a few more train pic ...

My Favorite train. So pleased you enjoyed the last post so I have added another post with pics for you. You might also want to have a look at another post on Railways Stoney Creek Tressle Bridge down in Victoria, it's a narrow rain system. Click on Stoney Creek Tressle Bridge and Short trips and holidays under labels on the right, thanks.














This train was to carry wages, it was fully restored by appentices from Skilled Engineering and on display at Central station in Sydney for a while, Now it's at Thirlmere Train Works



Again part of the coal carriages



That old wrought iron work is so beautiful and check out the break.









First Class Travel. Those seats look so comfy, lots of leg space. Check out the pressed tinwork above the wood panneling, it's in the dinning cart as well.









heritageexpress.com.au for more info
Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment,
See ya next trip
Rina

Train Works, a Boys Paradise ...

In the Theater, the whole story of this little engine is shown from before the WWl, WW2 and to where it ws used to shunt coal in the Hunter Valley.



Great lighting in the theater.









Transposting coal.



I'd say sheep were tranported in these old carriages being a double decker.








Boy's behind bars in the carriage carting the convicts
Not a bad place for them keeps them quite on the return trip home, wishfull thinking :))

A good day for Riding ...

Finally got our first lesson in for this holiday, Tuesday's lesson was cancelled due to Gail force winds.



Yesterday turned out to be a lovely day, just a slight breeze, perfect day.



A good picture if you did not cut the kids head off, oopps



Next week we'll try fit in another lesson.



Enjoy the rest of the holidays for the Queensland kids, NSW kids only start their Sept break on Friday
See ya soon
Rina

School Holidays are here again ...

Yeah that really your's truly finally an up to date pic lol, How about those two boy's making fun of their grandma with double bunny ears hmmmm

The big baby boys flew in from Brisbane on Thursday the 15th, and that's when all the fun starte. For the next two weeks, I don't think there will be a lot of time to blog but I will try share a few pics with you as we go along. Friday was not very eventfull except George had another eye lazer treatment, so far that makes no 5, two weeks ago he got an injection into the same eye for swelling then only could they carry on with the lazer treatment.



Saturday we went of to the local Catholic School Fair, no we're not Catholic but it's local and it's heaps of fun for the kids. Great school, well layed out and it's got a great reputation.





Today we stayed home, Grandpa was not feeling to crash hot, I'll just take the boys to the train musuem during the week by myself. We having great weather ATM, lot's of backburning, getting ready for the fire season, that does mean a fair bit of smoky haze over Sydney

Hope to be back with some more pics for you soon
See ya
Rina

An Orpington Hen named Matilda ...

I'll be honest all the orpington hens are named Matilda, there's a few of black hens. But this special one was easy to pick out why you'd ask. Well there was something very wrong with her crop. Being big birds, with huge feet her crop always got in the way when she walked. That crop was hanging down like a small seedless watermelon. It never caused a big problem until the last few weeks, she still got about and layed the odd egg. I could see she was struggling to get to the leftover snack pasta or rice, so made sure she got her fair share. the last week she let me pick her up and carry her to her favorite spot where she just sat looking very sad. Closing the chookies for the night, I found her, on her side dead, gone to Chookie Heaven. She was one of my original trio. Even here on this pic it easy to pick her out of this group see the one on the right.

New blog ...

Ta Da I present you with " A Shack In The Country " Well it up and running so who's going to visit me at the new blog. I am going to be a busy girl just keeping up with it all. All progress on Rose Cottage and craft projects will be moving over to that blog. So please follow me and join me in my journey to The Shack In The Country

Thought I would bump this notice forward and maybe you missed the big announchment lol.

Have you ever cooked Oxtail ...

Just seen this post,about cooking Oxtail Soup over at Just like My Nan Made Well I have never made soup from oxtail and it sound very nice.

