Catching Up!

Our Fur Pal, Pops

Long time, no write.
It seems like the past three months have sped by. Weve been on school trips and had visitors to stay which as been awesome - lots of fun, even if it was a bit squishy (See photo of one of the visitors).  EQC arrived, weve had some tentative repairs done... Still waiting for the Big Tick, but it is much warmer, and the new paint smell is fading. Loving my new outside lights!

The older lads are off doing their own things - One on a school tramp the week of the snow (brr!), and the other, to Rarotonga this week...
School Assessments happen soon, May went and with a hiss and a roar, June came and went, and July is busy tying up ends. I start at my new work in August! Just six months til Christmas ... gulp!

This week Im better able to take a breath and catch up with lots of things - and people... but the Mount Foldmore pile (washing) is waiting and so are the weeds. Yesterday I started on the weeds... a beautiful balmy day, slight breeze but warm ~ I like days like these! I finally planted some garlic... and tucked it down into a warm composty bed.

Today is Cultural Day at school. We are having shared lunch and I can hear the kids already.
They will LOVE getting outside after being cooped up while it is cold. I saw some bare feet before, more than one set!

Danebrog Poppy

Tomorrow we are continuing with the school Survival unit, the children will be weeding and planting... in the hope that when they return after the holidays, *something* will have grown! I sure hope it will :)

Have scattered some new flowers this year to attract more of the usual suspects - bees, butterflies, beneficial insects... Lots of blues - lobelia, forgetmenot, scabiosa, larkspur, delphiniums and cornflowers. I love cornflowers, theyre such a happy flower! Have short and tall sunflowers, also some lovely danebrog poppies and double opium poppies... cant wait to see them flower!

Well, break's over. Time to hit the ground running... Off to harvest some yams for dinner and cast an eye over the washing... sob. Might wait til later...

Have a happy day!
Plant something :)
EB
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Thats the Last Time I... Early Hosing... Garden Report!




Thats the Last Time I...
How many times do we say that? And usually its NOT the last time, for whatever it is.
This morning, my first thoughts were...
Whats that noise? Why am I awake? Is it morning already?...
Then...

...Thats the Last Time I sleep with the window open!
I bounced out of bed when I realized it was light. I could hear little birds singing their hearts out, so I decided it must be a respectful hour. I had been woken initially by next doors shower, their gas heats the hot water, and when it starts is makes quite a racket... Not that I had noticed before today.
So, up I get.
Greeted by a purry furry cat who wants fed. Nuzzling. But not friendly nuzzling, insistent. I want FOOD Skin-Mother. Food, not cuddles.
My life is easier if I feed the four of them first, so out I go. Cat meat in hand, Cats in tow, and just out the door when an aftershock hits. Gulp. Cats Scatter - no, theyre gone, various directions. It was a bit rocky, but nothing specially big, just a rude awakening to someone who has cat meat all over their hands and is barely awake, a 3.9, centred somewhere in North Brighton, poor Buggers!



Old Soldier Cat

 So. Its watering day. Hose in hand, I make my way through the garden, sprinkling water...
Hmm, pink morning sky, big clouds, easing into golden sunlight and still more big clouds. Then its just greyish dullness, but it gives the impression its going to clear because it is still very warm. Odd for early morning, but great stuff for the task at hand. Exit Jacket. Shorts on. Coffee in one hand, hose in the other. Great Stuff!

I start realizing things... Its very warm, light and rather pleasant. But very quiet for a Wednesday morning. Its Rubbish day, and maybe the rubbish trucks are late? ... Keep watering. Sip of Coffee.
Along one neighbours fence... watering my wee heart out, no noise from them. Hmm, he will be late for work... Other side... Hang on. I wonder...
I wonder what time it is? Gulp. Maybe Im up too early? ... Rubbish trucks are usually here at six.
So I wander back in, feeling very sheepish. Check children, still fast asleep, tucked up all nice and warm.
No movement at all since I looked earlier.
Turn computer on. Note to self - GET A WATCH
It was five thirty. And I had been up for almost an hour.
I can hear the neighbours now, over their porridge or their oat bran, or their Kornies...
Did that crazy woman next door wake you up with her hosing early this morning?
Did you hear her??
- Whats WITH that?
Oophs.
Sorry folks.

