The New Year Approaches.

I am not one to have New Year 'wishes'. I find that at my age I am just glad to wake up in the morning. Everything after that is a bonus. This Christmas Hubby bought me a bicycle and is taking me out, a bit at a time, on gentle rides to help build up my strength and health. Of course not one to be like the rest, I acquired an 'in your face' purple helmet with pink fastenings. I never said I would be growing old gracefully. Ok, its not a motorcycle, but it gets me out and about.

The Mean Machine.

I was hoping to put Baxter in the basket, but due to snacks and Christmas fare, he is uuummmm, slightly on the heavy side. When we go for walks he gets mud on his stomach! So there goes my idea of him in the basket with Biggles goggles on and ears flapping in the breeze. I'll wait till I get a motorbike!!

Me in my Purple magnificence.

Brandi has taken to sleeping in the back of No.2 son's desk drawer. We are unsure just how she manages it. She must be part mouse!

It's Christmas.

Just a short post to wish you all a Happy and Safe Christmas.

Ladybug says Merry Christmas.

Hubby just LOVES the cat hair all over his jackets.

Eventful.

Well it has been a while since I was on blogger. Life sort of catches you unawares and before you know it one week turns into two and so on. Strange things continue to grow in my vegie patch, no doubt brought in by the  birds. We let the ladies into the patch, and several hours later, all was virtually bulldozed.

 Local Galahs have been noisily having PTA meetings on the neighbour's antenna. For such beautiful birds, their calls make your ears ache.

The local gossips.

Talk to the back!!

And what are you looking at?

I did however receive quite a shock last week. I am going to be a Grandma!!!!!!

The Weekend That Was.

Well there goes another weekend....whoosh. The older I get the faster the time goes. I decided that I had better de- weed the vegie patch. So out I sauntered, took one look at the weed infested patch and went straight back inside. However, I had to take a photo of one of the weeds that is growing sky high in the patch. It flowered, a bloom I have not seen before.....well mainly because I have not let the weeds get so big.

What the.......?

 Maybe I should just give up trying to cultivate vegetables and just grow weeds. I am so damn good at it!!
 I then decided that it being such a nice day, I would wash the bed linen. I know my life is just so exciting.
So I walk into the bedroom  and what do I see?

Oh for goodness sake you two!!!

You REALLY don't expect me to MOVE do you?

ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I give up!

Strange Critters

As you know, I often find strange things in my backyard. For one thing I know it is part of the local cat highway as I often see strange cats just casually walking across the chook pen. I have also seen cats,( one in particular), just saunter down the driveway as if they own the place. Now I know that the climate is playing up and as such, strange beasties turn up on my plants, but this one stumped me. I have not seen one of these before and probably won't again. Any suggestions?

Strange Being in my garden.

Quite prehistoric looking.

My friends have labelled me Sadie the cleaning lady! It should be the dripping lady. By God it's hot in those hothouses. I am sure I leave a trail of drips!!  By the end of my shift I look like I have crossed the Sahara.

Motorclassica part 2.

Well another week has passed. I have survived my first week of work. The R.A still seems to be under control, all is looking good. I am an environmental services officer, well that's what one organisation called my position. What is it really--- I am a cleaner of..........Daadaaa toilets!! I work for a firm that has the contract in a humongous hothouse. At least I have my foot back on the workforce ladder. Any job is a good job at the moment.
Below I have some more photo's of the Motorclassica.

Love the side car

Cute

But where do you put the shopping?

The Mini. My first car was a mini, still miss it.

Look who I found outside, patiently waiting for his owner.

Motorclassica. Part 1

Well, it a typical Spring day, cool, grey and spotting rain. So off to Melbourne we went, Hubby, myself and No.1 son. We were on our way to the Motorclassica, a 3 day event for Classic and Historical car nuts. Of course, we paid for No.1 sons's ticket, how did that happen? Every time he tags along he is broke!

Just inside the gate.

Plenty to see outside the building.

If only I had the keys.

We headed inside, it was busy as people looked over the cars. Many were for auction later in the evening. Anyone got a spare A$200,000+ ?

Just a small part of the show.

Of course, I got distracted and was grinning like an idiot checking out the architecture.

