Epic Adventure - but not mine!

Mr Duckherder decided to run to Blue Water Holes on Saturday. From our house. As the crow flies......well through the mountains anyway. This was an EPIC ADVENTURE up over huge mountain ranges and LOTS of wilderness and national park. Its only about 100 km!

A little welcoming committee drove for THREE HOURS in the rain to meet Mr Duck at Blue Water Holes camping area. Reedie ran out about 10km to meet him. After 13 hours, you can just see the two little specks coming down the valley. They had been challenged a little by a cranky brumby stallion just a little while ago, but there they are safe and sound.

Mr Duck put on a little burst of speed for the final hill up to our camp ground. Look at those little licorice legs.

They the rain settled in. We had a great night. Caught some trout. And only lost one car on the slippery climb out of the valley the next morning.

Here is the real story here:

Holder to Blue WaterHoles Run - Running - Spot

pedaling in the harvest

I was a GREAT season for garlic this year. It took four trips in my Secret Service Gal to get all 100 globes back from the garden!

I don't meant to gloat, but last week we harvest our FIRST TOMATO. It is a "swift", sewn early under lights, planted out in what is locally known as "The Tomato Hilton". Mr Duck had this for his birthday.

food forest is go

The Cherry tree out the front is going great this year - not a big crop, but enough for a handful of cherries each day. The REAL buzz is coming from the mulberries. Above is a photo of the White Shatoot. This is a dwarfish mulberry - with amazingly long super sweet white berries. They are so yummi. And below is the more conventional black shatoot. These are more mulberry flavor, but not as sweet. But still huge and fat and yum.

Both trees are still a bit frost sensitive - not sure why. They have lots of dead branches, but where they grow back, the fruit is excellent.

the eagle has landed

As the UPS guy struggled through the gate with MY NEW BIKE he WAS heard to mutter "I'm guessing this isn't a racing bike" Ziva thinks that stuff from Amsterdam smells pretty good and set about trying to break her way into the box.

And look whats inside! My new Workcycles Secret Service bike. She is a big buxom beauty. I have been riding her all week. In my SKIRT! And cardigans. And nice shoes. No lycra. She is just too much fun. Pa Duck Herder has been in hospital all week, and I have been riding up there twice a day. Parking at the hospital is crazy but I can ride right on up and park just outside the door. I rode her to a business meeting yesterday. She is awesome.

She has a big rack at the front too. More photos to follow. Too much fun.

intuition

I have to go to Gippsland for work this week. Some folks are happy to pay for my flights and accommodation and cups of tea n all in exchange for two days of "the world according to the duck". But Mr Duck and I kinda has this idea of doing a road trip down through Albury to see my gorgeous brother and his gorgeous family, and then adventuring through the Victorian Alps on the way. On paper it seemed like it would work, (as long as there was no washed out bridges or trees down on that mountain pass) but I was feeling unsettled and a bit stressed because I couldn't SEE in it my mind or imagine it happening.....and in the end I trusted my gut and booked a flight and promised my brother another weekend for a camping trip instead. And the unsettled feeling disappeared. Life is like that. You gotta trust your gut.


Just like waking up this morning KNOWING that even through So You Think is pretty and lovely, Americain was going to win the Melbourne Cup. Golly I wish I had put $100 on that feeling......13.8 to 1 odds.


You gotta trust your gut.