Autumn is Here

The younger ones are always here first

The fire in the wood combustion stove has been lit............. the weather has officially turned cooler, especially during the evenings and early mornings, and the Kookaburras have returned for feeding after the frenzy of Summer.

  The days however are proving to be wonderful Autumn days that tend to create a flurry of activity in the garden.  And apparently its been a while since I last posted ....... apologies, its been filled with many trials that I don't plan to bore you with.
 

Breakfast Time!

After the very hot summer we had that ended in a not so productive vegetable garden, and weeds overtaking everything in sight, I've been spending hours on days off work to try getting things back into control and getting the vegie garden dug up and replanted with a winter crop in mind.  This became even more of a priority when we found out last month that Hubbie was going to have to undergo some further tests and biopsies.  With the long term sitting with a question mark above it, having a home that was producing at least some of our food and essentials became a high priority. 
We are a long way from being self sufficient on our 1/3 acre house lot, but that's a work in progress that is hopefully heading in that direction!   The young chicks are now fully grown and providing eggs.  These young girls should produce right through the winter months - which was the plan for having the chicks hatch out when they did.  We are up to 10 hens here now which is the most I can keep here in our backyard. 5 of these girls are older and won't lay till spring arrives, but since they still undertake pest control, manure supply and quirky antics........ I have no problem with that.
The little cabin continues on and hubbie has made some fine progress with it.  I'm really hoping it might be completed by my birthday on the 16th May????  The plan is to christen it with a cake and craft afternoon once completed......... completion may or may not include curtains :)  Painting on the outside to complete, plus more on the inside still going on.
   

I've not gotten any sewing done over the past 6 or 8 weeks.  We have our eldest son who has returned home for a short time, and while back at home, he has been busy helping his father to get a number of things done around the cottage here, which included popping a new roof onto the chook house, attending to stuck doors and other nuisance things, as well as having a bit of fun with us all......


 He is currently residing in the sewing room, poor fellow.  So while I can still get in there to get certain things, and he is happy to move over for me to get to the sewing machine..... I'm one of those sewers that takes up a lot of room and often leaves things mid way to attend to other family things before getting back to complete (sometimes days later)....... hence the slowing down on the sewing front.  I did manage to get the crocheted shopping bag done, which will be a gift (just need to do a flower to pop on it).  Also working on a crochet along afghan with a revelry group.......... The Stripey Afghan....... pattern on Little Woollies Blog.  It's working great as a stash buster, and I'm also learning lots of new crochet stitch designs I've not ventured to do before!  This afghan will end up in the little cabin once completed.   And when you look at the photo you will also notice I am still working on the TUSAL, it's just getting a few woolly bits added to the jar lol  A bit of a slow process here for filling the Ort