20181002 Tuesday. Seemed like the day began calm but it did not end calm. We did a big laundry. Mick then emptied the toilet and had some plans for next hour then P-man came over with two of his kids or a grandkid.

He let us know that he had talked to Chunk and the fire department who had said they could not come over today but it would be ok to burn off since the wind was in the right direction toward the earlier burn off. He asked if we wanted him to burn off our lot a bit to but we declined this time.

So the burn off started. The whole valley was full of smoke but all went quite calm we thought. Then the big gum tree on his side of the fence started burning big time or debris on the branches started burning and underneath and all the dry bushes. Some cinders came over to us and began burning underneath one of our gumtrees but we put it out. Then Jones moved on and went on burning along Postmans on the council side and his side. Another little fire had started under our Apple Box so we put that out. We sat down with a cuppa’ and the other gumtree (debris) on his lot started burning but it’s further away so we were calm now.

Then Donna came walking, very upset. P-man had left the fire on his lot and just watched the fire along our border since our house is just there, and forgot that there is a telephone line and little pole on his lot which now had gone up in flames and with that the Pitmans telephone line.

So we calmed Donna and Mick went with her up to Jones and let her have her say. Then he took her down to us again. After a bit she started home and Jen went with and her.  She  pointed out this and that that would be gone but it was not. A natural well would now be gone due to fire, but it was not. We went in a bit on Jones lot but there was not much there to see more that a bit of grassfire working it’s way upward the hillside. Donna got very upset when she (thought) she scared a wallaby so it jumped up along the burned part into the bush. “I have to tell Greg I scared it into the burnt part”. Jen calmed her that there would be nothing to the animal, the land was already cooling off. It’s just a grassfire! (for heaven’s sake).

Donna and Jen parted.  But later back at the house we decided that Jen would go over and calm Donna so she would not get another heart attack and Mick just keep watering but we took each a mobile phone to keep contact and if we needed to call the helicopter. When Jen was wading through the creek Greg came driving home so she called him to stop. Then told the story and said for him to be very calm. We went into their garden and Donna came along so Jen told her to breathe deep and then we looked at her garden. A big sound came and Donna was sure it was a big “ancient” gum tree that she loved that had fallen. Jen said it was a branch. We had a look and the gum tree was still there. After some talking Greg came along and we all returned to the house.

Greg gave Jen a lift home and gave her a bag of bananas (home grown!). Donna had calmed down and Greg took some water to put out a bit of fire  that was to close for comfort to their house.

Jen and Mick took in their stuff and after a bit P-man came past and parked the tractor had a chat with Mick and went home with the kids and ute to eat or so. He would return later.

Woah,  what a day so far!

P-man came back and took the tractor and water up towards where the fires are and then Greg came along and was all fired up about trees that were hollow and were possums lived. He tried to put out the fire on a hollow standing tree. He left to go on with that. We sat down and had some wine before bedtime.

Winter is truly upon us. Frost every day. Double covers at night. Wood burning stove is on morning, day and evening.

Talked to G&D about foraging in our patches. Cleared the trail for Postie and visited neighbours on the Nulla side. Now some last paperwork and other things left.

Latest gossip is: new neighbour jumped ship so no new neighbour any more.

2 more sleeps.

So I am thinking, our soil is still too much full of clay and needs more compost and sand. Sand is no biggie but the compost…. hubby suggests buying but I think it is better with “homemade”. So thinking I should go into lot 14 and 16 and rake up some whatnots and stuff in the ute and bring home.

We have now started up a compost down by the patches.  The 3 composts we have, we have blended together and we will let them rest now while we are gone.

Thing is you actually need a lot a looot  of leaves, branches, grass and kitchen waste before you get any descent amount of compost. Big piles turn into little flat piles And you look at them and say whaaaa…..

So thinking……… yeah….

Så jag tänker, vår jord är fortfarande för mycket full av lera och behöver mer kompost och sand. Sand är inte biggie men kompost …. hennes fästman föreslår att köpa men jag tycker att det är bättre med “hemlagad”. Så tänker jag att jag ska gå in i parti 14 och 16 och hämta upp lite vad och saker i pick-up’en och ta hem.

