Norm is slowly using the creative side of his brain and coming up with some interesting ideas. This week it’s a frog hotel for the back corner garden.
A few pipes and pots from Bunnings, sand, and a few river rocks.
I dug up a small Mondo Grass and divided it into 3 pieces. As you can see below, he did quite a nice job. Next week’s project is a tadpole pond – seen partly installed to the right of our water feature.
Archived in: 🦋 I’m in the Garden
The Poinciana is almost bare and early bulbs are breaking the topsoil.
Archived in: 🦋 I’m in the Garden
An early morning hour in the front garden stimulates the imagination – and is a whole lot of fun.
A tidy up here and a touch of paint there.
If you don’t have water, create it. I tossed a few packets of lobelia seeds in for good measure.
We bought these two delightful blue mushroom solar lights today at Bunnings and added a little more creativity.
Not fully charged yet, but still looks pretty.
Archived in: 🦋 I’m in the Garden
Four days away in Coffs Harbour was relaxing and fun. On the final day, we took a walk down to Charlesworth Bay for a beach-combing expedition. The sun was bright and the breeze warm. A truly beautiful autumn day.
Archived in: 🦋 Travel & Retirement
I’m loving our growing edible garden. The Elderflower tea was beautiful. Next year I’ll allow the best flowering sprigs to mature into berries.
Photo by Chrissy
Archived in:🦋 I’m in the Garden
Yesterday, May 9th here in Australia, we had a “surprise” visit from our eldest daughter Cyline, eldest grandson Evan and one of Norm’s nieces and her husband Andrew. They all live over 2 hours away so it was an unexpected visit by Norm who turned 70. I knew about it but not the details. It was difficult to keep Norm at home and away from his BBQ kitchen without explaining why. He had even suggest we went to Bunnings. When I declined he said he could go alone. Bunnings would have been a dead giveaway because they had all met up in the Bunnings car-park just 2 minutes away before all driving in together. Oh yes, and they brought all the food and the caramel birthday cake – Norm’s favourite kind of cake.
Archived in: 🦋 Travel & Retirement
Last week I promised to explain why the outdoor kitchen divider was in front of the clothes line. The past 10 days have been rather busy and messy around here. These photos will show the work we have had done on our long undercover driveway and the footpath on the other side of the house.
First was the repair and grind.
Then a sand. The foot path on the other side was also repaired grind and sanded too.
The prep and first coat of cement rendering took quite a while to dry and giving a few days to blend.
The second cement render took another day and a half before Jake the tradesman could walk on it to roll the first sealing coat. We decided on the roll-on instead of spray because of the close proximity of neighbours and also it would be 3 years before a reseal instead of 1 year with the spray.
The final coat of the sealer went on 3 days ago. 1 more day before the sealant will have had time to cure. Once it’s cured we can start washing the dust off the walls and side gardens. It will be another 3 weeks before we can start placing things like the divider and herb pots back in place. Then it will be ready to bring the car back in. Climbing over the gnomes in the front or out the backdoor, past the clothesline into next door to use the neighbours footpath is not fun but it will be all worth it.
Archived in: 🦋 Retirement & Travel
Autumn is still beautiful on the mid-north coast.
Rear corner of back verandah.
From the garden.
and again from the garden.
Another view of the back corner.
Looks like there will be dozens of blooms this year.
This last photo shows the outdoor kitchen divider in front of the clothes line. Next week, I’ll reveal why.
Archived in: 🦋 I’m in the Garden
For a garden that’s now mostly, vegetables, herbs and fruit trees, there’s still a few bright colours to blend with the green.
Archived in: 🦋 I’m in the Garden
With the change of cooler weather comes the removal of almost all that remains of the Summer/Autumn crops. We have spent a busy two days in the garden planting winter seeds and seedlings. This includes – all year lettuce mix, a mixed variety of spinach, broad beans, cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, carrots, leeks and onions. There’s still plenty of okra flowers growing so I left that in. There’s a corn cob or two left and a few cucumbers on their vines. They’ll be pulled out soon to make room for what we hope will be a bumper crop this year.
