Last weekend, Daddy and Leo made a see-saw. It has been fun for all the kids and in the process there has been a lot of learning about force, gravity, weight, inertia and energy. There have also been a few bumps and bruises, but you get that 
One of my pumpkins has decided it would be a good idea to climb the lillypilly hedge.
This is all fine and good, but once the pumpkins start to grow it presents a problem. Although they are a variety of bush pumpkin they still grow to a fairly decent and hefty size.
One of our more mature pumpkins, on the ground
The weather has also been rather stormy of late.
Storm clouds to the south
Storm clouds to the north
The winds during saturday night’s storm were strong enough to drop one of the trees in the house yard, luckily it missed the house.
Storm debris
So, with the climbing vine starting to fruit, I needed a solution to hold the fruit in place as it gets heavier and is battered about by the weather.
Small pumpkin already dragging down the vine
I have seen articles on pumpkin slings or hammocks before. I decided that it was worth a try, plus being a fan of hammocks and a sling mumma it seemed silly not to give it a go. We are in heavy “save money to do weed reduction and get large animals on the property” mode, so all my projects at the moment are made with whatever I have on hand. In this case some hemp rope (thanks dad!) and some well used shade cloth.
No frills pumpkin sling
The pumpkin sits in the well supported sling, taking the load off the vine, growing happily until harvest.
Pumpkin sling in action
Snug as a........
If you look closely in the above picture you can even see a tiny pray mantis on the pumpkin – yay for chemical free gardening!
Hopefully the slings work, because there are a few more pumpkins on the way and I can’t just sit back and wait to see if the first sling does the job.
More pumpkins on the way
Does these make me an “Attachment Gardener” now?
Even though its been but a few weeks since we camped at the creek, it seems like months. A few days after we packed up camp the rain started and it has been here ever since. In the time between then and now we have had floods, the boredom of endless rain (from the kids, not me – I love it!) birthdays, the beginning of a new school year and the flurry of reigniting an old enterprise. So, on yet another day of endless rain, its nice to sit back and look at those slower sunshiney days, I hope you enjoy a glimpse into our time at the creek too.
Of course, the main reason for camping at the creek is…..well, the creek. It was hot and sweaty weather and what better way to spend it than sitting in this:
We had a lovely afternoon, playing in the water, rediscovering the layout of the creek and Leo discovered a new activity to pass the time. Building cities in the creek.
The island city
A lone sentinel
Cooling off
Then it was back up to the campsite for dinner
and some dry play time.
Rolling cars down the hill - fun and games
Once the sun sank behind the mountain it was time for bed.
Sunset from the campsite
The first night was, quite frankly, hell. I had forgotten to put an extra fly tarp over the tent and, as it was a full moon, it was like daylight in the tent once the moon rose. I had also forgotten that thursday night is, for some unknown reason, the busiest night for freight trains and with the camp ground so close much closer to the train line, well, for the first time in a long time I heard every single train. As if that wasn’t enough, the icing on the cake was when Zara, still recovering from whooping cough, coughed until vomiting and vomited on herself, her sleeping bag and me. Or to be more precise, my dreads. Yes, ewwwww gross. So, after dragging her sleeping bag outside and washing it and hanging it up, washing her off and then giving myself a very cold shower, I was ready to go home. The kids though pleaded and begged to stay and in the morning light things sometimes seem better. We modified the tent set up, got Zara a spew bucket and actually slept quite well the next few nights.
Of course the highlight of the time was the creek. The kids always find new things to do and play, the next few days being no exception.
My boat
Concentration or consternation?
Finished!
The test (it did float!)
Ready to go
We’ll be back 
Hopefully next time daddy will be able to join us.
As I said yesterday it’s very wet at the moment. Our creeks are in flood and the road is now cut in both directions. It is too wet to mow, too wet to weed as I may destroy the soil structure with my tramping around (or so an article I once read claims, I’m going with it) and I could probably whipper snip but I am here alone with three kids and the whipper snipper is acting up, so that isn’t going to happen. As a result, I have time to blog! Well, in between keeping the kids entertained, trying to sew something meaningful for a last minute kids party and all the usual stuff
As part of the “keeping the kids entertained” we took a walk to survey the waters of our creek, which had risen considerably overnight. Admittedly, only one of the three was enthused by this idea until I wrapped it in the guise of a photography expedition, leading to the use of shiny new and rediscovered old cameras. So, off we trekked down the hill, to the roaring river below.
The photos below don’t really do justice to the sheer awesomeness of the volume of water. There is a real roar and you can actually hear the larger rocks being pushed and jostled along the creek bed. This is the same creek you have seen us swimming in and sitting beside in numerous photos on this blog. Enjoy.
The creek visible from the track to the house
Northern crossing
View from our camping spot of two weeks ago
Runoff from the railway above
Swimming hole (not today!)
The swirling torrent where we usually sit and play
Surging waves
Cool lichen
Trees and palings pushed up against a tree
Fairy steps
Investigating the runoff along the road
Southern crossing
Hope you are all managing to stay safe and dry.
Like most of south east Queensland and northern New South Wales it is wet here today.
Rain drops on the spider web
Our closest creek crossing
Where two creeks become a river...
Recently harvested potatoes
Part of yesterdays harvest
On the other hand I am feeling much more on top of the fire and batch baking as well as getting into a few more uses for the produce we are growing. I finally feel confident with the way in which to make and cook the bread now, with a great success rate.
Fresh bread
No more doughy insides
Preparing the trays
In the oven
Semi dried tomatoes in olive oil
Tomatoes in olive oil, feta and herbs
Choc chip deliciousness
If anyone has any great recipes for button squash I’d love to hear them, I think we’re about to be inundated!
I hate to say it, but if someone offered to stone the crows here, I might just take them up on that offer. Coming second only to the feral dogs, which have now considerably reduced our flock of chickens, my ire for the crows has grown.
For the first time ever I had grown decent corn. Actually I mean better than decent. The cobs were lovely and large, every kernel filled and sweet, oh yes they were delicious.
Perfect corn
We got to taste all of two cobs of about 30 on the plants. Yes, the crows found them and systematically demolished every single one *sigh*.
The Original Corn Patch
Crow exclusion attempt 1
Of course, as my daughter pointed out, those crows are pretty smart. Yes, me doing my best crazy lady impression running from the house, broom in hand yelling “We don’t want you here you bloody crows!” followed by choice expletives, that the three year old picked up for general use, doesn’t scare them for long. Neither have the hanging ornaments. If this doesn’t work I may consider fencing in the whole garden. Honestly though, I don’t really want to. Often when I’m in the garden I see at least three different bird species in there working FOR me. Eating the moths, bugs and caterpillars. Plus, what a lot of hard work. Hopefully this works, only time will tell.
Although the fact that the crows have already started in on my growing tomato crop doesn’t bode well.
Tomato, half eaten by crows
I realise it is taking up the Haven feed, so I have decided to start up a new blog with my photos for the 365 photo a day challenge. You can check it out at A Photo A Day 2012 – Haven
We now return you to your regularly irregularly scheduled blog posts
