Eating Our vegetables.

 I have just been into the garden and come back with all these.

 I will be making more of this. Courgette soup. Before you screw up your nose; it was delicious - not insipid as you might imagine.

 It has curry and spices in it .

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 In the kiwifruit orchard we are busy tying up bunches of fruit and taking off the rejects. In the  top left is one to come off . It is too narrow - not round enough.

 Plenty of work to fill my afternoons.

 This morning 4 people from the pack house have been here collecting leaves to put under the microscope to check for minute scale. As they were leaving a sprayer arrived to spray foliar fish fert onto the vines.

 Last week when I didn't blog at all our second avocado was happening....with good results.

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My vase of weeds. All these plants are considered weeds on this property. ( either they spread and seed down too much or like the agapanthus  harbour pests and have invasive roots.)

 I know in some countries they are hard to grow but not in NZ.

There are plenty of bees and bumble bees  around finding all the summer flowers.

 At the weekend I quilted some of my hexagons. I have a pile that need ends trimming off but will save that job for Friday. We have our P and Q group picnic that day

A Good Read.

Yesterday I finished reading "Scarlet and Magenta," by Lindsey Dawson. A thoroughly good read.
 Part of it's fascination for me was the setting for the first part of the story. Tauranga in 1886.
 I won't be able to walk along Willow Street or up the rise in Wharf Street or along the Strand without thinking about what it might have been like in the late 1800s.
 I don't think I would have made a very seemly Victorian Lady........too many strong opinions of my own! If you google Lindsey's name you can see the other books she has written. Her name will be familiar to NZ  TV viewers  and magazine readers .
                                                                       ********

 I have spent some time cutting and pinning pebble fabric hexagons for the bottom of my quilt in progress.

 I want to form a garden path along the bottom edge.

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 This morning I have been making strawberry conserve . I like strawberries raw but R won't eat them like that, so as I have picked lots in the last couple of days, I cooked some with minimal addition of sugar and he will eat them that way.

 I never did get the bird protective frame I asked for over the blueberries. Instead I draped and pegged flexible netting over most plants. The size is poor compared with bought blueberries but I know they needed more water ( which I have to cart in ) . Still there are lots more colouring up and I will not waste them. A possum has been avoiding the trap and has eaten every single apple;  6 ripening plums and lots of nashi. The crops were light to start with so it is very disappointing. It's a long way from the house so I wouldn't hear a possum. I'll ask for the trap to be reset  The only alternative is to pick fruit before it is properly ripe.

8 Days of January Gone.

If I haven't already greeted You, " I hope 2017 is a Good Year for You All."

 These lovely fresh green peas missed Christmas but are ready this last week. R is doing all the picking as I have strained my back ( lifting Grandson).

 We both worked together on the podding

 and blanching and freezing.

 This lot are now in small meal sized bags in the freezer.

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 Over the last few weeks 2 Blackbirds built a very untidy nest in the grape vine, right outside the lounge window. 

We have been able to observe the comings and goings of the parents feeding just one greedy fledgling.

( It wasn't really that way up )

 Yesterday the young bird was sitting on a wire just above the nest so must be almost ready to take it's first flight.

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Back in the vege garden we are now getting the first ripe tomatoes, cucumbers and lots of courgettes .

 For lunch yesterday I made Courgette fritters. ( I love all sorts of  fritters )

 The oil needs to be quite hot and the mixture is best with lots of rough poking out bits that crisp up.

 I adapted another recipe. The quantities don't have to be exact.

 In a large bowl grate 4 medium sized courgettes. 

3/4 cup of tasty cheese grated

 1/2 cup of instant polenta.

 1 teaspoon of cumin seed.

 1 tsp of ground cumin.

 1 tsp of smokey paprika.

 2     large eggs.

 Salt and pepper to taste.

 Fry till golden and crisp on the outside.

 ( spices may be altered to taste - more is best )

The Last Day of the Year.

 I ( We ) was kindly given some flowers that I was able to select myself. I really love flowers so that was a treat. I chose frilly Lisianthus and 3 types of Carnations - my favourites.

 Big apricot ones,lime green ones and pink and white.ones

 The lisianthus buds are lime green and turn apricot and pink when they open.

 Yesterday was very warm. Warm enough for little Grandson to play in a few inches of sun warmed water in the paddling pool. He loved it.

 He really likes water play of any sort. Cans and hoses in particular. 

