Easter celebrations

4.10.2021

 

Time passes so fast. The figs are almost over now, and it is the quinces turn to ripen.  I need to get them netted but last week I had a bad cold and really did not get much done at all.  Luckily, I was well enough on Easter Sunday to go to the feast party Bo had in her new house.  It was both Easter and my birthday, so I sort of had to be there.  Bo put in a tremendous effort and the food was fantastic.  Roast turkey and lamb with lots and lots of different salads and vegetable dishes.  All the family members of our age were there and most of the kids and grandkids, Wayne’s two girls loved swimming in the pool with him and sitting in the spa.  Indi’s daughter also had her first go in the spa and very much approved.  We all had a wonderful afternoon with family and friends.

 

The week before something happened that we have never experienced before in 50 years of goat keeping. Almost all the does came into season on the same day and stood in front of the buck’s pen screaming out to him.  We did our best to take goats in turn to be serviced but we tried hard not to overload the young buck, Ronan.  He was just learning his purpose in life and had only just worked out which end of the doe to mate.  This will probably mean we have several goats kidding on the same day if they take, which could be interesting.

 The hardest bit when this happens is making sure that we know whose kids are whose.  Last year we collared and labelled them all, but they sucked the writing off the tags which made everything harder.

 

I am still working on processing tomatoes and finally we have egg plants to eat as egg plant parma.  I think there are now some parsley seedlings sprouting and the pumpkins are about ready.  This year the Queensland blues did nothing at all but the balloon shaped bright orange ones I grew from saved seeds have been most prolific. I will have to buy replacement QB seeds and see if we do better next year.

 

Last night our TV viewing was interrupted by a news team announce the death of Prince Phillip.  Whilst I was listening and watching the news readers Edd looked at the news headlines scrolled at the bottom of the screen.  One read that the zookeepers in Sydney were horror struck at the sudden death of their chimpanzee.  Edd did not think this was a good look so he phoned the ABC.  At first, they thought he was one of the hundred who had rung up complaining about the interruption to the show they were viewing but when Edd finally got them to listen the reaction was “Oh shit, I’ll ring then”!   A while later the headline was replaced.

 

As someone pointed out for most people listening the queen and her husband have been a constant all their lives.  It makes you wonder how long the queen can keep going and how things will change. With our present politicians I don’t think a republic of Australia would be an improvement.