Archived in: 🦋 Down on the Farm
Reverend David Curtis passed away on Friday 14th April shortly before 9am. David will be sadly missed by everyone at St Thomas Anglican Church Port Macquarie. He has been part of the pastoral care team I coordinate. David’s wisdom and experience he brought to the team has always been appreciated as too his willingness to do end-of-life and palliative care visits for me. David was also much involved with prayer and healing ministries.
Please check out his blog – David Curtis
Tradies came to replace our back guttering.
All our potted herbs had to be temporarily relocated.
It was a good opportunity to re-pot or top up pots with fresh soil.
Archived in: 🦋 Down on the Farm
If you can find my photos of the elderberry I potted when it just 40 cm high, I would be grateful. It should be somewhere in 🦋 I’m in the Garden archives but I can’t see it. It’s photographed with my other potted herbs. So late last year we re-potted it and it’s growing beautifully.
Now it’s taller than me and covered in blooms. Very strange because it should flower in early Summer. It’s Autumn here in Australia.
Archived in: 🦋 I’m in the Garden
Although I love the rain and warm summer days the high temperatures on the current between days of rain is not quite the Autumn I’m use to. The Poinciana is still covered in green leaves and the water in the fish pond feels more like a hot tub.
There’s one thing that I do enjoy in this crazy weather and that is the variety of green that is seen from, and in every corner of the garden. The birds too a hanging around longer than usual and as for our vegetables, they just keep growing leaving no room to plant winter crops.
I’m left wondering what I’ll be doing in the garden once the season does change.
Archived in: 🦋 I’m in the Garden
The hot weather in March and recent rains has turned our verandah into a high humidity zone.
Everything is flourishing.
It’s a good time to plant something new into some pretty pots I found.
There’s never too many plants.
Archived in: 🦋 I’m in the Garden
Today is my birthday so I decided I would have to better last year’s swimming with dolphins outing.
Port Stephens N.S.W. has a Shark & Ray Rescue Centre but now they also have a butterfly room.
Injured and surrendered reptiles are also a new additions.
There’s also an out walk-in bird aviary which also has a turtle pond. Unfortunately, the water was stirred up with heavy raindrops. So no turtle photos in the pond. However, this cheeky one decided he liked to sit on my head.
Archived in: 🦋 Travel & Retirement
Yesterday’s Pottering
….and the farm is thriving even though the nights are cooling.
My new work area is the perfect place to potter and plant Autumn and Winter crops from seeds and seedlings. Home grown vegetables and herbs all year round.
Archived in: 🦋 Down on the Farm
It’s finally Autumn and it is most noticeable in the evening with the warmth of the day fading with the going down of the sun.
When the phone is useless in this beautiful light
that reflects off the colours in the garden.
but it will all fade by the time I find the camera and set it up.
Maybe another evening when I’m more prepared. For now, I’ll just relax in the peace of the garden.
Archived in: 🦋 I’m in the Garden
Working on the farm can be a workout when I need to keep going to the other end of the farm to grab tools or trugs etc. Today I decided to tidy a messy corner and use it as my farm work place.
I’ll be able to plant seeds into pots. When the seedlings are big enough to handle the transplanting, I’ll be able to move them easily.
A place to keep the soil bin, trugs, buckets, and farm tools.
In easy reach of the worm farm and compost barrel.
Archived in: 🦋 Down on the Farm
With a lot of succulents pieces blown off the main plants by the windy weather I decided to do something creative. If you are anything like me as a gardener, I don’t like throwing anything away and these tiny hanging pots came up a treat with a bit of paint.
Archived in: 🦋 I’m in the Garden
This poem was written in October 2022 by my friend Hannah after the death of a nine-month-old boy who, with his family attended the congregation Hannah attends. With the permission from Hannah, and Aguin’s family, I’m honoured to share the poem on Riverside Peace.
The Loss of Aguin
Please don’t say, “It can’t hurt that bad,”
When I speak of Joy in pain.
Nor, “She can’t have loved him much,”
When I speak of Peace the same.
No. The grief, it burns like fire:
Searing my heart.
Numbing my mind.
Dulling my senses.
Dead.
My son is dead.
His body in the ground.
And off with him go fifty years
Of watching him grow,
Making him laugh,
Holding his child…
Fifty years I’ll never see,
For nine months in, he went to be
With the One who made him –
Far from me…
Oh, help! The grief! It burns like fire,
Searing the heart,
Numbing the mind,
Dulling the senses.
