Seeds have sprouted...

Watermelon seed germinated...

Timothy brought home some Watermelon Seeds a couple of weeks ago... He got the packet from a friend at Warwick State High School. What a thoughtful boy, I must say...

So down to the hothouse we went to see if they would germinate for us... They are not failsafe so we can't really eat them. We can challenge on them I guess and will but the majority will probably be bartered with or sold if Timothy has his way. hehe

Well these little seeds just about jumped out of the soil. They germinated and popped through within 8 days. Pretty much a record. Considering we didn't know if they were even viable they are going great guns. Just waiting for the second lot of true leaves and they can go out :)

Timothy, needless to say is very happy. :)

Cheers Damaris

So proud of my little man...

Joshua eating the brekkie he set out...

Gotta brag... Last Wednesday, I got up at 6:20am just like all other days... This morning though I was greeted by a very happy little man... Joshua had been up for about half an hour and had heard him doing things around the house... Not that I had any idea just what he had been up to... Here is the list:

1. He had let out the dogs so they could go and do their business...

2. He got them back in and fed them...

3. He let out the chooks...

4. He had made his own bed...

5. He had made his brother's bed...

6. He had brought out all the lunch condiments that I needed to make lunches with...

7. He had set out all of the brekkie dishes, just needed to pour the milk.

Now this list he can do easily normally (except for No 5/6/7. I usually do 6/7) before he leaves for school at 8am but for him to have them done and waiting for me with a huge grin on his face by my getting up time was just so wonderful... I am soooo proud of him. He is such a delightful child and I am very proud to be his Mum. :) :) :)

Cheers Damaris

New Me :)

Hair is gone... weight has come off my shoulders...

This week I have been doing allot of soul searching. I have been shedding things and activities from my life that I no longer want to deal with or need... One thing that went this week was my hair... I have not had it short for over five years so it was a huge change for me, to say the least.

I go every five weeks and get a trim usually from Christina... She comes to our Community Hall and gives a haircut to anyone that wants one. :) Excellent service and also great business... Many heads to do in one local location. Gotta love that. And on top of that Christina only charges $17 per cut...

The boys were shocked when they saw me but have gotten used to it. Though they still laugh when I first get up as my hair is sticking straight up in the air after my night's sleep...

Cheers Damaris

Timothy's effort. :)

Timothy has always had problems with fine motor skills. They have improved over the years with allot of help. This is his latest drawing that he had coloured in. He has not been using colour all that long actually. Normally is it just pencil... So am really happy to have this one on the fridge for a while and will then be archived into his box under the bed...

Am so proud of his achievement, especially since he has such a fear of spiders...

Cheers Damaris

Loving my nails at the moment...

Yep, I think these are the best I have had done. Love the colour and love the feel... :) The tips are pearl with a glitter finish on top and then the gel on them. :)

Thanks Tiffany, once again :)

Cheers Damaris

Family time...

Beautiful beach views...

Pirate Park for the boys...

Lots of trees to climb. :)

My view while eating...

These yummy prawns...

My Dad, Mum and Step Mum...

Cricket was also played...

Some of my family...

Lis in the foreground :)

Last weekend my little sister was down from Boigu Island for a wedding. Was off course the perfect chance to catch up with family. :)

Her hubby Phil and her have just rented a place at Caboolture so as it was a way for us to go we ended up making the most of the day...

Before going to Lis and Phil's place we went to Scarborough for a spot of home made lunch as well as a good long play at the pirate kids park and the beach that was about 30 metres away from the park. I also got a chance to go to Morgan's and get myself some prawns... I know not failsafe but when you are 2 kilometres from Morgan's you don't argue... I knew I would pay for it during the week but ended up not being too bad actually. I reacted allot worse to the Hot Dog and Coke I had had earlier that week... Won't be doing that one again...

It had been since Christmas last year that we had seen Phil and Lis and though I talk to her every Monday night, it was lovely to see her and to hug her lots... My Dad and Step mum, Mum and Step dad, older brother and this three boys, Brother in law and niece and us all got together and had a great time.

The kids discovered a close-by park which will be used I am sure at Christmas time as we are going to celebrate it there this year :)

All in all it was a fantastic day. So glad to have seen Lis, so sad to have had to say Good-bye again. But not for long as in December she comes back for good. :) Yay, gotta be happy about that.

My family is very, very important to me and I make sure I keep in regular contact with all of them. Now very much looking forward to Christmas... Such a wonderful time of year. After Christmas, us kids (that is what I call my brothers and sisters... long story) are going camping in the first week of January... Can't wait for that either. :)

Cheers Damaris

It has arrived...

Home safely with our latest addition :)

Had a tap and 65litre water tank installed...

