Nursing my Roma tomato plant through the extreme heat appears to have paid off as I begin harvesting the crop in earnest.
This is what I have picked in the last few days and the total weight is almost 3kg.
There is nothing to compare with the flavour of a home-grown tomato. It really is the taste of summer to me.
Although I have a clothes dryer and do use it from time to time, I tend to pick and choose the days that I do the washing so that I can dry it on the clothesline outdoors as much as possible. This is generally more of an isue in winter when there can be rainy days as well as cold and overcast days which preclude much in the way of drying.
However, a few days ago I was confronted with entirely the opposite dilemma. The temperature in the sun outside was in excess of 45C and the prospect of standing outside to hang out washing was not a pleasant one.
So, I simply hung the clothes in the laundry were the sun was already blazing in through the window and glass door. I used the pull-out rack and a couple of airers and the entire load of washing was dry within a few hours.
One of the benefits of line-drying is not only the sunshine but breeze and fresh air but I has happy to forgo those on this particular occasion.
Midsummer in Australia is too hot for growing most produce but there are a few things in our garden which are thriving despite, or perhaps because of the heat.
Chilli bush. This is in a large pot on the front patio with a northern aspect. During the winter it was reduced to barely 2 dead-looking sticks thanks to a few heavy frosts. However, some warm weather and water and we have the start of another amazing crop of tiny, hot chillies. I use these fresh, frozen, dried and ground into chilli powder or made into my version of Tabasco sauce.
The small daisies are some escapees from a nearby garden.
Olive tree. Also in a large pot on the front patio. This tree is about 2 years old. Last season there were a small number of fruit which we completely overlooked. This year could be a worthwhile harvest so I will be researching how to brine and preserve them.
A close-up of the actual fruit.
Tomatoes. These are not loving the extreme heat hence we have them covered to protect them from the worst of the sun, however, there is a good crop on this single plant of the Roma variety and they are beginning to show signs of ripening. I am looking forward to a good haul and hope to freeze or bottle some for use during the winter.
A makeshift shelter.
Gradually ripening.
After 5 weeks on holidays we have returned home. The change in weather has been quite a shock to the system. After 5 weeks in Europe where the temperatures were mostly below freezing we have come back to a heatwave in the middle of an Australian summer.
The risk of bushfire is ever-present in these conditions and unfortunately disaster befell a small community quite close to where we live while we were away. This weekend and next week are extreme fire danger conditions with a total fire ban across the entire state where we live.
While I had a pretty fair idea of my evacuation strategy, we decided to be a bit more proactive with our plans.
This is what we did:
Identify what we would take if we needed to leave
Prioritise immediate ‘grab and go’ stuff
Add things if time permitted
Locate as much as possible together in an easily accessible spot
Create checklists so that you are not relying on memory in a time of high stress
Ready to go.
Checklists
There are a few things that we would need to add but most of what we would take is set aside in the spare bedroom. It will remain like this for the next couple of months. Even after that most of it will not all be dismantled but stored in the top of the linen cupboard and reviewed well before next summer.
The other question is when do you leave and where do you go. The general guidance from the authorities here in Australia that it is best to leave early. As for where, it really depends on where the risk is coming from. It is important to be prepared to amend your plans as required.
In line with the theme of this blog, my task today was made considerably easier because my home is mostly decluttered and organised. I know what we have and where it is located.
Are you in a fire-prone area? What about other natural disasters? Do you have an evacuation plan?
While last weekend was mostly about the Folk Festival there was also a Village Fete which was a fundraising event for the local Community Pantry. We popped in to check out the various stalls.
I was delighted to discover someone with beautiful handknitted scarves and beanies. I have some wool which I intend to use to knit myself a beanie, however, the window of time between now and when we leave for Europe in mid-December is closing fast. So I was thrilled with this snug double-layer navy beanie which was $10. I am sure it will be perfect to keep my head and ears warm.
I have finally come back to earth after a huge weekend. It was the 50th Maldon Folk Festival which is is held in our small town. The whole event is organised by a small committee and an enthusiastic band of volunteers. It is spread over 4 days in multiple indoor and outdoor venues with dozens of artists from Australia and overseas. For the third year in a row, GMan and I both did some volunteer shifts but that left plenty of time to see some amazing talent.
Here are some photos I took during several performances.
The Royal High Jinx – high energy and lots of fun.
The Bushwackers – an Australian institution since 1971 – with numerous line-up changes but as authentic as ever.
Eric Bogle – a Scotsman who has called Australia home for many years and his iconic song, ‘And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda’.
The cleverly named group, The Tequila Mockingbirds, including local legend Mick Coates and their special brand of Cowboy Swing.
The Sweet Sorrows, an Irish/Australian duo with haunting and delicate harmonies.
There was definitely something for everyone and the weather added a touch of drama on the last evening. Just after 7pm a storm rolled in with wind, rain and torrent of tiny hail which blanketed the town in what looked like snow but was in fact, ice made up of millions of tiny hailstones.
This is a view of Main Street.
