The Dirt

Adam, what a lovely tribute to your mother. She sounds like someone I’d like to have met. My condolences.

Boel

Thank you for sharing this, she was an amazing Gran and an inspiring woman.

They don’t call the Redbank Nature Reserve the Bealiba Second Cemetery for nothing (mine shafts everywhere…)

“I’ve got a plan for a spot of stress relief.”

Yes, but the ground will be too hard for grave digging…

Alas these days, some of the excess boys do end up on the table.

Whilst I end up in the back room pretending they aren’t on the table…. others in the house are less conflicted…

I guess they’re not destined for a yummy Duck L’orange when they grow up?

It’s ok - I’m slapping myself - bad Sally!

Oh the conversation was had…..

I dare you to change the sign to say, “Fresh Eggs. Direct from a chooks bum to you.”

I don’t think temperature has much affect on chook hatchings, mostly it’s a quantity game.

In order to get enough hens we just have to hatch more eggs than we can when “patiently” waiting for somebody to go clucky, stick and stay. We’ve had a couple of chooks recently that just gave up before the incubation period was completed and the goose last year kept pushing the eggs away so she could hatch more straw….. Once she starts laying again in Spring we can get goose eggs into this incubator as well as ducks.

So chook eggs aren’t like crocodile eggs - the temperature they’re incubated at defines the sex?

I was going to plant a second run - but I’m bloody glad I didn’t now. We’ve got a few plants that have just started producing now as they were under the locust proofing shadecloth for a while - so they are behind. Either way I suspect we won’t be craving them for a while.

Good work! Mine is slowly dwindling now. But I got a very early start this season. I best get some more in before it’s too late I think.

I don’t think they’ll do much with the ducks… too high off the ground (vbeg)

At least they’ll help with the mosquitoes. *Ducks*

The only problem with the new coffee machine is that the grounds are really sloppy - but we have been using them as well :) Makes for a very interesting smell when you first put them out…..

You might want to try chucking the grounds from the coffee machine on the garden beds. That’s suppose to keep the snails away too.

Sounds like you’ve been having fun.

I have been watching your videos and stuff and you do seem to be a long way ahead of us - would your season keep going?

I plant rocket all year here - it doesn’t like the really bad frosts so I just chuck frost cloth over it on the nights where it’s going to be bad - but it survives better than most other salad veg in the winter. Out in the open anyway - the hot house can normally keep going over winter.

I love compost tomatoes - sounds like a real bonus. And you never know what they are…

One of the feral toms this year is the little yellow grape tomatoes - my favourite grazing food :)

Wow everything looks really good. Never heard of shell grit for snails… Adds to brain bank…

I got started really early this year and some things I think are nearly done already. The crappy weather hasn’t seen me outside much lately so it’s all gone a bit feral. I haven’t planted anything new lately either.. I really must do more rocket before it’s too late. I have enough free compost tomatoes to sink a ship, i hope they all produce.

Good to have an update from you.. Thanks!

Hi Karen

Heartened to know the lame ducks of this world are well defended!!

Cheers

Sulari

LOL - you have reminded me about dogs and bandages Jane - our German Shepherd boy had to have his leg heavily bandaged after an operation on his elbow as a puppy and they used a bright pink bandage. We often wondered whether it was the faulty elbow or the bandages that meant he never ever did learn how to cock his leg (or just that the female shepherd house trained him for us :) :) )