The weather gods seem to be taking autumn a lot more seriously than they did Summer. Yes we had some hot weather, but all in all it was rather coolish over-all. Tonight it will be four degrees and later in the week we are heading to one degree overnight. Days hovering between 17 and 20 for the rest of the week.

I headed into town this morning with the express intention of obtaining fuel for the whipper snipper and lawnmower. I thought that, while I was in there, I could also pop in some seeds at the community garden and get some basic groceries. Well the last two jobs got done, but I forgot the fuel.

After collecting today's manure contribution I spread it on the bed I am filling up, and have sown some green mulch seeds into it (beans, grains of various sorts, etc) and watered them in. I have to be amused that when I collected today's lot I was chatting to them about how I would be able to get rid of it for them by rotating it around the fruit trees, when it suddenly occurred to them that they were giving away something that they too could be using. Bear in mind I have been suggesting for some months now that their children should be collecting and bagging it to sell for pocket money. But it is only after seeing my example of how welcome it is to a gardener that it has occurred to them that it has some value. And of course, now they have decided that they will be planting an espalier of fruit trees and of course, using the manure themselves... I guess some people are better at receiving than at giving......

Anyway, here is the bed in question - filled almost to the brim with horse poo, and getting ready for the Spring crops, I hope.

I also put away a bit of the washing that was done yesterday. As I went about it, I opened the door of the linen cupboard and found out where Esther had gotten to. I did think she had been being a bit quiet.

After another trip into town to get the fuel, I did some more mowing and am now down past the raised beds near the septic tank. At this rate I should get the orchard cleared enough to be able to deposit any more manure with little difficulty.

Came in from doing that to find a text from one of my old Ag College mates telling me he and his wife would be arriving in Oatlands in an hour. According to FB it had been sent 'about an hour ago', so I responded, piled into the ute and headed back into town for the third time. Unfortunately they had left about 15 minutes earlier, so I missed them. Oh well - next time.

Picked some more tomatoes, broccoli and zucchini while i was in at the community Garden, so that's dinner sorted!