Christmas Cases

Winter always seems a good time to start thinking about Christmas, even though it's six months away. The colder, darker, wetter months are much better for creativity and crafting than those long, hot days when you need a sea breeze in your hair not scissors in your hands.

So I've started work on a fancy dress set for our daughter. I took two suitcases - snaffled during an inorganic collection a few years ago - and tidied them up with some green washi tape. Next, I added stickers to the outside to make them look even better-travelled.

The two suitcases will have different themes - one will be a dressing up box - jewellry, scarves, handbags, ties etc - and the other will contain fantasy costumes - a dinosaur, wild beasts, a clown etc. I've picked up quite a few bits and pieces at thrift shops and dollar shops already. Now I need to pick up a needle and thread and start work on the costumes that I want to create myself. Wish me luck!

Caught red-handed

At the end of autumn, I planted some bulbs in these pots. The chickens decided that the pots were actually dust baths and have been scraping and scratching at them for a few months now. I kept re-planting the bulbs but eventually half the soil was scattered across the drive and the bulbs had disappeared - perhaps squirreled away by an enterprising mouse who'd been conspiring with the chickens.

Not having learnt my lesson, I planted some herbs in another pot, close by. I thought that plants would be less tempting than bare earth with soil underneath. I was wrong. I had no choice but to chicken proof my containers. The solution came in the form of gutter guard plastic sheeting with cable ties (to fasten it into a circle) and chopsticks (to anchor it in place in the pots). So far, so good - no incursions have taken place.

I've planted up some money plants in the green pots with sedum around the base (top left - click on the collage for a bigger image) and some land cress for salads too (bottom right). If those survive, I'll re-plant the mini herb garden too.

In a sudden burst of productivity, I also planted some sprouting chokos by the compost heap (top right) and some pelargoniums close to our recently pruned hydrangeas (bottom left) - more on the pruning soon! 

Temptation

This beautiful machine is parked up in a paddock alongside one of our occasional weekend routes. Someone is very tempted to purchase it. Apparently the log splitter would be really useful. 

Full moon

First light

Firewood

First Frost

It's been a funny winter so far. Very wet to start with - when the drought ended - then some long dry spells. Some days it's been warm enough to sit outside for lunch - and plenty warm enough to work outside in short sleeves. And then we've had cold snaps too - including our first frosty windscreens since we moved here 4 years ago. Needless to say, we were underprepared and had to clear the ice with a credit card!