off the tree and covered the ground with a carpet of red leaves.

WOW, what a surprise - I have received a terrific photo album in the mail from our wonderful family. The album was a Mother's Day gift, and I love it,  will cherish for years to come. It was so thoughtful of you all - Thanks so very much. I have taken some photo's of the book and hope they will be clear enough for all to see. The cover has some of the grand kids sitting in the windows of Puffing Billy and dangling their legs out, what fun that was. All the carriages were the same, children having fun..

Nana and Pa with four of the girls at Puffing Billy in the Dandenong's. They are the best family one could wish for. Number 5 had to work, we missed you all. Nana talking again!!!

Some of the pictures included in the book

Just a wonderful presentation, so many lovely memories to cherish..

The front room of our temporary OP shop. We have so much that has been donated from the people of the town. When the next move comes at the end of the year we will have to sort again as the next venue won't be as large as this house.

Found this beautiful striated pardalote out the front of our house, it had flown against the window and died. These birds are distributed almost over the whole of Australia and Tasmania. They generally feed high in the foliage of gum and wattle trees busily searching every leaf and twig for their food. Will eat, small spiders, bugs, grasshoppers, small beetles, ants, wasps, flies, native bees and any other little creepy crawlies they can find. Both male and female birds will build their nests in earthen banks or hollow trees.
Pa is on the tractor putting in some more crops, dry sowing. The promised rains still haven't arrived. June will soon be here, and the crops still won't be up and growing. One can only wait and see what nature will bring.
Congratulations to Holly for a prize at the Brookfield Show, well done.
Many thanks again to our great family for the thoughtful present, a beautiful memory photo album to cherish.

 

Love to you all,

NANA ON THE FARM. 



BOOK I HAVE READ, TRUCK, WORKING BEE, GRADER,PARK, QUILTS.

Have read this novel given as a Xmas present, loved it. This work of storyteller J.K. Rowling was about a small town. Then there is a death and this leaves an empty seat on the Parish Council. What follows is fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations as members of the town Pagford vi for the empty seat. The poor, teenagers and parents, wives and teachers and pupils all become involved in the election. What an insight into the people, I think it would be a great book for school to study.

Pa is checking on the peas that are loading into the truck.

Pa has finished emptying the truck and is now lowering the bin.

.The Murray Mallee Quilters group held a get together to make items for a stall that will be held with the Quilt Exhibition to be held in August.

The road grader has been parked out the front of the farm waiting for suitable weather to start grading the roads again. Need some rain to make the ground suitable to move.

While waiting to meet Kaye Christie  took a look around the small park at Manangatang. Kaye and Nana are off to a Quilt Exhibition at Robinswood Homestead in Robinvale. In the park there were hedges of saltbush, concrete structures decorated with stone, marbles, old taps and other found items.

Close up of the marbles, stones, insulators and taps, looks great.

 

The quilt with the crosses is the raffle quilt, would have loved to be the winner it is beautiful. A big effort was put into the way they had the area decorated, umbrella's back lit with lights, Balloons and a child's table and chairs with knitted dolls seated, even had a cake with 6 candles -  ladies put a big effort into making the decorations add to the exhibition.

It is Sunday evening and the rain we were hoping for hasn't arrived as yet, just a light mist to dampen the path so far.

Pa has direct drilled quite a few paddocks and it would be terrific to have a nice soaking rain to start the germination of the seed.

Would have loved to get some photo's from you of the wonderful day we had on Puffing Billy.

Went to Takara's on Monday and gave her the presents, thanks to the Aunties for the undies she loved them.

Love to all,

 

NANA ON THE FARM