Didn't do much 24 & 25th March 2018

I wanted to take the veranda posts that Alex had given us a year or so ago to Inglewood as they were on our veranda in Glen Iris, and in the way.

So, Justin and I carried them and the pickets out to the ute, and Justin tied them on safely. he's very good at securing loads.

It was supposed to be 29 degrees in Inglewood, so I was just wearing a t shirt and shorts, but it started raining and then pouring on the drive there.  We had to have the air conditioner on to make sure that the windscreen didn't fog up, but it made us too cold, there was no happy medium.  And because I didn't have a long sleeved top, I just had to wrap my arms around myself to keep warm - was ridiculous.

There were also traffic jams on the Calder - so a long wait at Bulla Road, with some cars reversing back up the emergency lane so they could exit the freeway, and then another wait  up past the hills - so it took us close to 3 hours to get there.

Three rather cold hours...

And, it was also rather cold once we got to Inglewood too.  I immediately changed into warming trackie pants and put a long sleeved top on (good thing I've got other clothes there, as I didn't bring any with me)

Given that it was around 1pm, we walked up to the bakery, and bought some pies for lunch - they were good and warming.

Read the paper for a bit, was a bit too miserable to go outside and work, rainy and windy, had a nap also, as we'd had Lana and Peter around for dinner on Friday, and had a late night, and then woke up early (not on purpose)

Felt really quite nice not to be doing anything.

We weren't really hungry for dinner - so grazed on cheese, our home made salami, tomato etc

I  picked an old classic movie to watch The long long trailer with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, was quite amusing

Sunday, and didn't do much today either

Justin wanted to try out his replacement drone - which he'd  bought a while back after losing the 1st one

 And here he is flying it - didn't go too high this time, so no casualties

We also took the veranda posts etc out of the ute

And put them in the soon to be fenced in orchard

I also organised the kitchen a bit more - moved the food from above the kettle/toaster etc shelves  , to the unused cupboard next to the fridge.

And found some more scraps of newspaper.  Some with stories about Easter in Bendigo which is  quite apt, and also Bay excursions on pleasure steamers - including the Ozone  which was scuttled off Indented Heads, and had the Hotel named after it at Queenscliff

Maile and David dropped also  in and gave us a flyer for a Spanish guitarist coming to Dunolly in a three weeks or so

Have organised the tickets - so we'll go there with George and Val, as they are coming to Inglewood that weekend

And Justin noticed that one of the outside chairs that Jan and Peter gave us has the rattan broken

So, now  we're down to 3 chairs on the back deck.  I looked up google to see how to fix it .....doesn't look too hard if you can buy the rattan somewhere

And my pomegranates are looking great.  Had some in a grain salad on Friday, with Lana and Peter, and I also aim to have some at Easter

More Grape picking 9 and 10 March 2018

Well, it was the Labour Day long weekend - even longer for me with my day off on Fridays

Last week Terry had mentioned how many tomatoes he had, so I suggested that we make some passata.

So that was going to the plan, I would come up on Friday, and then leave again Saturday afternoon, as we were invited to Karen and Mark's for dinner.

However, as they say, "best laid plans..."

Terry called up again, and said there'd been a change of plan.  The grapes in the front vineyard were ready to be picked, and had to be done this weekend (the original plan was that they would be ready and picked the following weekend).  So I was invited to pick again (must have done something right last weekend)

On Friday, I tidied up and did some chores, and thenc drove the new passat - which now had instructions in Chinese! to Bendigo, as I was going to get some keys cut.

A month or so ago, we had new locks fitted to the back doors - and I asked if the bloke could also cut me some more keys. Unfortunately he didn't have a mobile key cutting machine with him, so he said he'd cut me some if I came into Bendigo - so that's what I did.