De 3 komposterna vi har, vi har blandat ihop och vi låter dem vila nu när vi är borta.

Saken är att du faktiskt behöver mycket av löv, grenar, gräs och köksavfall innan du får någon anständig mängd kompost. Stora högar förvandlas till små platta högar  och du tittar på dem och säger vaaaa …..

Så jag  tänker ……… jaaa ….  hmmm…

Yesterday we went over with mosst of the sweet potatoes to G&D so they can both eat themselves and feed the paddies. G lent us a gigantic “bible” on permaculture.

Made second batch of Kumquat cordial. This time the cordial has come out more timid in taste than last year. Maybe they are not ripe enough. Took a drive in the bush to pick up some inbetween fire wood. You know when you build a fire you use sticks and bigger sticks before you add the logs. So the inbetweeners. Cut them up and then stacked lots of wood on the veranda for easy access. Dug up two of the composts and the pile of greens we had down by the patches and added to the kitchen compost so that now we only have one big compost. It will now lay there while we are away and meld and become a nice nourishing addition to the vegie beds. One mouse in one of the traps. Not seen any mice for a long time now so we thought we had found all the holes but guess not. The gas bottle got empty right in the middle of Jen’s shower. Hate when that happens. We have prunes one Mulberry slightly and have given up on the big one. Took a couple of twigs and dipped in rooting powder and stuck down in some soil. See if we can get some new trees going. So we can keep them small right from the beginning. Leave the big one to the birds. Cooked the chicken and now all is prepared for until we come back from our trip – food wise. The only thing that got done on the daily chores list was filling the water filtering device.

Upp tidigt för att få lite gjort innan värmen slår till. Spökmusen, kan ge den en hamn nu. Vad sägs om Laban. I morse hade Laban sparkat en Macadamianöt hela vägen till köket. Gjorde sista delen av tvätten som hade blivit en bra hög sen sist pga regnen och fukten.

Tomatplantorna som alla lagt sig i en llång rad reste vi och tog bort några. De är alldeles för många och har fått rost pga vädret. De är alldeles för många. De har lagt sig ner allihop åt ett håll (som tur är) Vi reste dem och band och stagade. Ågra har vi gallrat ur.

Rensade  lite ogräs och resten av dagen var bara en het röra.

Sallad gjord av melon, kockost, fetaost, oliver, chard och salladsblad till lunch. Faktiskt mycket smaskigt. Tänkte  feta och nätmelon / cantaloupe skulle gå bra tillsammans och det gjorde de.

Provade  pimply squash med lamm på kvällen. Den hade börjat spira lite inuti men var välsmakande när kokta så det var ok. Det har varit sedan juli vi fick den från granne Neil.

F-ö- har vi tur att nätterna är så kyliga och sköna. Om nu cikadorna kunde hålla ähum “klaffen” också.

Började dagen med nätning av druvorna. Förra året torkade de alla och föll ner. I år håller vi ett öga på dem. Vissa kråkor tycks också hålla ett öga på dem. Vi gillar inte kråkor. Vi vill ha våra skator! Sedan på rensa ogräs i nr. 2. Att ogräs driver dig nötter. Den minut du gör något annat växer det tillbaka extra mycket. Vi måste också döda det runt sängarna. Förra året försökte vi lägga gräsklipp, men det räcker inte, eller vi måste …. eller …. eller …. Vi ska räkna ut något. 2 kg färs blev 12 plättar och umph antal köttbullar. Mer Deep Heat på Jen´s tummen medan vi tittar på en tv-serie från biblioteket. Hade lite trevligt lätt regn under kvällen.

Beginning the day with netting the grapes. Last year they all shrivelled and fell down. This year well keep a closer eye on them. Some crows seem to also keep an eye on them. We do not like crows. We want our Magpies! Then onto weeding no. 2. That grass drives you nuts. The minute you do something else it grows back with a vengence. We have to kill it all around the patches too. Last year we tried laying grass clippings but it is not enough or we have to…. or…. or…. We´ll figure something out. 2 kg of mince became 12 patties and umph count of meatballs. More Deep Heat on Jens thumbs while watching a tv-series from the library. Had a bit of nice easy rain during the evening.