Sprucing up

Brett has the week off work, he carts chip to Portland in Victoria, the truck drivers are being forced to take leave, apparently it has a lot to do with the Gunns company.

He's decided to do some sprucing up around the yard, I mentioned to him that we should get something to replace the bark that has disintegrated around the house.

He took Izzy with him for a drive and came back with some red scoria, it was only thirty five bucks for the trailer load, cheap for the improvement its made. It won't break down in a hurry, although the red bark has been there for 9 years. Izzy had a great time helping.

Izzy removing the old bark Brett had raked up, she tipped it on the garden, it's being recycled as mulch!

  

We used old shadecloth to stop the weeds

It looks so much better, and has really defined the area and brought out the rocks and greenery.

Drying Herbs

My old vegemite jar of mixed herbs is getting low, I cut and hang the herbs for a couple of weeks, then chop them up. 

Rosemary

Basil Mint

Oregano

Thyme

Sage

What herbs do you have growing and do you cut and dry them yourself?

Is the earth laughing at your place?

Earth laughs in flowers. - Ralph Waldo Emerson 


Love this quote, glad the earth laughs in my garden :)

This is the lovely bunch of flowers I've picked today.

linked here

Rosie dog

Rosie dog passed away on Saturday, comfortably laying in our lounge room. She had been not herself for a few days, and had got pneumonia. We bought her 10 years ago just after we moved into our home, Jake was 10 years old. He was the most upset of all of us, there was lots of crying and hugs when we buried her in our garden. There is still crying.

The driveway isn't the same, because she not running towards and alongside the car to greet us. When I stand at the back door, I know she's in the garden, but she won't come running up the steps and along the deck. I will hear the clicking of her paws in my subconscious, and be sad because it's not real. I hope she is happy in doggy heaven, and is loved, we miss her here.

We laugh at the times she's pooed in cars, not always our own! Brett will miss her running along beside as he cycled. I remember Jake calling her, "Rosie", as his pubescent voice cracked. Rosie sleeping in his bed. Me cracking it at Brett because he let her lay on my pillow. Rosie creeping down the hallway when I turned the lights out at night, she knew it was time to go out. Her barking at other dogs along the fence(we buried her near there). I wonder if the dog walkers will miss her being a menace. I smile as I recall Rosie being referred to as Brett 'first wife'. She was very close to Brett, he will have no door keeper when he's on the loo or in the shower.

Isabel wasn't there when we buried Rosie, she really wasn't aware Rosie had died when Brett carried her outside, wrapped up in the white woolly blanket she was laying on. I didn't think she would understand why we were putting her in a hole and filling it in with dirt, why we were sobbing. I know it will be hard when she asks "Where is Rosie?", and calling out her name. What do I say? Rosie is in doggy heaven?  She will miss her.

Brett, Jake and Isabel went down to the garden centre, and bought a pink iceburg rose on Sunday, to plant on her grave, we named her after the plant in the first place. We have a concrete paver to decorate for a headstone. We'll never forget our Rosie.