Canberra So Green

Canberra  is so lovely and green at the moment- we have had lots of rain and now the sunshine it is just looking lovely.

 The view up from Covenant College

Did one of my favourite but hard rides on Saturday. We ride up to the Gate at Corin Forest just past the Corin Forest Park area. It is then quite a drop down to the dam. It is 12 kilometers from Paddy's River Road up to the gate and then 9 km down to the the dam. There is lots of climbing but at the moment the scscenerys just lovely. Down near the dam you head into a different micro climate. I love going down there- only problem is you have to ride back up!

The dam down the bottom is a bit low at the moment, some years it is really high, not sure if they have been pumping out water to another dam, but the whole area is looking lovely.

The Parrots

Beau and Lyra are very much a part of the family these days. Bill is always bringing them out to help do the washing up! Her Lyra is very interested in his sponge cake, Beau's favourite spot is on top of Bill's head.

I think Lyra got a passion fruit seed here- that was all she was allowed!

 The birds are about to help Amy make some choc chip cookies!

As you can see they really help with the washing up!

I just love the way Lyra holds food in her claw it looks so cute! Here she is eating okra- I think the only think okra is good for is feeding parrots- at least they like it!

Rain and the Garden

We have had lots of rain this week. We got 37  mm on Sunday night in just over half and hour and then a few more showers during the week and then Saturday night it rained all night and there was another 40 mm in the rain gauge. It is just wonderful for the garden.

My sunflowers are out and I have been picking tomatoes, beans, gold zucchinis and cucumbers.

 The rain came down so quickly. Back of Bill's hilux filled up with rain!

First of my tomatoes ripening on the window sill

Picking tomatoes, beans and zucchini

The cucumbers are a bit funny shaped but they certainly taste great- so much better than the shop ones- lots more flavour.

The sunflowers are out- I love watching them turn towards the sun- wonder how long before the birds attack them!

New Years Day

Had a lovely picnic on New Years Day down near the Carillon. Charlie is obviously got the bbq gene, he was having great fun helping Simon cook the meat!

Lachlan let me take a photo and I even got a smile!

 Bill looking very relaxed

 Amy and Bindi

Charlie with the Christmas Pudding.

I tried something different this year, not everyone likes plum pudding so I decided to make a sticky date steamed christmas pudding and it was very yummy. We have a tradition in my family of putting in silver coins and then you get a prize- usually some sort of chocolate. When I made it Christmas Day the coins all sunk to the bottom, so I made one for New Years Day and put in more dates and flour and a little less liquid. I thought I would just put the coins on top and they would sink in a bit, but they stayed right on top!  

At least when you turned it over they coins were hidden on the bottom. The pudding was nice and we had it with custard and butterscotch sauce! Lots of fun as usual.

Opening the Christmas Presents

After our dinner out we opened Christmas Presents- it is always interesting to see how Bill will wrap their presents. This year he froze some money in some drink bottles!

 Benji very much likes to be part of everything as well and usually finds the comfiest spot

 The birds came out to join us as well- Lyra and Beau and as you can see below Lyra really got into opening all the presents. 

Christmas Eve

It was just us 4 in Canberra for Christmas this year so we went out Christmas Eve to the Hyatt for their buffet dinner. We had a lovely night, lots of seafood for those who like seafood and lots of meat for those who liked meat! We came home and opened presents, that saved us being woken up at 5am by the kids wanting to open their presents! I think the emerged about midday, then we had an easy late lunch with some friends and had Christmas pudding- it was a lovely relaxing time.

Amy Turns 21

Last weekend Amy turned 21! We went out for a family dinner with her friend Andrea at Hog's Breath, then this weekend she had a few friends over for a party. They had Turkish takeaway and watched videos and had a nice time- all easy and no dramas, so I think she had had a pretty good birthday.