Preparing for Easter.

It's been a busy couple of weeks here with children coming and going, job interviews for a couple of us and just life in general. I am looking forward to a few quiet days over Easter to relax with my family.

The sky is ominously black today  though there hasn't been very much rain so far this morning. I am sure that the Easter campers are all watching the weather and hoping for clear skies. We have had a some good rain over the past few weeks and the country is looking lovely and green. 

Over the past week I have seen flocks of Ibis in the paddock next to the house. There have been crows/ravens as well. There have been a lot of birds flying overhead, I guess they are all heading to wherever it is they spend the winter.

The garden is looking much better than it usually does this time of year thanks to the rain we have had. The leaves on the trees are thinking about changing into their autumn hues. With warm days and lovely cool nights, I have to say that this is my very favourite time of the year. 

The grand kids are still here, but only for another week. I will miss those two furry babies when they move into their new home with their mum. They have been here for so long now they are a part of my  furry family. 

Today these are being turned into soup, along with lots of  fresh herbs.  I love being able to walk just outside my back door and pick the ingredients to make soups and fresh salads. Once all the tomatoes have ripened the garden will be finished for the Summer. I have the Hot Cross Bun dough started as well. So much nicer than any that you can buy. With the rain getting heavier outside it is the perfect day for cooking and pottering around inside getting ready for the weekend.

Have a happy Easter everyone!

And then......

And then we went back on Monday afternoon and picked two and a bit baskets and found some pears as well. Lots of stewed peaches in the freezer now and some went back with Nicky to share at her work.

Pickin' Peaches in the Dark.

Driving down the lane to the farm, just past the hayshed to the right is a peach tree. Yesterday as I was going to help get wood I noticed golden peaches all over the tree and the thought briefly crossed my mind that I should find some time soon to go and pick some. When Nicky came back from Albury yesterday I suggested we head out there in the evening to pick some and cook them up for her to take back. Well one thing led to another and by the time we left it was coming up to 8pm, still light but fading fast with storm clouds building over the hills. I needed to fill the milk bucket as well so off we went.
So here we were with the Rocky under the tree so we could stand on it and my car parked on an angle so the headlights could give us some light and this is what we came home with. The kitchen smells like peaches and I haven't even started cooking them yet!

Filling the Wood Shed

Even though the weather is still very hot and sticky here it won't be long until the nights start drawing in early and we will be looking for a little bit of warmth. I headed out to the farm at nine this morning to help get the first of our winter wood in.

There were a couple of canine helpers there but they both spent most of the time looking for shade.

The log splitter made it all so much easier and with any luck it was all cut to the right size today, which means   I can put the axe into retirement this winter.

The trailer was filled and the back of the Rocky so it was a good start to the Winter wood collection and a good reason to have a quick Nanna nap this afternoon.

The Prodigal Daughter Returns.

My daughter is now safely home and in the process of resuming her life, after two months of gadding about in Malaysia and Cambodia.. It is so nice to finally have her back.
During her travels she visited a Silk farm and brought me home a gorgeous scarf. It is the most beautiful thing to touch and I am going to enjoy wearing it. (If the weather ever cools down enough to have more than one layer on!!!)
While she was away she emailed me and told me to read "One Day" by David Nicholls and when she came home we would watch the movie together. Loved the book but the movie was such a disappointment, as it really only skimmed the surface, left heaps out and didn't convey to us the amazing relationship between the two characters that the book did. We would have struggled to even know what was going on in the movie if we hadn't read the book first.
We have been Op Shopping together and she came out with lots of bargains including a fur jacket which has been on her wish list forever!  It has been a lovely week.