A busy time 'Down Under'

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February 1st 2010

Published: February 1st 2010

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Sandiz

Tayla the gardener

We are having an incredibily hot dry summer, added to the heat is the high humidity.
I can remember summers like this one when I was a child on the farm many years ago.
The animals are finding it very hot as you will see in the photographs Fletch just lies down and sleeps.
Oh for her life.
I had planted Swan plants in late spring thinking that what fun it would be to see all the lovely Monarch Butterflies.
How disappointing it has been. The plants have flourished but no Caterpillars!!!
I found out that an imported Australian wasp has been eating my caterpillars.
So out came the plants as I was not going to feed this nasty traveller from over the ditch.
To my horror as I was cutting up the plants there was a lovely Caterpillar.
Off to the Garden Centre to buy a Swan plant in a tub to put on the bench in the garage to save my one Caterpillar.
All was going well until Graham found and killed another of those nasty Aussie Wasps, so once again off to the Garden Centre to get some mesh to protect my one Caterpillar.
I now have a

Tayla's plant

lovely chrysalis, so we now await the emergence of a beautiful butterfly.
Over the years I have watched our neighbours children grown up into delightful young ladies.
On Saturday the 30th of January I was able to be present when Kirsty left home as a very beautiful bride.
It was also amazing seeing her Grandad and Dad resplendent in their Scottish Kilts.
On Sunday 31st January we were invited out to Joels home for dinner at Beachlands.
Joel and Chelle have done such a lot of work in the garden around the house. It all looks marvellous.
We were all sitting down to enjoy the lovely meal Joel had cooked when suddenly Graham raced off the deck and was violently ill.
Talya was just delightful, she took Graham by the hand around to the front of the deck, sat him down and told him that he had to stay there and be sick on the grass not on Daddy's new deck!!
Tayla also patted Graham's brow to try and make him feel better.
What a dear little caring girl she is.
Graham continued to be very ill, so off home we went and he his just now, a