AndThisLittlePig said Timberrr

A little over three weeks ago, one of the big gum trees (Eucalyptus) in my back yard dropped a big limb onto my back fence, which was just well... it could have been worse the fence is due to be replaced in the next couple of weeks, so not really too big a deal, until I had a couple of 'tree' men look at them with the view to taking them down.

This was when things went down hill. The bigger one had a crack, so today was the day they both came down.

My big trees today in the early morning light, from the neighbours front gate.

The one on the right is the 'bad' tree, close to 80 feet, and yes if it had come down, it would have hit my home or worse still the neighbours, right over their bedrooms.

This is just before I had gone to work, they had been at it about an hour.

Believe it or not as solid as this looks, the top was quite rotten. TM (tree man) 'One of the most frightening trees he had ever been up.'

Photo from my lovely neightbour T, took about four hours to take out the top of the tree.

Missed photographing timber by mere seconds. Never realised the second tree actually leaned towards T's house.

Hard Work

Both Gone

All that remained when I returned home.

Still have to have the stumps ground out, on the upside firewood for winter, downside, there goes all the afternoon shade from my yard, and as much as I loved these trees they had become dangerous, and they took all of the moisture out of the ground, so will be able to have a lawn and a nice vege garden.

So until next time... Libbie :@
with The Pirate Meah Moo, Quincy, Katie, Pippie plus Four

And This Little Pig said No Stitching Weekend

Firstly I have had no internet since Friday night, currently on my laptop with limited wireless, so will have to report first thing Monday morning, but thanks to my very good friend Sue I have been kept very busy to really notice and have had a weekend of absolutely no stitching. None. Nothing. Nada! And I am completely exhausted.

Weekend started Friday night, when I went out to Sue’s to check one of her beef cows, too much milk for her calf. Ever tried to milk an eight year old beef cow? No? Well she was excellent, didn’t move, didn’t kick, brilliant. Not so brilliant mastitis in one quarter, so milked out as much as we could, and decided course of treatment, which meant a trip to the Vet’s on Saturday morning. Out again to Sue’s milked as much as we could, inserted (lovely tech word there) some ‘dry cow’ up her teat to help treat the mastitis, then three injections later ‘Pretty Face’ was starting to feel like a pin cushion.

Sterling Silver

So while there I was like better bring Polly in as well, her calf isn’t touching that front quarter either. Polly is only three, and again she was a little trouper, even milked her into a bucket. Went back again this morning, and milked her again, just to keep on top of it, her heifer calf is only four days old, and of course silly me forgot the camera. She is such a little sweetie.

Gourmet Popcorn - Yes I know it's sideways... tomorrow, I'll fix tomorow

Now why was my weekend so exhausting, because Sue and I attacked the Wilderness! And I am happy to say it is no more. All my bins are full and the neighhours offered me their trailer as they were going to the dump, and we filled it too. Still more to rake up, but at least I can see all the fences and hopefully deter any snakes that thought my yard was a good place to hang out. No photos of non-wilderness, maybe tomorrow.

Gerainium

But I did take time out to photograph some of my roses, the first two roses are the same flower, a Delbard (French rose) France Libre, taken with sun shining directly on the rose. No adjustments to the photo, that is it, nearly incandescent. The next one is taken right on dusk, no flash, again no adjustments to photo. The other roses have their names under them.

I did say my weekend was busy, Dad came down today to pick up ‘Alan’ the cow, he dropped me off some goat manure for the roses, and another visitor for me to take care of for a couple of hours, until his new owners came to pick him up… Lando, and he is a boy.

Laying on the ground, looking up, he was such a good boy, he had just had his bottle.

Being inquisitive, in other words trying to stare down the camera.

Strange photo I know, but I couldn't resist, half his face was blurred, so cropped out the blurry bit.

And a very unique way of looking at the carport and pot plants.

Lastly it was a beautiful weekend, just look at that sky. Gonna be a hot summer, if this weekend is anything to go by. I'm exhausted the dogs are exhausted, they are in bed, and I'm heading off there right now. So good night, or good morning, and seeya soon.

