Our first oil harvest

2.6.2018

The sun is pouring into our house and warming everything, but outside in the shade it is still cold.  There was a heavy frost on Thursday night and the pumpkin leaves are dying.  Edd helped me crush the 3 kilo of olives that had not dropped off the trees and we crushed, stirred and then pressed them in the cheese press.  This only yielded about a jam jar of oil, but it tasted amazing.  I will try again next year, it is worth the effort.  We dipped fresh homemade bread into the oil, so it is disappearing very fast.

So far, the snow peas have survived the frost and some of the broccoli are starting to form heads.  We ate the first pf the turnips grated with a salad made from our lettuce and rocket. There are still tomatoes going red on the bushes, but they have lost their quality and I think it is time they were pulled out and the beds reclaimed.

On Thursday the power was cut off in Steels Creek for line maintenance. It was restored before dark, but our landline phone went dead.  In an unusual twist the internet still worked on the same lines.  Edd took the phone off with him to find if it worked elsewhere, but before he did this he found other neighbours with the same problem. Eventually the telephone company agreed it was a fault at the exchange, but it is still not fixed.  It is amazing how many people you suddenly need to ring up when you have no phone.

We are waiting to be connected up to a satellite for the internet.  Our phone lines out here are far too dodgy to cope with the modern systems and no-one is in a hurry to replace them.  I am assured that the satellite will be better and cheaper, but we will have to see.  I think having a second line of defence or a plan B is always a good idea out of town people.

Josh has asked me for bay leaves, so I have a pile drying in the sun room.  I have dried all sorts of herbs on the table out there this year. Even the parsley dried well.  The other leaves I have stored in glass jars for herb tea, which I enjoy.  I notice that we have quite a bit of ginger growing too, so I must remember to add that into the brews as well.

It seemed strange at first to not be phoning my mother as I came indoors to cook the evening meal.  I also found myself still taking mental notes during the day of things that might interest or amuse her.  These habits are now starting to fade, and I have more time for other things.  I just need to remember exactly what I was in the middle of doing before this busy period of the year started.