Last of Alex for a while 9 -11 February 2024

Well, Alex picked me up around 4.30 or so, and then we went to puck up Jane in St Kilda 

Alex had asked if they could come up for the weekend - as he is taking a secondment to Vietnam next Sunday for 3 months (will come back for Penny's wedding in April though)

Anyway, bit of traffic in the city, so took a while to get onto the Calder.  I called up Fook Shing in Kyneton to see if they could fit us in at 6.30pm (not available online), and they were fine - so we had a delicious banquet there - and Jane and I shared a bottle of rose -  Jane very generously paid for it all

Got to Inglewood around 9.30, Jane went to bed, while Alex and I had a nightcap in the dining room

Saturday late (after Jane's run) breakfast was in the dining room as Ian S had sanded and polished the kitchen floor.  When I went in, parts were still sticky (should have all dried - he finished up at 2.30pm yesterday, and it's supposed to be 4 hours drying time).  Anyway - it was just me - carefully in the kitchen for the morning

Walked up the street - and saw that Jerry & Pauline were at the shops - paid (and profusely thanked) Jerry for getting the chimney cap up on the kitchen chimney.  Went and said hello to Denise & Steve also, and lastly to the butcher shop where Alex bought some sausages and rissoles for our dinner, and I bought some frozen kangaroo loin and crocodile meat - for future dinners

Anyway, this all took ages - because we were chatting

Alex suggested the Bridgewater pub for lunch - but I bowed out, as we'd had a late breakfast, so the 2 of them went, and I put my overalls on and picked up rotten apples and peaches which had been infested with fruit fly.  Was quite warm also 

The below picture is an infested peach which was still somehow on the tree - looks revolting!

   There were so many on the ground....

And the smell was either fermenting peaches - which wasn't actually very nice, or else dried peach, which was better

I ended up pretty much filling a big plastic tub with peaches from inside the orchard

And then another almost full tub from the street side - and then put them in black plastic rubbish bags to lie in the sun, and kill the grubs/flies 

Given that I skipped lunch - I had a few delicious mulberrys

And then I started trimming - the smaller citrus out the front was being overshadowed by a dog rose and euphorbias etc.  It actually has its first fruit on it - I thought it was a lemon, but Maile thought it looked more like a lime, and she might be right (didn't take a photo, maybe next time)

The rose canes are so thick and tall...got a bit scratched up as per usual while gardening 

Alex and Jane came back whilst I was doing this and helped out also - Alex tidied up the hedge area.  Did a terrific job, pity I didn't get a photo of it (next time also) 

 And then I went inside to start preparing for dinner - Pumpkin in the air fryer again, cheat roast potatoes and char grilled zucchini with mint

And then once that was done - a shower to cool off (and clean).  Had been quite hot and sweaty

Terry came just after 6 - and we had some G&Ts and nibbles on the back veranda - while Alex cooked up the meat, and char grilled the zucchini

We followed up the G&Ts with some bubbles that I had in the fridge, - from Swan Hill (purchased at the butcher with Justin last time).  Anyway, we were surprised when it was a red  - very nice though

Ate our dinner under the big tree

Stayed out here until the mozzies forced us inside ...

Had a very pleasant evening - finished up around 11.30 or so

Sunday, and breakfast out the back deck - very pleasant, really enjoying the dappled shade from the grape vines on the trellis.  This year the cabbage moth butterflies haven't eaten the leaves to the veins (unlike the previous couple of years) - although  there are a LOT of cabbage moths around

After breakfast, we put the powder room door back on its hinges

And then we went to Boort - green oasis 

Had a walk part way around the lake - which was very pleasant - although the lake water looked a bit milky. Lot of bird life around there  

Then back home for a late lunch, a tidy up, and back to Melbourne.  I had planned to do some more work in the garden, but it was a hot day, and Alex and Jane were here - so next time