Home again

I arrived back home last night so am trying to catch up with what has been happening in the garden etc. over the last ten days. The CEO tells me there was hail here a couple of days ago. I wasn't even aware that it had rained since I had left although I fleetingly tried to check the forecast most days.

I was much too preoccupied with a little toddler and an equally active four month old puppy who both kept me amused much of the time.

I have come home with cuts all over my hands and ankles from the razor sharp teeth of Patchy who becomes extremely excited when the girls appear in the morning and when they come home from school. I think Puppy Training School is going to be in her future plans :-) However, she does learn quickly but just knowing exactly the right way to teach her is a bit hit and miss at the moment although I did buy a dog training DVD for the girls but it doesn't cover everything. She is quite adorable but got really hot on that 38C day we had which was perfect weather for a bath. I am not quite sure how puppies cope with the heat of an Outback summer but they do seem to survive.

 

My daughter had a little free time on Friday so when we were in the shopping precinct I thought I would take a couple of photos to show how close the mine is to where the shops are as I have mentioned in previous posts that the city was built right next to the mine which wouldn't be allowed these days. 

There are three chimney stacks that are visible from most parts of the city and this is the tallest one which stands out behind a row of shops in the centre of the shopping area.

In case one ever forgets that they are in a mining town - which would be hard to do - there are constant reminders like the safety flags on many of the vehicles which I think are called Mine Whips as well as the Hi Viz clothes most of the men wear.  

 

I spent a lot of time with this little fellow who loved getting into his big sisters' room while they were at school and playing with their little bits and pieces.

What he really loved though was playing in the huge sandpit with his Tonka truck...

...and hanging over the fence near the sandpit is the neighbour's mango tree which hopefully will drop some ripe mangoes in a few weeks time. That is if the flying foxes don't find them first.

There are lots of weeds to pull out this week so the next few days will be spent taking stock of what is growing well. There are heaps of mulberries to freeze and all the avocados seem to be ripening at once.  I did have pumpkins growing but the CEO bought some new chooks while I was away so the pumpkins have disappeared. Sigh! I need to fence off some more areas that they can't get into. 

I hope everyone is keeping well and safe as there have been several weather events happening lately. I have a friend in North Carolina who was waiting for the rivers to rise the last I heard but she was okay as was my other friend in Florida. As many of my readers live in the US I hope you are all okay. 

Have a great week everyone!

Before I go.....

I meant to mention in my last blog post that Jes from Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth has written the most fabulous informative eBook called 100 Plus DIY Projects to make with fruit scraps with matching labels. She is having a 48 hour sale and if you put 'loyalreader' in the discount code box you will get the discount when you buy it. I haven't had a chance to read it properly as yet but I can tell it is going to be very interesting and will read some of it on the plane on Wednesday when I head up to the Outback to see my grandchildren....and my daughter and son-in-law too of course....and the new puppy :-) The eBook has 264 pages so it will take a little while to get through it all but I can't wait to start.

From the Outback to the South East

I left the Outback and flew home yesterday afternoon and, for the first time, I haven't felt the chilly temperature as soon as we hit the Toowoomba Range. The weather here is still very warm for this time of the year and it was 27C today which is hard to believe as we are usually rugged up by now. Mind you, I am not complaining as I haven't dragged out my winter clothes yet but it does make you wonder what summer is going to be like. I did read online though that the temps will plummet at the beginning of June so I guess things will get back to normal then. One thing I noticed was that the sun rises an hour later in Mt.Isa and it is just getting light at 7am which makes it very easy to sleep in.

One more sleep!

Only one more sleep till my grandchildren arrive! They have driven for nine hours today and will have another nine hour drive tomorrow and should be here by late afternoon all being well. It was my grandson's first birthday today and what a way to celebrate your birthday...driving through the hot and dry Aussie Outback. However, Outback kids are tough and the children have always been great travellers and I believe even the baby coped well with the long hours of sitting in a car seat.