The Charlie Adventures & Walnuts in the Woods

Well, as I am sure you are wondering...the Charlie has perked himself up, come down

off his poison induced, paranoid high & returned to his silly, regular inquisitive self.

So far, he has not nibbled anything deadly this week!

It is really handy that I am here quite a lot & can keep a bit of an eye on the boy...

that way we know what he is up to some of the time at least.

Like when I had arranged these vintage blankets on the bed in the "Parlour" so that I

could take some photos & list them on Trade Me & returned a few minutes 

later to find "himself" all nicely settled in!

My dear friend Ruth is a gatherer too & so we have been gathering nuts in May

..down to the bottom of the plum orchard & over the wee creek 

through the gate & into a wonderland...

so many beautiful trees..quince, crabapples, pinenut, hazelnuts, camelias...

& a majestic stand of walnuts originally planted by this dear gentleman

(a retired judge) 30 years ago.

so nice to share this gathering time with my friend

on the return journey there were chickens roaming free amongst the trees

My old cane washing baskets are fabulous for nut storage. However, we have discovered that we are not the only ones a bit partial to the odd walnut so I have covered mine in their baskets, stacked them & left them on the back porch to dry under the attentively watchful eye of Moja.

He has taken to sleeping, ensconsed on high

most of the day & night.

Ruth has not been so fortunate & has quite a rodent problem..inside & out..

"so why don't I sell some of your walnuts at my gate,

said I, along with the fruit?"

And that is what we've done.

We have all kinds of things out at the wee "shop" just now mandarins, oranges, feijoas, pears, kiwifruit & the loveliest tree ripened apples that I go out & pick

every few days from an orchard down the road.

The family are so kind.They leave some fruit on their trees each year so that people can come & 

pick their own for 80c a kg.

Oops this sign doesn't have the walnuts on it!

The new card table is working brilliantly..

(much better than the box I had with an old suitcase & a brick in it!)

..happily snaffled for a $1 outside St Vinnies the other day. 

I have a dear customer with a dickie leg & a limited income so we 

decided to do a bit of barter..her relish for walnuts & apples

..perfect idea

I just had to pop the sweet persimmons in there too as I had just picked them

& they are such a gorgeous colour.

It has quite suddenly become very chilly the last day or two so 

I had a rummage

& found the crocheted hat that I made last year

I still rather like it so might have to find the pattern I used & create another one

Now, back to that jolly old Charlie..on Tuesday I had been out at work gardening & on returning home some 5 hours later discovered that the front door was wide open

..oh oh so I rushed inside & saw that my camera was still sitting on the table & the computer was still in residence & then found this!!

"somebody" had a push of that door, found it was only snipped shut & there we go...

walk right in & now I think I'll just have a nice little sleep just up here! 

Of course dear thicky Moja was left out the back guarding the walnuts,

entirely unaware that he too could have spent the day inside..phew! no harm done : )

Much love to you all xxxx