 Quilters do you notice the resemblance to Sun Bonnet Sue?

I hope all is well with my blog friends. I have not been spending much time catching up on your activities.

Season's Greetings.

May all my Blogging Friends have a safe and 

Happy Christmas.

 Wishing you fun and laughter  with Family and friends.

Warmer Weather Work.

 The first pick ( of 2 )( 2nd one will be in January )  for export of our avocados got done last week. R drove the tractor, I ground picked and 3 hydraladas  drivers picked all the high up avocados.

 We only picked 20 bins on this pick.

 We were reasonably pleased with the % pack out we got. Some fruit had the scars from hail damage a year ago, but other than that the fruit looked good. Do you like avocados? They are very good for you.

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 One day I got a little quilting done on my finished hexagons. The machine is working well after it's service ( still no new tray ) .

 This is the back of a hexagon. the pattern shows up better there. It is a basic petal shape. Each petal pointing out to the tip of the points on the hex.

 This Christmas fabric was suitable to use in my garden theme, so I plan to have quite a patch of poinsettias in it. I like the paler colours of the fabric.

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 There has been so much to do in the orchard and the garden with amazing growth.

 I have been replanting this area around the waterlily bowl. It is far brighter than it shows here. With the addition of compost the plants are doing quite well.

 Elsewhere my David Austin rose is flowering well and my new one called Grace has 7 buds so can't wait to see if I like it.

1000s of Little workers.

 Bees for pollinating the kiwifruit have been in the orchard for a week. Some days have been windy, one wet but 2 brilliant hot, hot days that bees just love. Above is just one of thousands of bees working it's way systematically  around a female flower, hopefully with male pollen already on it to pollinate this flower and hence set a kiwifruit.

 This is a close up of a hive. The bees crawl out the slit door at the bottom, holding on upside down for grip. They then turn right way up and move to a clear space to take off and fly .......we hope to a male first then female kiwifruit flower.

 Notice the pollen sacks already quite large with pollen on the bees leg.

 There are less flowers overall than last year but that is a seasonal thing. It may mean we have less fruit thinning to do. That would be good.

 As well as the 26 bee hives we have had 3 rounds of artificially applied male pollen. The male flowers are picked as they are just about to open, the pollen is milled from the flowers and stored. It is then blown onto female vines and flowers using a handheld leaf blower. It is like insurance to make sure as many flowers as possible get pollinated. 

 I have noticed some tiny fruit are already set.

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 Thankyou Nancy for your helpful comment.

Sewing Machine is Home.

On Thursday I picked up my sewing machine ( Bernina Aurora 440 ) from the Bernina serviceman. It had been with him since 1st November. I got impatient and rang him to see why it was taking so long and he was waiting on the new plastic slide on table to come. I said I would carry on using my old split one till it arrived...which I did.  My machine had been sitting waiting for 2 weeks or more he said....why didn't he ring me. Anyway I paid for the service and have it back now but was disappointed the communication was SO slack.( I should have got impatient sooner! ) The new tray if it comes will be NZ $59. He showed me an alternative push button tray that cost $180 but involved getting a whole new machine front...... has anyone got one?( that seemed rather extreme and expensive ). I am just going with another tray the same as the original. I will be extra careful with it. Not too much downward weight on it. it's narrowest part it it's weak point.
 Anyway it feel good to have it back home....maybe I can start quilting some of my finished Hexagons.

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The Kiwifruit flowering and pollination is going well. We had 2 very very hot days which the bees love. We have had rain yesterday but fine again today. I will show some photos on my next post.

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 I couldn't get into blogger today. I hate being beaten by anything computer related so sat and tried again and again.

 Somehow my googlemail email address I have to have for my phone had got in there and it said I didn't have a blog but should start one etc etc. I only want to do my blog from the home desktop computer and our longstanding email address . Eventually I got it changed back and so could get into my blog. I am reasonably techie ( for my age ) but worry when I can't get things to work especially when I know I didn't change anything.

 Anyone else been having problems?

 If I disappear from here it will be because I can't access my own blog for some reason.

Roses.

Despite ever changing weather including bruising winds roses everywhere in the BOP seem to be a delightful riot of colour. My new purchase planted in June has just started flowering.

It is a David Austin rose ( my favourite sort ) called Princess Alexander of Kent.( Above )  

 It's perfume seems to be best at night.

In the same area I have a struggling plant called Sweet Juliet.

