The garlic bulbils

Well, after a weekend of being particularly good and writing, the weather is very unusual for Flinders today - there seems to be no wind. Unfortunately high tide is 15 minutes before sundown, and 3/4 of an hour before dark, so while it might be excellent for squid, it's not for flounder.

The first of my garlic has been harvested - a little early, but I wanted to see how it was doing and it did in that tank seem to be in danger of dying back and being lost. That produced 4 pretty good looking heads with around 10 fat cloves to each. I think, in all, I will have around 40 heads, which is a bit mingy for us, especially as I have to replant, and we like a lot of garlic. I don't have to work in a crowded sweaty office

I gather they will grow single bulbs from the bulbils on the flower-stalks, which, if you replant them the next year, will give you normal garlic, and more bulbils... I think I will try this, as it's always useful stuff, garlic. Good for vampires. Or rather, bad for vampires. If you want to actually know why you'll have to read Bolg, PI: the Vampire Bride, which will tell you why vampires fear the antibiotic properties of garlic. Or Silver.

Speaking of the writing side of my life, I was misled. The publishers put the original release date for THE STEAM MOLE as the 4th when putting up the notice on Amazon. They find it impossible to change this (it is not. Just a LOT of hassle, as I know from when one of our books was put up with the wrong title) Then they changed their minds and made it the 11th of December. Amazon has however been shipping since before the 4th.


One of the critcs posted this: "“The Steam Mole” is something of a love-letter to Freer’s adopted country and a whacking good tale" (Otherwhere Gazette)
I can live with that :-)

Tis the season to by golly, eat till you burst with that last lolly, tra la la la...

Well, yeah. We had our second dinner party of the season last night. I saw 6 people eat a whole choc based pecan nut pie, and cream and strawberries... Tonight is the hospital Christmas do at the Tavern. Then, if I have this right, there is another on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, Saturday. One is at the pub, the others at the tavern in Lady Baron, where they have an adventurous new chef. So Vista's - the third restaurant is getting the go-by. I do know some other folk are going there. Interesting on a small population island, where you belong to quite a few things, getting the same menu to choose from... several times.

The weather has turned sultry, and I should have gone for a dive today. Still, have done some writing.

I think it was 6 Zucchini in today. The marrow deluge cometh. Perhaps this was what the Mayans foresaw... What will happen when we're away I cannot think.

The statement "You're behaving like a pig." and "This place looks like a pig-sty" now have new meanings to me. Still, as we hope to do a bacon-pig at least every year, I think it has been a valuable lesson.

I must admit he's not an ideal house pet.

My Stupice tomatoes have little tomatoes on them. They may yet beat my bought flowering tomatoes...

Umph the pig continues to display why concrete food and water troughs, embedded to a depth of 20 feet are a good idea.

I've had to refill his water 5 times today, and his food, most of which he mixes with the mud from the water. He does adore pigweed though.

Passing wombat mummy and baby in the laneway.

It's Barbs and I's 31st anniversary - proving she is a strong woman an I am a lucky man.

The Steam Mole

comes out today. If you're a mate of mine, or a reader, consider this an invitation to join the launch party... which as I have yet to receive an author copy or be told when it was being released is sadly about as far as launch parties go for yours truly. One day I dream of a publisher succeeding at these very hard things. They must be almost impossible, because it just never, in the last... (mutter) work it out, including paperback editions, more than thirty opportunities.

Cheers. Here's to the STEAM MOLE. May she find readers to love her.

Yesterday was the day of hoiking hay about. My dive partner got 300 small bales for their horses... only they were still in the field in rows. Rain forecast.

Well, except a spit and a spot, gone before it wet the ground, it didn't rain, and we got it all in. I am stiff-n-sore, and Jamie must be much worse.

The pig is a bulldozer. He turned a very respectable pig-yard into a plowed mess in a day. He tips everything (food, water), moves 10 kg boulders with his nose.

One English black pig

The sheep dance and the coming of the pig.

Okay... the adventures. We're in the throes of buying a very elderly Camry which Barbs drives to work - a lot cheaper than driving the Ute. Unfortunately it has some kind of issue with starting. If it doesn't start every day... you have a circus, flat battery with trying, and, if you have the patience, you can get going by putting jump leads on another vehicle... and trying. Sometimes that alone has not been enough, and it has needed taking out the battery (which is new) and charging it and then trying. Which is very trying if you're in a hurry. Baileys say they have identified the problem and ordered the part...

But if you start it every day... it's fine. Unfortunately we somehow skipped a day. And when we tried to take it to Scottish dancing it would not go. And Barbs specifically wanted it the next day... So we got back from dancing, and the sheep were in our long paddock. Norm had kindly put a big mob in to flatten it quickly and well, which with fire season coming is good... It is actually a paddock, not just a driveway -sort of L-shaped with the shearing shed on the short end of the L, and us at the bottom of the L and the gate at the top. For a day or two we have to put up with really stupid sheep who if they're in the long bit of the L want to be in the short bit when you come out... or, if they're in short bit want to be in the long bit and then as you get to the gate decide they want to be in short bit after all. Sheep are not bright, or original thinkers. What one does the rest will, even if it made sense when the one did it, and none when the rest follow. Eat more mutton, you're actually helping the world's IQ.

So there under a full moon we were romantically... trying to start the car. Jump start did not work. So... we thought we'd try pull starting (as push involved... well pushing. And this is the flats, except where oddly it is uphill. There are no downhills. None. Really.Ask any vehicle pusher here). So we found a rope and minor misadventures failed to start it in the garden. The only real option now was the long paddock (which is 200 meters long), or the main road.

Imagine dear reader, the moonlit scene with too short a tow rope for comfort and 300 sheep deciding to do the L paddock Zig-zag... because the first 30 had gone in front of the ute...

And did I mention power-assisted brakes?

No sheep were killed in this production.

No vehicles damaged.

My nerves may recover in time.

The car got going fine.

I won't forget to start it for a while!

Yesterday we had the day of lightning. Not-sadly- much rain. Today was the Lions Fair, and I simply weakened and bought yet another plant, a sweet potato.

I cooked wallaby steaks (as tender as fillet, but tastier), our first tender little courgette for the season, baked potato and a green salad, and then we had fresh strawberries and cream for our tea tonight... we did buy the cream. I wonder what the rich people have for their tea?

Tomorrow we're due to receive Percy pig - a temporary resident, who will have 23 days of getting bigger before finding himself as the centerpiece of Christmas dinner. I am not so sure how this will go. I prefer my livestock en masse.

We're also having 7 people around for dinner. And I can barely eat one, so there will some left for Percy ;-)