Almost 2 weeks since my last post. While I haven’t been writing there seems to have been plenty to keep me occupied. Sometimes it is difficult to get motivated to write as I am loathe to repeat myself and after 14.5 years of blogging it can begin to feel like more of the same. However, in a lot of respects our lives and routines are remarkably repetitive.
The spring weather is as unpredictable as ever with days that hint of the coming summer interspersed with others that feel like winter. Nevertheless, we are enjoying the spring flowers and fresh foliage growth. The fleeting nature of spring flowers makes them particularly special as we have a small window to enjoy them before they are gone for another year. The daffodils are finished but the wisteria are looking their best this week.
Like every year, 2025 seems to be gathering speed as we race towards the end of the year. We no longer have work Christmas parties, end-of-year school activities or even a huge focus on a family Christmas but the countdown to Christmas has crept up on me.
We had a short break last week and spent 3 nights at Walhalla, about 3 hours east of Melbourne. It is a historic gold-mining town which now has a permanent population of 20.
This is a view from our accommodation one evening.
It occurred to me today that it is 10 weeks until we fly to Europe for a trip which we hope may include a white Christmas.
Before that we have another 2 night short break here in Victoria as well as about 10 days in Queensland visiting family, a weekend of volunteering/attending the local Folk Festival and the usual round of events, meetings, visitors and so on.
I really do need to be organised to make sure everything goes smoothly.
How do you feel about the latter part of the year? Are you planning or already prepared for Christmas and the year’s end?
It is almost a month since my last proper blog post. I took some time away from writing as there did not seem to much of note that was worth writing about. Additionally, I find a certain level of inertia sets in at the end of winter. Autumn and the early part of winter have a certain excitement as we relish the change of season after a long, hot summer and we look forward to bracing walks, some cosy indoor time with our latest craft projects and the opportunity to indulge in pots of warm soups and comfort food. However, by the time late August rolls around I am itching to toss aside the multiple layers and once again be out and about in the sunshine.
We are finally beginning to see some real signs of spring.
The daffodils are in full bloom. You can’t help but feel happy when surrounded by their bright yellow blooms.
Other flowers include borage and the first blooms on the espaliered nectarine.
Lettuce are ready to begin picking for salad as the weather starts to warm up.
There was much excitement today as we had 2 rainwater tanks delivered. They are only relatively small but fit neatly between the shed and the back fence. The water collected will be a useful addition for the garden during the hot, dry summer. They will be connected and ready to go early next week.
I think a final word on the coming of spring here in Victoria needs to go to a Facebook friend who posted this. It just about sums up where we live perfectly.
Wishing you a pleasant weekend wherever you are and whatever the season may be.
We have arrived home after a couple of night away at Sale which is about 4 hours drive from home. You can read all about it here.
Apart from the obvious holiday we used the travel wisely to source some grocery items with having to deviate too far out of our way.
The route took us through Melbourne so we took advantage of the fact that it was Tuesday and we called in to Graina at Moonee Ponds where we buy most of our bulk dry goods. Each Tuesday they offer a 20% discount if you bring your own containers which I always do anyway. I did not have too much on my list but managed to top up a few things. I also stopped at Ray’s Top Nuts nearby for a couple of other things.
As we continued towards Sale I noticed a roadside stall, The Spud Shed with a board advertising potatoes for $1/kg. I made a note to check this out on our return trip. The advertised potatoes were clearly small/seconds but they suit our needs perfectly and I selected a couple of kilos.
Our next stop was in the outer south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne at the warehouse for Australian Organic Products. I had ordered a 20 litre drum of laundry liquid by Kin Kin Naturals. The laundry and dishwashing products are produced by a small family business in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, not far from where we lived in Queensland where I bought them in recycled containers, directly from the maker, Felix. I had to change my purchasing arrangements once we relocated to Victoria and I discovered I could source the products through Australian Organic Products but the delivery costs are pretty steep to our regional location so I used the opportunity to pick up my order directly from the warehouse.
We usually do our regular grocery shopping in Bendigo at a greengrocer and Aldi but since we were traversing the suburbs of Melbourne we took advantage of suitable hops along the route.
This is everything I bought in our travels apart from the 20 litre drum of laundry liquid.
The weather is tipped to be cold and wet tomorrow so I am looking forward to staying indoors and working on some more of the patchwork blocks.
We are making progress on completing the lounge to the way we want it.
Some of you might remember this post from late February. Well there have been a few hiccups along the way but the window installation was finally completed today.
We will need to paint the frames both inside and outside and then I will see about choosing a blind. In the meantime, we will rehang the piece of fabric that has been covering the old window for the past couple of years. Bare glass is not a good idea at this time of the year.
The choice of louvres will be fully appreciated in the summer as they will provide good cross-ventilation.
Speaking of painting, we spent some time painting the pickets of our newish fence. It has been several months since it was installed but the weather has been either too hot or too cold and a few days ago we had rain to further delay us. Of course, we also seem to manage to be away or otherwise socially engaged. However, today was perfect. After a frosty start we were blessed with a glorious sunny day and no wind. Hopefully, there will be a few more days like today in the not too distant future to enable us to finish that project.
organised castle 