The totally off-topic thread

[drron]

Widespread blackouts last night across South Australia at 1am. Hardly peak time and it was cool. Pathetic.

Dark and no wind I presume?

 

[Pushka]

How's the floor sealing going Pushka?

I more day to go. A long day yesterday getting the black off and sealing coat on

First stain today. Hope it gets a bit darker.

Dark and no wind I presume?

Very dark. No wind. Maybe that was the issue. Took out BHP in Whyalla for four hours plus a lot of random suburbs around CBD. We are stuffed in summer.

 

[Major]

Does anyone know when the "top posters of the month" figures change over ? Are they automatic or does one of the mods kick it over ?

I noticed it changed sometime this afternoon so posts up until then went into Nov figures.

It's no big deal, I'm just curious.

 

[whatmeworry]

I got ~25 tomatoes in the ground. In MEL, no tomatoes till about Christmas if your lucky. I find if you sow some tomatoes later you have some late tomatoes in April.

Beans really taking off. Cabbage look good. Will sow more in late summer. Cucumber and peppers need more sun and heat.

Mum planted zucchini which I hate. She also planted potatoes, which I think isn't the best use of space.

Lemon tree needed multiple sprayings to get rid of insects and pruning to get rid of wasp galls but new growth looks good.

Cherry tree has started to ripen and tree fully netted but birds still trying to get in. One bloody Indian myna got in somehow... PITA to get it out.

Ten year old Golden delicious apple tree looks like it's going to have a bumper crop.

The two olive trees in the front are flowering however only one is flowering heavily. Plenty of olive trees used for the nature strips around me. Some people actually harvest the olives each year.

I read some people have setup websites indicating which properties have fruit trees in their front yards encouraging 'urban' foraging.

 

[drron]

I can grow and harvest tomatoes year round at home if I am there.The cherry tomatoes self seed so always some when I do get there.

 

[Pushka]

I can grow and harvest tomatoes year round at home if I am there.The cherry tomatoes self seed so always some when I do get there.

Well clearly you should stop travelling then.

 

[love_the_life]

I more day to go. A long day yesterday getting the black off and sealing coat on
View attachment 85052
First stain today. Hope it gets a bit darker.
View attachment 85053

Will it darken with age? It does look lovely even if you think it's a bit light. Oh by the way, 2 brochures on Dubai arrived today. Thanks.

 

[Pushka]

That was quick for Australia Post. Sorry I had to bend one. Stick it under the mattress.
Yes - will darken with age. Another coat tomorrow. Starting to clean up. And getting some touch up paint for skirting. Major major spring clean plus have dumped so much stuff. Old work bags. Back packs. Except. MrP came in last night and proudly showed me his new backpack. Sigh.

 

[JessicaTam]

well sounds like you did not miss much

But wondering if you did put in an AFF leave request?. I suspect that JessicaTam can overlook it this time...Dont worry We wont report it

What? Who? Me? :shock:

 

[JessicaTam]

Does anyone know when the "top posters of the month" figures change over ? Are they automatic or does one of the mods kick it over ?

I noticed it changed sometime this afternoon so posts up until then went into Nov figures.

It's no big deal, I'm just curious.

As far as I know it is automatic.

 

[wandering_fred]

...
The two olive trees in the front are flowering however only one is flowering heavily. Plenty of olive trees used for the nature strips around me. Some people actually harvest the olives each year.
...

Pickling olives is a dark art. Unless you cheat and use a bit of caustic soda in addition to the brine solutions. Even the Italians around here have given up (or have their own source of olives). While most of my thousand trees are far more suitable for pressing (ie making oil) I have a couple dozen that produce very large (3cm) ones. Alas olives are not my most favorite eating. As to oil I suspect there are companies in most states that will press lots of olives. Figure on their desire for a minimum of 300kg or so. But you will be certain that the oil is extra virgin (don't let the olives sit around - 24 to 48 hours max and hope it is cold when you pick)

PM me if you want more info.

If you don't get hard frosts, potatoes do quite well over winter as they like the extra water. I lost a batch to frost this year.

Happy wandering

Fred

Edit: Are the leaves on the two trees identical? There are many varieties and subtle differences in the leaves will show. Failing that see if the actual olives look the same.

 

[whatmeworry]

Pickling olives is a dark art. Unless you cheat and use a bit of caustic soda in addition to the brine solutions. Even the Italians around here have given up (or have their own source of olives). While most of my thousand trees are far more suitable for pressing (ie making oil) I have a couple dozen that produce very large (3cm) ones. Alas olives are not my most favorite eating. As to oil I suspect there are companies in most states that will press lots of olives. Figure on their desire for a minimum of 300kg or so. But you will be certain that the oil is extra virgin (don't let the olives sit around - 24 to 48 hours max and hope it is cold when you pick)

PM me if you want more info.

If you don't get hard frosts, potatoes do quite well over winter as they like the extra water. I lost a batch to frost this year.

Happy wandering

Fred

Edit: Are the leaves on the two trees identical? There are many varieties and subtle differences in the leaves will show. Failing that see if the actual olives look the same.

Both trees look identical. Trees on the nature strip, all the same cultivator, some flowering, some not.

I have seen recipes where people use buckets and salt to pickle olives. We do have a grape crusher and press we might be able to adapt to make olive oil.

We usually we plant potatoes, cabbage and broad beans for winter. Potatoes are generally cheap and bountiful all year, so not really the best use of soil when their are better high value plants to raise with limited land.

The tomato plant count is at ~40... :shock:

Should be lots of plums soon with figs and grapes also coming along nicely.

 

[blackcat20]

Should be lots of plums soon with figs and grapes also coming along nicely.

Dont know what happened this year but my fig tree doesnt have a single fruit on it. The apricot only has a handful despite usually being loaded too.

 

[whatmeworry]

Dont know what happened this year but my fig tree doesnt have a single fruit on it. The apricot only has a handful despite usually being loaded too.

Fig trees sometimes don't fruit well with too much rain. My stone fruit and apple tree seem fine with the cool wet spring we had.

 

[blackcat20]

Fig trees sometimes don't fruit well with too much rain. My stone fruit and apple tree seem fine with the cool wet spring we had.

Yeah, I imagine the weird melbourne weather hasnt helped. Normally it has a few "starter" fruit that fall off, then the actual crop comes on. It got the first lot but nothing further. Disappointing as we will likely move next year so I was looking forward to a last summer of homegrown fruit. At least my silvanberries are plentiful at the moment.

 

[whatmeworry]

MEL airport in 1976. Remember when parking was free and you could view planes on the viewing deck.

[video=youtube;4uasIxnbqlo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uasIxnbqlo[/video]

 

[Pushka]

Last coat this morning. All done. Now keeping the cat off. Some painting to be done on skirting boards tomorrow. Why the heck didn't I do this earlier.

 

[Bundy Bear]

Who ever said recently, there was no point checking in at the 48 hour mark on Virgin saved me a bit of hassle this morning.

I had to cancel an upcoming trip at the last minute due to illness, at least I did it at the 25 hour mark and was able to shift the flights for only 4,500 points.

 

[anat0l]

The hardest part of sending your laptop for repair is reorganising your life for a month around not having it.

 

[serfty]

The hardest part of sending your laptop for repair is reorganising your life for a month around not having it.

What - you don't have a low spec spare? With files backed up in "the cloud"?