What's up, Barb?

1st July 2015.    Half way through the year already. 
What's up?  Not a lot.  Not enough.  I was whinging yesterday about being busy with not much to show for it so really need to start coming here more often to show myself that I am not the lazy bit** I sometimes think I am.   Mind you, I am too lazy too often but I do do stuff too.  What did I do in June?

VOLUNTEERING.
I am at Vinnies 21/2 day a week but during June we had 2 vollies away on holidays and as we are short on volunteers down there I was covering for them.  Some weeks I was there 4 days out of the 5.   Too much considering I don't get payed or thanked for it.  But I love it, so do it.   The downside is if I am there then I am not here so some things are not getting done here.  
I have a few new volunteers that I need to train up this week so hopefully then I will have someone else to come in when needed.   But, 1of the better vollies has decided to drop her hours and take up studying, a reliable regular has left to do paid work and another has cut her hours in half.   How rude!!    haha, just joking there J, N and K.  It  does mean that we need more people in our system but finding willing workers is not easy.    We will keep working at it. 
Head Office also keeps asking more of us, a small shop in a small town, run by volunteers.  So jobs that need to be done and that others used to do too, as they get more complicated the others choose to no longer do them so it falls back onto the manager.  Me!  Banking now sucks.  Just sayin'.  The *new* way takes longer, involves more work, more concentrating.  If I didn't have to then I might choose not to too.  Eight months as Volunteer Manager now and still loving it.  I took the role on for 12 months, no-one else was interested, I was...but if I decide to get a real life and move on to other stuff too then I am not sure what will happen come October.    I really need to get more vollies who are interested in doing more, someone with the time and interest to be there more when needed.  

CHOOKS.  I have oiled their legs again, cleaned out their pens. There are a few that I catch and put away...every day.  No idea how they keep getting out but they are starting to make me cranky.  I have pruned trees to stop them climbing, trimmed wings to stop them flying...  They also scratch around in the mulch.  Good for bug control but I need to do more raking to keep the grass mulch free.  Soon, I think, we will be eating chicken stew.

OUTSIDE PROJECTS.
I have been working on a big for me project during June.  I look outside our kitchen window and see an Orange tree, an Apricot tree and a peach tree.  And grass, lots of grass that needs mowing all the time and edges around the trees that need cutting and pulling.  Daughter suggested that we cut down on edges and mulch the whole area.  I had a pile of wordchips so why not.  Why not?!  Cause I need to dig up the grass and spread mulch, bleedin' hard work for a fat unfit lazy person.  But I'm doing it and glad I am.  It looks good.   Husband brought in a pile of the mulch with the dingo so that saved days weeks of me wheelbarrowing it in from out the front so a big thanks to him.  He will bring more in for me when we get the dingo back so I need to get more grass dug up before then.  Could be out there doing some now but...I'm not!

Husband pruned the Apricot tree so I had to help clear those up before starting,

This is the first load of mulch brought in with the dingo.  It looked like there would be more than enough but I could probably go through a couple more.

I am going to remove the grass from this area too.  I will come across from the corner of the pen and join up with the mulched area near the Apricot tree.  It means more digging but will be worth it when it is done. 

 

We're still eating from the gardens as well as heaps of Oranges every day.    But of course, that too takes time.  Add in some time out with friends, reading and computer...Busy!

 

And for most of the month husband has been off work with back problems.  I never get as much done when he is home and it might be another week or so before he goes back.

 

Only thing is, July is going to be another busy month so not sure if that area will get done this month or not. 

What will I be doing throughout July.   Hmmm.  We're away this weekend, Vinnies 2 1/2 days next week and maybe a train trip to Perth because it will be school holidays and we might go up to the zoo, I need to do an extraction and get the hives sorted ready for Winter finally gets here.  Hopefully we'll fit that in before he goes back to work.   I'll be housesitting over in Mandurah for 2 weeks from the 15th so coming in for Vinnies but having to get back to other house before dark so not enough time to come home here and do anything.  Freemarkets on the 19th...maybe, I will be over in Mandurah and will have to come in then get back before dark...I want to get out the beach for a couple of days but probably wont be able to.  And depending on how this weekend goes we might need to go away again.

Life is busy, but life is good.