Even Without Love and Attention

Alright so I'm a little late... but snow peas!!!

Pretty excited about these. There are eight little sproutlings coming up. There were nine but the neighbour clipped one with his whippersnipper (;-_-)

And beetroot! Isn't he sweet? I got a hold of an heirloom mix with red, white and red and white striped tasty blobs. I also put in some carrots but they haven't come up. Sadly don't have much hope for them.

And somehow or other there's tomatoes. There were some growing when we moved in but they had worms so I pulled them out. That was a year ago. I guess there must have been some seeds hanging about ready to spring up!

It might look innocuous but this little guy is actually the devil. It's not so much that it pops up everywhere, which it does,

 

it's more that removing them is such a mission I rarely get the two inch root to come up with it!

  

Burn it! Burn it!! (((\(>o<)/)))

Triumphant Return!

So I've been absent for a while. Spent three weeks working away. Really kind of exciting. Being sent to Melbourne in May! The garden probably hasn't had the tender loving care it's needed but there are some little sproutlings, will post pics tomorrow. Haven't had a chance to create anything new. REALLY need to get onto that. Have been combing eBay for awesome bits and bobs so I'll have some to put up soon. Been thinking of trying to start a local market stall to sell my wares... Don't know how well it would go or even if I'll get it going, just a thought. 

I've nothing more to share so here's a picture of Widder.

New Life

After such sadness with the melons I've decided to have a go with some flowers. I will plant some winter vegetables in early April but wanted to see if some pretty blossoms might take the heat off them so to speak.

So here we have candytuft, allysum, snapdragon and the ever present marigold. I cheated a little with the marigold by using some seedlings that had sprouted on their own in the garden but the rest are from seed. This was taken two days after I potted them and the allysum has already sprouted.

I also ripped out everything in all the beds and added some manure and potash. So it's a clean slate ready for some new life ヽ(*≧ω≦)ﾉ

Damn Beetles

So I've been away for two weeks for work. Essentially two stores got flooded so they sent a bunch of us up there to fix them. Was good fun, though my liver came out worse for wear.

When I came back I was greeted by a rather nasty surprise....

This tiny little beetle and all his friends managed to destroy my entire melon vine (;-_-)

So I've had to rip everything out prematurely. And now I start again!!

Life Goes On

I found a surprise in the garden!!

Marigold shoots!
The summer heat killed them all and they dried really quickly. Then we had days and days of rain. And voila!!
I've saved a dozen of them in seedling punnets. And upon closer inspection throughout the garden I found heaps of little seedlings dotted everywhere, even down the neighbours end...
Viva la marigold!

Happy Valentine's Day

Pheromones are in the air!!

I do adore romance. Flowers and chocolate and foot massages. But I can't say I'm a fan of Valentine's Day. If you can't make the effort to show how much you love your significant other during the year, then a half-assed commercially manufactured heart shaped token given on an overly hyped arbitrary date is more of an insult than a romantic gesture. Having said that hand made with love is completely different story. And any time of year is good for that. So here's a little bit of cross stitch l'amour.

You may indeed have the pattern.  Here you go.

I started about an hour ago and this is as far I got. It's actually a little creepy.... 

So if you've got someone to snuggle with get snuggling.

If you don't, stretch out on that bed and enjoy the covers just as you like them.

(♡＾▽＾♡)

A Worm Farm

Been pondering the purchase of a composter but we simply don't have the room and with only the two of us we'd never accumulate enough material to make it viable. 

Insert brainstorm. 

Worms! It cost about the same to set up but unlike a compost heap does not require as much space, material nor turning. Also we are able to reap the benefits straight away with a little water.

 I did try taking a picture of the inside but aside from being unappealing the worms are camera shy and wouldn't comply.

So here's hoping we make excellent worm farmers!! (^^)

William, the Amigurumi Jellyfish with pattern

For all your flange desires!

And the pattern!

First, choose your weapon

Then
R1- sc6 in magic circle
R2- 2 sc in each sc around (12 sts)
R3- *Sc 1, 2 sc in next sc*, repeat 6 times (18 sts)
R4- *Sc 2, 2 sc in next sc*, repeat 6 times (24 sts)
R5-10: Sc all the way around (24)

This when to put the face on. I just used two vertical stitches for eyes.
R11- Sc 24 through back loops only (you'll use the front loops later when crocheting the little wavy things at the bottom)
R12- *Sc 2, dec 1*, repeat 6 times (18 sts)
R13- *Sc 1, dec 1*, repeat 6 times (12 sts)
Stuff
R14- *Sk 1 sc, sc 1*, repeat 6 times (6 sts)
Bind off leaving long tail to close up the little hole, weave in loose end.

Wavy Part
Join yarn to one of the front loops you left in R11, chain 1, *4 sc in next st, sk 1 st, sl st 1*, repeat 7 times more. Bind off, weave in loose end.

Tentacles
Join yarn to the bottom part of your jellyfish, chain about 20. Bind off and weave the excess back into it. Repeat as many times as you want.

Now go forth and make me an army!

Octochu, a Cross Stitch Octopus with pattern

I stumbled upon a cross stitch program a couple of days ago and have been playing with it non-stop.
So I present to you my first creation, Octochu!!
This is just a design, I haven't actually made it yet but I was too excited to wait that long.
It was made with KGChart which after a bit of experimenting is actually really easy to use.
It definitely beats grid paper and pencil (●♡∀♡) 

In Memoriam

Fifteen years ago a family friend's dog had puppies. A fairly common event to be sure but from this litter came our Sabre. As a mix of what we believe to be pit bull terrier, red cattle dog and probably a polar bear you'd be forgiven for thinking she'd grow to be a vicious killing machine with wild eyes and pointy teeth. To the contrary, she was so loving I've had worse nips from guinea pigs. 
Her brown eyes exuded such benevolence. They reminded me of a cow, slightly sleepy and almost motherly. But at the hint of play they'd light up like she was 7 months old again.

