new house

Jack's room

And finally here are some pics of our our new place. We literally moved just up the road (like people who move in Mosman). I used to drive past this house all the time and admire it and now I drive past our old house instead which is weird but okay (this house is ALOT warmer).

the house

the view

After living in an old schoolhouse we decided to go for something much more modern (1907) and smaller. The layout is much better (no one gets lost trying to find the toilet) and I love the old stove in the kitchen. We just need to cap the chimney before we get a visit from a possum. And we need to order the kitchen cupboards. A civilised kitchen at last. I can't wait.

dress ups

Jack gets in touch with his inner tiger

I may have mentioned previously overhearing a little girl leaving our house after a play date saying," and they didn't even have a dress up box!" with such disapproval in her voice that I felt ashamed.
My brother has done his best to remedy this situation supplying Jack with a fireman's outfit and a Woody costume. For awhile they languished in Jack's dress up box until recently when something in his mind clicked and all of a sudden it was dress up a gogo.

Edna?

It is interesting to note that the Woody costume has a holster but no gun. When he asked me what it was for I told him that it's where you keep your banana as a cowboy always carries fresh fruit. Jack thought this a good idea and carried a banana (somewhat bruised) in his holster at all times. Except he called it his Woody fruit. Ahem.

a new sheriff rides into town

A fireman/woody combo - sounds like a reject from the village people

the all singing all dancing fireman - surely a life on the stage awaits?

He also has a fab purple tutu that I bought for him after he asked for one. Inspired by a pug who does ballet in a gorgeous book called "dogs don't do ballet" I wrote a review of the book here.

crop

It's a nice sunny day here which is lucky because I have a tonne of washing and apparently it is going to rain all week. Sigh. Luckily I have my technologically advanced clothesline. Fabulous isn't it and totally adjustable.

The thing is it's probably very 'unaustralian' to complain about the rain as it's what the farmers want (that's us now). It always seems that no matter how much rain you get it's usually not enough or too much or it's at the wrong time and will make the weeds grow. I think this season though we've had the most rain for years. There were pics in the Herald yesterday of beaming farmers standing in front of their crops. A very rare sight indeed.
And what of our crop? The oats jumped out of the ground and then the galahs set about eating them. They didn't get all of them though, but the locusts should finish them off nicely.

and we're back

I may have mentioned having technical difficulties and promising to be back soon. That didn't quite eventuate (although here I am). When we moved we decided to forgo landlines and be purely mobidicular. Ha to you telstra with your pricey line rental and bad service. We both purchased new phones with special features. Mine has a whizz bang camera and Internet connection so I can post those pics on my blog. Well that's the idea anyway.
It is only now weeks after receiving the phone that I have had a breakthrough of sorts. Well I can finally access several months of photos anyway. So there will be lots of pics (of Jack) at last - like this one - yes we keep him in a box now - we find it much easier.

rainmakers

As some of you may know we are still in drought. Ever since we moved though something funny has been going on. S has been sowing and every time he finishes a paddock it pours with rain. I'm thinking that it's down to him but then it always seems to coincide with me putting washing on my technologically advanced clothesline (pics to follow).

urgent supplies

For anyone who is interested we are sowing oats (a late variety). Jack thinks we are growing oats for porridge (as you can see he's quite involved) but they will be used to make lambs nice and fat. Maybe we should undersow with rosemary?

Farm supervisor arrives on site

tractor picnic

alternative fuel? this tractor powered by chocolate biscuits

I know it looks clear and sunny in these photos, but hours later it was pouring with rain. The gumboots have been getting a real workout.

stove

One of the things I was worried about when we were selling our old house (besides whether we actually would sell it) was about leaving my stove behind. After five or so years of cooking together, my smeg and I were a team, but S and I decided that the stove would be a 'selling point' in an otherwise revolting kitchen (green!). To cheer me up S suggested that I do some research for our new one and then did most of the research himself. There was a stove here when we moved in but we decided we may need something more modern.

We have however decided to keep the wood fired stove for heating and maybe a loaf or two. wood fired stove - there is a floor there now

We found some amazing stoves on offer and some of them were very expensive. We decided against an Ilve after reading some rather funny stories (not funny for the people whose oven caught fire) on forums. I thought the Bosch looked weird and I wouldn't contemplate a St George because of their taste in spokespersons. In the end we chose a Blanco and it is wonderful. Even better than my last stove, which funnily enough the new people weren't that fussed about. Apparently they bought the house because they liked a tree in the front yard. Wish we'd known that earlier.

first batch of scones from our new oven (lemonade scones!)

lamb

I noticed recently a rather fab Sydney restaurant had Junee lamb on the menu. We've got some in the freezer courtesy of S's family. Andrew did the honours. Wish he'd taken the foot off before he brought it over.
I can't report on how it tastes yet as it's in the freezer but I'm hoping to slow roast it some day soon. No word from Barry the builder who we gave the leg to, maybe we'll hear when he comes back to install the kitchen cupboards.

Not long after that Jack and I went to the ABC Knit in at Wagga Library. It was bigger than Ben Hur with a crochet hook. The Knit in produces squares and eventually wraps for a charity named wrappedwithlove. Knitters nattered, a brass band from the Kapooka army base was playing, people from the local ABC, Sheep, dogs, a shearer and lots of school kids were all there. Apparently a class from one school was invited and they sent the whole school.

Jack fed the sheep (very brave) then watched the sheep being shorn before heading inside for a lamington (or as Jack calls them Lappingtons). And then another. I was afraid he would consume all the fuel for the knitters so we beat a hasty retreat.