The Bok Flock meet Tim Tam

Such a squawking went up around Maple Cottage today, chooks losing the plot because a rabbit had invaded their lawn!  Imagine!  Anyone would think it was a fox or something.  But no, it was just Tim Tam.

Artichokes are huge, when are they going to flower already because I want my vegie bed back!

I'd forgotten we had these!

 
Carrot bed is slowly emptying

Lots of blueberries on our 6 bushes this year...

Apples hopefully this year!  

And almonds swelling 

Mulberries ripening...yakon reshooting (hurrah!) 

Maybe time to cut down the rainbow chard trees!

 

Yummmm...

Back to grazing.  With only the odd indignant squawk.

p.s.  DON'T FORGET!  MELBOURNE BLOGGER GET TOGETHER NEXT SUNDAY! 

YAY! We survived!

WE DID IT!

WE SURVIVED 30 CHILDREN AT OUR PLACE!

Surely this is some kind of thing that is recognised internationally with some sort of awards ceremony?

We were panicking the night before as it was pelting down non stop all day and night Saturday.  Us running with buckets from leak to leak.  Thankfully the weather was gorgeous, Melbourne put on a glorious 29 degree sunny day for us.  Wild action man came with a myriad creatures for all of the children to stroke and touch.  Of course Miss Bok had a picture taken with a few of them  :)  Surprisingly she didn't scare at all not even one tiny bit.  She is far less squeamish than I am and ever more practical.

Anyway...a few pics of the day...

Party bags

Pretty amazing cake of the world!  Baked by a friend of mine, Elma.  Normally I would bake a cake, however when Miss Bok asked for a cake of the world (she is very into the natural world, geology, etc) I sheepishly asked one of my good friends (we went to high school together) if she would bake one for me.  Ta-dah!!

 

Antartica, Miss Bok & Tim Tam (see heart reef in the picture? 

 Miss Bok loves heart reef as we flew over it a few years ago.  

My friend put it in just for her )

Notice the opportunistic, cheeky hens taking good advantage 

of the distraction by sneaking off with food from children's plates!  

 

Miss Bok with a potaroo

 

Miss Bok with a monitor lizard and a stumpy tail lizard 

 

The mini Boks with tree frogs!

 

Cries of 'Is it dead??'  No...just Joan having her dust bath  :)

 

With a 'baby' (HUGE!) olive python and another python

 The favourite of the day was Charlie the baby salt water croc.  The children all loved touching his rough tail.

 

Dessert...honeyjoys, brownies and cake!

Time for a rest! I adore this skirt from Made590/Made By White 

the storybook rabbit is one of my favourites!

The only casualty of the day.  One of my huge silverbeet trees.  It really is massive and probably had to go anyway!

Maple Cottage

Last weekend there was a lady stopped on the street, car running, staring at our house tears running down her cheeks.  I asked her what was wrong and if she needed help.  She said that she had wonderful memories of visiting her aunt as a child - her aunt used to live in our house many decades ago. I invited her in but she smiled and said perhaps another time...I think she was a bit embarrassed that I'd noticed her but I'd have loved to have heard her stories and have her share some memories of our little cottage...

Although Maple Cottage needs a fair bit of restoration work, a new roof, foundations to be fixed as she is sloping now, asbestos concrete removed etc she really is a grand lady, I imagine her cosily sharing in our conversations, watching over us kindly, giving friendly advice about child rearing...I imagine her as a quirky, cool funky and well read grandma with a lovely blue rinse in her hair, sparkle in her eyes and great shoes.  Always surrounded by friends and family.

When we first moved in we had a family of tawny frogmouths in our front garden living in the paper bark - can you spot both mum and baby in the second photo below?

...and a nest in the backyard where a mummy bird would come, rest then head off to grab a drink for 5 seconds before returning to settle on her nest.

Maple Cottage is nearly 100 years old.  She is an old double brick californian bungalow.  We are her fourth owner, everyone who has lived here has stayed at least 30 years before retiring to the sea or to the country.

About a month after we moved in (after pulling up carpet, sanding floors, painting everything white, scrubbed out the fireplaces, etc - see pics on this old blog long forgotten ready to resurrect once we embark on our grand renovation plans whenever that may be) we received a lovely letter in the post.  It was from a complete stranger who used to live here when the house was built, she found the old house plans in her aunt's estate when her aunt passed away and sent the plans to us thinking that 'whoever now lives here will find them interesting'.



Her letter spoke of an unmade street where rainboots were left at street corners for stepping into on the way home and a little mini river crossing the street.  That creek has since gone and is now parkland.

I often wonder about the people who have lived here, how much they have loved this home and I can feel the lovely house around me smiling each time I give her a bit of loving care and fix this or fix that.

Happy Birthday to my very special Miss Bok!

Today is my little Miss Bok's 7th birthday  :)

It started at 5 this morning, with baking of fairy cakes for her entire class before sharing breakfast together and heading off to school/work.  The party is this weekend...oh nooooooooooo...30 children at our place!  EEK!  I hope I survive.  Being the generous soul she is, Miss Bok is always concerned about people being left out so the whole class is coming to our back yard!  Watch out Bok Flock!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY GORGEOUS GIRL!  You are smart, kind, practical, fun, funny and sensitive...bossy, argumentative, vacillate between acting like a teen or an old grandma and sometimes you are  uncertain but with with time you'll grow into a confident young lady, you already know who you are so don't be afraid to step out as yourself.

Love you lots.

 

 Apple blossom from the garden, a gorgeous birthday card my cousin made 

and sent with love from Canada. Miss Bok chilling out with a sleeping bunny...

Always busy around the garden, checking hens and giving them a cuddle

 

 

You used to be so little...

 

 

Don't forget the Melbourne bloggy get together! I promise not to rant about the success of the coal exploration ARGH AWFUL we know what will come next...