Autumn Fruits

Well hello again. Today it is raining, fast and furiously. Yesterday we were in the pool - the water was 27 degrees, so it was cooler than it's been, but not too much of a shock. Last night I picked the biggest watermelon of the 6 or so that we have, to see if it would be ripe. It is a small variety (sugarbaby)


sugarbaby on the kitchen bench

and it felt "springy" to touch. It was delicious. The first time I have ever eaten a watermelon that grew in my garden!

That one grew in the rich soil of the asparagus patch which had been really well composted. Not sure how the asparagus will go next year after the melons but I am finding that the self seeded asparagus around the garden is nearly as good as the tended patch. Also we are often away when the season starts and asparagus need lots of water to grow luscious.

The feijoa trees have lots of fruit on them but that doesn't mean we will actually get a good crop. Not sure how the local wildlife feel about eating feijoas. Feijoas have a relatively soft skin when ripe, it seems, which is not a good omen for human consumption. However, the first one to ripen fell off the tree and I sampled it last night... after  the watermelon... It was really good!  An unusual taste, sort of between a pear and a pineapple. Really sweet!  Apparently the fruit is named after a Brazilian naturalist who died in 1824. I think they are street trees in established suburbs of Melbourne.

A sick looking rabbit has just loped into the neighbour's garden. Rabbits are a major pest around here. Every time there is a big drive to poison them people around here object saying the bait will kill wildlife, so a halfsupported eradication drive never works. They breed prolifically as any evening walk will confirm.


Doesn't Rhyll inlet look nice on a dull day? Autumn is a good time of year, but winter can be dull and miserable sometimes. Hamilton Island calls!!!


Ryll inlet