Shedding Winter

The warmer weather interspersed with cooler days is a delight at this time of the year. I so enjoy Spring weather. Earlier sunrises, cool mornings and nights, warm sunny days with a burst of heat to remind us that summer is on its way and a reminder to start shedding the extra layers.  Don’t put all your winter clothes or blankets away as we always have some cold days thrown in to keep us on our toes! The birds are all a twitter, maggies warbling it seems the whole night through!  Galah’s and their antics as I jog through the bush.  A dog walker tells me he has seen two young kangaroos too.  I’m so grateful to our amazing Creator for all His wonders around us.

We are not the only ones shedding.  As the warmer weather arrives, the resident bobtails are also moulting. I have found discarded skins in scaly shards around the garden while the lizards show off their new shiny scales.  It’s also the time my fruit trees are developing fruit which in turn attracts the rats. I noticed two of the nashi fruit had little nibble marks as did some of the pawpaw which had fallen from the tree and the scraps that I left for the bobtail family had disappeared over night.  I put out a few baits and waited.  The baits showed signs of use, then three days later there was a terrible smell of rotting rat!  Although I looked I couldn’t find it, yet I knew it was close.  Then in amongst the plants beside the side path it lay decaying.  Instead of putting it in the bins, which we had only just cleaned out because they stunk, I buried it in the garden.  The following day I noticed some movement on the other side of the path.  Thinking it was one of the lizards I took a closer look.  Fortunately I was wearing my gardening gloves as there was a tiny little baby rat.  Poor thing had probably come out of hiding to find its mother.  Having caught it I didn’t know what to do next.  Drown it in boiling water? Flush it down the toilet? No this seemed too cruel. I decided the quickest way was to knock it on the head with my trowel.  Over the next two days I found two more. They were all buried near their mother to help fertilise my garden and prevent an ongoing odour problem.  I thought that was it but the next day I could still smell dead rat!  I searched through the garden bed and found it. It had obviously died of starvation poor little thing.  Four days later with the scent still lingering, I released one of the baby bobtails who had previously escaped, back into the outer garden by the path.  When I looked back, I saw him thrashing his head around.  They do this when they are eating something too big which needs breaking up. Yep, you guessed it, he had found a baby rat and was trying to dispose of it for me.  Unfortunately after two days of 39 degree heat the poor little rat body was now a crisp petrified shell.  I needed to perform another burial.  At least I won’t have this little family of rats gnawing away at my fruit anymore.

Kat returned from her two week workshop at Punmu, north-east of Newman WA.  While she was there it hit 43⁰C…. and we thought 39⁰ was hot! She had planned not to have another stay-over in Perth but then extended her stay so she could have a beach break before returning to Cairns.  What a blessing for me!   It was lovely having her around for a few more days.  We made the most of it and went out for an Indian lunch at our favourite place in South Fremantle and the following day for our second visit to Yum Cha in Morley then an ice cream at Hillary’s.  All the things she misses when she is in Cairns.

My neighbour Guillermo and I have been talking about making sourdough bread.  I looked for someone who was selling a starter (I’m too impatient to make my own) to get it underway.  My first attempt was a disaster!  I think the oven was too hot.  It rose beautifully and looked amazing but then I couldn’t get it out of the container I’d cooked it in and when I cut into it, the centre wasn’t quite cooked.  Of course I couldn’t throw it out, so toasted it and ate it with my leek and cauliflower soup.  The next one Guillermo cooked using my oven as his oven wasn’t good enough.  We also used his Dutch oven.  His bread was perfect (mind you he used pizza dough from work not the sourdough).  For my second attempt I used his Dutch oven.  The dough was too wet and as Guillermo said, it looked like a large biscuit!  Still it was cooked and tasted like real sourdough.  For the third loaf I bought a baking tin and lined it with baking paper.  I cured the dough for several days, adding more to make sure the starter was growing.  I don’t like throwing away the excess starter every time I added more flour and water so I save it and make crumpets from it.  Not really my thing!  Then Sunday morning at 2:30am when I happened to wake, I decided not to waste my time just lying there for hours, but instead I’d prepare the loaf for the morning’s bake.  All went well and I was back into bed and slept another few hours before getting up to turn on the oven.  The bread finished baking just before I rushed off to church to do my barista duty.  This time although the loaf turned out really well, the paper which wasn’t baking paper but sandwich wrap, stuck to the loaf and needed cutting off!  Strike three and you’re out!  Yes out of my house!  I gave the rest of the starter to someone at church who said they wanted it.  I can’t be bothered with all the steps, I’m just too impatient. I don’t like havening to be so precise, or waiting for days to proof the starter.  I’d prefer to be able to throw things together and eat it immediately. I also hate having to throw the starter away every time I add more ingredients!  I’d rather just buy a loaf although now I have more appreciation for the process and the price of sourdough.

The Coastal Community Garden team had a workshop to learn how to construct a wicking bed.  All the equipment was purchased ahead of time. Then with the help of the permaculturalist from Stirling Council we set up our first bed. There were a few glitches including sealing the bottom of the bed as the silicone didn’t set so it leaked.  Praise the Lord after a few attempts (after it was set up for a day) it stopped leaking.  Beside this we also filled two small triangular beds for herbs and a very large garden bed (which some of the tennis members thought was a grave!  Must have been for the giant we buried as it’s a very large area).  The fruit trees that were planted were now covered with fruit.  I removed quite a lot as this helps the plant to put energy into producing roots to help it get established.  If you live in the area and want to become a member let me know.

After many years of contemplation I have finally sold the very large desk that was in the second bedroom.  Once gone I was able to move the furniture around including the double bed, which is now in the middle of the room instead of against the wall.  This makes making it so much easier.  I also moved the sewing machine table into the room out of the lounge room plus Mum’s old chair that she had made a tapestry cover for.  Now I just have to find someone who wants an old desktop computer and screen.  Any takers?

During this time a friend from church came over to help fix the frame and casters of a couple of windows.  He also helped with dismantling the desk before it was sold.  It’s lovely belonging to a broader church community.

As I write this I’m listening to Christmas carols, my initiation into the Christmas season.  By the time the next chapter gets posted, Christmas will be long gone, so I’d like to bid you all a very blessed and joyous time this Christmas Season.

Photos:  1.  Ground cover succulent on my driveway    2. Kat and me at Yum Cha    3. Guillermo with his successful loaf    4. Coastal Community Garden wicking workshop.

Prayer & Praise Points:

Praise the Lord for coming as a vulnerable child into this word to bring a message of the Father’s great love.  Truly the greatest Christmas gift to all who will receive Him.

Praise the Lord for friends, family and the freedom we have here in Australia. Please pray with me that this continues and that those who dwell in darkness will see the light that is found in Christ Jesus.

Praise the Lord for Jen’s safe return.  She is now planning her trip for next year.

Continue to pray for world peace both in the Middle East and in Ukraine and Russia.  Pray with me for the hostages and refugees who are caught up in the suffering that both these wars have caused.

Please keep my sisters, Tricia, Jen and Kat, in your prayers.  Pray that they will come to know the love of Jesus.