Danny cut me 3 keys, - which all work properly.  The problem with the IGA cut keys is that they just don't work properly...I've had them cut, and replaced a number of times, but they just didn't work.  Better to go to a proper locksmith

So, got into Inglewood around 3.15 - had a quick bite of some bread and cheese (I hadn't had any lunch) a swig of juice, and then onto Kingower, as Terry had said picking would start at 4pm

And, as per the notice that we got in the letter box, Verdon street had been re-tarred (actually took the below photo early on Saturday morning) - not that it really needed it in my opinion

I got there around 10 to 4, and Terry was already picking.  It was a sunny hot day, over 30 degrees.

Started in one spot, which had pretty good grapes, but once I'd finished there, it was pretty much down hill all the way, as my new row was bird strike, and more bird strike - easily identified by split, unjuicy, light berries, bees buzzing around, and also milling ants.  Not pleasant. And on top of that it was frustrating, took ages to just fill a white bucket, was throwing a lot more away than keeping....

I whinged a bit to Terry, saying that if it had been like this last Saturday, I might not have come back.

Anyway, we finished around 7pm, and then went back to Arleen and David's house to have some wine and antipasto, and then some dinner.

Unfortunately no photos - didn't want to look gauche (ok if I take them at my place, or Village Green etc though)

We sat out on the back deck, and it was very pleasant.  I stayed till around 10 or so, and then drove home carefully - didn't want to run into any kangaroos in my new car - and luckily didn't even see one.

Very early start on Saturday, I had stupidly woken up again around 3 or 4am - so read for a while.  But had the alarm set for 7am, and was sound asleep when it went off - and really didn't feel like getting up - especially being being on the weekend

But get up I did, watered the citrus, ate a couple of peaches that I picked - one yellow - not quite ripe, and the other white, and delicious.

And then onto Kingower, got there around 7.45am.  Was a beautiful morning, sunny clear and cool to begin with.

Had to do a bit of organising, as the big space ship vat was full with the previously picked shiraz grapes.  Had to bring some of the non mechanised vats around the front.

After this - which didn't take long, we started picking straight away as better in the cool of the morning, than the heat of the afternoon.  Had a better row this time ie no bird strike, so was happy.  And could also dodge the sun a bit - picking from one side of the row, and then the other

Morning tea around 11am - an apple pull apart cake from June, and an apple mulberry cake from Arleen - both delicious

It started warming up quite quickly...got to 35 degrees or so, luckily there was a slight breeze at times which made it a bit better.

Got rather hot and sweaty, and definitely had "hat hair" ie my hair was so sweaty under my hat that it felt awful - like straw....

Did another stint of de-stemming

And have a look at this glorious pre wine- hundreds of litres of fresh squashed grapes in one of the open vats

Had a late lunch after 2pm - build your own salad rolls - also with chicken,salami, egg etc

I had already told them that I had to leave at 3pm to get back to Melbourne, as we were invited to Karen and Mark's for dinner, and I would obviously need a shower and change of clothes.

Anyway, we were still sitting around at 2.45, so it wasn't worth my while picking up the snips and starting to pick again. - so Areleen disappeared into the storeroom and  gave me a nice bottle of wine for my help today - with the promise of more to come (not that I picked for reward, I just wanted to help out, and see what it was like)

Terry had said that he had a huge crop of apples on 2 of his netted trees, and so invited me to drop over and pick some.  Arleen lent me a bag to put them in.  I did this on my way home

Had a bit of a bag malfunction though - as the bottom suddenly ripped open, spilling my picked apples on the ground

Had to gather them up and sort of wrap the bag around them like a nappy

Anyway, was all good - and I'll do some cooking with them/eat them etc

Grape picking = Shiraz 2020, Mar 3 & 4 2018

Drove the new Passat to Inglewood for the 1st time.  Very smooth.

Got there around 10.45, and had my hair cut and coloured at 11.15

Justin had a late lunch ready for me when I'd finished.  Takes hours to get hair this good...

