G'day. We have been very busy here the last couple of weeks. I took this photo before going to work one morning last week. This is our front yard. The guy with the excavator was coming to dig all this up a few hours later. We planted lavender under the two front bedroom windows not long after moving in and it made a great difference to that area. The three roses in the background were already there. The beautiful bougainvillea on the trellis screens our front veranda and it truly a magnificent sight when in full colour. It's an absolute show stopper.
This is what the front looks like now. It has had about six inches of soil removed from most of it, though the guy didn't take any away from the edge of the driveway for some reason, so he has to come back.
Because of the gas and water pipes, we had to keep the slightly higher area near the neighbours fence. Hubby said he wanted large rocks to border that part off from the lower section, so off we went to the property where he does some plumbing and got the biggest and best rocks we could manage to lift. Some of them have a touch of pink because of the soil they were embedded in and we sure did have fun trying to get them on the trailer. I of course, had to choose ones that were a touch on the big and heavy side, much to hubby's dismay. They actually don't look too bad in the scheme of things. The ones at the base of the fence will not stay there, they are what was left over, they will most likely be scattered around once the plants are in. This area will be planted out with roses, mainly pink ones. The front area will have a load of topsoil put on this weekend and there are eight standard roses waiting to go along the length of the front fence. I can't quite decide what design to make in the main area, but whatever it is, it too will have roses in it. All we have decided on, is that there will be some lawn. It would be an easy choice if the soil was great, but it's not. This is solid clay. Even with a truckload of topsoil, it won't make much difference when it comes time to dig in plants. It will be hard yakka. But, somewhere down the track, it will look lovely. We are in no hurry.
After moving from the farm and the three hundred plus roses we had there, I said I wasn't going to go the rose route anymore. I just can't seem to keep any promises. Already we have twenty one, including the three that were here. There are the eight standards, plus another four in pots waiting for there turn to be planted. Where will it end?? Don't worry, hubby is asking the same question!!
I am pleased to say the those lovely little Willow boys that came to stay with us arrived safely in the Northern Territory. This is their last Aussie home before flying to New Zealand. From what their host, Sarah said in her email to me, was that the heat up in the top end of Australia, may lay them low until they get used to it. If you would like to follow their further Aussie adventures please check out Sarah's blog.provincialhomemaker.blogspot.com You are sure to enjoy reading about their time in another beautiful part of this glorious country I am fortunate to live in. Take care. Liz...
G'day. Last Sunday, hubby and I went on the last steam train trip for this year. Due to the hot weather coming and the days of "Total Fire Ban" that we will have, the steam trains do not run. After all, we can't have them starting bushfires, now can we? Wonder how many were started back in the "old days" when all we had were steam locomotives.!!
This trip was to the beautiful harbour side city of Geelong, about an hour by road from Melbourne. Once again we left home at an early hour to get to Southern Cross train station and on board we hopped, looking forward to another great day out.
The day promised to be a warm one and it was true to it's word. In fact it was quite hot, even with the sea breeze. There are quite a few bollards around Geelong and these great looking guys are in the park near the water. There was a terrific market happening in the park, but didn't see anything that leaped out at me and said "buy me", much to hubby's pleasure. Though of course I did get a few crafty ideas from some of the stall holders.
As I type this I am still in my PJ's and it's nearly 3.00pm. How disgraceful, you are probably saying. But wait, there is a reason and it's my story and I am sticking to it. I have not been well over the last few weeks and have not been at work. The steam train trip was probably something I shouldn't have gone on, but hubby had paid for the tickets in advance and he was really looking forward to it, being the great steam train buff that he is. Anyway, back to me. It's nothing serious, just a bladder prolapse and the insertion of a pessary to hold it all up. Well, the jolly pessary has caused pain, ulcers, infection and bleeding and had to be removed three weeks after going in. So I am not a happy camper. But all is not lost and I am sure I will feel better tomorrow and if this is all I have to worry about, then it's not too bad after all, is it?
