I've been thinking. "Hey, What are you laughing at?"

I've been thinking, yes a dangerous think for me to do I know, about the Wilson HTM Brisbane to the Gold Coast Cycle Challenge.

Why or what have I been thinking you may ask? Well I'll let you know.

It all started when I firstly saw the promo literature for this ride and I thought, see there's that thinking thing again, what a good idea, I like to do that, and so it was that I took myself off to their web site for a look see, and was still thinking, though it was starting to hurt a litte by now, the thinking that is, what a good idea.

So the next step for me was to go and check out how much this will cost me (there's always an entry fee) and when I read to myself how much it was going to cost me for this privilege of riding a bike for one hundred k's I nearly fell off my bike, though I really wasn't on it at the time considering I was sitting in a chair in front of my computer but you know what I mean.

Seventy, that's right, seventy hard earned driving a taxi around at night in Toowoomba dollars. Well as you might have guessed I said stuff you Jack that's a bit on the ridiculous side way too much but then I went to work and got me to thinking, again, I'm telling you this thinking will be the end of me. I do get a t-shirt for my trouble and if I put away ten dollars a week (that's a small chips and Coke twice a week I don't need anyhow) between now and then and that will more than cover the costs. It's just when you say seventy all in one go it seems like a lot of money and still seems that way but I guess if you really want to do something then you'll find a way no matter the cost.

So it on your bike for me, I've got six months to get this sad old body into a good enough shape to do a hundred k's on a pushy.

Cheers and happy pushy biking

Stewart

The trusty steed.

I did it

29 MAR 11     WORLDLINK PAYMEN;GOOGLE ADSENSE          150.15

I did it, I finally made it. I got my first ad payment for my blog after 18 mts of blood sweat and tears. I make that to be roughly 27 cents a day. Retirement is now only 115 years away, yay. Thanks to anyone and everyone who clicked on an ad on my veggie garden blog.

Cheers and here's to retirement,

Stewart

Alone not lonely

Just a little something!

So what's a cabbie do when the bottom falls out if the economy and everyone, well it seems like everyone, is staying home and saving the bread and honey?

Well, I can't speak for other cabbies cos they always seem to want to speak to me for some reason, but me, I knit.

 Ta dah

I started this as a project to enter into the Toowoomba Royal Show just for a giggle on my part but due to this and that I have run out of time. Next year though, maybe.

There's other shows around so I might still enter it in something yet.

Anyhow, cheers and beers and have a great weekend.

Stewart.

Experiment time. Brum brum.

Experiment time. Brum brum.

I've wanted to try this for some time now. A while ago I was told about putting a layer of comfrey in the bottom of your potato trenches due to the high amount of potassium, nitrogen  and other minerals available in the leaves. The thinking is that as the tatties grow the comfrey breakes down leaving the nutrients avaliable to the tatties, so, here goes.

First of all I decided harvest all the comfrey I have and then mow it all up making it easier to spread out in the trench and increase the speed at which it breaks down.

 Hummm, one big clump = about a third of a catcher on the mower. But wait, there's more :)

 Comfrey laid out in half the trench so it's back for more sultanas, um, comfrey

 Sprouted tatties from the Fruit and veg shop. And yes I know it's preferable to get certified seed tatties but when they sprout in your pantry it's hard not to stick them in the ground so I'll take my chances, fingers x'ed.

The tattie trench filled with comfrey and then covered with about an inch (25mm for you youngsters) or so of soil and the tatties placed on top and then the trench is filled.

And to top things off a nice biscuit or two of straw for mulch. Ta dah.

Now I'll just have to sit back and see what the results are.


What do you think?

Will it work?

Cheers and happy veggie growing to you,

Stewart

Progress Click here 

Final report Click here

When I Ride.

Bloody grubs.

And what happens when you don't check your Savoy cabbage for three days due to it raining and a she'll be right attitude, because you think what can go wrong in the garden while it's raining liquid gold, right.


Simple, let 10 or so white cabbage moth grubs loose on your savoy cabbage.They blitzed it, seem to like the savoy around here, it's copping a hiding compared to all the rest I have planted.