… Dead…
Peace. Quiet, gentle Peace,
With powerful force I can’t comprehend,
Trickles through the smokey blackness
And holds me.
I hurt.
I’m numb.
I hurt.
By turns –
Around and around, it goes.
But, never shaking,
Never changing,
Always remaining a wall around me,
His Peace never lets me go.
And Joy?
How can I think of joy,
Much less claim it to be mine?
Ach, this Joy – it almost aches;
And I am sure it cries.
It’s as close a cousin to ‘sad’ as ‘happy’,
For it knows depth,
It knows meaning,
It knows hurt…
And it knows hope, of the confident kind.
Ah, the grief… it burns like fire.
Searing my heart.
Numbing my mind.
Dulling my senses…
Yes. It burns.
But it won’t consume.
For, wrapped in His Peace
Touched by His Joy,
Sustained by His Love,
We know what He has promised…
“And He who promised is faithful.”
Amen
Archived in: 🦋 Christian Reads
The spinach just keeps growing. Even with a daily harvest there’s plenty for everyone in the street and local friends.
Little yellow tomatoes are always plentiful. There’s often so many of them that they fall to the ground in bunches. The kitchen window is just perfect for ripening of any fallen crop.
Cucumbers just get bigger and bigger. The first cucumber of the season we needed to cut it into 3 and share with neighbours.
Herbs are always on hand for indoor and outdoor cooking.
Our second crop of lettuce love the hot days and late in the day watering. Rain over night is even better.
Our quarterly water bill was surprisingly acceptable with vegetable and herbs needing a spray when we have days without rain.
Archived in: 🦋 Down on the Farm
With January being the hottest month of the year, it’s often difficult to choose the right day – a cooler day, to mulch the front garden and the garden that runs the length of the carport. Most other seasons don’t work with the front garden and after the Christmas lights a packed away for another year, it really is the best time. For us anyway. We started laying mulch this time from the rear of the drive and worked forward to the front of the house. We did this simply because we always run out of mulch for that far end of the drive when we do the front garden first. However, just as we finished along the drive it began to rain and continued most of the day. Good for the garden but not while gardening. At least it gave us a break and some time to plan how to tackle the front garden.
We started early to avoid the heat of the day and the rain that threatened to change our plans yet again. Overcast but not to hot, not to cold. The rain held off long enough to complete the whole front garden. We even had time to go to Bunnings for a few extra shrubs to fill empty spaces along the white picket fence. I also rehoused the new gnomes we bought on a clearance pallet just after Christmas. I’m quite pleased how it all looks now.
Archived in: 🦋 I’m in the Garden
I actually started in December when I made Birthday cards for three family members and a friend who have their birthdays in the first few weeks of January. Now I’ve completed a few of each – male, female and a couple of children’s cards – although I’m yet to make and cards for the younger boys. Our eldest grandson will be 18 in February but he loves penguins. I do have a shop bought card with a photo of a group of penguins on the front so I might give him that one. Does anyone know if a “group” of penguins is correct or is there another name?
Archived in: 🦋 Travel & Retirement
Our new photos taken by friends who came to celebrate our 42nd Anniversary with us.
Paul & Catherine have been friends for many years. The flowers, wine and candle in the last photo were delivered just after noon and just before our friends arrived. Norm is still the romantic.
Archived in: 🦋 Updates & Announcements
What more can I say?
Only that we don’t have a more recent photo. Perhaps later today after an anniversary lunch with old friends.
Archived in: 🦋 Updates & Announcements
After a chilly start to Summer the farm is looking green and healthy again. We have a variety of lettuce, small yellow tomatoes, two varieties of cucumber, spinach, blueberries, dwarf beans, capsicum, and the last of the spring onions. This summer I have planted chives, sage and thyme among the vegetables. The rest of the herbs are thriving in the outdoor kitchen area. (Not included here) and I have forgotten the two strawberry pots again that are still producing after three years. I’ll try and remember them for Down on the Farm #10.
Archived in: 🦋 Down on the Farm
Our Avocado Tree has a small avo on it. I doubt it will be edible since the tree is maybe only 3 years old.
