Early morning sprinkle

This is the best I have ever seen my Poinsettia. However, I thought they were meant to flower at Christmas.

Fig cycle

This is a Black Genoa fig. I don't know much about its seasonal cycle, but it had no sooner matured this first fig, than others are forming on the new growth.


It suffers damage to its leaves, though. It looks like it could be wind and rain that tears at the edges, although I suspect it rather is a bug, but I cannot locate the blighter. The fruit was as delicious as the shop bought variety even though not ripe to the very edge. Maybe I was just too keen!

Another additon to my orchard

This Shepard Avocado was so delicious that I googled how to grow avocado in my climate and figuring I could manage that (I figure I can manage most things, so long as I change the rules!), I set about striking the seed. I found me a coffee jar, broke a bamboo stick in half, and using two pointy ends, set up a cradle across the lip of the jar so that the seed just sat in the water. I guess that was about the beginning of March.


I took it out of the water when I returned from down south, to be greeted by this long root covered in slime.Figuring that to be for the good, I stuck it in a good friable soil, watered it, and proceded to sit back and watch it grow.

So, now I have an avocado, a fig, a lemon, a lime, two olive trees, and herbs (basil, oregano, parsley and mint).

Goodo ...

Autumn repose

What a perfect week, the temperatures on the up-side of the mid-twenties, blues skies, slight nor-easters. My favourite season, which will last from now until the middle of about July even thought the evenings chill of a smidge. Just right for my two lovelies ...

Now for a sharp cheddar & CSM blend

Twenty days in a brine that was changed every other day. Read the recipe from the ABC site again, and decided to wing it. My usual method.

Mixed a big slurp of extra-virgin olive oil with a small slurp of raspberry vinegar. A good sprinkle of cracked black pepper, about 8 or so cloves of garlic roughly sliced. A generous handful of oregano straight from the garden, chopped but not finely. Shake all together. Pour over olives, put lid on and store on bench not in fridge.

Now to wait for a week and then devour them out in the courtyard with Mel Torme drifting out from the radiogram.

The beginning of agriculture?

Last September upon my return from Hobart, I found my previous crop (of two) figs had shrivelled and dropped off. Maybe figs fruit each between-season, as we are entering Autumn and, once again, I am blessed with fruit.

I did not realise that the common fig is posited as the first known plant grown deliberately, eons before things like wheat and barley. Not sure how they work this out, neither do I care. I adore figs.

In a pickle

Day 9 of the pickle-process. I tried one today to see whether I have to continue for 20 days or whether the bitterness will have eased sufficiently by 14 days. See my gnawed seed? I think I am heading toward a 14 day PP. Invariably, as I go about my chores, I have assistance.