New beginnings

..............in the garden

I've been absent from here, mainly due to illness,but also spending a lot of time reclaiming my garden.  The flood waters left soil behind that's contaminated very badly with e coli, heavy metals and chemicals, and although I've been scrupulously careful, I've ended up with nasty bugs and infections that linger on for ages.  It's taken me ages to write this post, it was harder than I realised to go back and look at the photos from the flood.

So, there's lots of *then* and *now* pics, and they pretty much speak for themselves.

This is what greeted me the next day when the water had started to go down .....fences gone, debris and mud piled up everywhere...... 

That black and white splodge is a magpie, flying low, not stuck there.  My roses are under there somewhere!

They haven't suffered from being drowned under water, mud and debris though and are looking beautiful.

And now,  with the debris and mud cleared away, new fences up and the beginnings of a garden it's looking much better .... 

Still a way to go replacing all the garden but bit by bit it's happening

***

The side of the house has gone from looking like this

To this 

Looking a lot better

New paving put down, using bricks that surfaced all over the yard when the water was gone.  No idea if they were already  buried in the yard, or were washed in from elsewhere.

I've put woodchips right along here, not wanting to do a lot of in-ground planting, but also to give Mirrhi her own place to sleep in the garden, and so she can see what's going on through the fence and talk to passers-by, without getting into trouble for being on the garden

A work in progress......photo is dark, I took it at 5.30 this morning

This is looking back towards the new courtyard, it ended up looking worse than this, as it's where all the mud that was cleared from the paths and under the house was shovelled to.  That tangled mess of green to the left was my greenhouse, full of seed trays and seedlings ready to be planted. 

 

The mud set like cement and was impossible to dig and 60cm to1 mtr (2-3ft) deep in places

A man driving past one day saw me struggling to move it, went home and got his shovel and pick, and came back and dug it all out for me.  

He came back the next day with these snapdragons his wife had bought for me.  The generosity of strangers after the flood was heartwarming and their acts of kindness just wonderful.

A strangers kindness brought the beginnings of colour and life back to my garden

And here's that 'mud heap" today

So that's it, the beginnings of the tale of reclamation and growth.

I'll be back tomorrow to join  Kate and others for ScrapHappy Day.

See you then.........

Days away and back again

The 4 days away in Caloundra were wonderful. What a busy town, and such a lot going on,   particularly on a Sunday, when the main street was blocked off, and a great variety market stalls were set up, mainly food and arts and crafts, and all manner of interesting passers-by.

We were staying quite close to the beach, so escaped there as much as we could, either enjoying the boardwalk, the rocks and the sand, or having a coffee close by at one of the little cafes and eateries off the boardwalk.  We watched people braver than us swimming and fishing......although the weather was quite warm, the water was freezing. I ventured in just once, paddling my feet, and that was quite enough.

Away from the beach,  we found this pretty garden area to wander through on our way to the art gallery, which had already closed and we missed visiting by about 5 minutes.  It was worth the walk though, with it's sculptures with coloured lights embedded, and the tactile old tree trunks.  We spent ages looking at this amazing wall mural, with it's many interesting and intriguing details. 

There were cloudy sulky sunrises, not like the ones I'm used to, where the sun rises up from the rim, hot and fiery and ready to go.

and then the vibrant glow as the clouds cleared a little and the taller buildings across the way were painted gold

  

This balcony looking out to sea was a favourite place to sit and drink tea, and while there, I managed to cast on and knit about three quarters of a premmie beanie.

The sunsets were worth watching too.......clouds away to the south, choofing along towards The Glasshouse Mountains..........

and a fiery glow to the west

We had a few stops on the way back.......Woodford for breakfast, Somerset Dam for lunch...where we'd planned to have lunch on the way there, but as we got lost coming out of Ipswich  there was no time to stop.  

This is Peak Crossing, between Ipswich and Beaudesert, where we had afternoon tea.  This dry countryside was such a contrast to our vibrant and green sub-tropics.

 And that's it, home again........and no prizes for guessing what I've been doing since I came home!

We have a neighbourhood picnic today, one of the initiatives that has sprung up following the flood.  There was such a strong sense of community then, with people helping out in any way they could, with cleaning up, making meals and donating freely to those who'd lost everything, that many have been keen to keep that spirit going and get to know our neighbours better.  I burnt the eggs I was boiling to make sandwiches to share for lunch while I was writing this, so I'd better get away and organise something else.

......till next time.

Off to the Seaside

A friend and I are driving north into foreign territory tomorrow, and heading to the beachside town of Caloundra, on the Sunshine Coast.

Images from Caloundra Tourist Centre

I used to belong to the Down to Earth Forum, (which is now closed) an online meeting place for those interested in simplifying their lives, who came together from all over the world to share ideas about homemaking, gardening, frugality and all manner of other topics related to our homes, gardens and families and just to have fun.  Before the Forum closed, a Queensland get-together was suggested, and this is happening this weekend.  I haven't met any of the ladies who'll be there, but I'm looking forward to meeting them, and continuing our online conversations face to face. Once again, it's a case of the internet being a positive influence and bringing like minded people together.

We're taking the scenic route north, avoiding the motorway and going out through the countryside where we'll will stop for lunch at Somerset Dam.  I'm sure there'll be plenty of litle towns that will beckon us in for a look as well.

See you all next week..........

There's a bear in there.......

........and there's another

Oh look...... a kitty, a couple of giraffes and tiny teddies too..........

They're all pretty excited, they're off on a journey today to join lots of other softies on the Victorian Variety Bash, a motoring event that raises money to support children in need.  This year they're driving from Melbourne, Victoria to Fraser Island in Queensland. The toys will be given out along the way by Car 152.  This group is one of the charities that are being supported this month through the on-line group Knit4Charities, which I belong to.   It donates to a variety of charities Australia wide, and members nominate their favourite charities, which are then placed on a yearly calendar.  Each month there's usually 2 or 3 charities for us to choose from to support.  If you like to knit, crochet and /or sew, pop along and have a look at the website.  There's no obligation to make anything, and no minimum number of items to be sent.....that one beanie, toy or scarf will keep someone warm or bring joy to a child.

........till next time.

Winter sun

Winter in the sub-tropics....sublime

This pretty but chilly for here 6 C (42 F) sunrise in gold and grey........

....... became deliciously warm golden light bathing my dining area, perfect spot for that first cuppa

This picture is for Lyn,  to show the creative and amazing tree decoration she sent as a housewarming gift, hanging there for all to see as they come in the house......and greatly admired it is, too.

 Close-up

That's all for today, the garden is calling, so until next time..........

i