first snake of spring

Unseasonably warm for August here, the fruit trees are all in blossom ( so soon we will hopefully be able to identify what is what ) and my newly planted tree peonies are sprouting. No rain for weeks, so the dam level getting lower and lower as we water things manually.

I sneaked off to Kurrajong to visit M & N at the weekend leaving Ness home with the guests, so of course a red-bellied black appeared in her shade house and hid itself in a large empty planter, leaving her a gibbering wreck- the guests with 2 boisterous labradors were in the car and off like a shot once the reptilian sighting was reported. Maybe we should avoid canine guests in the summer.

Claudia has contributed to our chicken population with a donation of 2 cute Japanese bantam hens and a rooster. Said rooster was crowing at 5 am this morning, so I fear he may accidentally get lost very soon.

From Protea Farm 1

The Wailers are looking more pregnant, so the half completed fencing project must be finished soon, and we will have to erect the woodsheds this week before snakes start lurking in the 15 tonnes of newly felled wood scattered around the place.

From Protea Farm 1