More pumpkins and pomegranates April 28 & 29 2012

It was just Alex, Fraser and  myself this weekend.  Justin and Mad stayed behind in Melbourne.  P & A went to visit friends in Tasmania. 

Arrived before lunch (after F's 1st Wesley hockey match at Albert Park) The car was very full, 2 x fold up beds, and other bits and pieces.  J was a bit concerned that the back seat was down, so strapped the beds down just in case we had an accident (we didn't)

one of the beds in one of the little upstairs rooms

Alex arrived a bit later, and we looked aorund the house and garden. 

The pumpkins are looking magnificent, the tomatoes are still fruiting, and the laundry chimney has been completed....The lip part might be a bit high though, as we had wanted to be able to BBQ on it - but we'll see

with chimney

with chimney #2

Still waiting on the bricks to be laid as a floor. 

I'm also pleased to say that the raspberry has survived and has a few more green leaves now

Picked some tomtaoes - and had them with turkish rolls, olives and salami etc for lunch.  Very nice. 

home grown tomatoes

Weeding for me out the front after lunch, I feel that I have to at least have the front weed free.  Saw Grant & Francine, who told me that there had been a spate of burglaries around town, the bowls club, the footy club, up Storm lane, Nevins twice etc. They thought it was just kids after cash, and also said that their dog had barked madly for a few nights, which made them a bit uneasy, and that they were keeping an eye on our place.  When I mentioned it to Enzo later on, he said that they had been caught, and that they weren't kids, but 30 somethings from Wedderburn. 

Given that it was quite warm, gave the new plants a good watering - and was also pleased to see that Cheryl & Andrew's citrus were looking quite happy

citrus #1

Citrus #2

I also called up Kevin and he dropped over and I finally gave him the photocopies of the titles.  Never did find the ones that Justin had copied, oh well, they'll turn up eventually

And yes we went to the pub for dinner - the menu had changed slightly, there were a few more parma options ie parma and prawns which is what I had

prawn parma

 
Fraser was pretty pleased when Enzo opened the chocolate claw machine and grabbed a handful of chockies and gave them to him

Back home to the dining room, where I lit a fire and we made ourselves cosy.  Fraser watched a movie on Alex's ipad, Alex read & napped and I read the newspaper.  Just before bed I prepared a loaf of bread for Sunday morning. This time didn't add anything else apart from water and yeast - as I had finally read the packet and saw that it was a complete bread mix, I had been adding milk powder, sugar, salt etc - as per the instructions on the bread maker - but I didn't need too, as I was in effect doubling up.

Relatively early night, and I made us all a nice bacon, egg and hash brown breakfast on the wood fire stove -  with of course my fresh bread.  Very nice, although the bacon was inexlicably tough? Did I keep it warm too long in the "oven"?

Sunday breakfast

Boys having breakfast

Got Fraser to help me with some garden measurements - trying to trianangulate the hoop pine, old oleander, vegie boxes etc.  - not sure how accurate it will all be.  The reason is that we need to position all immovables for Kevin the garden designer - so that he can start making us up a plan.

I also sawed off an old frond and seed pod from the potentially rare palm at the front - so that I could take it to the National Herbarium in the Botanic Gardens as per Kevin's suggestion.  I then took them to the Herbarium on Monday and it was pretty much identified as a Silvestri Palm, which is relatively uncommon, but not that rare, so probably no need to to register it with the unique tree register.

probable silvestri palm

Probable silvestri palm #2

silvestri dates?

Fraser and I also went apple scrumping to that tree near the IGA on public land, and got a bag full.

bounteous apple tree

And then the 3 of use visted the pomegranate tree in the lane way, and I gave Fraser a shoulder ride in order to reach the more inaccessible ones

I did more gardening out the front, and Alex did some fililing and sanding in the top room

More sandwiches for a late lunch, and put a new doona set on Fraser's bed. - as i had washed sheets etc yesterday - a ncie windy good drying day!


new doona set 



April's bed


Put the solar bud lights out on the veranda to soak up the sun, and got an interesting shadow pattern effect in the photo - from the veranda lace iron work

And finally, let Alex choose a pumpkin to take home for dinner - which P subsquently cooked up into a pumpkin and carrot soup

good pick

Fraser pretending to drink my coffee