So I shall show some of the gorgeous cars next post. I am now taking my aching bones for a snooze. I finally landed a part-time job. Not very glamorous but at my age I can't be picky. I am on six month trial with a cleaning firm. Guess what I get to clean?

Picture This.

The other week the Grand Prix was on and Hubby and the boys were watching. Baxter was sleeping(as he does),on the couch. Sebastian Vettel won the race and therefore the German National Anthem was played. Baxter looked up, sat up and stood to attention. Quite appropriate for a Dachshund we thought.

Achtung!!

Vanishing Act.

Brandi is a loopy cat. At night she sleeps on me, and when I used to move, she would jump off and run. Now, she just rolls with the movement and re-settles. Well that is if I am not too close to the edge of the bed and she falls off with a dull thud. I swear I can feel her disapproving stare through the darkness. I wait, she waits, then she launches herself at me and lands like a dead weight on me. Sigh! If that is not enough, she will then decide to sit at no.2 son's door and call to be let in. I must admit that I am impressed with her vocal range at 2am. Hubby just wants to lynch her.

Silent plotting.

The Evil Eye.

Lately she has decided that she can vanish by using the lace curtains as a cloak of invisibility. As far as I know she has not seen the Harry Potter movies. She 'hides' behind these curtains and waits for Ladybug to wander by and then pounces on her. She will 'hide' and stay absolutely still as I walk by calling out her name. Not a whisker twitches. The other day I burst her invisibility bubble. I knelt down and said "I know you are there Brandi, your invisibility cloak has a fatal flaw".

What fatal flaw?

I pulled up the curtain, and saw the look of absolute horror that she had been discovered. Mind you, she still does it.

Another Saturday Arrives.

Friday night, at approx 21 hours..

Now we shall see who is really in charge around here. I have kidnapped the most important object in the house.......The REMOTE.  Hahahaaaaaaa.

Hmmm...,now what channel should I choose?

Decisions, decisions.

Saturday. We survived and rescued the remote from the feline megalomaniac. Meanwhile, life is springing in the springtime.

Peaches coming along.

Nectarines.

And lastly,

Gumnuts. Ever heard of the children's book Snugglepot and Cuddlepie? They wore Gumnut hats.

Spring in one's step.

I just love it when my fruit trees flower. It is impossible not to feel good.

Courtesy of my apple tree.

Not Lost.

Sorry I haven't been around for a little while, but hubby finally found out how his Boss is going to get him sacked. So the past weeks or so he has been gathering evidence to defend himself. Quite hard when a group have been setting you up for months. The more times you spread a rumour when the subject isn't around to hear it, the more people begin to believe it. Still, we will see how things pan out. I'd live with him in a tent if it gets to that! Welcome to kankerdoodle. My next posts will be more positive, promise.

Ooooh, it's quite a disgrace.

I know love, I know

The Lurker.

It disappears during the day. Not a sound is made. I search high and low but to no avail. Then come sunset, it appears as out of nowhere. There is that expectant look, the toss of the head, the arrogance of one who can disappear better than Dynamo. But that is all over now, the hideout has been discovered - mind you that is after Hubby bellowed," why do I have white fur all over my jackets?"
I present the evidence your Honour,

What is this?

Excuse me, you have been spotted.

Ok. Guilty as charged.

Yes you are Ladybug, yes you are.

Colours of Spring.

My nectarine tree is beginning to blossom. Oh yes, I feel a lighter mood coming on.

Another Drop In.

Looked out the window and saw our little feathered friend poking around my fruit tree. Managed to get a few photo's through the back window before Baxter also 'discovered' our friend. Being the usual mental giant that he is,( thank goodness), he decided to bark loudly before chasing. Needless to say, he didn't catch it.

You can't beat nature's colours.

Why Do I Bother?

No 1 son was complaining about all the work he has to do at University, how tough life is etc etc. I stood it till I could stand it no longer, wanting to remove my own liver.

No.1 son: It costs heaps and all the reading I have to do...........

Bonsaimum listening: Yada yada yada yada..................

Bonsaimum: Look , your father and I have both been through it. Yes it's hard, yes it's time consuming, yes it probably all seems useless to you at the moment. You will be glad you did it.

