Loss of a Pet

It is very hard to write this post as we came to the decision last Thursday, to put down Einstein, our lovely gentle dog. He has been in pain with his back for a while now, but most of January he wasn't himself and a blood test last week showed Addison's Disease.  Thursday was his next appointment to see how far it had gone. During the morning he was asleep at my feet as usual, but he wasn't very well and he didn't seem with it at all, and I thought he may have needed more  painkillers or something.  I was not expecting a phone call from John to say he was in a bad way and the vet had said if we were thinking of putting him down now was the time. I cried all day.

Two Great Friends

We buried him next to Cricket under the Protea tree in the front. I will miss him a great deal, as I am alone most of the time, and he was always next to me keeping me company. I have been taking it easy, while I get over this, and sorting out material for my new quilting adventure. I am re arranging everything, and putting large bulky items into the cupboards and swapping out the fabric to store where I can see it. The shoe box drawers I ordered, arrived this week.

  Wednesday I put some together, and went through the first box of fabric. These are for all the fat quarters and smaller pieces and I refold to fit. 

Naturally Einstein had to help me. There is 20 boxes in all, and I have filled 15 of them in colour groups. That is what happens when you work at a fabric store for many years. It has been good therapy, while grieving. 

 Other than a few hours weeding very early a couple of  mornings, I haven't done much else so will leave this post as is. Arthritis has been quite painful this week, so lucky I have an appointment with my specialist in Brisbane next week, and the borders are open for once!!

Stay safe everyone.

Till next time.

 

 

Community Garden Opening and a Sick Einstein

Well another week of heavy smoke, while our local area burns away. I am sure everyone has seen on the news how bad things are getting. Really bad winds again and sudden heat in the high 30's has not been good for the garden. My lovely lush potatoes have suddenly died and I have no idea why, so will be picking tiny potatoes to clear the area and pots. Minor problems compared to those in need, my heart goes out to them.

This was Oct.10th

Today's View

During all this disaster we officially opened  the Community Gardens, with a small ceremony. Part of the reason being acknowledging the Council and Federal Government grants and the Mayor came to represent everyone. The TV and local paper were also supposed to come but we feel they were out attending the fire reports.

Our patron Pat Roser OAM and Denise Knight our Mayor.

The garden was looking particularly nice although dry, and a small group were taken around for a show and tell by John.

All this was preceded by poor Einstein's troubles. If you remember last week we dealt with a paralysis tick, we bought him home last Wednesday week, not very happy, he was one sad dog. Slowly he picked up but then last Thursday, this week, he was in a lot of pain and wouldn't walk, eat and kept yelping. That same morning I was also in a lot of pain with RA so thought it was a recurring arthritic problem for him, because of the weather. In again to the vet, who decided to xray his back leg area as it could have been a small bone splinter and also to take out some more badly infected teeth.
 

Einstein feeling better today.

 Organised this for the next day so he was quiet all day but come Friday was his old self and cranky because we didn't feed him breakfast in readiness for the xrays and op. Well if we thought he was sad last time, this time very, very miserable. Two teeth removed and lots of aching due to the xrays of moving his legs around in all sorts of angles. The diagnosis being his spine has fused out of alignment from an old injury and equivalent to bad sciatica in humans. He is 13yrs old in June and although we could pay $20,000 in an operation up at the Gold Coast, I think we shall keep this problem at bay with pain relief and gentle exercise. He is a pretty tough dog though.

Nana Glen

My daughter in law sent me a photo of her sister's house at Nana Glen, half an hour away, taken Friday. When we picked up Einstien from the vet, Coffs Harbour also looked like this. Should  Bongil Bongil National Park take on fire we could be in a spot of trouble. It wraps around the valley we look at.

Our View of the Train Line looking towards Dorrigo. and part of Bongil Bongil National Park.

Lets hope the  Rural Fire Department can get this all under control. A lot of native animals are also being wiped out. If you see any donations wanted for these fires please consider helping.

Till Next Time stay safe everyone.

Christine Anu and Sawtello Gospel Choir

I can only presume the great tiredness I feel today is due to the adrenaline felt singing at the Jetty Theatre as Christine Anu's supporting act. We were well received by both audiences. 2pm and 8pm but as we went in at 12pm. to do sound checks, and a warm up then a wait of an hour in the green room, the excitement and nervousness with the group was very real. Really it was no different singing to the Coramba Fire Brigade audience but the fact we were supporting a very well know international artist was different.

