We Wish You a Merry Christmas... aand a Happy New Year!!

Hello Dhaaarlings...

Belated Christmas Wishes to everyone...

Sorry for my absence but you know how it gets at this time of year and this year has been crazier than most!

The Empress and I have been flat out during the festive season busying ourselves with volunteering at the op shop... packing food hampers for the poor and unfortunate... visiting the elderly and bringing them some Christmas cheer along with all the family commitments that the season brings.. 

School graduations, Christmas plays, recitals and Christmas carolling along with catching up with all unsundry... friends and relatives alike 

Last year's teddy turned into a pooch this year...

In the middle of that add preserving fruits and vegetables given that the season for apricots came 2 weeks earlier this year but fortunately with much less fruit so we had less to bottle than in previous years and none left over for jam and preserves. Just as well we had a bumper crop last year and still have apricot jam in reserve from then!

We have had flocks of parrots invade the yard to scavenge the fruit trees

They have successfully trashed all the plum trees,So that put paid to making plum jam/sauce this year... they finished off the apricots and have now started to consume the apples that still remain struggling to grow.

Un fortunately the trees are too big to cover with bird netting so I have resigned to letting nature take it's course

The garden has become a challenge given that we have had very little rain all year and it is difficult to keep the water up to everything that needs it so sadly I've had to let some of it go in the hope that it is tough enough to hold out until we get decent rains... The only areas to continue to get regular water are the vegetable garden and fruit trees though the parrots seem to be winning that battle!.

The Tomatoes and Lettuce struggling under shade coloth...

Some of the tomatoes almost ready for harvest...

A cucumber ready to pick... Only 2 vines but harvesting one cucumber every second day

More tomatoes, mostly cherry tomatoes that are self sown from last year and just re planted

Bell Peppers and very sad bok choy that got consumed by bugs and a bath full of Basil that seems to be going gangbusters

This year in the vegetable baths I've planted tomatoes, lettuce, zucchini, bell peppers, bok choy, basil, silverbeet and climbing beans, the tomatoes are starting to crop well along with the cucumbers and zucchini, the lettuce continues to struggle and given the intensity of the sun I have resorted to covering their bed with shadecloth to at least try to give them a fighting chance before shrivelling to crisps... As for the Bok choy well it got consumed overnight by bugs of some sort, one day thriving the next spindly skeletons

Yes I've had a busy year what with costuming for shows and travelling with the Empress... Clothing commissions, adjustments and repairs trickling in all year have been keeping me on my toes.

 Both of us remain fit and healthy and we both have a lot to be grateful for
This year has not been without it's trials but we have survived and are looking forward to the coming year ahead.

From Me and Mine to You and Yours
May the joy and blessings of the season and hope for the coming new year be with you all

Love Prinny and The Empress

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