Well it was high drama at Mudgee tennis club today- the division 2 ladies' league came to an end, and despite being 2 team members down for most of the competition my depleted team topped the league and have a place in next week's play-offs. However a team member is unable to play, and the adjudicators ( all the posh ladies in division 1 ) have had a conclave in order to establish the rules regarding the use of a reserve in a semi-final.
The conclusion is that the only people eligible under the complex rules, sub-section Z, paragraph 93 ( 'absenteeism - player or players, for a total of 17 consecutive Thursdays') are the Archbishop of Canterbury, Elvis, left-handed ladies called Doris, or Gladys Trellis from Perth WA.
Will keep you posted.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
dry spell gardening
Ness has been transforming the rather neglected and extremely dry garden outside the top cottage and has gone for the dry river bed look with drought tolerant planting.
This involved shovelling several tons of gravel, so her fencing muscles have had an extra work out. I believe that the expression over here for advanced muscle development is being 'ripped', so I can confirm that she is well and truly ripped.
The ubiquitous wine barrel completes the look, and we are hoping for minimal maintenance once we have planted more grasses and spiky stuff. All we need is a blue bird bath for all the little honey-eaters that hang around the grevilleas.
 |
| From Protea Farm 1 |
This involved shovelling several tons of gravel, so her fencing muscles have had an extra work out. I believe that the expression over here for advanced muscle development is being 'ripped', so I can confirm that she is well and truly ripped.
 |
| From Protea Farm 1 |
Friday, October 23, 2009
feeling hot hot hot
Temperatures in the 30's this week, and plants and animals alike are feeling it. We need to get our bore pump fixed up in order to keep up with water demand, as the dam is low and the drinking water tanks lower.
The cacti are thriving.
Little Woolley is now outdoors with Peggy and the other wailers, and skipping and looking very cute.
Despite the heat Ness decided yesterday that the unsightly wall/pile of rubble that used to support an old shade house needed to be dismantled and moved rock by rock up the hill to provide a hard base for the garden she is redesigning for the 3rd cottage.
The rocks have gone, another snake habitat has been eradicated.
The cacti are thriving.
 |
| From Protea Farm 1 |
 |
| From Protea Farm 1 |
Little Woolley is now outdoors with Peggy and the other wailers, and skipping and looking very cute.
 |
| From Protea Farm 1 |
 |
| From Protea Farm 1 |
 |
| From Protea Farm 1 |
The rocks have gone, another snake habitat has been eradicated.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
a new wailer
If we needed any concrete reminders about why we no longer do veterinary work then the weekend events did the job nicely. In a cold barn at 3 am, sleep-deprived and covered in poo, blood and dried placenta trying to persuade a very confused and stupid ewe that the small woolly thing that had appeared from her nether regions really did need to suck on her udder.
After 3 days Peggy has finally developed maternal instincts but is not producing very much milk at all, so little 'Woolly' is getting bottle feeds every 3 hours. We should have guessed that things would not be straightforward.
Woolly is an awkward little creature and despite being starving hungry still kicks and struggles and hates being bottle fed.
Lilian meanwhile has seen the whole process and looks like she is in total denial re pregnancy and showing no signs of lamb production.
After 3 days Peggy has finally developed maternal instincts but is not producing very much milk at all, so little 'Woolly' is getting bottle feeds every 3 hours. We should have guessed that things would not be straightforward.
 |
| From Protea Farm 1 |
 |
| From Protea Farm 1 |
Woolly is an awkward little creature and despite being starving hungry still kicks and struggles and hates being bottle fed.
Lilian meanwhile has seen the whole process and looks like she is in total denial re pregnancy and showing no signs of lamb production.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
more gardening
Windy, cold and drizzly here. Not enough rain to significantly fill the water tanks, but enough to help the plants along. We have been shovelling piles of top soil and mulch and generally working on soil improvement and water retention.
I have never been a fan of cacti, but the ones Ness bought a few months ago are flowering and look very impressive so maybe I will be converted.
I have never been a fan of cacti, but the ones Ness bought a few months ago are flowering and look very impressive so maybe I will be converted.
 |
| From Protea Farm 1 |
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
anniversary
We have now been in the country for 2 years. Not sure where that went, or how we ended up being landladies in rural New South Wales.
We are also celebrating a weekend of rain- only 13mm but tanks and gardens looking better for it.
It is the first week of school holidays so flat out here with families arriving and departing and our house cleaning speeds have moved up a gear.
The garden is a mass of pink pig-face, and veggies are thriving. We even have baby olives on our olive trees. I am sure Ness will knock up an olive press out of bits of old tin and string before it is time to harvest.
The sulphur crested cockatoos have returned and are strutting around trying to impress the ladies.
We are also celebrating a weekend of rain- only 13mm but tanks and gardens looking better for it.
It is the first week of school holidays so flat out here with families arriving and departing and our house cleaning speeds have moved up a gear.
The garden is a mass of pink pig-face, and veggies are thriving. We even have baby olives on our olive trees. I am sure Ness will knock up an olive press out of bits of old tin and string before it is time to harvest.
 |
| From Protea Farm 1 |
The sulphur crested cockatoos have returned and are strutting around trying to impress the ladies.
 |
| From Protea Farm 1 |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)