June visits to Underhill

Last week I had an overnight visit to Underhill with friend Sally. We were able to get some winter burning off done and do a bit more around the outdoor fireplace. It was quite cold but we were both able to stay warm and cosy.

I picked the ripe medlars and ended up with a tiny batch which I boiled and strained coarsely when I returned home. They taste great when absolutely squishy, a bit like 'apple sauce'.

We had two fires going to do a bit more burning off but because it started raining late afternoon we could not do as much as I'd hoped for.

Another job was to test out phone reception and Sally spent a lot of time 'praying' to the mobile gods to see if we could get any reception in various places.

On Friday Geoff and I went down again for a day trip and did a little more burning off and clearing up. He really needed to go down to deliver a trailer load of things from his house pending his move.

Then on Saturday Nathan and Karita went down. They experimented with the best way to pull out stumps and did a lot of clearing up and cutting firewood from the timber left from Nathan's milling.

All is looking much clearer and better prepared for a dry, hot summer but there is still lots to do in these few winter months when we are allowed to burn off.

Nashi in Autumn

Brad took this photo of our Nashi in Autumn. And what's more it even gave us fruit for the first time this year too.

Thanks Brad. What a beautiful day it must have been.

Family, friends and fun in April and May

I just don't seem to have five minutes to myself for such luxuries as updating blogs. Many friends have remarked at how quiet I've been lately.

Today is the performance with the Sutherland Shire Choral Society and after that I will be taking leave of absence from that choir to try and claw back just a little time. The concert should be good with Lauridsen's Lux Aeterna, Faure's Cantique de Jean Racine, and Mozart's Requiem. Great music and some really challenging pieces.

I've been able to get down to Underhill for a night with Elaine and Terry and Ellie. Elaine and I started work on the surrounds for the camp fire.

We will eventually set it in place with local clay slurry and raise the level on the downhill side giving us somewhere to rest saucepans and billies. So there will be lots of mud puddling to join in with if you are keen. And of course winter is burning off time again.

The Lady Williams apple still had plenty of fruit on it so we picked those and this time I have dried lots of them.

Geoff and Jen's house move is eventually happening though they will all be coming to mine for the months between old house sale and finding a new one. With the house moving and packing it is up to me to go down to Underhill and keep the place going until they can step up to the challenge again.

I've had a lot of time with Ivy and Heather. Often Jen brings them with Ponyo as well just to get out of the packed up house and give them a bit of outside fun.

Mother's Day saw Ellen et al and Geoff's mob all down at our local Fish and Chips cafe enjoying a feast together.

Having almost sorted my back-hip-leg issues I am now in a lot of pain which is the result of a sudden movement last week. I guess with all the massage, physio, hot showers and fisiocreme I am treating it with I'll be recovered soon. I hope so anyway because I am sick of not being able to just get on with things.

Last weekend I was able to spend a night at Berry visiting Rauri and Janice. Lots of chat, burning off and general camaraderie. The weather was glorious and dinner was superb.

I have had a little time for quilting but have not actually finished anything ready to photograph so if you want to see my progress you'll have to come and visit. 

How does the garden grow?

While Geoff has been living at mine he has set up a timed watering system that reaches all around my garden. Since it was finished it has rained almost non stop so it has been turned off but for a week or two before the rain started it worked wonderfully and the garden began to take off. It now looks magnificent! Thank you Geoff (and of course the continued rain). I now have beautiful views from my back windows and lots of vegies.

Two visitors we have been able to photograph include:

Blue and red Harlequin Beetle

Australian Blue Banded Bee

A few Australian Blue Banded bees. They apparently live in burrows in the ground. They are extremely difficult to photograph because they fly like hover flies and never stay still for more than a second.

Full House for 3 Months

Since just before Christmas Geoff, Jen and girls have been living with me. Now that baby Heather is nearly two months old and Jen is able to drive again they have moved back to their house albeit temporarily perhaps.

During their time here it has either been in the high 30s or even low 40s during the day and often very hot at night during January/February then teeming with rain for days on end in February/March.

When Heather came home it was so hot that I had to have the aircon running upstairs day and night and the stair room was the only cooler place in the house. This meant that it was a very crowded room both day and night.

So much for swaddling a newborn!

In early March Ned and Gill (UK) came to stay and Chris and Michael came to visit us. Of course Ned and Gill were lucky to see any of Sydney in fine weather as it rained the whole week they were here.

Luckily the really hot weather had all but finished by the time Arianne came to stay with us all while she continues her TAFE course in Sydney. Upstairs now has lots of theatrical costume creations and Bertha is dressed again.

It has been a lot of fun with a house full, in fact the last 3 nights being completely on my own have been very quiet. Of course there have been tensions exacerbated by the heat and rain but in all it has been a wonderful time and I'd do it all again. It is great to have a house full! There have been huge benefits though - I have had lots of time with my grand daughters and Geoff has found lots of projects to dabble in to help me in the house and yard (more later).

Underhill fruit harvest

Early in March we arrived to find plenty of fruit ready to harvest especially from the trees that had been netted. We went down for two separate day trips so work had to be shared and done quickly. Ivy came down with Geoff and I and Nathan, Karita and Brad came down to work with the Lucas Mill.

This peach gave us a huge harvest.

There were a few apples and Nashi pears.

The Burbosc Pear which we had also netted was loaded.

And the pear in the centre yard also had some tiny but ripe pears.

The quince harvest was not prolific but the Golden Delicious Apple that we had netted produced boxes full.

The first job of the day with Nathan, Karita and Brad's help was to change the locking mechanism on the shipping container. All done and locked properly now.

Lots of fun was had testing out the new Lucas Mill that Nathan and Geoff have invested in and we are all really pleased with the results. So much quicker than Nathan's ingenious home made design.

Found in the wood pile tarps. There were lots of them. I think Crinea sp. 

Showing off one of the slabs newly cut.

Of course Ivy was Miss Independence and eager to help with everything.

Shh! Don't tell Mummy how dirty we get.

The surprise was the tree that had been hanging at 30 degrees across our path for many many years has at last fallen so now we can deal with it and perhaps mill it too.

Ivy's first day at playgroup

Ivy had a wonderful time at playgroup last week. Geoff and I took her and although she was reticent for the first 2 minutes, she did not want to leave 2 hours later.