We planted a pear and apple tree today.
Top left is the Avocado tree. Top right is the Pear tree. Below is the Apple tree.
Archived in: 🦋 Down on the Farm
Here are some more photos of our week’s holiday in the Hunter Valley.
Archived in: 🦋 Travel & Retirement
After doing a little grocery shopping this morning we decided to head back to Harrigan’s for lunch before visiting the Cider House. Thankfully we were sheltered by the hot sun while we shared a paddle of three tasting size ciders and the taste of a local red wine.
The cheese platter was delicious and made to fit our taste and my allergies.
This child size house looked so adorable.
It was empty so we supposed it was for children to visit while their parents tasted.
Archived in: 🦋 Travel & Retirement
Hunter Valley looking beautifully green and lush. We visited here many times but there’s always some thing new to see. Today was no different. We took a wrong turn and discovered Mount Pleasant. It’s so peaceful and the views go on and on; no matter which direction we looked.
Tonight we dine at Harrigan’s Irish Pub in the Hunter Valley with with our daughter, son-in-law and three teenage grandchildren.
Archived in: 🦋 Travel & Retirement
Even after everyone in the avenue received a share in this morning’s harvest we still have more greens and herbs than we can eat. 🙂 Locals, beware you could be increasing your greens intake very soon. 🙂
Archived in: 🦋 Down on the Farm
Sorry, this is blurred. I took the photo from inside the back door with my phone. We put up the Lorikeet box just a few days ago. This pair actually put their head inside but were more interested in eating. We’re hoping a second visit will happen soon but not perhaps one of the many other Lorikeet pairs who visit the garden will find this new house to be so tempting they’ll move in.
Archived in: 🦋 I’m in the Garden
If there’s one thing I like to do, and I can do it more now in retirement, it’s card making. Throughout the year I make birthday cards for special people in our life. Now that Christmas is not to far away, I have set aside October to make the Christmas cards which are to be posted. I don’t know about where you live but our slow mail is really slow. It took two weeks for my daughter’s wedding anniversary card to reach her place just over 2 and half hours away by road. We could have delivered it in person if it wasn’t for being unable to travel that far yet.
Archived in: Retirement
It’s great to see the sunshine and feel the warmth of Spring mornings again.
Nice enough to choose where to have breakfast.
Archived in: 🦋 I’m in the Garden
Herbs or Strawberries Anyone?
My garden makes me smile every day. Today I pruned the herbs and planted some basil seedlings. I can’t get enough basil but basil didn’t like the extra cold winter we had this year. I’m hoping to harvest basil again real soon. The strawberries are so nice and juicy this year. This is just one pot of two.
Archived in: 🦋 Down on the Farm
Past and Present photos
Sometimes I have to pinch myself. I’m just thankful of what can happen in a just a few years. Spring is finally here albeit it’s been a bit wet but sunny days have been just that. It looks like we’ll be eating a lot of spinach, lettuce, spring onions, cucumber, broad beans, corn and yellow cherry tomatoes for the rest of the year. There’s garlic and brown onions shooting, the avocado tree, strawberries and blueberries are is bursting with flowers. The neighbours will love them too.
Archived in: 🦋 Down on the Farm
Jessie stared wide-eyed at the freckled face of the checkout operator whose hair was as green as a florescent frog on high beam. She took a deep breath, reloaded her shopping trolley and headed to the back of the store where she plonked down the leaking carton of milk and retrieved a replacement before wandering along aisle after aisle until she felt ready to face another checkout operator.
The older woman wore a badge with the name Heidi printed in bold lettering. She was pleasant and the process went more smoothly than her earlier encounter. ‘How was your shopping experience today?’
‘It went OK,’ Jessie lied. ‘Thank you for asking.’ She tapped her credit card, loaded the grocery bags into the trolley and returned to the basement parking area.
After loading the boot of her SUV, she sat in the driver seat before bursting into tears. ‘I didn’t need that. I didn’t deserve that.’
It wasn’t until a car full of teenagers pulled in beside her that Jessie started the engine and reversed out of the car space. Taking a deep breath, she drove home.
‘Colin?’ Jessie asked over their evening meal, ‘am I grumpy?’
