Pad for the crusher

Paul and Janos prepared the concrete pad for the crusher. It is a long awaited progress :-)
So far we did the crushing/destemming in the winery. Not any more! :-)) Paul wanted to do this work outside - it is easier to clean everything, don't have to drive in with the tractor, he can use the crusher's extension for bigger load processing...and simply it appeals to his sense of order :-) He is making the chute through the wall now which will let the crushed and destemmed berries flow into the fermenting vats.
The trip up North was tirening but fruitful. Visited our friends in Lilydale and picked up the excavator parts and the tree seedlings
from Hitachi and Woodley Nursery. On the way home the most spectacular Tassie sunset presented itself, lighting the sky for half an hour. Regretting that I left my camera home, it was the last few minutes only I could capture when it clicked that maybe the phone's camera would work :-)))...it did ...but my handicap with these newfangled devices prevents me to download it to the laptop. Ahhh..I know about bluetooth and USB but I don't know much yet about the Mac I'm using since my old PC moved to computer heaven.
I've cut my computer-teeth on a 486 when all the teeth around the desk was in my own mouth! :-)) and they were white! not blue. Now I just have to figure out how to get this blue tooth bite...and I'll post the photos next time.
Have a warm weekend ...with or without rain... depending what you were praying for ! :-)))

Picking date fixed

Autumn colours are blazing,
picking time is well and truly on us.



Started the tests last week and parameters showing 2-3 more weeks before we start picking, depending on varieties.
Picking Party will be on the 10-th of May :-))
Paul remodeled a few hills. Took out a hawthorn tree and started to level the land for a storage site where he'll keep the tractor implements, building materials and various "junk"...
(sorry Paul, I know it's NOT junk but any piece of metal and timber I don't know what it will be used for, IS junk to me :-)) ) It is the burial place for Janos' first car also :-)
We had news from the nursery in Scottsdale that our trees are ready to pick up so we'll be going up North on Monday. Last year we ordered the poplars for a windbreak and the robinias for our Honey Forest. The robinias are not only sentimental value for us -back in Szentimre we used to take the bees out to the robinia forest- but here in Tassie we'll be the first ones to produce pure Robinia Honey.
Ohhh..and check out my new haircut ...:-)) we have a new hairdresser in town! Gail moved down from Sydney and bought Caza's salon. Sea-changers. Welcome to Dover!

HelpX

We had Simon from Canada visiting.
We joined HelpX a few months ago and since then it's nearly full house here all the time :-))
HelpX is a worldwide network of travellers and hosts. We are hosts, meaning that we offer accommodation and food for our guests in exchange of 4 hours of their time daily. This is an immense opportunity for us to get to know young travellers from all over the world and to get help with any jobs going on the farm. For them it is an inexpensive way of tarvelling and a glimpse into the everyday life of the host family, the customs and culture of the country they are visiting.
Our kids grown up and moved out, so having these visitors living with us, brings back the laughter, the enthusiastic discussions and the vibrating vitality around the dining table :-))) We offer a home away from their family and they bring Taiwan, Hong Kong, Germany, Ireland, Canada...into our life.
Simon helped to cut and bring in the firewood for winter, level the site for the crusher , dusted and swept, cleaned Lucifer (my little black Honda Jazz), tracked down to South Cape, wandered around Hartz National Park taking amazing photos and we talked politics, religion, customs, history, philosophy, the psychology of growing up, grape growing, winemaking, the weather...we saved the world and planned its future... all this in 4 days :-)))
We might live at the End Of The World but life is not boring down here ! :-)))

Just cruising....

Last week's hurricane force wind didn't do any damage. It lifted the net-pegs here-and-there, pushed a few garden chairs around, but nothing more sinister. Luckily we are sheltered by Bruny Island and -at the back- by our Storm Hill. Had the power out twice for a few minutes. Our thought are with those who didn't escape this easy...
The wasp war did take a turn ... :-))...Paul's wasp-nest burning exercise had a surprising result. He had put out the small fire he'd lit on the nest but the increasing wind rekindled some hidden amber and when he'd checked on it later in the afternoon, he found a creeping flame under the big tree shadowing the nest. It quickly run up the trunk lighting the hanging bark accumulated at the forks. Nothing to worry about, -he has fire fighting training-, cleared the ground around and the roads on both side would've contained the fire. Anyway the ground was still pretty wet everywhere. BUT some wellmeaning passerby, seeing the spectacular flames, called OOO and the local firey boys were out in a minute, coming to the rescue :-))) They dampened the ground a bit more and job well done, were invited "underground" to put out the "fire" caused by the alarm by way of some grape juice...:-)) Thanks boys!
That particular nest is well and truly destroyed but not the others... :-((( Wasp numbers are decimated but the stinging beasties still carry on...so off I go to find more nests...