The Usual Farm Stuff…

Hello!!  Yes we did attend the British High Commission reception a few days ago.  Well, we kinda thought that it was a good idea to show our faces since we hardly leave the farm.  Gnome:

“…well, we haven’t been seen in public for a while…people might start to believe we are  fictional characters…”

Somebody asked me why I was attending and I said that it was because I was Scottish…somehow I think that there was a joke contained in the question…

Anyway, back on the farm, It has stopped raining for a few days but it is still very grey.  At least we can walk out and not be sloshing about in wetness!!  I’ve got some new pictures…mostly vegetables and plants…ha-ha…we are soooo exciting…but what pictures could we possibly have to show you if we have a farm?

We are growing horseradish which also doubles up as mustard greens.  They are in buckets on the veranda…this is to ensure that we always get our greens even when I can’t get out with the heavy rains or if the geese are plotting to ambush me downstairs.

Horseradish.

The peppermint is growing really well.  And hey look…my pictures are getting better…

Peppermint.

Finally, at long last, we have managed to get the sage and rosemary going.  Yes, these are more plants on the veranda that need shelter from the heavy rains.

Sage.
Rosemary.

The akee are starting too:

Akee.

Oh and here is a picture of our back yard.  We do indeed live in the bush…

Bushy Yard.

Okay, last farm picture; the summer squash is going crazy with the rains.  I guess you can’t complain too much about the weather when you get this:

Summer Squash.

Have a lovely weekend.

Some Extra Pictures.

Hello!!  I am posting up some extra pictures that I have taken that never made it into my blogs.  Oh by the way, it’s been really wet with torrential rains down here.  We are sliding about in mud and can’t get anything done…what’s new, right?  Here’s to sunnier, drier days in the future…

I don’t think I ever posted up pictures of The Spice Farm in Toledo.  Anyway, here you are if you want a nosey:

Spice Farm Restaurant.
Inside Restaurant.
Another Picture.

Every now and then, we go to visit the owners; the owner is also a medical doctor (so, have a few things in common…doctoring and farms…but, his farm is a sooooo much bigger). The last time we visited, we ate fresh lotus seeds (after a lovely chicken biryani).  If you get the seeds green, they are very sweet.

Eating Lotus Seeds.

Oh, and this is a new project on their farm…a special arched walk-way for weddings and such…

Flowering Arches.

So, more visiting pictures…these ones are of The Earthship, a building made from recycled glass bottles.  Our friends, Alisa and Richard have put a lot of time and passion into this one…

Earthship.

Okay, hope you are all having a lovely Sunday!!

Have We Done Enough?

This post is written for Gnome.  We’ve spent the last week or so cooped up in the house (more rains and wetness all around).  He asked me yesterday, “…have we done enough dear…I don’t think we’ve done enough…”  GUFFAW!!!  Shrieky Fury Munchkin!!  Okay this is what we’ve done in seven days: canned 57 jars of sorghum, canned 114 jars of black beans, made two lots of soap, planted chrysanthemums and fennel out, made soursop cider (56 bottled and under pressure), made sorghum and jackass bitters beer and making coconut castile soap as we speak! WHAT!!  I told Gnome that he needed a reality check and that we were doing plenty.  I think I ranted, raved and shook my fists at him enough for him to get the idea!!

So this is what we have been doing…

Canned Sorghum.
Straining Sorghum Beer.
Bottled Soursop Cider.
Toasting Sorghum for Beer.

Oh and gathered some wild papayas to make relish:

Wild Papayas.

Studying the life cycle of butterflies for fun too:

Caterpillars.

Now I do recall when we worked in the Emergency Department in good old Royal Darwin Hospital that the average number of patients seen per doctor was about 25 in an 8 hour shift.  He used to see about 40 patients in a shift.