Inside the sleeping quarters...

The free sink and bench we scored...

Standing without outer walls...

Yesterday, Russell had the day off to... Pick up our new Camper Trailer. :) It was fantastic to get it home and this morning with Joshua's help we got it up. He couldn't stay the whole time but did his best and then went off to school. :)

The instructional DVD said it would take you about 1.5 hours to put it up and we took 10 minutes longer than that so where happy with our first ever effort. It is now waiting to have water put on it so that the fabric expands and becomes waterproof... Oh it is a beautiful site and we all can't wait to take it out for its first try. :)

We were also very lucky in another regard... When Russell was shown our trailer on pick up it was realised that a kitchenette had been added that we had not ordered. We ended up with it for free. :) We also had a tap and water tank (65 litres) installed. Russell really wanted his tool box as well so he got that too :)

Russell also had no hassles at all coming home via the Gap which was good. Car handled itself really well with the extra weight.

Thanks again to Lindsay from Economy Trailers for a fantastic product once again. Wouldn't buy my trailers anywhere else... Also thanks to Bob from Making Tracks for our wonderful tent...

Here's to many years of camper trailing :) :) :)

Cheers Damaris

Love my worms...

My beloved wormfarm...

I panicked... Last Friday night we had a horrible night... Winds up to 95km/h and heavy rain on top of that. We were very fortunate and didn't loose power like so many others did...

I didn't go out into the backyard on the Saturday to inspect damage as I could see from the windows that all was still ok.

On the Sunday I went out the backyard to see what flowers I could pick and bring in... Was also checking on the veggies... And there I saw it... Oh Noooooo, it couldn't be...

Yep the worm farm had lost its lid and was about 10 metres away from its container... I was very worried that I had lost 6 months worth of hard work of growing my little guys... I pulled back the covers, mainly old wet newspaper and inspected the first layer... Sure enough there was nothing there...

Looked at the other two layers and there they were, all however many of my worms... I put some water through the unit to moisten them so that they didn't dry out from all that wind. Minced a whole heap of old bread and veggies and covered the whole top layer with the food. That will draw them up to the top layer so that I can use the bottom layer. That by the way was rather wet... Must Google and find out why that is. It shouldn't be as soggy as it has been lately... Still plenty of worms of all sizes though. Yay!!!

Happy girl here :) :) :)

Cheers Damaris

Geraniums in Flower...

Wonder what colour this one will come up with :)

Red...

One of my favourates...

Light Pink...

Deep Pink...

I love our flowers, especially since there are not many around really. Most of it is greenery. So here is a tour of some of our different Geraniums that are in flower at the moment. :)

Cheers Damaris

Water Chestnuts...

Water Chestnuts growing... Loving all this rain...

This lot has been in for the third year now... I know shame on me... I keep going to harvest and then don't do it... This time I am determined to get them out when it is time... May next year that is... :)

Cheers Damaris

Well I have done it :)

A new dawn...

Yesterday was a huge step for me... I went to a local Retirement Village and met up with a lady there that I had met on a Senior's Day outing at our local community hall... Barbara remembered me and was happy to have me for the two hours that I was there.

She even showed me around the place and spoke about all sorts of things... One thing I absolutely love about her is that she doesn't like to gossip... She is a very positive person and that I must say attracted me to her straight away. :)

I must admit I was very apprehensive for a while to go and see her. I didn't know what to expect and was sooooo appreciative when a friend of mine was seeing her friend's in the same retirement village so that I could go at the same time. Strength in numbers and all that. :) I am rather proud that I did it and can't wait to go back again. :)

So we sat and talked a little about her life. She asked me questions about my family and looked at photos I had of them on my phone.

From now on I will be visiting her every two weeks after Ladies' Group and any other time I can get some visiting time in. She is in Warwick so it is rather simple to pick her up, go for a coffee and then sit and visit a while. Gets her out as well. :) I feel so fortunate to have her in my life and can't wait to see where our journey takes us. I have her address even so will send letters and cards are well. :)

When I visited I was so welcomed by everyone, it was lovely to see but there are allot of people that don't have any visitors... Well Barbara is not one of them anymore :)

Thanks for taking me in Barbara... Can't wait for what the future holds.

Cheers Damaris

15 days only...

Rain in the distance...

Heavy clouds late yesterday afternoon...

Saw on the front of the local paper yesterday... Between now and Christmas there will only be 15 days, scattered, of sunshine...

Hmmmm, must say that that is not too good a prospect as I like to have my washing dried by the sun and not with the dryer. I got one when Russell and I were engaged... It was from my first Step Dad's boss' house... He was refurbishing the whole huge house they had and the cream dryer was not white as all the new furnishings were so it had to go. Had hardly been used and I got it for the bargain of $75. That was in 1992... It is still going strong. Should too as have only used it a dozen times or so in all that time. I seriously only use it when I really can't get out of it...

