December 28, 2024

The veggie garden is going well. We had some late rain that really made it grow, and on Christmas morning I was able to pick some yellow squash and green beans for lunch. We also had some home-grown potatoes, harvested a few months ago.

Last week I saw a pair of scarlet robins in the garden. That's unusual. They usually only come out into the open near winter. I've only seen one in December once before, about three years ago.

I made a wreath out of leaves and sticks. I think it's kind of cute.


The new year is close now, and I hope it will be a good one for everyone.

Now Playing: Sängerkrieg - In Extremo

February 28, 2025

Wow, last day of summer. By the months, anyway. The summer weather is bound to last a bit longer, but it is getting dark earlier, the mornings are noticably cooler, and I've noticed the martins flocking together to go wherever it is that they go.

My favourite things about summer:

  • The trees that blossom, esp. the jacarandas
  • Cricket
  • The blue wrens wearing their fancy summer-feathers
  • Walking the dog at sunset

My least fovourite things about summer are the obvious things: fires, heat and flies.

I had some rocket that went to seed, so I dried out the pods and re-planted the seeds on Monday. I wasn't sure that any would come up so I just threw them all in a pot, thinking that I would be happy if one or two sprouted. Today I have a whole pot full of little sprouts.
The ancient Romans believed Rocket was an aphrodisiac, sort of the opposite of lettuce which is supposed to have a soporific effect (a word I learnt from Beatrix Potter when Peter Rabbit fell asleep in the garden after eating all of the lettuce). I've never felt much of an effect from either kind of salad leaf, but maybe I'm just not eating enough of them.

Some rabbits got into the veggie patch and ate all of the leaves from the green beans, but it wasn't much of a loss, since the only beans left were a bit dry from the hot weather. It was funny to see all of the plants suddenly with no leaves, though.
I have a tomato plant that popped up by itself, I hope we can get a tomato or two from it before the weather gets too cold.