NO DOGS ON THE BED

I just had to share this photo. This is my nephew Jack, Rani and Nessa. Rani was rescued from the RSPCA - no one wanted her because she had been beaten and hit by a car, and I am away too much to have a dog but my brother's family said they would have her and she fits in just fine. She LOVES them and loves my brother and ADORES Jack. She follows him everywhere - on the trampoline, behind his bike, and to bed each night. (She used to sleep UNDER the bed but things have obviously changed. Nessa (middle) was Jacks Christmas present. She also stops Rani from getting anxious during the day. It may not be immediately obvious, but my brother and his beautiful wife have a STRICT no dogs on the bed policy.......

After a very hard start, I reckon Rani's life has turned out OK after all.... but I think Jack might need a bigger bed.

Spring

Hello internets. heeellloooooo....

Sbinawhile. Sbinawhile. Whats happening?

Well, look at my beautiful pressie from Jacqui and Marjorie.

Have you ever seen a cuter little bundle. How cute are those salt'n'peppa shakers? And that little Christmas Doily? I am in cute heaven. And borrage for courage - I was gonig to have to buy some more borrage seeds - how did she know?

Thank you Miss Life in the Dome.

And meet Bitie (you know, from The Simpsons, when Homer has possums in the cupboard and says to Bart "I call the big one Bitie"...._

Here is Bitie eating his banana at a safer distance. He looks so soft. I can hardly resist the urge to pat him, cuddle him and rub my face in his fur. But I know that all his ends are very pointy and sharp.

Now, this is VERY SPECIAL.....could it be? YES. Mr Bacon the Avocado the BRAVE is actually about to flower. One step closer to growing avocados in the ONC my friends.

And for a closer look......

This is the rather ragged but brave Mr Bacon who made it though his first torrid ONC winter. HOORAY for Mr Bacon.

And could this possibly be baby Apricots?
Why yes, I think they are.

And surely these must be baby Angel peaches?

Indeed!

And other news? Well, Queen Atalia has a new box. She is no longer humble. She is CRANKY. I have been stung twice. She has an ARMY of front line soldiers who are very well briefed. But really she is very busy. It is still a bit cold. Eric says when the temperature climbs another few degrees and the nectar starts to flow properly she will be happier. They are FRANTIC - trying to build new comb and feeding all the babies and search for nectar to feed themselves.

To date I have been stung on my cheek, head and neck. Perhaps I should start wearing my veil.

Happy SPRING everyone.

Bee Confessions

Reprinted with kind permission from: http://emsnews.wordpress.com/

Sometimes I sit on the deck with a mug of chai just watching my bees.

I can sit for HOURS (well, minutes actually) with my ear pressed up against the ventilation hole on the hive just listening to the gentle but powerful humming and thrumming of Queen Atalia and her hive.

If I press my eye up against the ventilation hole on one side of the lid, with the light streaming in the hole on the opposite site of the lid, I can see my girls moving over the tops of the frames going about their bee business. And this makes me VERY happy.

Sometimes I rest my hand on the deck out the front of the hive entrance so I can feel the gentle wind from the bees wings as they come in to land.

No matter where I am in a 3km radius of home, I just assume all bees are my bees and greet them all with a heat felt "Hello my darling" just in case.

that is all.

The Rocketeer is BACK

rejoice!





http://sherdie.wordpress.com/

Queen Atalia Reigns Supreme

These photos are from Wednesday. As soon as there is a bit of warmth or sun the girls are up and at it. Some days they just go nuts.

I wish I had a camera with a zoom. I am still feeding them from time to time. At bee club last night I learnt all about how this is the time that most hives die. (Don't worry Queen Atalia - not on MY WATCH)

I am excited and fearful about opening the hive. There seem to be SO MANY MORE BEES than in autumn. I have a small problem. The new supers I bought still stink of turpentine and linseed oil. I think I need to get some more boxes and just oil or paint the outsides. My little girls are RARING to go and I think they will run out of room if I don't have some boxes ready and waiting for when the weather gets warm and the nectar starts flowing. But I won't be able to check for a few more weeks yet - its still too cold to open the hive even for a peak. Did you know it's 37.4 degrees in there?

In other news, I became a "swarm collectors apprentice" last night. How cool is that?

soil blockers are HERE

So, whats that?

Hopefully that's my new soil blockers - all the way from the UK!

Oh, what are they?

Well,. they are little thingies to make soil blocks to plant seeds in. Look, there is a tiny one and a bigger one.

Goodness!

I know!

So how did you go?

Well, OK on my first attempt. I need some practice with making the soil mix I think. I used a mix of very fine compost from work, some coconut fibre and some sand. OH, and a bit of dolomite and seaweed. I think the tiny block mix needs to be quite wet and dense - less coco perhaps, and the bigger blocks perhaps need more coco...... Its all a bit exciting though. No plastic, no transplant shock. There is even a little attachment for the larger blocker that makes an indent the same size as the tiny ones on the top, so that I can stick the tiny soil blocks directly into the larger ones - sort of planting on the best seedlings.....

cool huh!

You take this whole food production thing very seriously don't you?

I guess.....!

winter gardening

Long week this week. Spent three days in Condobolin for work. It is a LONG drive. Condo is like a different planet this winter - GREEN and lush and soggy. Clover and grass and fat cows. Red dust is replaced with red mud. Going for a run along the river bank my shoes fill up with mud until they are heavy and clumpy. This winter (only) I am seduced by the hidden fertility of the central west. I know it will evaporate in a puff of hot dust by the end of the year. That beautiful red soil. All you need is water. Just add water. Pity there is no water.

Anyhoo, I was late getting off to Condo on Tuesday because my FRUIT TREES arrived from Woodbridge. Yay! Regular viewers will remember I ordered a Coe's Golden Drop to be friends with the Greengage plum. This was promptly planted in the waiting hole out the front.

And joy joy joy, welcome little Beurre D'Anjou, Beurre Hardy and Beurre Bosc pears. These are in a trio planting.

I must admit, pre-preparing fruit tree holes makes planting a BREEZE! These holes have been waiting since autumn when they were dug and filled with compost, manure and all sorts of other nice things.

In other news, here is a peak at the onion seedlings jostling for space with the salad seedlings in the glass house. I have more to squeeze in very soon - there are all sorts of things ready to move from the heatpad inside to the glass house. If I get organised soon, I will have a sheltered space down at the community garden to start shifting onions into........if I get organised that is.

OH, and here is photographic evidence that Mr Bacon has survived well into July! Crumpled, a bit ragged but DEFINITELY alive.

That is all.