Her husband of four years looked up; a surprised look on his face. ‘You mean in general or this evening?’
‘Well…either, I suppose.’
‘Not to my knowledge. You seem quieter than usual but I didn’t think you were grumpy. Why do you ask?’
‘Today was a trying day at work and I left late. I still needed to get the groceries on the way home. I must have caught every traffic light red and I had to drive around the car parking station for twenty minutes looking for a parking space. It really didn’t take long to collect the items I needed but I hadn’t realised until I unload the groceries at the checkout that the carton of milk was leaking and dumped a third of it’s contents on the conveyor belt.’
‘That would make me grumpy,’ Colin chuckled.
‘I did groan a little. I asked the cashier if someone could bring another carton and perhaps something to clean up the mess.’
‘What did she say?’
‘Now that’s the part when I almost lost the plot. She said, I quote: “I’m the checkout operator, not your maid and don’t get grumpy with me or I’ll call security”. I found myself just staring at her bright slimy green hair that looked like it hadn’t been washed in a month. I just put everything back into the trolley, including the milk and went back to the dairy section.’
Jessie continued the story while Colin sat opposite and listened quietly. He reached across the table and took her hand. ‘That was just plain rude. You should have reported her.’
‘What good would that do.’ She sighed and a tear ran down her cheek. ‘I won’t be going through her checkout again, that’s for sure. The worst of it is, I think I convinced myself that I must have been grumpy.’
‘I don’t think so Jessie, you shouldn’t either.’
She poked at her food for a few minutes before speaking again. ‘I feel like I’ve been stabbed through the heart. I hear her words in my head over and over.’
‘Well, let’s change them.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Jessie, you are too sweet a person to be called grumpy. I think you should stand up to those nasty statements.’
‘How? Do I go back and tell her she’s a freckled face, slimy green frog? That’s not me either.’ She paused. ‘That would get security onto me,’ she added with a chuckle.
They both laughed at that.
‘I could tell her, and my head, that I’m not grumpy.’
‘How about: Don’t call me grumpy. I’m not grumpy.’
‘OK. Don’t call me grumpy!’
They smiled at each other before finishing their meal.
© Chrissy Siggee – January 2020
Archived in: 
Short Fiction
This morning’s weather was loads better than recent weeks. The sun was shining and very few clouds to spoil the blue of the sky. The chilly wind off the mountains in the west also had ceased.
The Coastal Walk was tempting but beyond the Breakwall it gets rather rocky for walkers as well as rollers. That is – Not friendly for prams wheelchairs, roller skaters and skate boarders. Norm is improving with his steering but occasionally I almost get flipped out of the wheelchair or bogged. 🙂 All fun.
The painting on rocks along the Breakwall has been around for quite a few years. Some I saw were dated back in the late 1990s. Graffiti is rarely seen here which is probably why the rock painting began in the first place. People tend to respect other people’s art work; no matter how bad it is. Some people wrote commemorative messages for pets, family members a or friends. I wish I could show more but there’s way to many photos for WordPress.
On our return along the Breakwall we stopped for coffee and dessert at one of our favourite eating places – the Pancake Place. A very bright place to eat.
On our return along the Breakwall we stopped for coffees and desserts at one of our favourite eating places – the Pancake Place.
Archived in: 🦋 Retirement
Last night Norm relocated my big screen PC to the dining room table where I am able to maneuver around better in the wheelchair. This morning I looked up from the screen to see between the verandah railings and palm leaves, ….
the bulbs I had planted in previous seasons were blooming. I promptly sent Norm around the garden with the camera to see what else I missed. I’ll look through the photos later today after church.
Archived in: 🦋 I’m in the Garden
I upgraded the wheelchair and I have more flexibility and freedom.
It’s so good to be in the garden. No changes needed to the driveway or kitchen-diner.
Archived in: 🦋 I’m in the Garden
With the next 5 weeks of non-weight-bearing, I thought I might start painting some of the garden ornaments in time for Spring. I’ll begin with the larger items and work down to smaller items like the fairies and smaller gnomes around the pond.
Mother duck held up well this winter but her bill and feet are in need of a touch-up, as too the mushroom stool and larger gnomes in the front garden.
