Springing into action

"...but these backwaters of existence sometimes breed, in their sluggish depths, strange acuities of emotion..." 

Edith Wharton

Last weekend I attended the "Formal" at the current school - it's a type of graduation I guess as many students seem to finish their formal education at the end of year 10 here in Tasmania.  It takes us back to the seventies when it wasn't unusual to see 80% or more of our classmates gone by year 12.  We're fairly certain it cannot be good for the state or the country - particularly when in other areas (e.g. Canberra), year 12 retention rates remain consistently above 95%.
Anyway the formal was a great excuse to dress up and visit a wonderfully picturesque location near Sandy Bay called Glen Albyn Estate (click on video to see the Advert).  The night was dark and stormy, but still beautiful...

Yes, one student did fall into the pool <sigh>

The springing thing means that grass is growing mad and insects abound.  Good for sheep and chickens, some of whom can be seen capitalising on this warmth by cavorting happily in the grandly named "orchard".

The soundtrack comes from the album "Lament" by Nick Osborn.  We heard Nick a couple of weeks back at our local watering hole "Willie Smiths Apple Shed" which is where we can be found some Friday nights glugging our way way through growlers of Apple Cider (organic of course - i.e. made out of Carbon).  Here is one fair maiden spotted in the corridors of this fine drinking establishment.

Fine technique for the Cider guzzle!

It's amazing to have quality local music and great food/drink within a few kms of home - nice one Tasmania!

Curl up and die

The mark of your ignorance is the depth of your belief in injustice and tragedy. What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls the butterfly.

Richard Bach

It's not all fun and games on the land, even a small parcel like we inhabit.  Last weekend we heard Starling babies just under our roof line in the the ceiling cavity.  We really should have paid more attention to Marvin who was sitting up on the window sill tracking the movement of their parents with zombie-like zeal.

So, armed with plastic bags and breathing protection, up goes Anthony and squeezes into the narrowest of spaces, fully prone and using a usb-camera hooked up to Kym's laptop to guide the extraction.  With Kym counting babies, we pulled all four of them out (and three garbage bags of nesting crud as well).  Sorry babies, but that's not the place to nest.

Further distressing news was the arrival of "leaf curl" on our beautiful peach trees.  Too late for spraying (note to self for next year), but not too late for a brutal pruning and handfuls of quick release fertiliser to help the trees fight the fungus responsible.  Maybe not so many peaches this year!

Yikes - leaf curl!

Also our puppy Kelly has been born as part of a litter of eight in Adelaide, and we have already seen the loss of one (the runt as it happens).  Here are the seven remaining with mum Freya:

So watch out Oskar and Jess - and make sure that you are caught up on your sleep - things are about to get very interesting...

Surfmist is the new orange

“I dream my painting and I paint my dream.” 

Vincent Van Gogh

We have had an army of painters crawling all over the orange monstrosity in the last week or two.  Now we have all the trimmings to do (yay!).  The place looks really different and the wood certainly needed the drink having not been treated since Day One - it was cracked and peeling in places.

Who would have thought that an ounce of prevention was better than a pound of cure?  Thanks Michael and Co for a great job!

The weather continues to improve - but with the odd snow day!  Locals tell us that Hobart Show Day is the cusp of the change of weather, so we will attack the garden with renewed vigour after next Thursday.  Kym has been clearing some weeds today and so tonight we celebrate with cider and music.  Chin chin!

Yuck!

Yum!

Cornelius the Magnificent

“If you don’t hear the crows of the roosters in the mornings, you are one cursed city fellow!” 

Mehmet Murat ildan

A very quick post to let you know that the most magnificent Cornelius has joined our flock.  He is the lord of roosters I'm sure you will agree (and he has a most polite morning crow).

The weather continues to challenge with massive winds and more rain - everything is intact and we sure enjoy being snug inside even if the garden is suffering a bit.

We had about 30 people around for scones on Saturday and some stayed for an evening meal - all in order to properly warm the house.  Consider "Charis" warm!

What beautiful plumage...

Chicken Circus

For a busy day, just add water!

Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

We watched with horror as first Jackson's birthplace of Forbes (NSW) was taken out by floods, and then South Australia was knocked out by a storm front.  We knew that it would hit these parts a day or so later.  So Wednesday was on the beach with puppies in full sunshine, and Friday was a flood in the basement!  Such is spring in Australia - albeit with increasing ferocity over the years.

Our politicians have sought to reassure the populace and the big end of town (from where they take their donations) that it is renewable energy that is at fault.  I think it is safe to say that we have crossed the intellectual line and can now be thought of as a third world country in terms of governance - look out for Malcolm in epaulettes and a silly hat real soon.

Anyone who starts a sentence with "I'm not a scientist, but..." should stop right there instead of spouting the rest of the nonsense that normally follows.

In the meantime we continue the cleanup...