Snakes and Gardening

When we got back from Darwin the summer had hit Mudgee and the snakes had come out.  They were pleased to wake up and discover that there were no pesky humans in our yard.  Once we returned they were very comfortably sunning themselves right up close to the house. Did I already mention that in these pages?

Anyhow.  I have been terrified of the yard for the last 9 months.  I've ventured out a couple of times, but it's not common to see me further out than the clothes line.

The wife of our exchange family is an incredible organic gardener.  We have heard of fruit and veggies.  Really Heather, you should live here.  You'd. Love. It.

Liz came over for dinner last night and offered to take Monkey out to harvest some fruit.  Hey each out on boots and then one grabbed a mop and one grabbed a broom and they went from ping out through our garden.  What a sight!!!

Fruit harvesting is serious business around here!!!  She explained that as the evening cones,  the heat fades and the snakes are less active.  

They picked oranges and tangellos and found a plum tree out back as well.

I wish I knew more of what to do out there and could do more of it from within the confines of the house.  I know that the poor orchard is mostly just growing bird food this year!

Some of the citrus fruit is right up against the house in a mowed area.  We have been harvesting those bits.  I know that there is a cherry tree out there somewhere, we just need to find it and mow a path to it so that bigc can sit under it for the month of November and do nothing but eat cherries!  For now we need to find it so we can throw a bug/bird net over it to protect it.