Quasair again and Suzy & Stu 23-25 May 2025

Left on Friday afternoon around 3.30pm - and it took us 3 hours to get to Inglewood.  I thought it was an aberration when I got a lift with Christine a few weeks ago - but I think leaving at this time is now too problematic with school pick ups etc 

Anyway, got there around 6.30 - and it was dark - so Justin couldn't see the grass yet

Jason the Quasair guy was coming around 10.30 on Saturday morning.  John K from Quasair had organised for him to come up and have a look - work  it out

He seemed to think it was doable - coming in from the back

He took measurements, and said they would build a prototype out of cardboard and come back and make sure that it fits

We would also need to get an electrician to come back and connect up, and to also put a control switch on the wall.

And also possibly a plumber to move the hot water service

Anyway, it's looking possible - I'm assuming that they would need to customise a unit for us, and that it would be very expensive....

After they left, we went in the garden and had a look around

There had obviously been some frost - with my chilli plants badly effected

 
I subsequently moved them to the herb bed in front of the house - as the plants there didn't seem effected.  

Let's hope they survive - as they look pretty bedraggled - apparently you're not supposed to cut off the frost burnt leaves - so I left them looking pretty sorry

But, speaking of survival, that poppy that Helen brought me at Easter has survived - and had sent out some new tentative shoots.  The original fronds had died down - so I did think it was a goner

We also got Shane to come around - to help us set up the new watering app on our phones.  Upgraded to a 12 station - finally got it working.  We were going around and around in circles, and then Shane suggested that we try something else - and that worked.  Had also tried googling it - but no help there

I had also brought up some more plants that I had bought at Botanica at Rippon Lea, and some passionfruit plants from Bunnings - so I planted the Rippon Lea plants and placed the passionfruit in front of the garage (Shane said he'd plant them after they put the REO up)

The jonquils were looking lovely

And the cosmos had put on another burst

I put the lamb shoulder in the oven around 12 - to slow cook, and prepped the potatoes and pumpkin

Susie, Stu and their kids - Bridie & Riley arrived after 3pm.  Showed them around (as they hadn't been here in many years)

Justin and Susie struck a pose in the kitchen

Started with some nibbles around 5pm on the veranda

Served up dinner around 7.30

The kids went off to bed soon after dinner, and the rest of us also had a relatively early night

Justin programmed the lawn sprinklers for the morning - didn't want to do it overnight in case there was a frost

The only thing was that the water pressure in the house went down while the tanks were filling - oh well, at least we know, I had initially thought there might be a leak somewhere

Bridie drew and picture each for myself and Justin - so we proudly displayed them on the mantlepiece

Drove up to Melvilles Caves and had a look around.  Was a lovely clear day - sunny, a little cool, kids liked it a lot

They left from there, and we went back to the house 

I planted some more of the new plants ie a droopy looking rhubarb (discounted at Bunnings)

Some carrot seedlings

And was pleased to see some of my vegie seeds had started to come up

I was also pleased to see that the jonquil bulb shoots had grown - I put them in the window for more light

Had some lunch, did the dishes etc and drove to Sutton Grange to pick up the olive oil - only one large  container.  John said there was water in the larger olives.

I asked him if there was anything we could do to increase the oil rate - and he said to give them a good water at bud burst, and then to stop watering them around 4 weeks before picking.

We'll try that for next time

Turf at last Tue 13- Fri 16 May 2025

Arrived around 4.30pm or so and just before 5pm sauntered across to the Hub - as there was going to be a handover between our Town Hall Committee and the Hub committee - and also a little thank you for us 

As it was - no one had invited Kirsty and Brian which was a pity - so there was just me as Treasurer, and Enzo and Colleen (as they are on both committees) and the Hub people ie Tenar, Jill etc 

Enzo gave a speech - thanking us all - I filmed it, and emailed it to the others later

We had some nibbles and a glass of bubbles which was nice

Then back home, some dinner, some TV and a relatively early night - as I had the alarm set for 6.30am as Shane was coming at 7.30am and we were getting started on the turfing

Got myself breakfast in bed - had the heater on, did my quizzes and then to the kitchen around 7.25am to watch out for Shane 

I had volunteered to be non skilled labour to both save some money, and also because I thought it would be interesting to do

Shane had already dug the trenches the day before, so our job was to put the pipes in, attach  the joins (elbows and T bars), sprinkler heads etc

Lots of trenches and 10 or is it 12 sprinkler heads?

  

A sprinkler head

And the sprinkler head marked by a flag - so as not to lose it when the trench is filled in 

Shane attaching some pipes

And, once all of the pipes were in, I started pushing the loose dirt back into the trenches, and sometimes shovelling it in 

The dirt was surprisingly heavy - and therefore pretty tiring.  Just walking around the garden I did over 11,000 steps  

Had to watch where I walked, as the filled in trenches had softer earth in them, and you would sink down into them   

We also connected up the back corner tanks with the new tank - as otherwise those tanks were just going to tap at the back of the house  

I had a zoom meeting at 5.30pm - with Stonnington Library.  A producer from Grand Designs/Restoration Australia (not Mark) was giving a talk.  It was pretty interesting, and he mentioned Mark as his neighbour who got him into the show.

