Nimmitabel: A Work in Progress: Post Christmas / New Year Dec 27

We arrived the day after Boxing Day, and it's hot, not too hot, but quite warm nonetheless.

Helen and her kids got there first, (by some hours) and were waiting for us there

waiting #1

waiting #2

J and the kids got there next along with Basil our cat

Basil by Alex

Lots of places for Basil to explore and spy the world from

Mum and I arrived hungry and last- the trip to Inglewood was interminable - there were roadworks on the Westgate Bridge, and as a result it took us almost 1.5 hours to crawl to the Bolte Bridge exit. It was crawling/stationary from the start, and I called Justin to warn him. He therefore had the good sense to avoid this hell hole, and got onto the freeway from Bell Street, and as a result arrived well before us.

photo from the Age

AN EPIC 20-kilometre traffic jam choked Melbourne's busiest arterial road on Thursday, as planned maintenance works on the West Gate Bridge slowed traffic to a crawl all the way from West Sunshine to Malvern.
The bridge was reduced from five lanes to two in each direction all morning and for part of the afternoon, backing up city-bound traffic on the West Gate Freeway as far back as the Western Ring Road. At its heaviest, west-bound traffic travelling on CityLink from the eastern suburbs was backed up through the Domain Tunnel and as far east as Toorak Road.
Many motorists were caught out by the closure, despite a VicRoads information campaign, with some reporting delays that pushed their morning commute out to a teeth-grinding two hours or more.

I must admit I was getting a bit cranky, as we had left home around 11, and so was planning on a late lunch once we arrived, however we arrived close to 3pm. Mum had some dry bread in one of her bags which she nibbled on. This was not at all appealing to me, and as we had taken so long, I didn't want to stop for food.
It was satisfying to see the headline in the Age the next day :- "Carmageddon hits Melbourne"

Anyway, arrived, unpacked the king single bed that Alex and P had kindly given us, and had some food

the newest single bed behind Madeleine #1

the newest single bed behind Madeleine #2

the newest single bed behind Madeleine #3

the newest single bed behind Madeleine #4

As you can see from the above photos the kids enjoyed lying around on the beds and reading, watching dvds on a laptop, or just plain old sleeping

We did however manage to get them to help with a bit of work in the garden. Both Mad and Fraser did a some digging/shifting of pebbles, bricks etc

Mad looking tough filling the wheelbarrow

Mad watering the vegie patch

Mad & Mum watering the front garden

Mad & Fraser encircling the fruit trees with bricks

Mad posing with brick circle

not sure what they're up to there

getting more bricks

And speaking of work despite the heat, we all chipped in

Justin, Helen & I did the pebble path on the other side of the central concrete path.

First J and H had to start clearing away many many wheelbarrow fulls of dirt, and making an outline for the path.

Helen being back smart

Justin surveying the scene

I cleared away a bit under the side hedge and found an old button brooch? with black glass petals depicting a flower. Denise and Steve told us to soak it in full cream milk to wash away the rust/buildup - but it didn't really work. And because of the heat, the milk turned into yogurt....I treasure it nonetheless as a link to the past.

buried treasure

Once enough dirt had been cleared away, we placed the bricks sawtooth fashion as per the other path and then put a layer of sand down


Helen spreading out the sand (Justin not being sun smart)

And then of course the pebbles :-

me with a heavy load of pebbles

Helen filling the barrow

Me, Michaela & barrow #1

Me, Michaela & barrow #2

The finished path

Happy workers #1

happy workers #2

A lovely shot by Alex

We were very pleased and proud of that path, Helen even went and bought a bottle of sparkling wine to celebrate its completion. But of course we didn't pour it over the path - we drank it!

Helen pouring the wine

And, of course we had to get rid of all of that dirt that we had removed - from both the path, and that bloody pile of dirt left over by the plumber

Xavier helping/ with the dirt

Helen diminishing the pile

re-distributed dirt

Mum also got into the act and was raking the re-distributed dirt flat - as the hope is that the grass will eventually grow over the bare dirt once we get some rain again

Mum also got rid of the weeds around the orchard trees and filled the brick circles with pea straw

Mum and mattock #1

Mum and mattock #2

I'm also happy to say that Helen and I pretty much got rid of that big pile of dirt

see - it's just about gone #1

see - it's just about gone #2

Before #1

Before #2

J did some more painting on the back veranda

painting man

and also put up the garden arch (and planted some jasmine to grow over it)

J starting to put together the arch

Xavier & Michaela by the arch

planting the jasmine

ta- da

But I'm glad to say it wasn't all work. We generally worked in the morning before it got too hot, and sometimes went to the pool in the afternoon

Baby pool #1

Baby pool #2

Xavier looking worried....

