Well preserved.......

What a bad bad blogger I am.....I have finally summed up the energy to put up a post. Why am I so tired? It's fruit time! Thanks to good rains we are drowning in mountains of delicious fruit. We have figs, plums, apricots, and peaches in abundance. So I have had the old Fowlers Vacola unit out and been bottling madly. I have preserved around 40 bottles of peaches and 30 of plums, and I'm starting on the figs. I have made at least 70 jars of jam and 10 litres of spicy plum sauce. That's not to mention time spent blanching and freezing beans, pickling onions and zucchinis and making pickles. All our friends and family are loving all the home made goodies. Thing is that they keep bringing me more fruit! I wish they'd bring more jars, the op-shops are totally out of them. Oh and did I mention the home made yoghurt and cheese? And then there's the ginger beer plant I have started.... Along with all that I have decided that the most economical, healthy and environmentally friendly option for me is to become vegetarian, so I have been trying out loads of great recipes. We just have so many vegies it's crazy not to use them! Yes I'm knackered, no I haven't had time to do much craft (don't worry swap buddies, I'll be done soon...), but I am loving the pleasure and satisfaction of a well stocked preserves cupboard.....

She/he/it has a name - and a friend!

My budgie chick is still going strong.... something we are quite suprised about. Shortly after my original post about it the chick went all "flop-bot". It's neck looked like it was broken, it wouldn't feed and it's toes were curled up. I managed to drip a bit of food down it's throat and put it in it's nest. It lay on it's side..... sadly I went out to the garden and avoided checking it as I was sure it was dying. Ian eventually went for a peek to find it sitting up and chirping for a feed! Since then it hasn't looked back.

It flies out of the cage to be fed and hardly needs feeding by me anymore, much to busy flying around the room. Since it seems to be here for the long-haul I have relented and given it a name. "Squirt". Partly because what goes in comes out the same, and partly because of how tiny it is.

Squirt has been joined inside by Duncan. I am yet to take some pics of him. This little white fella is about 12 months old. Ian found him in the bottom of the cage looking very wobbly. We have diagnosed him as having a Vitamin B deficiency so the poor thing had a vitamin injection yesterday! I held him while Ian did the injection, I had visions of the needle coming out the other side! Oh, and his name comes from the Slim Dusty song "I love to have a beer with Duncan" cause of his weak legs and wobbly stumbling walk.....

Australia Day 2008

Here's what Toddy and I did on Australia Day. The kids were all busy with their own social lives so we decided on a relaxing way to spend the day.......

The send off party.

Off we go

Don't leave us.......

Gorgeous Blossom

Over the bridge and into town

A refreshing ale at the pub
Homeward boundWhere were you?
We missed you....

Thanks Toddy and Bloss, that was beautiful.....