At present this is the only part of the back garden I can see from the wheelchair. I’m hoping with some slight rearrangement of items at the side of the house, I’ll be able to sit in the outdoor kitchen diner but for now I’m content to enjoy the verandah and the recovery of myself and of weather beaten garden favourites.
Archived in: 🦋 I’m in the Garden
I was finally able to visit the front garden. While Norm weeded and dead headed I took a few photos of the late winter flowering lavender, Azalias and Gazanias. Even the Bougainvillea climbing the wall is bursting with colour. A few extra cottage garden plants need to be planted when Spring arrives.
The tub of pansies and zinnia potted daisies needed to be relocated temporarily for the ramp.
Archived in: 🦋 I’m in the Garden
From this wheelchair, I can’t see two of our three vegetable plots so I sent Norm out with the camera again. I think sometime in the future we will need to have a wider pathway along the front of the above ground plots. We’re not getting any younger and we’ll want to be able to have access to all the garden for years to come.
WOW What a surprise. There’s an abundance of crops out there. Way to much for us. The broad beans are covered in flowers and the corn is doing well too.
I sent Norm back to do a harvest of mostly snap peas, silver-beet, perennial spinach, butter-crunch lettuce, scarole Lettuce, little gem lettuce, red sails and the loose-leaf lettuce. Everything is yummy.
The avocado tree and two blueberry bushes are also in flower. This will be the first season both blueberry bushes to fruit at the same time. We have two pots of strawberries; one flowering. The other isn’t getting enough sun yet but it’s healthy. (neither shown in photos) As for the avocado – we’ll have to just wait and see. I think it’s just three years old and fruit usually appears on an avocado in five years.
Archived in: 🦋 Down on the Farm
If you have read my post Inconceivable Times this post is a follow-up.
By the time you read this, I will have already been wheeled in and out of surgery. My appointment with the surgeon on Tuesday left me with a number of forms, pre-operation fees and, a very clear understanding of what is going on and what is going to happen. It’s all been rushed because there was a cancellation which was offered to me so it could be done ASAP.
I will need hip replacements in perhaps a year or five but that will be to far off to leave the gluteus medius muscle unattached. This surgery is called the “right hip abductor repair”. I will be in hospital for 2-3 weeks with a further 6 weeks of non-weight bearing at home with extensive rehabilitation.
Once I’m through the worst of the post surgery drowsiness and pain medication, I hope to be back using my laptop in my hospital bed if not for much else than reading some of my favourite WordPress bloggers posts. You may even get a post-op photo of the 20cm -30cm incision for the more bolder followers. 😉
I have pre-scheduled daily posts so you don’t miss me too much. 🙂
Chrissy
Archived in: Announcements
The colours are as bright as the sun at the front of the house. There’s been some sunny days but the temperatures go down when the sun goes down. I really hope the weather warms us up soon.
Archived in: 🦋 I’m in the Garden
We knew about this before we bought our home back in December 2019. It’s finally happening. The noise can be annoying but at least there’s no workers or machinery on the weekends and before 7.30am and after 5pm in the evenings during the week… and when it’s raining.
The photos above were taken while standing on a step ladder on the verandah. Below are the scenes we see at floor level and at the bottom of the steps that descend into the garden. Hopefully the new houses won’t appear above the fence. We’ll just have to wait.
Archived in: 🦋 I’m in the Garden
It’s been a lot easier to sneak up on these adorable birds. They don’t seem to mind the camera either. This pair is one of four pairs that come in for a feed throughout the day. They all have their own colour tones and preferred times to eat. An interesting lot.
Archived in: 🦋 I’m in the Garden
Retirement can be challenging but there’s always something to learn and do, especially when it comes to the garden.
Well done, Norm. You’re never too old to learn new skills. 🙂 I can’t wait to see what other species of birds will visit the garden.
Archived in: 🦋 Retirement
A little bit of sunshine brings life back to the garden plots, blueberry shrubs (potted between plots) and the avocado tree. The blueberry shrubs were covered with netting after these photos were taken. This week we have harvested carrots, spring onions, perennial spinach, snow peas, leeks and herbs (herbs not in photos) but just enough for ourselves. Once Spring is here, we’ll be feeding the neighbours again. 🙂
Archived in: 🦋 Down on the Farm
Riverside Peace 
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