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.