There are many types of caterpillars which are usually the larval (caterpillar of a grub) stage of moths such as cabbage moth (Plutella xylostella)and small cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae). Cabbage white butterfly is white with distinct black spots on the wings and is around 40mm across. The cabbage moth is greyish and small and is around 10mm across. The moths and butterflies lay their eggs on the underside of leaves. The larvae of caterpillars hatch from the eggs and then feed on the leaves or fruit, so it’s the caterpillar of the cabbage white butterfly or cabbage moth which does the damage. The blue-green smooth textured caterpillar is that of the cabbage white butterfly, while the caterpillar which is green-brown is that of the cabbage moth. They both start eating the outer leaves before moving to the inner heart of the cabbage. It is a good idea to try and either pick off the caterpillars or spray them when they are still on the outside of the leaf, before they tunnel into the heart. Plants favoured by cabbage moth and cabbage white butterfly include cabbage, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, Chinese cabbage, celery, beetroot, rocket and watercress.

 Arrghhh gotcha, mwwhahahaaa

Five, yeah that's right, five in one go.

It seems Hazel Dene has a few thoughts on this subject too. Pop on over for a look see (click here if you like)!

Play time :)

The suns out :) Time to go out and play :)

Impressive huh?

Not a good year for growing Tomatoes around these parts this season.

Here is the sum total of my Tomato harvest this Summer.

Impressive huh?

And this one was self sown, all the Tomatoes that I went to the trouble of actually planting failed miserably. 

The rain has arrived as predicted so all my planting yesterday is getting a good soaking at the moment.

It goes without saying that I'm stuck indoors for the next day or so but with nice steady rain falling on the veggie garden outside I wouldn't have it any other way. Gives me heaps of time to look through all the online seed catalogs.

Cheers

Stewart.

Rainy days and Mondays.

There's a rain a coming so I'm reliably informed. Actually it even came last night. Ten mls of the stuff. So while I'm waiting for things to dry out a bit in the veggie garden I'm in here writing this.

The BoM has us down for, 'A few showers, late storm. Rain developing, possibly heavy at times. Light to moderate E to NE winds.' And when I get a weather report like that it can mean only one thing. It's seed planting time. I like to veggie seed when the prospect of rain is in the air because I think it replicates the natural germination process of cool days, warm and moist soil and there by increasing the chances of success. I also think it's a good time for adding compost, blood and bone and mulches for the same reason.

Seeds to be planted will include Lettuce (can never have too many lettuce), beetroot, beans, potatoes, peas, carrots, leeks for starters so if I'm going to get any of this done I'd better get cracking.

Weeds? What weeds? Who's got time to weed?

Cab 11

It's been a roller coaster couple of weeks leaving me pretty tired, so I'm not sure how this will read, here at My Veggie Garden. The main ride has been with the owner of Cab 11 the cab I drive.

About two weeks ago I got a call asking me to drive a few extra days because he was feeling unwell and was getting all sorts of test done so I've been unable to get out and do much in the veggie garden.
In the mean time Gavin (the owner) had to go to St.Andrews Hospital last Thursday for a few more tests so more driving and less gardening.

Come Sunday the 13th I get a phone call from Gavin telling me they have found cancer near where his stomach and small intestine meet and he has to have a major operation to remove it which has since been confirmed and is scheduled for Monday the 21st with at least a four week recovery but I doubt he'll be driving a cab anytime in the near future. Plus there is about six to nine months of chemo and radiation therapy after the opp.
Sucks to be Gavin right now.

So there you have it, apart from the basics of watering and pulling out some of the bigger weeds it's been all work and not much play.

Cheers and beers

Stewart.

Worm Tower.

This looks so cool I'm going have to give it a go. Anyone else?

So much for a come back

So much for a come back. 
My taxi's owner has been crook for the last few days and I've been picking up the extra hours in the cab, which means no spare computer or garden time for me. Oh well maybe next week.

In the meantime a super quick update. We've had 70mls of rain over the last two days so the veggie garden is very happy right now. Also some carrot and golden beetroot seed I planted only last Sunday has sprouted. Can't beat good soaking rain for bring up seed.


Anyhow I'd better get back in the cab and hopefully I'll get Sunday arvo in the garden.

Cheers

Stewart.

I'm back.

I'm back. Computer's been busted. Lots to share but will have to wait until tomorrow after I've done my (love you Johnny) BAS.

Cheers

Stewart.