 The 16 ladies that actually backed up her two songs I am Woman and My Island home must have had nerves of steel. We didn't stay for the actual concert and they were on last, so didn't get to hear them but they were well pleased after the afternoon show.

This is our stage,  and photo from her facebook page.

We then had a 4 1/2 hrs. at home, but I didn't do much except water the garden as it has been so windy this week the soil is drying out rapidly.

Back in we went by 7.30 to the green room, before we lined up on stage, and did it all again. 40 of us in all. I don't know what the audience thought when the curtains opened as no advertising had been done at all so we were a bit of a surprise.
 

Waiting outside to go to the green room.

  We sing in other languages so songs are from New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa as well as English ones.  All in 4 part harmony. John is with the men in the base section and I am in with Altos.

Taken at the Methodist Church  3 weeks ago, after we moved from the too small CWA Rooms. We are rapidly growing.

Prior to all this, Einstein was put into the Vet Hospital for two days also this week as he had a Paralysis tick that had been on him 3 days but the effect only came through by Wednesday night although I had noticed he was not well and checked him for ticks but found nothing, it was in his middle groin. The worry of all that I suppose added to this tiredness as well.

The wind has been horrible, and combined with all the smoke from the fires I can't say this has been a great week, other than the buzz of the concert.
 The potato pots and garden have been blown around so much they look half dead.

Last week they were lush and looking great

I would have thought these were protected

I did pull up more garlic from the back, only small as the soil is not as good as the front.

Also this week tried out my new Kmart Family pie maker. This saves having to put the oven on when I just want a quick quiche or pie for the two of us, takes no time at all to cook either and very pleased with it.

Shortcrust bottom and Puff on Top

Bacon, mushrooms, onion, cheese pie. Very filling also

I hope your week went well and the wind wasn't a nuisance as it has been here.

Till Next Time.

Einstein's Pamper Session

It has been another quiet week, John away on various things and the community garden, so just Einstein and I,  and I decided it was time to get his fur cut, plus his nails, and of course washed as well.

The problem with him is the fur gets in the rug and I usually have to deal with it by hand with a small scrubbing brush in a circular movement. The vacuum gets a bit but not all, such a pain.

Before

There is a cute little blue doggy trailer locally, that is a franchise I think Australia wide, and you can book online which I like so very easy. Violet runs the local one and arrived at 12 noon. She is very used to old dogs as well, so was very careful with him and his arthritic back leg.

Parked in the Driveway

The vans are really well equipped, including a dog bath, and a sink, cupboards, for equipment etc. A connected hose fills the dog bath, and I presume heated as well, as she also plugged into the electric power, to use the clippers.

               So cute for a van, great idea.

Took about an hour for Violet to get it all done, and Einstein now looks like a big puppy lol. This morning though he was shivering so may have to find a blanket for him.

After

The weather here has been really odd, cold in the mornings, but then really hot by 11, so I have been doing short stints in the garden trying to keep weeds down. Planted some more carrots, climbing beans, rocket, beetroot. We bought some more cow manure and mushroom compost to fill the beds up as they had sunk down from the first lot.

Grown from Evi's sweetpea seeds.

Picked some sweet peas from my garden with seeds I got from Evi a forum member. My sister and I cleaned up after hours quite a few gardens in the front area  of the community garden, as it was a real mess, in preparation for the local member visit on a grant John managed to get, which was the next day.  I picked some sunflowers and zinnias from there on the way home. Next day went to greet Luke Hartsuyker and we were on the NBN news. Our interview was cut, and he said Coffs Community Garden lol.

Jan and I will look at helping in the garden after hours, when it is cool, especially sorting out the bush house, and seedling starting.

This weekend was supposed to be a scrap booking one at the guide hall, but unfortunately was cancelled Friday night.  All my stuff was in the car ready as well.
I was so looking forward to it too, the first time I didn't have to be at the community garden. In the end though I still spent 9am to 5pm scrapbooking at home. Managed to get a lot done as well.
I do hope you all had a great week.

Till next time.

New Chicken Shed and a Picket Fence.