 I have dug out some of the surrounding competition and given it a new layer of compost so hope it helps.

 The other rose getting extra help is Charles Austin. It has the most delightful perfume and is usually a strong vigorous grower.  Unfortunately some spray creep from a bank below. ( R trying to kill rampant agapanthus - he is suitably contrite )   It killed 3 other roses beside it and badly injured this one. I am so glad one plant is surviving but only just.

 Crepuscule is a similar colour. It grows up and over a pergola and I need help to reach it to cut it back, but not while it's flowering so well.

 Nearby the 3 Graham Thomas roses are a yellow heady profusion. I can pick bunches of these at a time and do so quite often. They too need extra tying into the fence . We always get nasty damaging winds in November.

 I have several single roses too. With them it's more about the lovely faces than perfume. I have Complicata; Pink Sparrieshoop; White Sparieshoop and Sally Holmes. I lost 2 favourites in the spray incident. ( Meg and Penelope )

The day I drove home from my friend's memorial service I passed the garden centre with the lovely David Austin Roses, now reduced in price as it's late for planting them.  I went in and found "Grace" to come home with me and be planted outside the bedroom window. She sounds promising

......., nice perfume, strong grower etc.  There wasn't a rose called Dorothy, but it's planted in her memory.  

 Other roses that grow in my garden are  Cornelia; Mutabiles; Wise Woman; Arylis;Cecil Brunner; Lavender Dream; Anais Segalis and  Veilchenblau. I also have some smaller white ones and Flower carpet white and flower carpet Apple Blossom - it does really well and is great for picking.

*******

 Only hand sewing at the moment as My Bernina hasn't returned from it's service ????? it's been away long time ! I will ring and enquire on Monday.

 Yes we did feel the earthquake, but only the first one. It is devastating for folk and businesses and farmers in the area.

My Picks from the Auckland Festival of Quilts 2016

 If I had been allowed to take home one quilt this would have been it.

Iridescent  Bali by Vimla Govender. I loved the use of colour the design and the quilting.  

 Here is a closeup of it.

 I also liked Sonya Prchal 's Gazania. Totally life like. You could see the curl of the petals 

 The colour is exact I have this plant in my garden.

 In the wall hangings Sybil Lightbourne's, High Tea Tucks, intrigued me. It was done like Chenille but with seamed finished edges. The workmanship was fabulous, as  was the choice of fabric to show off the method.

If I am talking about workmanship the patience required for the edging and detail on this was amazing.

 Red Radiant by  Colleen Burr.

 In the Mixed Media section Jean Singleton's Woodland Walk stood because of the colour.

 It was just tiny.

 This jumped onto my camera as it illustrates the method I am using for a project at the moment. Quilt as You Go ( or Nesting ) Hexagons. ( Mine will have blending backing fabrics.)

 This was Ruth Reynold's , My Favourite Fabrics.

 I liked Alison Laurence's Watermarks for the semi abstract shapes and the ghosting overlay, of  the fern shape.

 Do click to enlarge the photos. 

If you wish to see more quilts from this show,  Julie Lou and Koka quilts  have already blogged about it.

*****

 I did take other photos but not because I liked the quilts particularly but to jog my memory about a technique or style or idea for the future.. I also did a little retail therapy but will tell you about that next post.

 ******

 Today I have the Memorial Service for my Friend Dee which I am steeling myself for to hold it all together. It will be so sad for all the quilting ladies, who are her friends, as well as her family.

 It is pouring with rain in BOP.

A Quilting Friend.

One of my good quilting  friends Dorothy ( Dee )  died this morning having been totally sedated for the past 3 days. I am so glad she has no more pain. We have been friends since she moved to Tauranga from Hamilton some years ago. She came along to our Patchwork and Quilting Group and we have been friends ever since.

 I took this photo of her when were waiting to catch a bus. She made lots of bags . The black and white one on the seat is mine ; she made it for my birthday last year.

 She loved making bags and quilts and had a long sewing history.

 We spent many happy times together and my garden has lots of her plants she needed a home for, happily growing in it.  (Her garden was quite a small town garden.)

 The men in her family ( husband and 2 sons ) are right into motorbikes. This photo show her on the back of her husband's motorbike outside our house, a couple of years ago.

 I will miss you so dear friend ,but have many happy keepsakes of our times together. 

RIP  DEE..

 ( 16 /5 /1945 - 30/10/2016.)