As a puppy she would sleep in the clothes basket and chase carrots that we'd roll along the ground. At one point we gave her one of our old kids toys, a yellow rubber elephant, which went everywhere with her up to the day another dog broke it. 

She had a few strange habits. For one she loved walking under things like tablecloths and low shrubs. She'd do this very slowly with her tail sticking straight out behind her. Once the tip of her tail had been scratched she give a vigorous shake and trot off with it wagging behind her. She also loved soft drink bottles. It would impossible to count the hours she spent chasing them around the house. When she finally tired she chewed the cap off in victory. Her hearing was amazing. You could open a packet of chips in the kitchen and she'd come screaming in from wherever she happened to be sleeping to beg a treat from you. She loved sleeping in the sun so much her pink belly would turn red.
For my 10th birthday I got a cat. Chloe is her name. She has a story all her own. But once again you can take your expectations and put it in a pile labeled "Disregarded". Sabre was as much Chloe's dog as ours. She'd curl up in the dog bed, sometimes with Sabre, sometimes kicking Sabre out. Sabre would let the cat eat her dinner. If she was hungry enough she'd put her nose in the bowl too.

Not once did she show aggression to anything that wasn't in her bowl. 
As she got older and slower she also got fatter. Her neck melded with her back and her jowls sagged. When she trotted through the house the fish tank shook. Like most who live to old age she got arthritis. Eventually she needed to be carried up stairs. She also got a large tumor on her chest. But nothing would keep her from greeting you at the door when you came home. Tail wagging and tongue out ready to lick your shins.

On the 30th of January she passed. In Memoriam of the dog who loved all unconditionally.

A Summer Date

Seeing as we're stuck inside thought I might share some photos.

A couple of days ago Matthew took me on a date. So where do you go on the coast when you've lived here most of your life and it's freaking hot outside...

UnderWater World!!!

It's airconditioned, dark and full of wonderment!

I discovered it's terribly difficult to take pictures of fish in tanks. First of all it's fairly dim. Then there's the fact you can't ask a fish to stay still. And lastly anything that's not an SLR will focus on the glass rather than what's beyond it.... So needless to say my photos aren't terrific. But here are some of the gooduns.

Personally I adore the weedy seadragons. They're so majestic and understated. I sat there watching them float around for a good 10 minutes. Their lives must be so serene here. Everyone is doing their best to keep you alive. No predators, perfect water and all the krill you can eat. Seeing a seadragon hunt down one of those transparent little morsels is quite the spectacle. One second they're just flitting about and next they vanish, sucked up by this terror of the sea!

 

And everyone loves a lionfish. So beautiful, so graceful, so goddamnfreakingdeadly! Why anyone would want to keep one as a pet is beyond me...

The only other thing in this tank was a stonefish blobbing about on the bottom. Ugly thing. You wouldn't have seen it if there wasn't a plaque stating its presence.

Tropical fish are fascinating. Evolution definitely did them a favour. If you come to me and say there's not a single tropical fish that you think is cool I'll punch you in the face and tell you to look again.

 

This is the pignosed turtle. I'd never met one til this day. I'm glad I did.

 

And otters! Holy Crabapples they're cute! Imagine if cats lived in water. The world would a whole lot nicer if otters ruled. Our otter masters would be just and wise. Bringing an era of peace and harmony as all prejudices would be abolished and replaced with platonic love. I call it the Frolicism Movement.

 

 

At the end of our excursion we found these two. Giant crayfish!!!!

We were lucky enough to stumble upon them at feeding time. A long stick with a fish on the end descended from the unseen room above and these guys were remorseless. Lucky for the fish he was long dead.

 

There were all sorts of other awesome things to look at which didn't photograph well. Blind cave fish, enormous noxious catfish, the seal show and a massive tank with a tunnel built through it filled with sharks, rays and turtles.

All in all an excellent day out. 

Inspired we then went down the road to enjoy some beer battered barramundi and chips Ｏ(≧∇≦)Ｏ

Everyone Talks About the Weather

Good news everyone!

It's raining. And how. It's not a happy little summer shower. Or even an unhappy summer storm. It's three days of torrential downpour. With more expected. The Rain Gods have an evil sense of humour. So from one extreme to the next we're now on flood alert.

Our current location lends to relative safety from rising waters however the lawn now looks like this

Green! It took two days for what could come back to do so. You may recognise those sticks sitting puddle adjacent. That little patch has not enjoyed the summer. 

Last time this happened the street leading out of here went under and the cars on the street were worse for wear.
So the three of us are stuck inside. Perhaps sitting around relaxing on the couch will be a pleasant couple of days. That is until the food runs out.
On that note I'm going to go construct a raft out of palm fronds and wire-ties...... 

Little Blurps of Potential

The Postie brought me a present today! Got them from diggers.com and I'm pretty excited. They were a little more expensive than you'd get at places like Bunnings. But we're talking $4 a pack with $6.50 delivery for the lot as opposed to $3 a pack and a drive. I think it's worth it for white carrots and mini capsicums!!!
(ﾉ≧∀≦)ﾉ

So I made another calendar!