It has taken a while to get to this stage, with the 36C plus heat and  then rain storms and hot again this week, finally, the picket fence run is finished and the enclosure of the shed itself all done. John still has to cut a hole in the side to make a flap door in order to get the eggs but, it is no problem to actually go in and get them.

Enclosed  and Safe

 One good thing I saw somewhere was to make the door, a double swing door. This enables you to open the top one and throw vegetable and fruit scraps in without physically getting in the shed itself. The chickens always want to escape.

Extra Door for Easy Feeding of Scraps

Perch Inside the Shed Itself

Seed Tray

Without the turkeys and all the pigeons eating the seed, it is lasting a lot longer. The tray is to catch all the seed being thrown around while the chickens look for the sunflowers seeds. They go nuts over them, but are not allowed to have too many.
 

New Picket Fence along the Fruit Trees.

The chickens will be allowed to run  along the inside of the picket fence once John has built  the opening for them.

The other end has its gate ready in case we need extra access. The fence is bolted together in sections and easily removed should we need to get to the fruit trees.

Far End of Run with its New Gate.

The water tank was added plus a bit of extra roof and shade cloth. We realised during the hot weather and rain storms,  they didn't have enough shade or rain protection

New Water Tank on the Chicken Shed.

 The tool shed is still to be moved, and the bridge put back, and I will need to get someone in to help do the Rock garden wall. This was an old waterfall, but we lost a lot of water into the atmosphere,  while it was running, so we hardly put it on, which in my mind defeats the purpose of having one, as lovely as it was. Now with it all open, we can build steps into the garden and weed and look after it  easily, once it is done. The rocks are really heavy to move, which is why we need help.

Future Rock Garden.

  At the back of the above photo is the wall to my back vegetable garden and I would like some steps of some sort there, getting to old to climb up it, and down it. It was the only access I had before.

View over Pond.

I haven't decided how to paint the fence yet, whether to go for traditional white, or dark grey which all the other fences are. I started painting them last year. The sheds will also be painted that colour as well, and hopefully disappear into the background. John has worked really hard on this, and it is looking really neat.

Till next time.

Moving the Chicken Shed

While my brother was here he helped us move the chicken shed from where it was as they have been digging up the earth in their area and it was like a moon landscape. On top of that the Brush Turkeys have been eating the seed along with every pigeon in the district, plus the Goanna attacking one of them, so it was time to seal them in an area of their own. and with a protected chicken tunnel, I have been reading so much about lately, that we will run around the trees.

The Chicken Shed as it was, and the area looking tired.

Normally we only have two chickens at a time, as if they lay an egg a day that gives us 14 eggs a week, and usually we get Isa Browns. At the moment we have two old Isa Browns and a black Australorp that our grandaughter bought home from school as it got too big in class, and get about 10 eggs a week, if weather doesn't get too hot. When we let them roam a bit further than their area I get 3 eggs a day, so happy hens love to lay.

Moving the Bridge

This bridge is at the end of our old swimming pool, which we have converted to a pond. The Grevillea next to it has been cut in half and the area cleared somewhat as this is where the chicken shed is being moved too. The other shed is a tool shed.

Einstein inspecting the area.

This area had the compost bin, the galangal and a few odd bits and pieces. I am glad we are attacking it as it too was becoming a bit of an eyesore.

Remaining part of the tree.

Most of the tree I was able to get into several green bins to be picked up the next day. Thank goodness for good neighbours. The rest I will put in for this week.

Area now empty.

The old wire barriers are all going as I need access to what used to be a waterfall, and which is a steep bank so I am hoping to change all of that to a rock garden with aloes and other plants that like heat and not much water.

Old Pathway for Chickens with lots of Well Dug Holes

Happy Chickens

 The path way will be condensed to just along the tree and fence line and I will hopefully pretty this up and fill in all holes. John is looking at doing a small picket fence along the tree line.

New position

The chicken shed in this area can be enclosed with wire both on the roof and along the edge with a barn door gate so I can throw food in without having to open the whole thing as they do like to escape.

Entrance View

I don't like the way the two sheds line up so decided  the tool shed had to be turned around back to back.

It has been really hot and sticky, so work is a bit slow, still a fair bit to do, and will keep you up to date. Happy Australia Day for tomorrow.