and now it's All Fools Day

The examples of April Fool jokes they had on the morning show this morning were uninspiring; maybe everyone was tired after Easter. The best one I recall was the spaghetti tree one many, many years ago, when they had half the Western world convinced that Italian farmers picked spaghetti from trees in harvest season. Well, maybe this year we are all too busy being depressed by politics or the weather...I'll wait and see what the evening news has to offer.

Good Friday had very appropriate weather here, dark and depressing, the clouds hanging low over the trees and the occasional drip of rain. It was almost silent, little traffic venturing out and that going slowly due to the police monitoring speed severely this year. I wandered out with the dogs, even they being quiet in their play, and felt the hush of expectation, the annual mea culpa of the death of Christ. Could it happen again? Yes, in so many guises, and probably televised for everyone to goggle at.

Saturday was just another day, with traffic hastening to Allora for people to buy what they found they were without on Friday. For my part I discovered a large number of outsize beans that had been hiding under leaves. I put them in the fridge to share with son and grands when they come up on Wednesday. A wandering pumpkin vine in the chook run has at last set a fruit (with assistance) right up on top of the wire. I took some baking paper and managed to fold some below the fruit so that it would not be cut in two by the wire - I hope. I have a few late-setting fruits: a couple of the ever-hopeful Moon and Stars watermelon and a melon of some green sort that I maybe will have the chance to identify. I am determined that next year I shall be more methodical in how I plant seed, so I actually know what comes up! Vain hope, as I can't resist sticking seeds in any bare patch of earth that appears, so I keep having a riot of interesting things that I can't actually name.One good thing, though - I gave El one of my Jarrahdale pumpkins harvested against all odds, and she was impressed enough to eat half of it within a few days. Ah, the satisfaction of the farmer!

Yesterday was rain for most of the day, excellent for the ground and water tanks after a dry break. Virginia was not happy, of course, tiptoeing reluctantly out when ordered to and demanding to be dried when we returned to the house.The other dogs ignored the weather as usual, romping and rolling around in play. the chooks are defying the weather and laying well at present. I found that I had a sack of very defective feed from the grain merchant which lead to the birds going off lay and going into moult. I started cooking the feed up every evening, with some wholemeal flour added to stick it all together so the birds could eat it easily. In addition I have been giving them some pet mince each day and the improvement has been amazing, their combs plumping up and turning healthy scarlet while they have been noticeably cheerful.

And that was my very quiet Easter. I hope everyone has had a peaceful weekend and is well.

See you all soon - cheers 

Fliss