wandering wildlife

We've got weird snails here: this lot seem determined to get as high as they can and all on one solar light, even though there is another one unscaled nearby:
 

"I'm the King of the Castle, haha haha!"

The pigface we planted is doing well and the bees seem to appreciate it:


Bee with full yellow pollen sacs either side


A pair of brolgas recently arrived in the rapidly-drying swamp and we just happened to be driving back from a newspaper run to Port MacDonnell as they flew in:

This wandering echidna went off-course and found himself/herself - how can you tell? - on our house deck and unable to get down the steps.
Willow was interested but wary: she has possibly learnt a lesson that it doesn't pay to harass wildlife after her seagull experience.

seagull experience:http://babyboomerbooks.com.au/willowswindow%20-%20cat.htm



 

strawberry season

We're still not-gardening.

My early plantings were either blasted by salt-laden gales or eaten by a wallaby: it ate a big rhubarb plant, roots and all overnight, and promptly got run-over on the road - serves it right!

So my efforts have narrowed to the western end and the tunnel house where I try to maximise the space by going upwards, the latest endeavour being two strawberry towers. We read how to make them online at http://www.apieceofrainbow.com/diy-strawberry-tower/ and so far it's working.

 

We've picked one feed, more to come.
The fruit is lovely and clean as it is off the ground.

As it gets hotter David will relocate them outside, but in early spring it's nice to have our own soft and sweet strawberries. Peas have finished, with zucchini and yellow squash replacing them, tomatoes, cucumbers and capsicum still small. My new rhubarb plant from Fred is outside, growing happily in a Woolworths shopping bag where I hope wallabies won't find it and the dwarf lemon, laughingly called "Lotsa Lemons" has finally decided to grow after sulking for a year in the tunnel house and has ONE LEMON.

potatoes and rhubarb in shopping bags, basil in pot outside

David transplanted asparagus from Foote Street and planted it in a long line between the road hedge and the house where is has sent up spindly little sparrow legs not worth picking this year. We've  been offered some lovely mature sheep manure but as it's still under the Lightbody's shearing shed  he's not too keen on retrieving it.

Can't interfere with fishing - 37 nice garfish last Sunday.
Crayfish count for this season is still 1.



another birthday - Daisy's this time

21!
Unbelievable! Where have those years gone?

 

and doesn't she look gorgeous!

photo booth with grandparents

 

Alison arranged a party for her and a hundred guests at the Main Corner in Mount Gambier.

 

It was a terrific occasion! Good food, happy people, loud music, balloons, photo booth, life story in photos  - all the ingredients for a success.

Daisy made an emotional speech thanking everyone especially her mother and boyfriend Chris.


The tablecloth under her cake was made over a hundred years ago by her great-great-grandmother Daisy and brought from Perth for the occasion by cousin Judith. Thanks Judith!

Chris B and Daisy

Gran

 

Daisy's birthday week included the good news that she has a 2016 nursing placement for her grad year at Mount Gambier Hospital.

We celebrated (again!) at home with the first crayfish of the season, caught by David.  

a selfie: David, Christopher, Alison, Helen, Chris, Tildy the cat, Daisy

 

 

weekend in Adelaide

We had an enjoyable trip to Adelaide - it seems a long time since we left the beach...
Willow went to boot camp with 7 other cats.


I shopped, we saw a film, The Martian, which was refreshingly free from bad guys and sex, had dinner at The Apothecary, celebrated my birthday with High Tea and caught up with relatives.

It was hot - the first days of summer - so lunch at the beach with David's sister Tonie was a great option.
 

Tonie and David at Christie's Beach

 

 In company with Judith and Les from Perth we had dinner at Jamie Oliver's Italian restaurant. It's in a former bank building with high ceilings and a buzzy atmosphere: everyone was there to have a good time which is infectious.

 

David, Helen, Judith, Les

 

 

The toilets in the old bank vaults are well worth a visit:
David says it puts a new slant on leaving a deposit...

 

David and Judith hoping they can escape



birthday week

My birthday celebrations lasted 10 days - there are a few perks in reaching a Significant Milestone.

 

 

It started with a surprise dinner at Goodwood organised by Di Cameron who also made a superb Black Forest Cake:





Helen, Di and Mick Rudd

We went to Adelaide for the main event, a family High Tea at the InterContinental, where we also stayed.
High Tea was magnificent!




There were 27 of us including great-nieces Tigerlily, Evie and baby Beatrix.

 

You can see what a wonderful spread they turned on

 

My cousin Judith and her partner Les came from Perth, nephew Ben, Rachel and Tigerlily came from Canberra, Alison and Christopher, Daisy and Chris B from Mount Gambier, granddaughter Hannah and all the rest from Adelaide.

 

Cousins Tigerlily and Evie were pleased to get together

and so were cousins Isobel and Judith

and cousins Alison and Alex

 

 

baby Beatrix with Uncle Ben

 

 

Thanks to niece Rachel for the photos.  

 

 

 

 

birthday weekend

Surprise! Jon turned up unexpectedly for David's birthday which is the same date as Rory's so we all went to the pub in Port MacDonnell - which was unusually full of locals and tourists.


the birthday boys

The next day Julia and Stephen came to stay the night on the way from WA to their home at Ballarat.

For once there was minimum wind, perfect for a drive to the top of Cape Douglas and the obligatory photo shoot on top of the bluff: this one is a bit different as Stephen's long arms managed to get us all in a selfie:

Stephen, Julia, David, Helen


We spotted the beach stone curlew, which has been haunting Cape Douglas for 6 months, still on its own at Jones Bay.
It has had a lot of twitchers keen to see it, as it's way out of its usual habitat around Broome.

a lonely beach stone curlew

 

Jon took Alison's canoe, nicknamed Orange Roughy for obvious reasons, out on the bay and had a good paddle out to the breakers and back.

Jon in Orange Roughy

 



a taste of spring

For a few days the weather had us fooled into believing it is spring.

 

We were outside planting tomatoes in the tunnel house
and enjoying Happy Hour on the deck with Angela and Josef from next door and Marion and Steve who came wandering along the beach.

 

Then it rained again... not even enough to be worthwhile.

We've made it through an exceptionally cold and wet winter and have earned the right to a little sun.