We had some friends staying with us from Tasmania just recently. I had a brain wave and suggested a weekend away for the girls (Lizzie and I) at a resort at Karioitahi beach on the West Coast, leaving the boys at home and why not?
Nothing like some pampering at the resort spa, beautiful sea views with black sand stretching as far as the eye can see, while sipping on champers and watching the sun drop slowly in the sky, the light perfect for photography.
To top off our male free weekend, Lizzie and I enjoyed archery and air pistol shooting.
Cliffs at the beach
I love clouds!
A few days later with an eye to the sky, hubby and I were deliberating when to harvest our olives while pacing up and down the rows. The trees were sporting loads of green olives which would mean the oil could possibly differ from previous years. Hubby had checked the forecast so we knew we had a couple of rain free days ahead and our guests were still with us (that was the decider 😉 ), so our harvest commenced on the 25th April, nearly two weeks earlier than usual. While hubby was collecting the nets and bins, I was on the telephone rustling up some help from our amazing neighbours! And trust me they are too …
Nettie and Lizzie
Friends and neighbours .. phone pic, thanks so much Stephen Bourke
Pic courtesy of Stephen Bourke
So with help from Steve, Lizzie and their lads and our awesome neighbours (all girls btw) we hauled in 188kg. It’s a big job and the fact that the trees are large, unruly and planted on a hillside made the pick a tad precarious, the ladder is another story!
Evidence .. serious pruning needed!
As it happens, we now have 30 litres of green, peppery and absolutely divine olive oil which is perfect dripping from fresh crusty bread! Lucky ha …
You all know how much I enjoy pruning don’t you? And given how hard the pick was because of the size and shape of our trees, it wasn’t long before hubby, Vicki (a great girl who just happens to be a horticulturist and is adept at pruning) and I were out with secateurs, loppers, pole and chainsaw! Bliss .. half of those trees are now done.
Autumn for us is nearly over … I’m dreading winter although I must admit, I do love winter clothes, scarves, jumpers and jeans and boots, I adore boots … and I’m not talking my gumboots either! Of course bowls of tasty soup with grated parmesan and crusty bread with olive oil aren’t bad either.
Lizzie made some delish pesto
You will be pleased to know that I have planted a bed of brassicas, poked in sugar snap peas, broad beans, carrots, lettuce, coriander (it’s bolting I’m not impressed), celery, spring onions and beetroot. And flowers always flowers dear people. Have I over-planted? Of course. I remember at the time standing back and assessing my planting while grinning broadly and wiping my dirty hands on my pants. Needless to say those beds were all prepped with a delicious combo of homemade compost, scraps from the bokasi bin, ash, dolomite lime, seaweed pellets, Rok solid, coffee grounds and worm castings. My garden loves it.
I’ve even been out on slug and snail patrol at night with my torch and a bucket of warm soapy water. Now that was a satisfying night.
Thank you so much to our wonderful neighbours, Vicki and our friends from Tassie – Lizzie my dear, you are a star!