no more Willow

We had a miserable Christmas: Willow our cat went outside at midday on  Christmas Eve and didn't come back. It was dusk before we realised that this was far too late. We were awake all night and can state that Father Christmas didn't come, only mosquitoes in the open door.

Next morning Angela and Josef, Judy and Jon - our neighbours - and son Jon combed the scrub to no avail and checked surrounding sheds. But the place is full of holiday-makers who would have seen her. No body so the options are: snake-bite and overnight fox or cat-napping. The internet informs me cat-napping is common, especially for pretty cats like Willow and the prime time for it is just before Christmas. OUCH! Wish I'd known that before, I'd have locked her up.

I've advertised at all the vets, the animal shelter and in the local paper and she is micro-chipped so there is a slim chance that somewhere down the line we may get her back.

As Di McEwen said: "She had a wonderful life."

 

 

forgiveness?

 

 

My walk yesterday was accompanied by seagulls overhead.

Does this mean they've forgiven us for Willow's misdemeanours?
More likely they remember I threw them some pork fat this morning...



not not-gardening

With the arrival of a trailer-load of sheep manure I have to admit we are gardening. Thanks Max for donating it AND helping to scrape it out from under the shearing shed.

With this good stuff the asparagus will be fatter next year

 

Wildlife continues to wander by: there was a blue-tongue lizard in the shed this morning and last night a wallaby came in search of water from Willow's bowl on the beach deck.

 

 



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