So here is hoping we have at least more half days of sunshine so that I can get my washing dry. Whites are out at the moment, the sun is up at the moment but there are very black clouds out and about that threaten the drying of my colours that I am about put out... Wish me luck I get them in again this arvo. :)

Cheers Damaris

They have arrived...

Fiona and her two babies...

Fiona, a dear friend from our village has been busting to get her little miniature goats for ages now... Yesterday, she brought her two girls home. :) The buck is coming yet. :)

Milking was done last night and am glad that one is letting down really well for her. The white one will get there :) The white one is also where Fiona intends to get the fleece from to do some spinning.

She ended up getting her girls from a lady in Nobby. That lady has been most helpful with everything to do with their care as well as offering to help teach her about spinning. How cool is that. Now that is after sales service for you :) :) :)

Now if only Russell would let me have a couple too... Yep keep dreaming Damaris...

Cheers Damaris

Meet one of our wild residents :)

Our resident Skink, living it up in the wood pile :)

This little one is a Cunningham's Skink... Isn't he the cutest thing you have ever seen??? No probably not but tell you what he has a good jaw on him. He latches on and doesn't let go for anything :)

This fellow has been living in our wood pile for a while now and when we had to move that pile, so as to make way for where the cubby will now go, he was there and so the boys picked him up and played with him for a while. Later they returned him to his wood pile but in a new area. :)

Hope he stays around for a while longer. :) Sad to see though that his tail and one of his feet are just stumps. Trust me though he gets around just fine :) Good to see that :)

Cheers Damaris

Chick update...

They are growing like there is no tomorrow... Joshua held them up in pairs and then I took a shot of them in the bath to get a good view of their changing colours. They are so beautiful and am now just hoping that most of them are hens... Roosters are off to the Pig n Calf in the Summer holidays...

Cheers Damaris

Pathway is gone...

Joshua and Timothy on top of Tidalick...

Way over the river banks... The creek in front of my shouldn't be there...

Top of a Table just sitting out of water... Lunch anyone???

The trees mark the bank and where footpaths should be.

Steps to go down to footpath, nowhere to be seen...

Water, water and more water...

The amounts of rain that we have had lately has been amazing... Yesterday we all went into town and watched a movie... Was not advertised as being 3D but that is what we ended up having to pay for. Not impressed I must say... I didn't see the point of the 3D at all... In future I will not bow to pressure of people standing in line behind me waiting to get their tickets. Plain false advertising is what it was... Not happy Jan...

Anyway, now that that is off my chest, lol, we did see an amazing sight when we went into Warwick... The Condamine River was up, boy was it up. Have not seen it like that since we have moved here and locals say they have not in a long, long time either... We are due to get more rain this week so wonder how much further it can go. Timothy's bus driver for High School said that once it did get to be at the actual bridge but that was many, many years ago... Hope it doesn't get that high as allot would be under water, that's for sure.

Enjoy the piccies...

Cheers Damaris

Cubby update...

So much for accurate precut wood...

Well today Russell had a day off and we ventured out into the shed... More work has been done :) Yay, gotta be happy with that... Soon we will be out of the shed and putting it together in its final spot... Soon can't come quickly enough for me. Am getting very, very impatient. This has taken a year now.

I realise that it doesn't help that Russell is only home on the weekend, that most of the last few weeks it has rained, that there is always something else that seems more important and that his back and my leg have been playing up for longer than we care to remember... We are getting there, slowly but surely. :)

Cheers Damaris

Gone quackers...

Timothy and the new drake...

Timothy and the female duck...

Beaks forming a loveheart...

All three at the water container...

Wednesday was a real blessing. I was to go to the Pig n Calf to get a couple of ducks for our lonely one here at home... She was bobbing her head towards chooks. That is just too sad for me...

On the Tuesday a friend called and remembered that I was after a couple of ducks and said that there were some being given away and did I want them. Sure I did... Saved me a trip to the Pig n Calf and got me home from town much quicker than I thought I would so was very happy on the way going past and picking up a male and female pair...

Have had them in the relocation cage for the rest of this week and have added the other lonely duck as well. You should have seen the action that the male got up to with my boys not even having shut the door on them. He was right into it, or her should I say... hehe

Anyway, they are all getting along really well and will let them out in another week or so. Timothy has fallen hard for the male and he is his. Joshua was sad when he saw him as it reminds him of his Drake Quack that he lost a while back to a fox...

So here is hoping that they lay soon and that we get some more girls out of it. :)

Cheers Damaris