I am still playing with my new computer, though I have had a few glitches with it. It is so darn touchy, that the screen moves before you realise it. Hubby doesn't like it one bit. He prefers the old one. I think I could really do with a course in how to use it to it's best advantage. The help books that came with it are not that useful. The computer genius is only a phone call away if I need him and I suspect he will be hearing from me soon. Take care. Liz...
G'day. Yes, you may think by the heading that I love our gorgeous little dog "Lucky" and you would be right, I do. But, I now have another love, much to hubby's dismay and I am playing with it right this minute and have been besotted with it for the last three or four days. This thing that has captured my affections is my lovely new laptop. I just can't leave the jolly thing alone.
Of course, my excuse is that I have to learn how to use it and that this has necessitated it occupying my every waking moment, well almost!! Yes, the housework has suffered and there may even be one or two weeds in the garden. Meals have been a bit on the late side, as I begrudgingly have to leave my new best friend to make sure both hubby and I don't starve and that beloved pooch still gets his meal as well. In fact it's 10.55pm here now and I have my beauty on the bed with me. Hubby is sleeping in the spare room, but don't panic, it's not because he thinks the computer has replaced him, but only because I have not been well over this past week and have been very restless throughout the night. I have also been home from work all week and even though I have not felt the best, it has given me a chance to try to figure out this piece of modern technology.
There have been a few hitches, it hasn't all been smooth sailing and things are still not perfect, but I am learning and haven't managed to blow it up just yet.
I still haven't got it all figured out and there were a few moments when I doubted my logic in getting something so state of the art and not to mention a few worrying minutes (hours really) when I realised that the email programme that I had used for the last few years, won't work on it. This caused me a major headache, so off to the retailer where I purchased it and took them up on their word that they would help if I got into any bother and boy, I bet they were sorry they said that, because I was still there an hour and a half later. We discovered my email programme is not yet compatible with Windows 8. From what the computer genius told me, it appears that Microsoft brought out Win 8 and some companies were caught napping. The company that supplies my email programme was one of them. So I am now using the email supplied by the phone company that our home account is linked with and I am finding it a touch difficult. Truth is I want my old one back quickly. I will have to keep bombarding them with emails, telling them to hurry up and get their act into gear and get up to speed with Win 8.
Oh dear, it's now 11.27pm and I guess I had better try to get some sleep. How time flies when you are having fun. Hubby and I have to go out tomorrow and will be gone most of the day. I wonder if hubby would mind if I took this sleek little number with me !! What do you think? Take care. Liz...
G'day. We have been very busy here the last couple of weeks. I took this photo before going to work one morning last week. This is our front yard. The guy with the excavator was coming to dig all this up a few hours later. We planted lavender under the two front bedroom windows not long after moving in and it made a great difference to that area. The three roses in the background were already there. The beautiful bougainvillea on the trellis screens our front veranda and it truly a magnificent sight when in full colour. It's an absolute show stopper.
Because of the gas and water pipes, we had to keep the slightly higher area near the neighbours fence. Hubby said he wanted large rocks to border that part off from the lower section, so off we went to the property where he does some plumbing and got the biggest and best rocks we could manage to lift. Some of them have a touch of pink because of the soil they were embedded in and we sure did have fun trying to get them on the trailer. I of course, had to choose ones that were a touch on the big and heavy side, much to hubby's dismay. They actually don't look too bad in the scheme of things. The ones at the base of the fence will not stay there, they are what was left over, they will most likely be scattered around once the plants are in. This area will be planted out with roses, mainly pink ones. The front area will have a load of topsoil put on this weekend and there are eight standard roses waiting to go along the length of the front fence. I can't quite decide what design to make in the main area, but whatever it is, it too will have roses in it. All we have decided on, is that there will be some lawn. It would be an easy choice if the soil was great, but it's not. This is solid clay. Even with a truckload of topsoil, it won't make much difference when it comes time to dig in plants. It will be hard yakka. But, somewhere down the track, it will look lovely. We are in no hurry.