LiBBiE in Oz :@

And This Little Pig said Pride and Prejudice

I love Pride & Prejudice, especially the BBC mini-series from 1995, starting Colin Firth............... oh sorry Mr Darcy was just walking through the trees after taking a dip in the lake, white shirt, wet... you get the picture, and the wonderful Jennifer Ehle as Miss Elizabeth Bennet.

One scene came vividly to life just recently, it is when the Lady Catherine de Bourgh, comes to confront Elizabeth on her engagement to Mr Darcy. The following quote will make perfect sense, once you have seen the pictures.

"There seemed to be a prettyish kind of little wilderness on one side of your lawn, I should be glad to take a turn in it."

This is not

a prettyish

kind of

little wilderness!

It is actually a kind of biggish wilderness! Can you see Meah?

But I can apparently grow magnificent Scotch thistle, as in some of them are over five feet high.

Love the little cobwebs on this one.

For those of you who couldn't find Meah, there she is, she was sort of impossible to find.

Now Lady Catherine de Bourgh would definitely not take a turn in my garden, but in my defence, we have had wonderful spring rain, which meant it was wet every weekend, and I was unable to mow, but now that daylight savings has started, I am finally getting on top of it! And soon I might just be able to let Meah and the Long Dogs up the back and be able to find them before Christmas :@

Seeya soon... LiBBiE in Oz

And This Little Pig said Sunny Sunday Afternoon

Yes my posting has been very patchy lately, so just to add some pressure I've started a blog for the dogs, will continue to post photos here, but most of their photos will be on the new blog... Long Dog. I promise to always let you know when I have posted new piccies.

The last two boys went last week, the chocolate boys. All the pups have new names... black & tan girl Roxy, black & tan boy Alvin (yes he was named by a six week old boy) the two chocolate boys who I was calling Cadbury & Nestle, are now Haydos & Gilly.

Podge is still Podge, and she is now sleeping in my bed much to Meah's disgust! Would you look at that face! Don't let the innocence suck you in :D

It was a beautiful autumn afternoon, the sun was shining, well for most of it, and the washing was mostly dry, and I was re-potting some plants when this fine little spiders web caught my eye. Spiders are definitely not my thing, but it was so delicate, that the unseen eight legged creature surely wasn't very big!

A very artistic spider, to create a heart shaped centre. Maybe her name is Charlotte?

I brought a new geranium over Easter, something I rarely do, but the flower was so vivid and tiny.

Never try and photograph laying on the ground, while the dogs are in the yard with you!

I would get in trouble from Meah if I didn't include a photo of her, and froggie.

I would also like to report that stitching has been absolutely non-existent, but hope to change that over the next couple of day. I have been doing a little bit of knitting, just can't seem to get craft motivated, and I have the month from hell starting in May... three straight weekend's of work, two cattle sales, and an auction which involves a nursery clearance, 1000's and 1000's of plants. Then Mum wants to go to a show the last weekend in May.

Plus... Plus I have my first blogoversary coming up at the end of May, also closing in on 100 posts as well, so will have to organize my first ever giveaway. Ahhh!!!!!

Oh and while talking about blogoversaries, Edgar is having his 4th, and is having a giveaway, here is the link Edgar - Blacksheep's Bit of the Web.

Nite for now, hoping to have some stitching for you this week.
LiBBiE in Oz

And This Little Pig said X-Stitch Crazies & Update All Round

First up one of the puppies, a boy, don't you just love the elephant ears.

Photos of the babies taken tonight, just for you all. They all have new homes now, well except Podge.

I promised cross stitch, and I have delivered! I realised, that OMG it was March, and I had only completely one of my Crazies. So this weekend I worked hard at completing two of my LHN Ornaments.

This one is an extra, LHN, JCS Ornaments Issue 2010... Happy Skater.

The companion piece, LHN The Merry Skater.

OK we are in autumn here in Oz, and while it is a little late, or very early for spring cleaning, I think it might be time to get rid of some cobwebs :D

If you only knew how much I hate spiders! I won't even photograph them, I can look and see the wonder and work that goes into their webs, and think what a great photo that would be... but it ain't ever gonna happen.

This is the shot I was really after, and I thought I had missed it.