Garden Report this morning - MUST WEED LOTS. I have a need to Weed before the weeds breed...
(No? Sounded better in my head!)
This morning my pumpkins have four flowers, three have big bottoms - thats pumpkins-in-the-making right - Im hopeful?
Theyre trailing madly along the pathway now, which is great. Just what I wanted. Theyre Winter Pie, and I hope theyre going to be giving us enough to store for a bit. We love the idea of Pumpkin soup using our own Pumpkins. Also we have a Red Warren plant under my window... Ive mulched him, the smell of the rat is putrid, but once mulched I cant smell it Thank God! Let him rot, and do his job. Feed my Pumpkin!
We have many poppies out today, I didnt count. Miss 5 and I were looking last night and seeing what would be out today, to see if we could guess who would show their heads today. We counted 11...

Our beautiful rhubarb just keeps growing and growing. It is amazing. We cut some off last week, and have three plants. As soon as one gives us a load of yum, the others get into gear, and we are set for more.
Ive stewed it, but unfortunately the children arent as fond of it as I am.
Weve had several handfuls of raspberries. That truly has to be The Taste of Summer, a fresh raspberry!

Boysenberry

Well enough of me... I guess its time to go and hunt some breakfast and decide what today will bring. Im sad it is Wednesday already. The days I have the children home from school are so quickly passing by.

Love to You and Yours,
Hope you are Happily Gearing up for the New Year
Love,
E BUTTERFLY
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All Day Rain... Working Indoors

Rose Front Lawn. Not its name, its location ;-)

A brilliant wet Wednesday.
The Chance of All Day Rain is what Miss 5 told me she had heard on the news. Funnily enough, she was still snoozing when the weather forecast was on, but she is right so far... All Day Rain.
Which is a good thing, and a bad thing. The good thing is the garden gets a decent wash of rain. The bad of course, is that Im stuck inside having to attend to Housework and Other Inside Work.

Doesnt matter that Im procrastinating. This is the second coffee, Ive sat here and dawdled through the listings of plants & pots on Trademe. Ive checked in to Ooooby to see whose around. Ive read about when & how to harvest Garlic. Sigh. The dishes are half done.

Garlic On the Rise

Ive fed the cats, and the worms...

Odd isnt it, the cats do bugger all, nothing... and get fed twice a day and they whine about their food quality, quantity... the wind chill factor, anything at all.

The Worms... are far and away more productive, dont ask for a thing, and eat anything theyre given... and never say Boo... Which do I prefer? :-)
This is what I laid my eyes on first thing this morning. Im captivated.
Thank Nature! A truly beautiful thing!


Now to see if I can get a poppy head with viable seeds... I hope so. Theyre gorgeous :)

I snuck down this morning to check out the pumpkins.

Murphys Law, and I find myself putting compost around the base of the pumpkins, chocka block full of wormies. Nek minnit... Next minute, I see a big fat Lady Thrush pecking out the worms... Epic FAIL on the composting...

And WHERE on Gods Green Earth are my Furry Purries? Not doing their job, saving my worms from birds... Theyre all blobbing around the Catmint or lazing under my window  waiting for it to open so they can be fed... Theyre being fed too well!
Well enough of my chatter.

Today is the middle of the last week of school for my Mister 11 and Im so looking forward to having them all home... and picking our own tomatoes to eat, lettuce, onions, and all the rest...

Love,

E BUTTERFLY



Mandarin Satsuma Miho

First fruit of 2011 - Bloody Butcher Babies!

Poppy Head, still no showing of colour... Exciting!



Another gorgeous morning in Christchurch, New Zealand.

My furry friends have been out there *helping* me with the composting... See below for some cute furries!


Washington - Rubbing on the sticks that are put there to deter poohing in mummys garden!
See Zander lying in the polystyrene box behind. They all love those boxes, they must be quite warm.

We have water restrictions, and today is not my watering day, so weeding it is, well once the coffee break is over!... We have 26 degrees promised today, which is great for the tomatoes. Not so great for us who wish to have our beds tidy and weed-free for Xmas... but of course, Ive learnt, Gardens are always a work in progress, and as so, are never weed-free.



Parsley Babies... Yum!








Theres always some little unwanted plant creeping up somewhere!
Next year I hope to have some swan plants in, to attract the butterflies. My efforts as such this year are the buddleias - I have a creamy peach one to pick up tomorrow. Below youll see the Barbie Pink one. I also hope to gather others, I love their flowers, they remind me of lilacs, which I hope to have one of eventually too... Then theres Spindleberry, I love their wee berries... Oh heck. Add it to the Plants To Gather list!!


Buddleia. This one is lipstick pink. Like HOT pink!
Barbie Buddleia!


We have Kereru, or  NZ Native Wood Pigeons in the trees at the back. They dont stay long, but they nibble the plums next door. I think they must come from Woodham Park which is around the road from us. It is wonderful to see them, though they never stay long enough, big fat luscious berry-eating, branch benders that they are. Theyre far bigger than anything else we have visiting us, and their wings make a definitive noise when they fly!



