Bush fire season

As you may have heard we are having a horrific bush-fire season. There are still many big fires burning down the East coast of the country. We have been in drought for so long that the ground is extremely dry and with low humidity, high winds etc. it was a disaster waiting to happen. We get regular bush fires but this year they have been the worst on record. Our fire alerts are from Low through to Catastrophic, and this is the first year ever that the catastrophic signs have been used. We have had help from interstate firefighting teams but also teams from NZ and USA. 

We are in a period of relative calm at the moment but next week is predicted to be the start of another cycle.  So far we have lost about 700 homes, with unfortunately 6 deaths, and it has burnt out nearly 2 million hectares. We have been on the fringe of one of the largest fires in NSW and have been living in a smoke cloud for weeks. The winds have been fickle, blowing one way and then another, but because of our topography the smoke doesn’t clear to the West over the mountains. There is also the constant drone of aircraft somewhere above us in the smoke as the firefighting planes, large and small, return to refuel or pick up fire retardant.

Unfortunately we are now discovering that a lot of these fires were originally deliberately started.

 

A lot of our time is spent in the garden trying to keep everything alive in these very dry times. Despite water restrictions we manage, using water stored when it does occasionally rain.

Along the ridge line.

 Somewhere at the end of the street there are a range of hills.

 Another flareup.

Thank goodness for our Rural Fire Service and all their heroic fire fighters.

Cooking.

I know, a strange subject for me but hang around and all will become clear.

Di was cooking and looking through some of her many cook books and I noticed this one which was her Mothers. Apparently it was given out with each new gas cooker.

Its in rather a poor condition ....

.... but considering it was published in 1933, its done well ....

.... and even included a number of Moms hand written recipes.

Interesting inside cover showing companies long gone.

Anyway, I thought that this book was too precious to be let fall completely apart so went looking for a replacement. Of course one was found, quite cheaply, via the internet. Its not in the best condition, has been well used but its not falling apart.

This one dates back to 1951. The book now appears to be out of print and the latest edition I could find reference to was from 1968.

When the book arrived, what I found amazing with this copy was that inside there were the original instructions for fitting the gas cooker!

I'm amazed that they have survived and not been thrown away.

Fruit and Fungi

A late Fathers Day present, grow your own mushrooms, in this case Golden Oysters.

I haven't had them before so was surprised at how small and delicate they are but still very tasty.

All mine as I'm the only mushroom eater in the house, as long as Alex isn't staying over.. 

Another of my favourites, Rhubarb.

Just $2.00 a bunch, cooks up beautifully and last a fair while as I'm the on;y one that eats it. Two bunches here. With custard or ice cream, Yummy.

Catch-up continued

A walk around Windsor to see some of the new wall art works.

Beautiful detail in the works.

Sunset over the rooftops.

One of the Bougainvillea's
 

This photo was taken while cutting back trees at the end of the garden. The pile of mulch is nearly central and just to the right of the clothes hoist. The pile got a lot bigger when all the cut backs were complete.

Catch-up

Its hard to believe but we have just had rain, at least a dozen drops. We have been promised more rain by the weather gurus but we have lost faith in their forecasts. We are in drought conditions and lots of bush fires around. I think at last count their were over 100 currently burning in NSW. I can't remember drought like this before and our government just talk about water management and do nothing.
Despite the very dry conditions, our garden still manages to look good and give us pleasure. I have been doing a lot of cutting back and with the help of a big mulching machine borrowed from a friend, we now have a mountain of mulch to spread around and keep any ground moisture in.

I know! but honestly it was the only way to do it and I was very careful. Everything was lashed down securely.

A pair of regular visitors.

A reminder of Beckys wedding back in 2002. This Azalea was part of the flower arrangements, was planted in the garden and is still doing well.

Bees in the orange blossom.

White and Blue Wisteria on the pergola.

The Holiday ends ....

Friday 21st June  

A long, long journey, very boring and tiring but we arrived safe and sound.
We landed a little behind schedule at 06:40 and entered a world of complete chaos.
Imagine at least five plane loads of people trying to get through Immigration and Passport Control where there were only six desks open. Very long queues and definitely not a good way to welcome overseas visitors.
When we got into the main terminal, it was only a little better, just a sea of people waiting for friends and relatives. It would have been hard to find Alex and Graham if Graham hadn't been holding a big blue 'welcome home' balloon which he had found.
Big reunion with Ben and Becky when we got back to their house.
Graham went to work, Ben to school, while Becky and Alex bought us home to North Richmond.

The house was cold of course but we soon had the heating on and the fire lit.
The garden was neat and tidy, but very dry of course, friends had been around and cleared up all the fallen leaves and twigs. There had been some very high winds while we had been away.

Well that's it. All over until next time.

The Holiday contiues .... but not for much longer.

Wednesday 19th June

I seem to remember that the weather was quite good but still cool.
We didn't sleep too well, just thinking about everything we had to do and get the packing done.
Although our flight doesn't leave until 20:30 we will try and leave Jane's just after lunch. We will have to return the hire car, which if the pick-up was anything to go by, it could take a while and we have been warned about roadworks and holdups on the motorway.

We managed to squeeze everything into the suitcases, packed the car and left Janes about 13:30.

We had a far easier than expected drive to Manchester Airport, no problems on the motorway. We topped up the car with fuel and the return was done with the minimum of fuss. Caught the shuttle bus to the terminal and everything had run so smoothly that we were inside the terminal by 15:30.

With so much time to waste it gave us time to shop, book in our luggage and head for the business lounge. The hardest part of the adventure was to find our check-in desk.

The aircraft was very comfortable and we finally took off just a few minutes late, heading for Abu Dhabi and the long arduous journey.

The Holiday contiues ....

Very nearly the end of our stay in the UK.

We drove into Shrewsbury and parked on the opposite side of the city just for a change. Why do parking areas have such complicated payment systems. This particular parking area became so complicated, not just for me, that I ended up paying with a card.

Walked up through the city, window shopping mainly although I did buy a sweater that was on sale near Waterstones on The Square. Di just had to check out the cosmetics in Boots and we were served by a lady who recognized us from three years ago and we ended up with loads of freebees. 

We also visited Labyrinth, the Harry Potter shop on Grope Lane.

The Square.

Di outside her favourite shop.

A few doors down from Fatface there is a men's outfitters called Pockets. As I was having a look at their range of Barbour shirts, the young assistant noticed me looking at Barbours distinctive bottom shirt button and button hole, which are highlighted by using gold coloured thread. He explained to me that it was a sort of trademark of theirs, which I knew. What he didn't know though, and admitted that he had never noticed, was that the lowest button hole of the shirt is always horizontal. Sewing the bottom one this way rather than vertically is so that by feel alone you know when you have reached the last button on the shirt. This goes back to a time when gentlemen were dressed in candle light.

On the way back to Janes we called in to Battlerfield and came across this interesting weather vane.

Had a very nice dinner out with Jane and Glynn. Probably the last time we will see them as they leave very early for work.