2011 Christmas snaps

Now my house is quiet again, it is time to post some Christmas pics.

Daughter Kyla took most of these photos,

except this one...

Daughter Sarah and SIL Shane...

Daughter Talia with SIL Jarrad and grandson Blake...

Family shot of Me, son Jack, MIL Carley and Phil...

Another family shot, Me, Phil, Mum, Dad, Carley...

Now for the group photo...

This turned out to be a lot of fun :)

Phil decided it would be a good idea to take the group photo with the automatic setting on the camera. The thing was we hadn't used this feature before. So after 3 attempts and 3 fails we finally captured this one. By this time every single one of us was laughing...

L - R back: Kyla, Carley, Tania, Jack, Jarrad, Talia, my dad Charlie.

L-R front: Shane, Sarah, Phil, Mum Ronda, and Grandson Blake.

What we didn't realise was that it would take multiple shots so this was the result lol...

Here we are cheering because it finally worked...not knowing it was still clicking away :)

Me pointing and saying the camera is still taking photos...

After all the laughter had settled, Kyla took this photo of Phil and I.

The sunset at the end of CHRISTMAS day was lovely. The day was hot (32.6C, 90.7F) but we survived. Christmas Eve ended up being 43.7C (110.6F).

Onwards to 2012 now.

Once again we are having scorching temperatures for the rest of this week and weekend.

Today 34C (93.2F),

Tomorrow Friday 38C (100.4F)

New Years eve Saturday 40C (104F)

New Years Day Sunday 43 (109.4F),

Monday 42C (107.6F),

Tuesday 40 (104F),

Wednesday 41C (105.8F)

Eeeeekkkk!!

We were going to go away for a few days but cant now because the garden and animals will need to be taken care of. The swimming pool will be put to good use I think :)

So wishing everyone a Happy New Year where ever you are.

xTania

Merry CHRISTmas!

We are puffing and panting as the weather is handing out it's Summer best this CHRISTmas. It has been very hot all week and I am so tired...

37C yesterday (98.6F),

39C today (102.2F),

41C (105.8F) tomorrow (CHRISTmas Eve)

and 37C (98.6F) on CHRISTmas day!

I suppose that is better than the 42C (107.6F) they forecast earlier in the week. Not much fun when there is so much to prepare, but we will get there. CHRISTmas lunch will consist of cold meats and salads, followed by my Mum's favourite CHRISTmas pudding and brandy custard YUM!

I want to wish everyone one a very Blessed CHRISTmas and a may 2012 be all that you hope for...

Love, peace and joy to you all!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!!

Today's Pickings

From the garden today I picked a quiet a few tomatoes, 2 apple cucumbers, 2 zucchini....

and the apricots are ready, dont know that I am ready for them though!

Anyway they are chopped and cooking on the stove now...

Just a quick post as things are pretty busy around here...

I have been concentrating on getting fit and healthy again so that means less time spent on the computer. I have lost 2 kgs (4.4lbs) in the last week and I am 2 kgs from my healthy weight range. Lots of meal planning, jogging/walking and a variety of other exercises happening at the moment, and I feel great! Exercise is so good for us!

I haven't prepared much for CHRISTmas yet, once again it will be done at the last minute. This year it was decided by all that only the children will receive gifts as it was becoming way to expensive to buy for everybody...

Not long now :)

Go Anna Go!

Can you see him?

What about now?

A little closer...

And closer...

he didn't run...

the closer we got...

this fella is about 28 inches long...

and has taken up residence out in the chook yard,

and has a nice big hole out there that he has made his home...

He had better not develop a liking for eggs...

even closer...

what a poser!

well maybe you are getting too close now!

What more photos?

Haven't you seen a handsome Goanna before?

This on the other hand is not at all handsome!

This fella was living in the chook house having a nice feast of mice...

He is a brown snake (very venomous) and was about four foot long!

We left him there for a few days to thin the mice out but it was getting too dangerous for us to venture out into the chook pen to feed up and collect eggs...

Sorry Mr Snake...

This is the second snake to visit this year...

Thank you to hubby for taking these photos, I was long gone lol!

Take care,

xTania

A close call...

The hot day yesterday brought with it some very strong hot north winds that caused a bush fire in our town. See here

We have heard that the blaze was caused by an electricity transformer blowing up with the strong winds. About 2.30pm our power went out with a bang when the wind suddenly got stronger.

Here are a few photos we captured of the fire, but for obvious reasons we couldn't get too close.

I captured this one on our arrival at the scene with my mobile.

We thought the local primary school was alight, but it was only the big trees surrounding it that was causing all the smoke...

The fire started in this vacant paddock,

and quickly spread.

It jumped the road and got into trees and grass on the other side. Behind the trees there are houses, and to the side there is a primary school and kindergarten...The trees border the school boundary.

About 150 houses were evacuated...

including the school children...

The fire was under control within an hour and monitored all night.

The cool change is here now thank goodness...

There was another bush fire that caused a bit of concern to the township of Gladstone, which is about 131 kms (81 miles) away from here. It was threatening the town and the local grain storage at one stage, but is also under control now.

A bit worrying for the up coming Summer that isn't quite here yet...

Pickling beetroot

The beets are done...

Using a recipe found here...

I am very pleased with the results,

and they taste so good!

We are going to plant some more beets and hopefully get a second crop. It is a bit risky planting them this late with the heat, but a risk I will take.

Some of you asked how I manage to grow veggies in the heat. This year we have put in wicking beds like found here and here and got the plants in early so they were well established before the heat arrived. We also have shade cloth to pull over if needed, which we haven't had to yet.

Yesterday was 38C (100.4F) and today is the same. Trying to sleep with a 25C (77F) night was fun!

Wishing you well,

xTania

Today's Pickings

I picked from the garden this morning,

heaps of zucchini's, some beetroot, one apple cucumber, two cauliflowers and seven tomatoes of varying sizes...

Now I can get busy this afternoon and finally get my beetroot pickled,

I have been waiting for more to be ready so I can add to this lot....

Hotting up here again with today 35C (95F), and reaching 38C (100.4F) by Tuesday...

Wishing you a lovely Sunday,

xTania

Keeping busy...

Things are busy here at the moment...

We are pulling up old carpet and preparing for the new to arrive.

Should be here any day now,

it had better be lol.

We removed the furniture from each room, and had to manoeuvre it around to different parts of the house.

Pulled up the old stuff and the underlay, then all the staples had to be pulled out and the 20 years of red dirt vacuumed up.

Now this is what I like to see,

A man with a vacuum cleaner :)

Lots of echos in the house now, it is amazing how the carpet dulls the sound...

The blue cord going across the lounge area is the internet for our son. It goes all the way up to his room. Hubby is supposed to be running it under the house soon so it is out the way...

The flooring creaks a lot so hubby is hoping to stop most of the movement by putting some screws in the places where they are the noisiest. No burglar can sneak in this house and be unheard lol!

The furniture has just been plonked anywhere for the moment...

So I have a house that is in disarray, hopefully not for too long, but by the sounds of it could be a week or so yet...

A good chance to have a good clean out and work out what we really want and what we really need...

And my little friend the gecko (well I think it is the same one) was back yesterday, this time in another spot...

It is a wonder the birds dont eat him...

Must be well camouflaged...

Just received the phone call for our new carpet to be laid on the 2nd of December...

So a little longer to wait than I had hoped but at least it will be in by Christmas. My birthday is on the 1st December so it will be a nice present :)

What are you busy with this week?

xTania