Xavier low riding #1

Xavier low riding #2

Went into Bridgewater for a walk along the river

posing during our walk

there's some long billed corellas in that tree...

now you can see them but they're a bit blurry

The kids played totem tennis

Totem tennis #1

Totem tennis #2

Helen and I went for a walk after dinner one night

Silos #1

Silos #2

A different view of the town hall

We played scrabble, did crosswords, played charades, had nana/baby naps etc

scrabble by Alex

father & son crossword


Crosswords by Alex

Fraser hamming it up with Charades - by Alex #1

Fraser hamming it up with Charades - by Alex #2

Justin taking it easy - pre/post nana nap (I had plenty too, there are just no photos!)

Xavier having a nap in the red room

Justin doing something to the tv

Fraser looking serious

And of course food was a big thing. Alex and P had given us an electric frying pan for Christmas which we brought to Inglewood. I had wanted one as an oven equivalent - given that the wood burning stove oven was a bit of a dud, and the gas bbq was a bit too tricky to regulate. Anyway, we successfully heated up frozen pies. I made a couple of cakes, and also some savoury tarts. All worked out very well (despite me just making them up ie no recipes). I'm so pleased.

nectarine cake

enjoying the nectarine cake #1

enjoying the nectarine cake #2

enjoying the nectarine cake #3

chicken tart cooking in the electric frying pan

chicken tart on the serving plate

chicken tart served up

Justin enjoying something

2 cans for Fraser

Mad hamming it up #1

Mad hamming it up #2

something's interesting

Mum preparing something #1

Mum preparing something #2

Xavier waiting for his dinner

me calling the rest of the family to dinner (and hamming it up) #1

me calling the rest of the family to dinner (and hamming it up) #2

We had more visitors :- Alex drove up, as did Frank with Claudia

Sibling song birds

Alex, Frank, Claudia, Justin & Michaela

family lunch in the dining room

Frank & Claudia #1

Frank & Claudia #2

After lunch

walking down the street by Alex

And our mate Gordon dropped in with a New Year bottle of champagne which we shared in the dining room.

Another couple also dropped by who were very interested in the house. Robert & Amanda from Canberra. They had hailed Mum from Storm Lane and were asking her questions about the house - so I came out and had a chat with them also. Given their interest I asked if they'd like to look inside the house - which they did
with enthusiasm. They were very nice and said I should write about what we're doing here - so I told them about this blog. So if you're reading this Robert /Amanda please make a comment - as Justin is my most frequent commenter - but only because I beg/cajole /wheedle for some sort of feedback. That goes for anyone else who reads this.....Family/friends......tell me how self indulgent I am, how I should do something more constructive than weeding, why do we always eat and drink so much up here etc...

Anyway, enough of that ranting and now onto yet some more happy snaps of my nephew Xavier and niece Michaela who love coming up here and spending time with their big cousins, running around in the big garden, visiting David's chickens (Xavier and I scored 4 eggs from our neighbour Francine when we were talking to her chickens on New Years day) playing with Basil etc

Xavier telling us something

Michaela in a big chair

Michaela & Xavier in a big chair

Michaela and her baby

5yo Mozart?

Toddler Mozart

A somewhat staged shot, Xavier was doing this moments earlier
and I thought it would make a funny photo, I wasn't quick enough
with my phone, so Michaela staged this one

Mad reading, and who knows what the other 2 are up to

Ladders are fun #1

Ladders are fun #2

King of the castle #1

King of the castle #2

thoughtful, or posing?

martian?

Bubble wrap bride

sun smart #1

no paparazzi

Love those plums #1

sun smart #2

Love those plums #2

Love those plums #3

farmer boy

waiting to go swimming #1

waiting to go swimming #2

Love those plums #4

Going for a ride

Now, you would have seen all those photos of Xavier with the plums and a dirty plummy face. He saw me pick a plum from the tree near the well and eat it. So he did the same and more. That plum tree near the well is groaning with fruit - I assume that it gets water from there also, as the other plum trees are no where near as full of fruit

branches are bending down from the weight of the plums

I had been watching a couple of the almond trees to see when I should pick the almonds. Unfortunately I left it too long, and the parrots had got to them first - perhaps the long billed correllas that we saw in Bridgewater. I understand that they are very destructive!

chewed open almond shells - twigs all along the ground

I managed to salvage some unopened almonds on the ground, but haven't eaten any yet

saved almonds

The artichoke is still looking mighty fine, with another flower opening - and attracting bees (as if we don't have enough bees already). There also seem to be some smaller plants at the base - so I may plant them elsewhere

purple bee trap

On the last and perhaps hottest day - Mum and I decided that we needed to lay down some more pea straw (should have done it previously) on the front beds to protect them from the heat. Was really hot work spreading it out, and had to wear gloves as there some prickles. Looked good once we were done (could have done with some more straw - but enough was enough. Dear Denise had said that she will come and water the citrus trees, orchard, vegie patch as need be as there is a very hot week forecast with temperatures in the 40s expected