There's been a bit of a gap

A lots has been going on. Its taken some time to recover from David's party, find our feet back at work, and keep the renovation of the shearers quarters on track. I'll do a blog on that when its completed, four or six weeks from now (preview: septic tank in, water tank in, road in, bathroom tiles in. Next is kitchen in, gas fire in, bath in - can't wait). Meanwhile.....there's work to be done. It was dark when we arrived on friday night 8.00pm. We were expecting 4 cubic yards of mushroom compost (yeah I know, new lingo) from parkvale mushrooms to be here, and couldnt find it anyway. Out with our torches, beautiful still evening, and pile of compost anywhere. then we discovered our water was still off (we'd have 5 days over easter with no water, and swimming in the river kept us clean enough. Feeling helpless, insignificant, an early night. at 8am, the driveway alert let us know someone was coming. The compost guy. four cubic metres is a lot of compost, steaming, ripe in the early morning usn. So our work was cut out for us afterall. David made a 600 x 600 x 60 square for our template and proceeded to put compost at the base of each of the olive trees.
While he was doing this, I was on a rescue mission with 15 box trees from the apartment, gasping for life, leaves bright orange, starved of water, and nutrients. So I trimmed their bases, put compost in the freshly dug holes and planted, surrounding the base with compost too. I reckon they look better already. I can hear them breath sighs of relief. By the end of the day he had done 45 trees, and we discovered there are 110 trees in the front olives, not 85 trees, and I counted 5 times when we first bought this property. I think numbers just arent my thing. David found acorns from our very own oak trees so they are destined for the glass house and I am going to see if I can grow little oak trees. Right now these acorns have pride of place on our dining table in a little white bowl. Late afternoon, I mowed the front olives and so they look fantastic with their new black socks on! Andrew Taylor, our olives consultant is have us grow canopy this year (branches and leaves), and hopefully this treatment will mean we will have flowers and olives next year. I was really disappointed when there weren't any olives, again, however reality is, I wouldn' t have had time to tend them, so much on at present.