After the extraordinary weather last week, beautiful, fine sunny, quite summer-like and then an absolutely contrasting Good Friday (rain, hail, chilly temperatures) – we are back into summery days again. In fact, we have been since Saturday!

With an urgency I have been rising in the morning and getting into the garden, where possible, without delay.

I have heard the movements and calls of the birds.  Even birds that are not all that regular in their appearance. The Splendid Wrens, the Western Spinebill, a Grey Butcherbird, the Little Eagle flew over close one afternoon. The Red Eared Firetail finches visited this afternoon for a drink in the tadpole pond, under the security of the Silver Wattle.

The King Skinks have delighted in the heat and the warm glow of the sun. They can reach quite a height in their seeking of a nice little sun bathe. This one is very comfortable draped over a bit of timber on some corrugated sheets about a metre and a half off the ground.

This afternoon I moved one of the piles of structural timber to a different spot in the garden and discovered a little tribe of baby skinks. There must have been about 6 young ones at around 10 cms of length. Very dark. Very cute.

Around about last Thursday we had baby guinea pigs arrive. Immediately the Little Fellas wanted naming rights with all sorts of obscure names. At any rate, they are health and happy and are expecting cousins very soon.

The Salad Garden is coming along in leaps and bounds. It could never be too soon. I am disappointed with how quickly bought produce diminishes. We are just at the stage where we are ready to start harvesting fresh salad greens – but with the added ability to keep things ticking along consistently. Up until now we’ve had stops and starts. With the gradual manner of organisation and orderliness creeping into the garden I hope we can keep it going smoothly.