Read the paper, pottered around, didn't want to get too dirty because of my hair... Also, it was pretty windy, and hot, bit too unpleasant to be doing anything like gardening outside

That said, the chives were looking lovely in full bloom with lots of bees buzzing around

The mint was also in flower and looking very happy

And, the asparagus was still alive - yay.  Not much progress on the citrus trees though - still had a green trunk, but no new leaves, and the pink lady apple which had little green buds two weeks ago, had burned off again.

We also organised the large rug in the dining room (previously upstairs).  I had thought that the dining room was getting a bit crowded - what with the large dining table, bookshelf, dumb waiter, Victorian organ, sideboard, couch and chairs....I want to move/get rid of the organ - we don't need it there... Justin wants to keep it. I would prefer that the sideboard goes where the organ is - and that the organ either goes upstairs or out.  Don't forget that we also have another new desk (from Ocean Grove) which is currently/temporarily in our room

Anyway, moved the furniture to get the rug down, and I suggested that we have the table contracted ie square -as it can fold in on itself.  That made more room - and we don't actually need it so long unless we have lots of people - and I think it looks a lot better - in the window bay.  And that way we could put the 2 chairs in front of the fireplace - in preparation for Winter

Went up to Kingower - Village Green at 6.45 - for the 1st Saturday of the month get together

Once again we were the 1st there, but Maile and David arrived minutes later, and Damo, Nicole and Jerry soon after that

It was a lovely evening, and the wind had died down

Justin took some lovely photos of the sky

The plan had been to have a simple dinner when we got home, - I was planning a tuna salad with fresh/pickled veggies etc

However, because there had been dips/chips. nuts etc - we didn't really feel like dinner, so just grazed on some more cheese etc - and watched About a boy - which is an oldie but a goody - very enjoyable

Had to get up early on Sunday - as I was going to pick grapes at Blanche Barkly.  Justin got up too, as he was going to come with me, but run back from the Village Green in preparation for his upcoming Great Ocean Road half marathon

Arleen had said 8am, I got up there around 8.10, when Damo and Nicole were arriving also

Got Justin to take a before photo (can also see my new haircut)

I also took a photo of Justin

Luckily it wasn't as hot today as yesterday, nor so windy

Arleen supplied us with grape snips and some buckets, and off we went.  We were picking shiraz grapes, and they were just perfect, had to be picked this weekend

Basically, we had to pick up a bucket, and then empty it into a larger red tub, which would be collected by tractor later on

We were given rows to start on, and instructions as to what to do with substandard grapes (ie bird strikes), snip them off and throw them on the ground

The grapes were lovely (I tried a few) - reminded me a bit of wisteria flowers hanging in trailing bunches

  

Sometimes they got tangled in the wires, and other times it was hard to find the stem to cut.  At least I didn't get all scratched up like when I am gardening.  It was relatively genteel.

Was also satisfying to hear the solid thud when the grape bunch fell into the bucket - lots of juice!

Once we'd filled up all of the red crates, Damo manned the tractor and came and picked them up - and they went on a trailer behind the tractor

Then back to the winery and the crushing and destemming machine.

First had to weigh the grapes - around 900kg for the first batch.  

And then into the crusher/destemmer.  I was given the important job of manning the stop button, and also moving the empty red crates out of the way.

Terry heaved the crates up to empty the grapes into the destemmer   

The grapes were crushed, and the stems spat out, and the juice went through a large hose up into the big metal "spaceship"

Arleen also provided us with a morning tea - some nice cakes and a cup of tea, and later a hearty lunch of baked pasta with a green salad, and some of their light Nuovo wine - delicious

And then back to the picking - I felt that I was starting to get my eye in - and was trying to be more efficient ie positioning the bucket/tub under the grape bunches and then just snipping and letting them fall straight in, or guiding them with my hands.

I stayed til 4pm - as Justin wanted to leave then.  Got back to the house, and asked Justin to take an "after" photo of me (thought I would have been grubby) - but I wasn't too bad - just tired 

Then quickly grabbed my stuff and we left for Melbourne