A Little Bit of everything

Cyrano de Purrgerac feels there should be more kitty smooching and less crocheting!

It's autumn here, thank goodness!  Time for winter seedlings to go in.

These are a bit leggy but hopefully they'll take off ok. Fordhook Giant Silverbeet, and Oak Leaf lettuce, with a stray spring onion and a couple of surviving garlic plants along the side. The other tank bed has rainbow chard and Black Russian Kale in it.  The tomato plants are still struggling along in the big bed but we did have some very wet steamy days that made them look pretty ugly with powdery mildew.  I could pick the last tomatoes and make green tomato chutney... if I get my act into gear.  Ah well, we have plenty of frozen homemade tomato sauce to tide us over.

It was Rosie's seventh birthday this week. Hard to believe my sweet, happy girl is seven already!

     

  Her latest trick is sitting on a ricky-rocky bit of tree that we have in the paddock.  First I reinforced her for two feet up, something she knows well.  Then I got her to stretch a bit and put her back foot up, while I steadied it with my foot under it, and treated her a lot for that.

After that it took a lot of practice (and a lot of treats rewarding baby steps) but she finally worked out how to bring that last foot up and balance herself.  Clever girl!

Now it's her favorite trick because it has been reinforced so much with lots of yummy treats!

The chookies are now one happy family again, thank goodness!  Nanny Ogg the Black Australorp says please to pardon her plumage as she is moulting.  Mrs Guppy is still being an individual; she lays her eggs outside the nesting spot the others all use!     

I'm not sure what this is, but it is thriving beside the chook's dome where I tip out the water to wash their water bowls out.  Pumpkin, I think.  Hopefully it will get a chance to fruit before the winter gets to it.     

I was outside the other night while Andrew was inside upstairs having a sauna.  The high windows looked like this:

And the inside looks like this:

I love what the big infrared lights do to the cottage!

And what does Mr Andyroo look like having a sauna?  This!  Eeeek!  Cheeky devil man!  
 

Writing is still flowing along really well for Freya and the Hairy Goddess.  I went over the 45 000 word mark yesterday and still having a lot of fun with my characters and all the adventures they get into. I've had a week off from other author-y type jobs this week but next week will start on getting Death by Dog Trial ready for the print version, and I've got an idea for new artwork for my Cunning Plans print cover.

This guy will be an owl, but this in-between stage is so funny, I had to take a picture!  

Weekend mornings generally mean a cuppa on the back verandah next door with mum and our extended Labrador family.  The mild weather we are currently having is perfect for it.  That's Tuppys bro, Angus, and behind him is Rosie's mama, Tess, who is 11 and a half now.     

  
May you have perfect weather too, and some lovely outside time,  preferably without a dog on the table!  (Or with, whatever makes you happiest!)