About Me

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Life on two acres of arid dirt, on the edge of the Australian outback.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Come walk with me...

Almost every morning, bright and early we go for our 3km (1.8miles)walk/run.
Just a nice distance for now.  Soon we are hoping to go longer distances now that we are feeling a lot fitter J



We look like dorks, but at least the flies cant annoy us...Yesterday on our walk I happened to swallow a fly.  The most awful thing! I could not stop coughing for about half an hour.  I don't know whether it was the actual fly or the thought of swallowing a fly that caused me to almost vomit lol! 
Note to self: Do not forget the fly veil!
Sorry about the not very good selfie J

We walk at a brisk pace down one of the side roads near us...


 I took my mobile phone with me to take some pictures for you...
Looking at Mount Brown in the distance.


 There are about ten houses on small hobby farmlets down this road. 
They range from 2.5 to 10 or more acres.  A few of them have horses.  


 To the right there are sand hills like the one pictured at the top of my blog.  We sometimes go walking/running through these.  I will take my camera or mobile next time to show you...


To the left is a house.  This is the original owner of all the land along this road.  They have sold most of it now and live on their little piece of dirt...


 Bush land and sand hills.  
Occasionally we will see a kangaroo or two J
But not on this morning...


 Down the road we go...


Coming up to another house. 
 This was the original owners until they sold and re built...


 To the right is another property,  this one is secluded...

Lovely bright morning sunshine J



Continuing on...


One of our newest neighbours on the left...
and my finger...whoops J


Down there is the end of the road...


 Looking across to the Flinder's Ranges in the distance...


 And then back down the road to home we go.
The dust is from a car that went passed us.


Dry sandy soil...


Looking the other way at the secluded house, with solar panels on the roof...
Not that surprising as most houses these days seem to have panels on them.


I tried to get a photo of solar panels on top of this roof on the other side of the road, but I am a bit far away...


Looking down the road towards home...


 Some Aussie flags on the fence...


And across the other side...



Hidden behind this fence is another house...this one has stables and horses...


 And yet another set back from the road...


 The road had to be built up and made firm as we had a deluge of rain a few years ago that flooded these houses along here...


In the distance is the Port Augusta Racecourse. 
 Regular meetings are held at this track...


This is my friends place...they added a bedroom upstairs a few years ago when they found out they were expecting a surprise baby, and needed more room J


We are greeted most mornings by the dogs in this yard...
Not sure how friendly they are, they bark with their tails are wagging J
Sometimes the gates are open but they don't seem to come out on the road...


The racecourse 
and 
 back onto the bitumen road...


A few houses along here...


Looking down toward our place, we are situated near the bend in the road...


 Looking back from our driveway.  We passed a horse, but I wasn't quite quick enough to grab a picture J


And there you have it.  My little exercise stint...

Do you exercise to keep fit?  Do you walk or run? Or maybe you use a gym?  
Gyms aren't for me, I don't feel comfortable having others around watching me J

xTania

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Garden Update - The Experiment Begins

The ollas have been made...
These pots are $1.95 at our local hardware store, but they could be cheaper elsewhere J


The warm/hot weather has arrived and we have had to put the shade over the garden.  Usually we don't have to do this so soon.  I think our Summer could be a scorcher!



The first of the ollas are in the ground,
and I have spread around some straw mulch...


They are filled with water and lettuces planted around them...


I put smaller ollas in the capsicum bed, but I think I will replace them with bigger ones for the heat of Summer...



There are two in each garden bed...

Kale.


 Broccoli.
Yet to mulch around these.  I am still deciding whether to pull them out and plant something else in there. 


The old beetroot patch...
With a couple of stragglers left, no mulch yet.


And a spare patch, still undecided as to what to plant in here.


 These two are waiting to go in...


As are these...


Four in this plot and two in the back bed...


Now for the rest of the garden,
sweet potato shooting more in this warm weather...


Strawberries are forming, these couple are an odd shape...


Four zucchini plants are in...



More potatoes growing, these ones in a large pot...


Spring onions are flowering...


We are trying our hands at making compost...


The nectarine tree is in bloom...



And the apricot is just starting to blossom...


Our first lemon flower...


New shoots on the grape vines...


Do you like my friend? 
This fellow is huge, and he scared the living daylights out of me I can tell you!


We have five new spring babies...


More quandongs (wild peaches)...


Sleepy lizards (shingle back)are on the move...


This is what I made out of some of our beetroot.
Chocolate and beetroot cake J


Very delicious and moist J


How is your garden growing? Is there rain or sunshine your way?

xTania