We’re not running a hospital my dear!  It’s just a few ducks and geese flapping about.  No emergencies here. Remember that we chose this life-style to live a more tranquil life.  You know…the spiritual quest thingy-me-bobs that we go on about…and the philosophy and all that stuff….

Anyway, after my silly little rant I went outside and was backed into a corner by Chiney-goosie and Rebel-goosie (yes, they have names!).  They sneered and threatened me, pecking fiercely at my ankles; I had to fight them within an inch of my life (just exaggerating a bit but they were behaving like hooligans).  Anyway, I ran back to Gnome and wailed,

“Oh Gnome!!  The geese cornered and attacked me!!”

Gnome’s response: “Oh that’s great dear, it means that it is breeding season soon.”

WRONG ANSWER!! And then I started Fury Munchkin again….

Hello!!

Hello Everyone!!  Well, tropical storm Nate passed by without a drop of rain.  We had stayed indoors on that day (thinking it was going to pour down) but it was actually a fine sunny day.  Gnome said afterwards,

“let’s never look at weather reports EVER again!!  They never get it right!”

Munchkin:  “Yeah sure but if you remember correctly it was the fruit-monger who told us about the incoming storm first…”

Gnome said:  “Since when did the fruit-monger become a meteorologist?”

Munchkin: “Eh…since we trashed the last weather report…”

Anyway, it is absolutely pouring down right now so I am forced to come indoors.  Anyway, I should really keep up with my blog posts!

What have we been up to?  Making some new chocolate soaps for the new season; oooh nice!!  And I even managed to take a cool looking picture (a la Panda…he’s really into fuzzy background photos…sorry, I mean professional looking “coffee table” pictures!!  Ha-Ha!!)

Chocolate Soap.

Oh, and Gnome bought me this Vision cooking pot as a gift.  It was about time for some new cookware!!  Over the years, I’ve slowly accumulated bits of kitchenware from people (usually people leaving Belize because they don’t want to be here any-more).  So, I’ve ended up with a hotch-potch assortment of old pots and pans…and many missing lids.  Gnome told me it was about time that I should have my own set of cookware:

“Munchkin…you really love cooking….why, after all this time have we never got you your own set of pots and pans?”

Gnome bought me one of these to “try out” and I absolutely love it.  This is great for french onion soup.  Ooooh, can’t wait to get the whole set!!

Vision Cookware.

We’ve been digging up our sweet potatoes…they are huge:

Sweet Potato.

Tobacco is growing and Gnome has been soaking dried leaves in a solution of brown sugar and lovely essential oils.  He has packed them in bamboo to cure.  Watch this space in 12 months:

Tobacco Curing Solution.
Bamboo.

Tobacco:

Dried Tobacco Leaves.

Ok folks, I would lIKE TO WRITE MORE BUT MY CAPS LOCK KEEPS STICKING…LOOK AT tHIs!!

Waiting…

We are waiting for the tropical storm Nate to pass over so we are trying to stay out of trouble by having a quiet day.  Right now, looking outside, you wouldn’t think that there was a weather alert…there’s a little gusty wind and no rain at all.  So what have we been up to?  We went through a dry spell and managed to clear a chunk of bush behind the house; we even managed to burn a few wood piles because it was so hot and sunny.  This clearing up is in preparation for rotational goosie pastures which we should hopefully have ready by laying season early next year.  The last week has been very, very wet with overnight downpours; the whole place has turned to mud so we had to stop the clearing this week.

Yes, that’s why we wear wellies all the time!

Anyway, I would like to show pictures of the new vegetable garden.  If you have been following our Blog, you’ll know that we have been rotating our guinea pig houses and planting vegetables in the unoccupied houses which are  full of lovely piggy mulch.  I am very pleased with results!  We have okra, endives, rocket and aubergine.

Piggie Houses:

Piggie Rotational Homes.

The Vegetable Garden:

Red Okra.
Aubergines.

Not For Eating…tobacco…

Tobacco.
Endives and Rocket.

Keep safe everyone!!