Moved!

Nanne's Garden has moved over to Facebook. I'm thinking it will be  more user-friendly for all concerned. Hope to see you there. 

Barn Conversion

One of the out buildings that came with the farm we bought was an old dairy, strongly built of brick, steel and concrete (LOTS of concrete). It has sat down behind the main house for the past 3 1/2 years waiting for time and energy to be transformed into a usable barn, one for the little calves we raise who need warmth and protection from the elements. This is the year, and Pa, son and grandson all got into it doing a conversion that will probably last another 50 years.

First job, Pa removing all the steel dividers, with a simple angle-grinder.

 More steel from around the dairyman's pit

 Mark using a heavy duty jack hammer to remove the concrete feeders

 All the rubbish goes into the pit...

... and almost fills it. I hope you notice how nicely it's all been swept!! My job!

 A bit of extra sand and we're ready for the concrete.

 Nearly there.

 Finally done and the new little boys give it their seal of approval by promptly falling asleep on the rice hulls. 10 on one side and 10 on the other side of the hay barrier.

 All happy

Summer holidays 2018

Summer holidays is a busy time at the farm, with grandkids and mates coming and going. This year we had 3 one week followed by 6 the next, plus the 2 from next door joining in all activities. All stayed for 3 days and 2 nights, which makes for a lot of food and a lot of noise, but Pa and I think we're so blessed to have the place and the good health to do it. Too soon they'll all be back at school, sport, socializing, Youth Group and church ... it's a long time till they all come back next holiday. (We should be rested up by then!!)

This year the hay shed was a favourite destination, whether helping to fill it, learning to ride motor bikes around it or building cubbies in it.

The young men.

 Second cousins, good mates

First ride on a bike with clutch... goal: to hit second gear... done! Go Ella!

 And then there were the chickens. 4 chicks to dear old Everest, second year running.

 Love that smile! Josh, headed for high school in 2 weeks.

Our first jamming session with 2 guitars, 1 bass and 1 mandolin. We weren't half bad !

The pond was put to good use in the hot weather too.

 Sammy, also headed for High School, no doubt a future high flyer!

The young ladies. Jamie's first drive of the ever-patient Cindy

 Watching the farrier. (the dogs got distracted, as usual)

Morning tea on the verandah...

...or on the Adirondacks if you're a young lady

 Sunset and moon rise in paradise

Christmas 2017

Christmas has a way of coming slowly and then disappearing quickly. I seemed to spend most of the year making gifts for the family, which is probably one of the nicest parts of giving for me. I don't much like the shopping part. I prefer to give a bit of myself through my making. This year I had a go at some woodwork, with Pa's help, and made a birdhouse for my Mum.

The grandchildren received handmade pillow cases, with names for the girls and special interest (cars or Star Wars) for the boys. Thanks again to Pinterest for the ideas to get me started.

Handsome Pa and pretty Molly, in a typical pose on Christmas day

Christmas Eve lunch in the backyard. Perfect weather for a bbq and salads.

Aunty Sharon's white chocolate and mixed berry ice cream, Aunty Nook's pav and Nanne's chocolate roulade. Spoiled to death.

Time for a swim in the pond in the afternoon.

Nanne and Pa, Christmas 2017

Here and Now

To give credit where it's due, I got the idea for this post from Say Little Hen which you will see is one of the blogs I follow. Gives a bit of structure to an otherwise rambley selection of posts. 
It goes like this:  What I am....

Reading: Colleen McCullough's "The Ladies of Missalonghi". I have just finished her "Morgan's Run", for the second time. Loved it just as much on the return. Have LOVED Australian history ever since teaching it in Grade 4, especially the convict era, and she really captures all the horror, courage and even romance well. 

   Dreaming About: a possible trip to Norfolk Island in the future. (Follows point one!)       

   Making: Signs out of old pallets. This one is a quote from my grandchildrens' evening          prayers. Very humbling really!    and a new cushion cover     

    Growing: onions, cabbage, broccoli ,tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, zucchini, potatoes.          Also propagating geraniums donated to my mother from fellow gardeners with all the old-      fashioned colours... dark reds to almost black.           Harvesting: Strawberries

Cooking: buttery jam drops. First try. A little overdone, but delicious. Worth a retry. Also         homemade bread. Makes all other toast taste 3rd or 4th rate.

   Birthday and Christmas presents combined for 2017... a little garden art.

and finally, birthday and Christmas presents combined for 2017, some garden art.

Signs of Spring

 While the trees are all naked the Happy Wanderer takes the opportunity to show off centre stage. It keeps it up for several weeks, even months.

 A little veranda colour

 This year we had DUCKLINGS on our pond.

 Leucadendron

Peach blossom

Clean up, always the clean up. This year we started on the ancient cypress wind break, and the calves said "thanks, nice sleeping spot"

Pa and Molly, still feeding hungry animals, but the grass is coming!

"What did the chicken say when she saw an orange in the nest....?"

"Look at the orange marmalade!"   (very old joke...sorry!)

The 90 tree, spring 2017

Ancient wombat visits the farm. No amount of photo editing could make him look better.

Molly the Sheepdog, rounding them up and penning them... in the dunny