I therefore sent Mark a text who told me that the 30 days post screening day was over, and that the ABC were pretty pleased.  Combining the numbers who had watched our show live and then streaming via I-View - we had more than 990,000 views.  Wow!  I told Justin, and he wanted to know how the other episodes compared.  Mark said we were approx 30,000 ahead.  Justin is not normally so competitive

Anyway, another relatively early night - as another 6.30am alarm, and 7.30am work start on Thursday 

Shane evened out and compacted out the soil a bit more - with his little digger

While he was doing that I removed bricks from around the "heritage" orchard trees - we're going to have metal hoops around them to be consistent with the regular orchard

And moved the trough, stump and other junk from around those 2 almond trees - so it became lovely and clear

It had previously looked like this - bit of a junk pile

And I also found all sorts of treasures/stuff while raking the dirt

And then there was the prolific bloody bridal creeper  - the roots form absolute mats below the surface of the ground - and nothing can penetrate it.  Shocking stuff.

I ripped out heaps of it - before the new dirt and then turf went over that area 

And I chucked out heaps in the bin (made it pretty heavy!)

In the meantime Shane was getting more top soil, and got I think 8 truck loads

I fixed up the sawtooth bricks around the mulberries and also weeded etc

Ended up with surplus jonquil bulbs and iris corms - as these were above ground 

I replanted most of them - and also put a few jonquil bulbs in glass containers in water - as apparently they can flower like that too 

And I planted the plants that I had brought up from Melbourne - ie some succulents/bromeliads etc, and the daffodils that I'd bought from the Lions Club on our olive harvest weekend 

  

During this both Terry and Rosemary dropped in separately to say hello (so I guess I slacked off a bit)

Once all the dirt loads were delivered, Shane spread them out with his digger

You wouldn't even know that the trenches are under here

Not as physically taxing a day for me as yesterday - I still did 9,000 steps though

And all that loose dirt made me filthy - so when we finished up around 5.00pm or so, I went and had a much deserved bath - complete with a donut bath fizzer

Friday - 6.30am alarm again, and 7.30am start.  This time with another worker - Kyle

The turf was delivered nice and early just after 7.30, wrapped and stacked in piles on pallets

Three rectangles per level 

But first the guys had to place and weld the metal rings around the "heritage" orchard.  I had already removed the bricks from around these trees 

And then we started on the turf - hoorah!

Shane wasn't sure if I could carry a piece of turf, I assured him that I could 

We started over near the back veranda / almond trees 

Kyle and I took turns laying the rectangles.  It was a small achievement if it landed exactly where you wanted to place it.  Normally some small adjustments had to be made. (nudging with your foot was best/easiest, otherwise you'd have to bend down and move it with your hands)

The rectangles also had to be cut to fit the curves/odd shapes

And they were supposed to be laid in a brick type pattern, ie you didn't want joins in line with each other - as then it wouldn't knit properly

Before laying down a piece, the ground had to be finely raked some more - and any large stones, roots, etc discarded

It felt very satisfying filling in the garden with turf - and it looked fantastic.  And the turf was so soft to walk on - like carpet.  Its really transformational 

Shane had to also move the pallets of turf around  so that we could continue.  But the full pallets were too heavy for his forklift, so we had to run them down

During this time the plumber came  - as we wanted him to have a look and see why the upstairs shower sometimes ran cold.  

He ended up replacing a piece which is being held up in the below photo.  Hopefully this fixes it  

 

I also got him to get rid of that old tap - that presumably got water from the old pipes from the house roof - below is a photo of where it used to be (near the cistern)

And they agreed that we could use the existing hot water service for my proposed outside bath and shower (if we ever go ahead with this).  And to put an outside toilet on the back/Kingower wall of the house - the plumbing is all there - would just need to make a small structure around it  

Shane and I had been spitballing a bit - he had suggested using the old bricks to do some crazy paving around the vegie gardens, and then to also make a path from the back veranda  to a another paved area which would have the bath on it (and maybe a shower) It would be made private with 4 walls of REO with start jasmine climbing up it.  No need for a roof. 

Anyway, back to the turfing - and it was looking really good, and I was starting to get a bit tired - and very dirty/dusty

I got Shane to take a couple of photos of me to show that I was doing something 

And then we just had this little patch to do - woo hoo.  But it had got to 4pm, and that was the time I had to pack up and leave by (needed a quick shower) - as the Danes had kindly invited us over for dinner in  Melbourne.  So I left Shane and Kyle to it  

And checking my fitbit - I had walked over 14,000 steps today - just around the house and garden