Maori Potato with flowers. Im new to potato growing, with mixed success. Next season will be better!


The Eau-de-cologne Mint from Miss B along the road is growing nicely.
The scent is quite unusual. She also gave me Sweet Cicely which has made itself at home and is quite sweet indeed,  has an earthy after taste with it.

We have two stevia plants that I love. How awesome to know you have sugar when you dont have sugar *grin*

Another thing to do, is to figure out where to put grains. I really am itching to try growing something to provide us with a versatile grain...
Im hooking into Kay Baxters book Koanga Gardens Garden Guide. It is awesome, and very informative for NZers and their gardens... I aim to get my own copy, the library wants theirs back!!

Well thats it for today.
Im glad I wrote, its more real when its there in pictures, and I can look back. I just need to put aside some time to write more often...
Hope youre all enjoying the Spirit of the Season, whatever your beliefs, traditions, culture or location.

Be kind to Yourself,
Love,

E BUTTERFLY
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Standing Outside The Fire...

Standing Outside The Fire  - Garth Brooks

We call them cool

Those hearts that have no scars to show

The ones that never do let go

And risk the tables being turned

We call them fools

Who have to dance within the flame

Who chance the sorrow and the shame

That always comes with getting burned

But you've got to be tough when consumed by desire

'Cause it's not enough just to stand outside the fire

We call them strong

Those who can face this world alone

Who seem to get by on their own

Those who will never take the fall

We call them weak

Who are unable to resist

The slightest chance love might exist

And for that forsake it all

They're so hell-bent on giving ,walking a wire

Convinced it's not living if you stand outside the fire

Standing outside the fire

Standing outside the fire

Life is not tried, it is merely survived

If you're standing outside the fire

There's this love that is burning

Deep in my soul

Constantly yearning to get out of control

Wanting to fly higher and higher

I can't abide

Standing outside the fire

Standing outside the fire

Standing outside the fire

Life is not tried, it is merely survived

If you're standing outside the fire

Standing outside the fire,

Standing outside the fire

Life is not tried, it is merely survived

If you're standing outside the fire

Love from a very busy place,
School Holidays and All,
E Butterfly
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Daylight Savings & School Holidays...

What an awesome idea, Daylight saving.

Sitting on the raised pavement beside the damaged footbridge on Avonside Drive

Like anything you enjoy, I wish it were longer!

Tonight the children and I wandered alongside the Avon river. We werent alone, this is the first weekend since the EQ that Avonside drive has been open to walk through, and this patch of beautiful weather & extended daylight has meant people in the neighbourhood were all out doing similar.

On our part, it was a little about seeing how our wee neighbourhood has fared, but also to take in the gorgeous sunset, enjoying the great weather to its very last sunbeams at sunset, which given the Daylight savings, it was an hour later - the kids love it.

Nice to catch up on progress, as this suburb has been one of the more badly damaged parts of town  still suffering since the Earthquake - residents along the riverside on Avonside Drive have lost their footbridge, and still have no sewerage in places,  port-a-loos still take their places, dotted along the landscape, like guards in guard towers beside gates.

It makes me sad to see rude slashes left by chainsaws where graceful riverside trees once stood. Some of the trees have been here for longer than the road or the housing, as in this area, Canterburys first farms were tilled long  before the very first housing was built. There are oaks from that very early era along the river, mingling now with huge tortured willows and elms that soar into the skyline. The occasional Kowhai tree adds some playful colour against the greens of the bigger trees, in Spring, and as Ive said before, when its as good as this, it is pure Beauty on the Avon!

Sunset and the pixies are out :)

We have missed the duckling season, or so we thought. Tonight we found several small clutches of just two or three ducklings, which is a joy. Theyre so cute and fluffy, we all love feeding them and watching them grow.

Its really nice to have all this good stuff happening, and be in Holiday Mode.

The children have just finished their third term at school for the year, and it is two weeks holiday until they start again. We love the break in routine, to spend mornings lazing and chatting, watching cartoons, playing in the sun, bouncing on trampoline, walking and talking, planning... Movies are on the cards, we have baking planned, and there will be the usual arguements and differences of opinion, long showers, messy floors, lots of dishes, junk food and not enough sleep...

But I have to say, I love it all.
I love having my children around me. I like them, and they make me proud.
Roll on Holidays, not too quick please, let me just enjoy watching them grow...

Signing off for now,
From My Hearth to Yours,
Love
Earth Butterfly
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