Des and June's Orchids

Des and June grow and sell Orchids at our local Co-op between June and September each year. The Responsible Adult told me years ago that while she appreciates cut flowers, she does consider them to be a bit wasteful and would much prefer Shiraz and chocolate. From time to time then, I may purchase a flowering plant on the basis that we will get the nice flowers over and over. The problem with this theory, is that while I can usually get the plant to remain alive, they never seem to want to flower again. I've tried the Princely methods - talking to them nicely, talking to them not so nicely, playing Mozart to them as well as Death Metal, but nothing has worked for me.

So it was great when June phoned me last night and I had an opportunity to ask Des for some advice. Pretty simple really - keep them in a well ventilated spot with just a bit of sunlight each day and add slow release fertilser from time to time. I shall try this and report back. If it doesn't work, I may just take them back to Des with the advice that he should make it flower and sell it to me again next year.  

What's on the Kindle - More Pat Barker

Whew! Just finished the second of Pat Barker's Regeneration trilogy "The Eye in the Door". This book picks up pretty much where the last one left off. It continues an unsentimental account of Dr Rivers and his WW1 psychiatric patients. The author continues to hold nothing back when describing the horrors of the war. The character, Billy Prior, is extraordinarily complex, but in the hands of this novelist, his story rings true. This novel brings into focus events surrounding pacifists and homosexuals and for me continues to highlight the stupidity of the 'establishment'. 

Your quote: "Soldiers home on leave had to be given an good time; they mustn't be allowed to remember what they were going back to, and this gave everybody else a magnificent excuse for never thinking about it at all" 

Pottering about

Around the end of each month, I come up to the house paddock to do some maintenance on the pot plants. As it warms up, this will be increased to once a fortnight. It doesn't take long. Orchids, ferns and Palms get a sprinkle of slow release fertiliser and all other pots get a dose of liquid fertiliser - Charlie Carp. Doing this gives you lush green growth and promotes flowering. Each time I do this, I also look to re-pot a plant or two so that re-potting doesn't build up to be a big, nasty chore.

Your Prince's recommendation is to do this work in the late afternoon with a glass or two of Shiraz which makes the work much more pleasant. For those Paddock workers who prefer pot maintenance do be carried out at lunch time it is recommended to switch from Shiraz to Pinot Noir - your plants may not appreciate it, but you will. 

Volunteering

Maleny Neighbourhood Centre

Volunteering is something I've been doing for a long time. Not sure why. You get to meet a lot of people, feel like you're helping out.  The main thing I've learned over the years is to avoid committees - so these days I just look to do tasks.

Anyway I come into the Neighbourhood Centre on Mondays and Wednesdays. Started doing some IT work for them about a year ago, but then their cleaner left. It seemed to me that a good way for me to help them save a dollar was to take on the cleaning. So I do that twice a week and still play with a bit of IT. 

I've been hanging round with these guys on and off for about 15 years. Their purpose in life is helping people. Not a bad ambition. Anyway, here's an old pick I found in the office where we got the funding for the lovely building I now get to clean twice a week.

Howard, Carolyn, Anna and Me

Another before and after

What a lovely Fathers Day. All weeds were granted a stay of execution to mark the specialness of the day. The Responsible Adult and I went down to 'La Studio' and played for a while. Apart from that, I read and am now awaiting a dinner cooked by baby Ben and his main squeeze Marigold. So I thought I would reminisce with a before and after photo of the little gully at the bottom of the Paddock. 

The before (if you hadn't guessed)

Fathers Day

Dear Old Dad - c1956

Turns out to be Fathers Day. I had forgotten when I woke up and went about my normal morning routine - i.e. Breakfast in Bed for the Responsible Adult. Actually, it doesn't matter a fig what day it is - the Responsible Adult likes breakfast in bed and it isn't the biggest chore in the world to make her day a bit happier. If I wasn't cooking breakfast, I'd just be out weeding.

Dear Little Boys - 1993

Normally, our family would go somewhere for lunch and a couple of beers on Fathers Day, but not this year. The problem is that Jake will be working, managing a bottle shop and Ben will be working as Grocery Manager at the local supermarket. 

Both boys working, looking after themselves - probably the best Fathers Day ever!

Now, if I could just find the Coffee Wench to make my morning coffee all will be perfect.

I read the news today, oh boy

Ahh.......Saturday arvo. The Responsible Adult buys me the Weekend Australian of a Saturday. Mainly so I can go all grumpy old man and whinge that it's all Right Wing commentary instead of news. Anyway, here's the bits I saw with my grumpy old man eyes.