No.1 son: Yes, but mum, things have moved on from when you went to Uni. They don't use stone,hammer and chisel any more!!

The Truth Of It.

I was on the phone today, and Ladybug was swatting the handset, then turning around so that if I kept talking, I would be eating tail fur. It brought to mind some rules a friend gave me years ago. I don't know who wrote it, but it is all true.

Rules for cats who have a house to run.

1. DOORS:

Do not allow closed doors in any room. To get a door opened, stand on hind legs and scratch the frame. You may also reach under the door and pull clothing towards you; silks get the quickest reaction. Once the door is opened, it is not necessary to use it. After you have ordered an "outside" door opened, stand halfway in and out and think about several things. This is particularly important during very cold weather, when it's raining or snowing, or during the height of the mosquito season. Swinging doors must be avoided at all costs.

2. CHAIRS AND RUGS:

If you have to urp, get to an overstuffed chair quickly. If you cannot manage this in time, get to an Oriental rug. If there are no Oriental rugs, shag is a good substitute. When urping on shag, be sure you project; it is a must that it stretch for as long as a human's bare foot.

3. BATHROOMS:

Always accompany guests to the bathroom.( see Rule 1.) It is not necessary to do anything--just sit and stare.

4. HELPING:

If one of your humans is engaged in some semi-closed activity and the other is idle, stay with the busy one. This is called "helping"; humans are known to refer to it as "hampering".
The following are the rules for "helping"

    a) When supervising cooking, sit just behind the left heel of the cook. You cannot be seen and
        thereby stand a better chance of being stepped on and then picked up and comforted.
    b) For book readers, get in close under the chin, between the eyes and book, unless you can
        lie across the book itself.
    c) For knitting projects or paperwork, lie on the work in the most appropriate manner so as
        to obscure as much of the work or at least the most important part. Pretend to doze, but
        every so often reach out and slap the pencil or knitting needles. The worker may try to
        distract you; ignore it. Remember, the aim is to hamper work. Embroidery and needle-
        point projects make great hammocks in spite of what the humans may tell you.
    d) For people paying bills (monthly activity) or working on income taxes or Christmas cards
        (annual activity), keep in mind the aim----To help! First sit on the paper being worked
        on.
        When dislodged, watch sadly from the side of the table. When activity proceeds
        nicely, roll
        around on the papers, scattering them to the best of your ability. After being removed
        for the second time, push pens, pencils, and erasers off the table, one at a time.
     
    e) When a human is holding a newspaper in front of him/her, be sure to jump on the back
        of the paper. They love to jump.
     

5. WALKING:

As often as possible, dart quickly and as close as possible in front of the human. Especially effective places to strike are:
    a) On stairs, when they have something in their arms;
    b) In the dark; and
    c) When they first get up in the morning.

This exercise helps with improving their coordination skills.

6. BEDTIME:

Always sleep on the human at night. If there are two ( or more) of you, bookend the human putting off the greatest heat. They will try and squirm but your sheer numbers and inert bodies will effectively keep them pinned.

Missing in Action

Another sunny Sunday here, so off driving we went. No.1 son had returned to Melbourne to start his next semester of University and No.2 son went to his girlfriends place for the day,( so much for studying). When we are not home Baxter gets up to mischief.

1. He pulls the pillows off our bed and tunnels under the doona!
2. Any chance he gets he will terrorise the cats.
3. Any packaging left around he will pull it apart looking for food.

I tell you, coming home to find a lump in my bed,( no it's not hubby), who thinks that if he does not move a muscle I won't notice is becoming slightly annoying. It wouldn't be so bad if he stenched up hubby's side of the bed, but no, he sleeps on my side. Rotten animal!

So today we get home and all is silent. Yes, there is a lump in the bed, but no sign of the cats. Ladybug has probably gone into the desk drawer again. How something her size gets in the drawer in the first place is mind boggling - maybe she has been taking lessons from Dynamo the magician! Brandi is nowhere to be seen until hubby points towards the bathroom. Well at least she wasn't in the sink!

If I stay absolutely still.......

Not moving a muscle.

Am I invisible yet?