We have been splitting the cooking between us most weeks. On Valentine’s Day we split the courses. Hubby was responsible for our entree – pan-fried scallops and bacon (from our corner butcher) on rocket leaves – not our own unfortunately since the rocket bolted early.
There have been changes in the front yard too. We started with some ornamental pines, a hybiscus, and our lovely pink crepe myrtle tree. It hasn’t bloomed quite so much this year because of the rain. This was a year or two back, when we were in a pretty dry spell.
What we have been successful with is rosemary. We now know that that plant can flourish anywhere. But we are most proud of our Australian flowering plants. We’ve planted grevilleas and the Sydney flannel flower, and are growing a pair of wattle bushes. But one bush that has been very spectacular is this one. I love the grey foliage and lavender bells. I’m not sure where in Australia it is from, Western Australia perhaps?
The garden has been a work-in-progress ever since I moved in 3.5 years ago. It started off as a lawn with some vintage shrubs and hodge-podge of trees (weeds, as I found out) that have been left to grow on its own for way too long.
There was a general clean-up done after moving in, but things were still pretty bare back then.
But in the last two years, we have built a vege patch and reaped a decent harvest. We were eating lots of kale and chives throughout the first season. In our second season we planted silverbeet, celery, tomatoes and soft herbs. Here they are in the spring.
And here they are in late summer.
The tomatoes had mostly died by then because of the excessive rains, but we harvested lots and lots of silverbeet, celery, and plenty of soft herbs too, reducing a little off our grocery bill. Now all our chilli plants are fruiting, although my husband is more excited about that than I am. He really loves hot food.
We still have a long way to go with regards to vege gardening, and gardening in general, but the garden is definitely looking better than ever.
My parents say that my job (apart from looking beautiful) is to guard the house. I take this job very seriously, at least when my parents are in the house. At our city home, I lie by the door and guard against passing post men, door-to-door people, sometimes even other dogs.
But I like guarding in our holiday home best. It’s the only place I can go on the sofas. I feel like a real princess then.
I can look out over my empire and defend it against not only postmen and door-to-door people, but kids on bikes and skateboards and little furry pooches.
And when it gets too much, which most of the time, I can zzzzzzzzzzz…
When I’m not sleeping, eating, playing, sniffing or guarding, I like, no demand, to be patted. After all, one has to feel like the princess one is.
My parents, by proxy, are my usual patters, but any visitor can pat me – I’m not fussy. I like to be stroked especially under the chin – oh, it does send me to doggy heaven when they do that.
If my parents get cheeky and ignore my pleas to be patted, I would first put on the most dejected puppy dog look. If that fails then I would paw/scratch them until they take notice of little old me. After all, what are parents but sources of love and affection for their children?
On weekends, my parents give me a bone to gnaw on. This is my favourite food in the world (apart from yoghurt, tuna, ham fat… so many nice things to eat).
I like bones because they are really tasty, especially the creamy marrow. My parents are happy that I like bones because it keeps my breath sweet. The vet is happy that I like bones too. He says that I have the best teeth he has ever seen.
I try to make my bones last. I like to gnaw on them until they’re in pieces, and then come back to them again the next day, just in case there’s some flavour left. You never know!
Sometimes I get so enthusiastic with old bone bits that I end up digging a hole in search of them – by accident, of course. Other times, I bury them for further feasting a few weeks on. My parents don’t like me doing this. They say old bones give me bad breath. I usually ignore them and do it anyway.
As they say, waste not, want not.
Hello, my name is Bridie.
I’m really happy now that I have been pampered at the dog salon. I got a super wash and my nails clipped and now I’m clean and smell nice.
The only thing I didn’t like were all the little, fluffy dogs that were being washed at the same time as me. How they yap so!
And I certainly don’t like this thingyme around my neck they call a scarf. I might be a French beagle, but I don’t need to accesorise ‘cos I’m naturally beautiful.
Our walk ends at the lookout over the beach in the company of more banksias.
We’ve come to the end of our visit to Crowdy Bay – and the end of our (epic) honeymoon journey. Next time I will be focussing on home.
It must have been a very wet winter, as in the more sheltered spots on the headland we found ferns and mushrooms.
The mish-mash of flowers was as pretty as a picture. Here are the rice flowers, boronias, and peas all mingling together.
Static and Silence 