Lovely morning. Cool but warmed up quickly. Had scrambled eggs, bacon and Salmon for brekkie. Then Bel and I with the girls went for a walk up the creek.

Nice big holes in the creek and a lot of erosion. Surprised that the creek crossing held up. Is fine and dandy.

Before lunch we replanted the veggie patch with mum and dad. Sophie and Charlotte a great (not really) help. Pulled some lettuce out. There is also some rhubarb to pull out. That will be bels job.

Lunch was Turkish bread sandwiches. Nothing too flash. Then Dad, Charlotte and myself headed off in the gator to cut up a couple of trees up the top. Charlotte was a good help in dishing out instructions and letting us know how far she could throw a stick! Very productive.

We then set a fire in the fire pit near the yards before dinner. Bel made a roast dinner with chocolate and peanut butter fondant. Can already feel the calories! Was tops.

Arrived up on Thursday afternoon. Creek was up and weather was great. The Watson’s are to join us on the Friday. Everyone looking forward to it.

Made chicken and flat bread for dinner. Early night. Set up dads new fire pit.

Horses ok and everything fine.

Good day today. Made scrambled eggs and salmon for breakfast. Played board games with the girls. Basic toasted sandwiches for lunch then we all hoped in the gator and head up to Ian’s ridge top platform or Eerie they are calling it.

Long walk up the ridge with Charlotte complaining all the way. Grass seeds in her socks, feet hurting, are we there yet?? Had to climb a few ropes and we were there. Gorgeous view.

As you can see it is well up top of the ridge.

Came home, Bel and I went for a quick ride up the valley then set up the hammock under the climbing tree.

For dinner I made a green chicken curry for all then a game of quirkle and bed.

Everything coming along nicely.

Good day today. Dave and I cooked up the Moroccan soup for lunch. Doubled the recipe and work nicely. Once the pot was on the stove we went for a MTB ride up the valley for Daves first trip up. Nice easy ride but at 10 degrees at midday was a bit rude.

Lunch was tops. With a glass of rizza!

The girls went for a ride up the valley whilst Dave and I (with the kids) built the camp fire. Early lighting of the fire was good. Kids had home made chicken nuggets for dinner whilst we howed into the cheese and bubbles.

Bel made a lovely treat of “blondies” which was a recipes of butter, white chocolate and marshmallows. very nice.

Since Dave forgot the pasta maker we had to do with salmon! Salmon was baked in the oven with Dill butter ( mum the rest is in the freezer), then there was some playing. Chilli in one, chilli and preserved Lemon in the other. Served with pumkin mash and broccolini. Very nice.

Dinner was tops and was finished with daves desert. To quote “it’s a, like semi aflredo something or other…. Semifredo al caffe ice cream. ” very nice with bits of coffee in it.

Went quite well with a bucket of baileys.

Dinner over and stories begin.

And then theres us.

After the visit to the Yurt we came home for lunh of hamburgers. Everyone peeled off to do their own thing. Sophie, Michelle and Hugo went for a walk to fairy land and the dam. Dad, guy and James got out the chainsaws and gator and built a very large bongo fire between the rocks. I slept in the hammock.

Bel and I went for a quick ride up to the end of the valley.

Rob and I started preparing dinner of Roast Chicken whilst James et al lit the fire. Bloody huge.

Kids had pizza for dinner down by the fire then back to bed. Dinner was good, chooks cooked perfectly. Then to bed and watched “Red”.

Good movie about washed up CIA operatives in their last ditch effort to trams down the person behind kill orders on them all. Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malcovitch and Hellen Mirum. B rate action flick but funny.

Dinner was red curry prawns. Very nice. Somehow some chillies and chilli paste made it in there. Don’t know how that happened.

Copious amounts of wine later and there was a dance party happening. Rob was concerned we would go thru the floor. Kids then went to bed and the Yango Jenga championships took place. Don’t recall the winner or going to bed!

Not to waste the basil mum and dad dropped off – the girls and i made Pesto this morning. Only bugger was that i could not find my pesto jar!

So from the above to the below! Only comment is that since the basil has been growing under the tomato vines they are quite tall a sparse.  Seems like the plant has been putting all the effort into growing tall to compete for light. Putting all its energy into stem girth and not leaf size! Just a thought…