I cook oxtail with a good dash of vinegar, bay leaves, as a main meat dish with rice. brown the tail add chucky diced onions, add a few small bayleaves, cover with water/cube of stock if you want(opp, add a dash of vinegar. Cook on med until the waters gone, add more water and a little more vinegar it takes a good 3 hrs to cook it that the meat falls off the bone. Add a little salt,I add chunky cut up carrots and potatoes the last 1/2 hr, don't want them to fall apart. Add a little water to 2 tablespoons of gravy powder in a cup and mix that into the meat, just for that extra gravy, season with ground black pepper and salt. This recipe came from my Mom who got it from my Grandmother, who got it ... never mind

Enjoy making either of these recipes
see ya later
Rina

a good day's work ...

It's done , all weeded and composted, dug up, raked, stackes in place for the bountyfull crop of tomatoes I've been promised. More stacks and reinforement wire for the beans, more beans, cucumbers and yellow button squash.

Planting list: snake beans, climbing beans and yellow butter beans.
Candy striped beetroot,
large white ribbed silverbeet,
baby sweet corn for stirfries,
Bulgarian carrot peppers (hot).
Cucumbers for bread and butter pudding. I used Rhonda's recipe
(from Down to Earth) last year and my neighbour just wanted more
after tasting the bottle I gave them.



Tomorrow I want to get the other patch dug up and get the zucchini, Amish pie pumpkin, golden nugget, butternut, Queensland blue and gem squash. I am dying to grow some giraumon turban pumpkin as well just for the heck of it, I grew this tiny one last season sure it's got to be bigger than that. Just got to get the last raised bed filled up with more soil then plant some real sweet corn in it.

What else is growing atm, chillies, globe arichokes, rosemary, oregano, lemon balm, italian parsley, rocket and chinese broccoli. Rasberry canes are coming up everywhere, no one warned me about that!! it just gives me one less bed to work with until they stronger and I can pot most of them.

The frost killed all the leaves of the dwarf bananas but there seems to be new leaves coming out. The two queen peach trees are in blossom, they so need to go into the ground at the farm but now it's too late I think. The lemonade tree has blossoms as well.

Now for the next job on my to do list for the day "Clean the oven" got leftovers for dinner tonight.
That's all for today
see ya
Rina

Veggie patch need a lot of work ...

Springs here for sure, it's warming up nicely and now it's time to get out in the veggie patch again. The 6 tomatoe seedlings & yellow button squash I bought at the market on Saturday, have gone straight into the half 44 galon drums, after adding a lot of mushroom compost to them. The bloke promised a good crop, probably a hybrib variety. A few beefsteak seedlings and cherrytom have self seeded, they got moved to a fresh drum too. well thats a start if nothing else, tomorrow I plan cleaning the rest of the patch up.

The rasberry canes got a pruning, I really need to transplant a few canes into pots and take them to the farm. A lot of weeds have taken over the patch this winter so it's going to be a whole day clean up tomorrow, love getting my hands dirty. There's a whole bag of spuds hust waiting to go into the ground too

Right now I waiting for the shearer, Billy the ram is really not well I don't want to dig a hole for him he's too cute Photo's to follow soon.

see ya all soon
Rina

Trip to Berrima ... on Father's day

Australia is celebrating Father's Day today, so I thought it very appropriate that George could take me out for the day and where better to go than antiquing lol





Rows of old quilts, neatly rolled up.



Kitchenalia, these shelves are empty as they are closing shop, most items are half price. A huge saving but then I only came for a milk glass mixing bowl, nothing else.



Imagine wearing one of these cotton dresses, would they have worn with a dark pinnie over them?



Hefty price tag for old children's shoes.






No idea what this bush is called but the flowers are so pretty








Selling all sorts of teas, jams,lollies and honey. Pina I think there could be Japanese tea sets there, should have checked??



That would be so yummy on toast. Looks like your looking through stained glass windows.
.

Pink, plum and white blossoms everywhere


Sand stone is used in most of the buildings in the area