The other side, I think the cleaning of this may just have to fall to some else, cause I really don't want to know how big the spider is that has decided to take up residence in my reindeer star!

One last photo, from my garden... Red!

Anyhow, night all.

LiBBiE in Oz

And This Little Pig said I'm Back....

I'm back! Life has been busy, our local agricultural show was on at the end of September, and I am on the committee, keep telling myself that this year is the last, and I am going to resign, in all fairness I have been on committee for close to 20 years, just have to wait and see what happens.

Aside from running the Dairy Goat section of the show, and serving on the bistro and bar, myself and another dear lady do all the schedules, this was our 8th year. And while it is a lot easier than when we first started, it still takes anything from eight to ten weeks (weekends) out of our lives. There are 18 sections to produce along with a full schedule. We winge and whine every year, but we do have fun.

Mum came down for the show, I will put pictures up tomorrow, with our results.

Then we had a holiday weekend, so I off I went to Mum's. Which involved the following... goats, pick up hay, kids, unload hay, goats feet, chickens and a 24 hour milk production test for our milk awards, then back home and back to work for a rest.

I have joined the Little House Needlework SAL for Diane's Family Sampler, and my pattern and Crescent Colours floss arrived last week, I am so excited, this is my first LHN.

Like all LHN patterns it is just beautiful, but with this one you get to personalise to fit your family. I have had a wonderful time working out how to fit everything in. Graph paper, pencils and eraser has gotten quite a work out. I think I have got it just right.

Finally this weekend I sat down and started, my fingers are just itching to go back to it.

Also spring is in the air, and my roses have finally started to open. Three weeks too late for the show. I won Champion Rose last year, and this year didn't have a single flower out to enter, but they are just beautiful. Well as long as you don't count the sooty mold, which has been a bugger to get on top of this year :(

The results have been worth the wait.

Red Vase - red rose is Topsy Turvy, red and white stripe Scentimental (my fav) and the red with red strip in the middle Red Intuition.

A new rose from last year, this is a French Delbard rose Alfred Sisley, part of their Painter series.

And two macros--Centre

And petal edge

And This Little Pig said Wet, Windy = Miserable + Long Post

I seem to be saying this alot lately, but this is the first wet winter we have had in quite a few years, leading everyone to hope for a really good spring and summer. We have been more in drought than out in the last 10 years.

Today was so strange, woke up to pouring rain and then became more windy as the day went on. This also means there were less cattle yarded, and to be perfectly honest, not a day for taking photos.

But by the time I had finished weighing, this is what the day looked like. Above photo taken at 8.34am the photo below 10.58am. 2 hours and 24 minutes difference.

Now for an Evie update she is settling in well, learning to get a long with Quincy an energetic, roughhousing seven month old, who won't take no for an answer, well she did that one time, but that is the natural order of things.

And a snooty Meah, who does not want another thing taking away Meah-time.

She seems more happy when we are out in the yard, not as ridged, enjoys running round, always comes when she is called, tail wagging, even if she does drop to the ground, when you bend down to pat her, but I believe this is a symptom of not being patted, not of anything sinister. She has begun jumping up on my leg for a pat, so progress.

Toilet training is going great, even if it means getting out of bed between 5 and 5.30am when she starts to whine, but for a girl who has spent no time inside.

How much time has Evie spent inside, well she did not know what a lounge/sofa was for, I mean they are for laying on right? We showed her how to get up, and she laid their and watched me iron my work clothes, and what a quick study, showed her in the morning, and that afternoon after I came home from work, and we came back inside, straight up on the lounge. Good Girl.

Yes we have taught her some bad habits :D but isn't this the natural order of things?

One sad note, Evie has not learned to give kisses… yet.

Note to Moo (that's Meah's nickname) you sleep on the bed, Evie sleeps in a crate.

About a week ago I complained about my camera, well before I went home for my newphew's Christening, I invested in a new little camera (discounted), this one is a Panasonic Lumix, and I am happy with the results to date, I have not enhanced any of these photos, and my geranium now looks red, and dead :D

Definitely one of the last of my roses, a Delbard, I think Camille Pissarro.

And my ever faithful Gourmet Popcorn.

Plus a macro, a dandelion gone to seed, or as children we called them wet the bed.