Spring Has Sprung

We had a great few days in Perth catching up with family and friends, it's always nice to see the people that are dear to us.  :-)
I also got to catch up with my very favourite pussy cat, Michelle's Asta, who I miss very much.  Normally she is relatively indifferent when I visit, but this day she was gorgeously gooey and sooky and allowed much cuddling.  :-)

Since our return home the spring weather has burst forth and with that we have been in a vegetable growing frame of mind.  Steve bought some very fine mesh to wrap around the already fenced vegie patch, but the existing fencing has holes that are too big and small critters (we presume bandicoots or ratties) are getting in and feasting on the tops of cabbages.  Hopefully the new fencing will trick 'em.  Steve also spotted a Southern Boobook (like an owl) sitting on the fence post late one night, watching over the vegie patch, so maybe it has eaten the cabbage nibbler! 

I have madly planted seeds and seedlings over the last couple of days so now to sit back and await masses of sunflowers, onions, sweetcorn, potatoes, beans, tomatoes, capsicum, cabbage, lettuce, lebanese cucumber, celeriac, beetroot, carrots, parsnips, zucchini and peas, we hope!  We've had great returns from our root crops so far, with the carrots and beetroot turning out deeeelicious!  So we are trying to remember to keep planting them at intervals.  And the broccolini has been magnificent.  I've managed to grow a decent crop of spinach too, but it remains stubbornly yellowish.  I presumed it was lacking nitrogen, but after providing heaps of urea on more than one occasion, without much change, I am thinking that maybe we have a trace element deficiency.  More trial and error on that to come.  It still tastes okay though.

Not much to say about the house, the gyprockers are still here, doing all the fiddly stuff like along window ledges, so I haven't taken any photos as it doesn't look any different.  'Simmy' spent today cutting up the pieces of cornice to size though, and they are all laid out neatly, ready to be installed tomorrow.  That's when I will take the next photos, it should look great with the cornices done.  I am champing at the bit waiting for the kitchen cupboards, which are coming on Thursday!

We popped into town today and visited a vintage store that is closing down and had massive discounts.  I have always coveted one of those big pitcher and bowl sets of old, and I love blue and white china, so I was entranced when I spotted this set.  At first I wasn't going to buy it as it wasn't included in the sale, but as luck would have it, while we were in the store the lady loudly announced that for 15 minutes only, any full priced item would be 50% off.  So this little bunny scuttled over and grabbed it!  What do you think?  I am very very pleased with it and can't wait to find a spot in the new house to display it.

On a final note, I have been enjoyed playing with 'tangling', or creative doodling for relaxation.  The new name for it is Zentangle. The repetitive strokes you do as you draw are supposed to create a meditative feeling, and I must say I am amazed at how much time passes by without me realising it.  Enjoyable.