Bits n’ bobs.

Posted on by Ark

Summer is almost upon us here in Jo’burg. Temperatures have been pushing mid 20s to early 30s. Been a while since I last posted anything … busy, busy and wotnot. Here’s a bit of a ketchup … I mean catchup.

Had our first downpour of the season the other day.

John Z will be pleased we finally got some to grow. Had to suspend this batch from one of the compost heaps to keep it out of reach of the cats!

I initially had it on a fence near some potatoes in a raised bed but the cats congregated on the taters and flattened them!

Just for Nan (naturally!)

Pisauridae Rothus (Nursery Web spider).

Freshly picked from the garden …

Juicing the lemons. We use a fair amount of lemon juice in the baking and having a ready supply on hand is far easier than squeezing lemons everyday. I decanted the juice and stored it in one of  the freezers.

‘All I hear is ”Crickets, crickets ….” Rescued from one of the cats and placed safely out of harm’s way.

Coriander.

 

Zebra Blue on Lavender.

Shopping ….

Couldn’t resist snapping this old XR6. I had a Cortina back in the day. Brand new out the box. First car I bought in SA. Drove it off the showroom floor. I even remember the tyres squeaking on the polished surface! Drove to Cape Town in it shortly after Emily was born. Turned out to be the hottest February in 12 years! My mother was over on holiday establishing ”Granny bonds” with her first grandchild. All I recall her saying on the trip down was … ”For goodness sake, please open the window!”

Made little difference. No air-con in the Cortina!

Ella and I on Ridge Road  a few mornings ago.

Eckstein Street.  Just up the road from our spot.

Skipper

Rather large Black Mud Dauber Wasp that happened by for a drink on this hot afternoon.

Various veggies in containers.

Migrant Hoverfly.

29 thoughts on “Bits n’ bobs.”

  1. Marmalade making soon then with a crop like that? So envious that you can grow your own lemons and oranges. We move through autumn as your summer starts but it is still warm here, unseasonably so. We have damp and many more blooms than we would expect here even in Cornwall so late.
    Lovely bits’n’bobs post. 🙂

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    1. Just saw the email now, John. Sorry mate, it got lost amongst the self help advice, wonder drugs, and Viagra notices!
      I have instructed Gmail your missives are tres important.

      Unfortunately the chicken didn’t make it.
      C’est la vie.

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  4. Some of these photographs are inspiring me to ready my pots and garden for when the Eastern Cape eventually gets some rain! Love the spider and wasp photographs.

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    1. Thank you, Anne. I am slowly working my way towards providing enough veg for the family, especially potatoes. A lot of misfires, but we’ll get there eventually!

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  5. Yes, he does live indeed John Z! And we thought we MIGHT be rid of him, huh? 😛

    Wonderful photos Ark. Those curious fur-ball felines, eh? Can’t seem to leave strange little hippity-hoppities alone, or as my Mom would fuss at our overly curious pouncer Foster… “No! No! Spit that birdie (or frog) out of your mouth this instant!” Has he ever listened and obeyed? HAH! Sorta reminds me a young boy when she’d catch me sneaking into the Oreo cookies or dessert—when supper was just around the corner.

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    1. Thank you, Mister D. The garden comes into its own around this time of year. Time to haul out the lawnmower. It’s the least I can do for the wife. That and point out any patches of lawn she may miss.

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    1. All the lemon trees we have were grown from seed.
      Many moons ago of course but it was an investment well worth the wait.

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    1. You didn’t like the spider? SMH.
      Johannesburg is a summer rainfall region. A few thousand kms south, Cape Town has a Mediterranean climate and, like you, gets her rain in winter as well.
      Up here, winter is bone dry.

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      1. Must be very humid during your summer. Our winters are occasionally “dry,” but it’s not a welcome event. We NEED the winter rains to reduce the summer wildfires. Ah well. Nothing’s perfect. Except maybe thou and me.

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        1. If you’ve ever watched one of those Attenborough in Africa videos where the summer rains arrive and there is an almighty transformation to the landscape, then this is pretty much what it’s like up here in Jo’burg. From Yellow/Brown to verdant over the space of a few days.

          You can be perfect. I doubt there’s much hope for me these days!

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  9. Hah—the ol’ Dog is back; now in Norfolk’s sunny clime and right now it’s a very light sprinkle and quite cool-ish.
    Glad to see the Ark is in fine fettle, Sir … and JZ still active!

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    2. Ah, Mr A. Nice to see you, too.
      You must give Brian a shout over at butterflies and dragsters he lives just up the road from where you are.

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