Rain and new growth and weeding

We have been slowly working on our garden since we moved in. At first it was dry and barren except for a few palms and some straggly mock orange trees. Many years of drought and an owner who didn't care had taken its toll. Old trees had been cut down and weeds were everywhere. With no money for new plants we worked with cuttings and pot plants we had. We watered and watered and then the floods came. The garden burst into life with all the rain. Things took off and we bought a few trees to plant.

Then the dry came again with almost no rain through the winter and spring. A few weekends ago we started to tidy up again. Weeding and transplanting, new soil delivery and a new concrete slab behind the house so we could move our big garden shed and rainwater tank away out of sight. The spot where the shed had sat for two years has been planted out as a vege garden. Can't wait to harvest the first crops. Oh I had forgotten. Our first crop was a handful of white mulberries from the tree we planted last summer. Sweet but too few. Next year :)

P.S. I have been playing with PicMonkey. I'll stop using banners and collages soon. Promise. See I've stopped already. Do you like my herb planter? It's an old Queensland Fish Board zinc trough. There's the old garden shed sitting behind the house. We included a small clothes line between the two. I need to grow a vine on the shed to hide it some more. Maybe a jasmine or a trumpet vine. Maybe a passionfruit. Yum. Those strappy leaf plants (god I can't remember the name ... must be getting old) were grown from one small divided plant and the macaranga tree is only a year old. Love rain forest trees. So fast growing.

I was mugged this week ...

... but don't worry. I wasn't hurt. It was an actual mug. Well more like a demitasse. As I left for work on Thursday morning I found, sitting on my mail box, a brown paper bag with the words "You've been mugged" neatly written on it. Inside was a small cup and saucer. More neat handwriting with encouraging words around the rim. I'm not normally an inspirational quote type of gal but it did make me smile when I tried to explain to my blind husband that I'd been mugged. "But it's a tea cup isn't it? I don't get it." I told him the short note inside the cup explained it was a Facebook meme. Seems someone in Ipswich is mugging people. Not new in a tough old town but this is a different type of weapon, kind words. So thanks stranger for starting my Thursday with a smile.

It's a rainy Saturday here. Lots of work to do in the garden today. We are planting up a vege garden. Tomatoes, spinach, eggplant, zucchini and squash ... and okra. I hate okra but apparently my husband loves it. Any recipe ideas? I'll be back later with photos of soggy seedlings I guess :)

I'm still here ...

My weekends have been nuts. Too many irons in the fire I think. I'm exhausted and could do with a big nanna nap ... all the time, every day :) Think I need a faux fur hammock like the parrots. Here's a bad iPhone snap of Puki sleeping in his. 

Apologies for not keeping this page updated. I promise something soon. I do!

Bolivian 10 Centavos, Soviet era badges and Furoshiki

I was asked at the last moment to help my friend Grant at another vintage fashion fair on Saturday. Hard work but I'm glad I did. Here are some of the treasures I picked up when not slaving over a vintage fashion stall flogging off cat eye glasses, diamante brooches and skin tight rockabilly leopard print dresses.

This necklace is from South America. I'm guessing Bolivia because it s covered in dozens of 10 Centavos ranging in date from 1905 to 1939. I adore ethnic jewellery, I adore textiles and I adore large jewellery. Scored on all points. I'll use this for display but I'm sure I will be tempted to wear it out every so often.

I love Soviet era badges. CCCP and East German as far as I can tell. My husband has a big old black denim jacket that he has pinned with a few and now he has 10 more. Punk meets Communism.

This hand painted silk Furoshiki/scarf is a present for a friend who collects Japanese textiles although I'm seriously tempted to keep it.

 

How about a retro Danish Rya rug? Groovy oranges and only $40. I think this one will be moving around the house until I find the right home. Picked up a small white hide too but it is airing on the line at the moment.

The ladder was propped against the wall because my husband was about to climb up to adjust the digital antenna. Remember he is blind. I told him I wouldn't call an ambulance if he fell. I have shots of the fair too but I'll have to pop them up another time. I can smell dinner in the oven so I better run and check to make sure it's not burning.

Sunrise colours

Very, very early this morning I had a couple of visitors as I worked on the computer. Puki and Portia perched on Kelvin's shoulder. The light was just starting to slant through the windows of my office so I grabbed my camera and took some snaps of them posing before Puki's portrait which is hanging for the moment over the fireplace. Here's Puki. Handsome little devil.

Portia is growing in her adult plumage so is just a little scruffy. Typical teenager. Definitely not shy she pushes to the front every time.

Love their feathers in the yellow morning light. I think Puki was still half asleep. Portia was definitely the one showing off for the camera. We have these two for up to 30 years now and they should start breeding when they are around 3 years old. Phew! We still have a year or two before we hear the cheep cheep cheep of baby birds. Lots of time for these two to bond.