Gum Valley Patchwork

Waterlilies

Many years ago…..about 24…..I was a member of the Simpson Garden Club. Newly wed I would travel to the monthly evening meetings with my neighbours and it was a great chance to meet lots of ladies who also enjoyed gardening. We would have competitions and also a plant stall….which was a great way to expand one’s plant collection without parting with too much money. There were always cuttings, bulbs and pots to buy. On one night I purchased some waterlily tubers. I took them home and not having a pond to plant them in I decided to put them in one of our farm dams. I just threw them in and let them float to the edge of the bank. Over the years they have multiplied and when the water drops down low and the tubers are exposed the cows have a bit of a go at them but they always come back.

 
I know that they will never cover the whole dam as it is deep and they like the shallower water.

 
At this time of the year they flower and although they are white they still look lovely.

 
When the girls were younger we would go fishing for eels in the dam…….amongst the waterlilies was always the best place to find the eels lurking.

Linda   :)

New members of the family

I have always loved chooks. I think that it came from my Grandfather who always had lots of bantam chooks, ducks, quail, pheasants…..you name it he had it! Over the years I have kept chooks and over the years I have lost many chooks to foxes……it always ends in tears and I swear never again. Well after chook sitting for Mum when she spent time in hospital earlier this year, I decided it was time to try again so about 4 weeks ago I bought these……..

 
four Isa brown point of lay pullets. They are so quiet…….having trouble though getting them into the shed each night as they persist in roosting in a large pink echium I have growing in the orchard where their run and pen is. I have clipped their wings but they still manage to get four feet up in the air. Anyway this morning before I headed to the dairy I went and let them out of their pen and decided to check the nest boxes…..which I hadn’t done for a few days…….. and to my delight I found four eggs………..yay! I then went back after milking and found another 2

 
- no more buying eggs ……..…bigger yay!

Linda   :)