The garden, Llamas, Alpacas, Bunnies and Koi

This week in the garden the banksia rose is doing its thing.  I'm not a big fan of this short flowering period rose, but its display is an intense as it is brief.  There is a smaller, less prolific white form next to it, also nice, but both ear marked for the chop in favour of some of my favourite hybrid teas next season!!

Another Nowra run this weekend, these trips are quite tiring but I love the chance to catch up with friends.  Last night Shayne and Brad hosted me and my old friend Gayle for a delicious dinner of salmon, potato bake and asian greens, followed by desserts provided by Gayle - the ever popular meringue roll with raspberries and passionfruit AND a cheese cake!!  All washed down with plenty of bubbly - what's not to like??

It was also a chance to say hello to Tarquinn and Freddie, unfortunately Freddie seems to be trying to take on the role of professional victim - seeking advice on how to cope with this!!

Tarquinn still cuts a dashing figure:

plus meet new bugs - a whole pond of Koi - who are perfectly calm:

until you add a handful of fish food!!

And the bunnies, who are constant source of fascination for Minto:

Shayne with Minto and bunnies - Slingshot (black and white) and Benny (black).  As a herding dog Minto shows no interest in harming the buns, just wants them to stay together.... very cute!!

Berry Poultry Auction Weekend

Another journey to the coast, this time quilts, ducks and chooks on board, just for a change - not!!

The dinner worked out really well, started with nibblies and moved onto some brilliant meat cooked on the barbie by Brad and salads and dessert!!!

Shayne's newly acquired geese Bubble and Squeak provided the entertainment!!

Once again I enjoyed the wonderful and generous hospitality of Shayne and Brad and stayed over Sunday night as well before tackling the drive home :)

Shayne's garden is full of gorgeous roses and the heady scent of mass planting of gardenias - delightful!

Another nice thing about the weekend was catching up with Tarquinn and Freddie who are in the pink of health and eating the lushest grass in all the land!!  Shayne is doing a brilliant job of keeping Freddie's eyes free of fleece with regular trimming, he's not 'blind Freddie' any more!!

Another Nowra Road Trip!!

Yesterday I travelled down to Nowra once again, quilts and ducks on board, as usual!!  Stayed with the lovely Shayne and Brad, which was excellent, as usual, and Shayne cooked another delicious dinner - prawns, salmon, wilted asian greens - to die for!!

It was lovely to see Tarquinn and Freddie again, they are looking very well and the grass!!  Positivily luminous!!  Unbelievable, inconceivable!!

Tarquinn is as inquisitive as ever!!

The old horse Gayle is looking after - over the back fence - is looking better, has gained some condition and a sheen to her coat - long way to go yet!!

As usual the brooders were full at Shayne's, chickens and ducklings thriving :)

 Managed to get 2 stainless steel laundry troughs at the Nowra buy back centre, these will make good water troughs in the Titanic and Corner paddocks.... all good.  Funny bit was meeting up with my old neighbour Gayle while I was there - just like the good ol' days!!  LOL!!

Nowra Trip and Catching up with Tarquinn and Freddie + new bug Wia

Newest arrival at Maison Mauve is Wia.  Freya thinks her name is pretty bad and has decided to 'apply' dyslexia to it and call her Mia!!  She's a lovely girl, unusual darker shade of Vicuna colouring.  Her eyes get as big as dinner plates when the Lavender Park girls walk straight up to me and eat from my hand - inconceivable!!

 I had a lovely trip to Nowra on the weekend, stayed with Shayne and Brad which is always a recipe for good times!!  Got to catch up with Freddie and Tarquinn :)

Shayne and Brad hosted the mega Oz Day gig, good food, good wine, good company :)

Liz and Tori setting up their eBay tent!!

Shayne and Kyles putting the world to rights!

And this morning, Jemma enjoying her brekky - as always!! and The Jester looking angelic!!

Freddie and Tarquinn get shorn

Last weekend Freddie and Tarquinn went to their new home at Camberwarra with Shayne and Brad.  Today they were shorn by the friendly team from Illawarra Alpacas, they look very different!!  The shearers were very impressed with Freddie's fleece and think he's worthy of being shown at the Sydney Royal next year, if we can sort the paper work!!