Wednesday ...with a view to the weekend

Is this just the most perfect time of year? Look at the weather forecast for the weekend. PERFECTION.

I'll be making the most of the beautiful days. The garden is starting to look a bit tired but there is still plenty to do before the winter frost arrive. Weeding and mulching around the citrus trees will be first on the list. Also draping nets over the trees to protect the fruit from the cockatoos. It's such a shame because the trees look so beautiful when they are loaded with fruit. However nothing breaks your heart more than to see all of the almost ripe fruit laying on the ground. 

The cooler weather also means we light the fire at night. Our nights look a lot like this...

We've also been busy preparing the villa for our guest over winter.

Check out the website to see the new photo's.
www.vallelaguna.com.au

What's on for the weekend?

I love Wednesday. The working week is half done and the weekend is clearly on the horizon. So what have you planned for the weekend?

Autumn in the Hunter Valley is my favourite time of year. The trees have started to change colour,  the days are clear and the temperature is still pleasant enough to be outside. My weekend will certainly involve riding, probably catching up with some friends and defiantly some food & wine. I have a beautiful wood fired oven that I inherited from my Grandmother. It's the focal point of the kitchen in winter. Cooler weather calls for slow cooked food.  

If you feel like a getaway here are a few suggestion on how to spend your time in the Wollombi Valley.

Stay with us at Valle Laguna for 2 nights, and we'll give you the 3rd night free.

E-mail us at enquiries@vallelaguna.com.au or visit the website www.vallelaguna.com.au

We have some wonderful options for dining.

 The Great North Trading Post is popular with visitors and locals! They have great food all weekend and live music on Friday nights . www.gntp.com.au

 Mulla Villa is an original 1840 convict built sandstone Magistrate’s house and is quiet the dining experience! They are open for lunch and dinner. www.mullavilla.com.au

The Wollombi Tavern is not only your typical country but it's the home Dr. Jurd's Jungle Juice. No visit to the valley is complete without a little taste! www.wollombitavern.com.au

Saturday, visit the art exhibition by Guntis Janson " Paintings from the Studio" at the Wollombi Cultural Centre, Wollombi.  Open weekends 10am to 4pm, from Saturday 16 to Sunday 24 May 2015

or 

Indulge in a little bit of wine tasting at one of the many local vineyards. www.wollombivalleywinetrail.com.au
My personal favourite are the Stonehurst Methode Champenoise and the Lemoncello liqueur from Wollombi Village Vineyard. 

Happy planning! I guarantee you'll love our little piece of paradise.

 

Fashion Friday

This is where we indulge in a little fantasy. We put aside the hum drum daily tasks, and let our mind wander .
Today we're talking about my current "girl crush" Amal Clooney. The women has style!!

Sure she has the money to buy anything her heart desires, and designers would no doubt be tossing clothes at her from every angle, but she manages to maintain an edginess that is uniquely her own style. I think her style also gives us an insight into her personality. I love the fact that every time I see her in the media I'm gently reminded that there is so much more to her than just looking good in clothes and there might be bigger issues in the world that what she's wearing. Maybe that's part of how she uses fashion & the media to her advantage. Her way of taking some of the light off herself and shining it onto the issue of human rights. I can't imagine anyone who has been privy to the details of human atrocities as she has, could take herself or fashion that seriously. I also don't think she could care less about what we thought of her fashion choices.


Her work wardrobe it is a no brainer. She sticks with simple suits and beautifully tailored dresses. These are the go to pieces for any professional women. No time wasted trying to work out what goes with what. An assortment of shoes & handbags easily matched to any of the suits or dresses. I very stylish "capsule wardrobe" if you like. This is a women who knows she will be photographed and critiqued from every angle. The only aspect she leaves for discussion is if we personally like the outfit or not. End of story. On with the real business. Human Rights.

Her casual wardrobe shows a more fun side. I think she has a really cool style. More rock chic that human rights lawyer that's for sure....

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Another Job for Winter

There is nothing I love more in winter than sitting in front of the fire and gazing into the flames. The  warmth seems to reach into every corner of the room. What I dont love is the extra work that it creates. Aside from the work involved in collecting and stacking the fire wood, there is the monotonous task of cleaning it out each day and re-setting it.
I'm not sure if it's the type of wood that is being burnt or the effect of a slow smouldering fire that causes the glass to turn black. Whatever it is, it's a nightmare to clean. Over the years I've tried many different methods of cleaning it off. Hot soapy water, Gumption, vinegar & bi carb soda. None really worked that well and they all made a huge mess. Then out of the blue my Mum gave me the secret recipe. In my world this is what's known as a "Game Changer".

Take a few pieces of newspaper, scrunch them up then dampen them slightly with plain old water. Dip it into the cold ash at the bottom of the fire. Using a circular motion wipe the inside of the glass. Hey Presto! The ash makes a fine abrasive paste that takes off the burnt on black soot.

 It might take a few pieces of paper to get it totally clean, but I just throw them into the fire and they dry out by the time you need to re light the fire. If you do this at the first sign of discoloration then it's a 2 second job.

 

 

Week Of Wild Weather

Wow! Can we just take a moment to reflect on this week of crazy weather? I mean really enough already.

Monday & Tuesday saw us flooded out of the farm. The creeks came up so quickly. I feel nobody was really prepared for this flood. Previously when we've had flood warnings or the creeks are "up" and they predict more heavy rain you assume that flooding is likely so you get yourself prepared. Add wind gust of over 100klm per hour and its serious stuff.  Come Friday the water levels had dropped so we were able to get into the farm to asses any damage. Luckily there was no damage to the house or villas, and we only had a few trees down across the fire trails. Others in the Hunter Valley were not so lucky. Tragically 4 people were killed in flood waters and may people lost their homes.
Due to the widespread damage across the region it took 7 days for the power to be restored.

 

Saturday afternoon brought the second wave of freaky weather in the form of a hail storm. Sydney was hit the worst, but we got a light covering of hail that made the paddocks look like a winter wonderland.

 

Some of these photos are mine, others I've taken from the Wollombi Fire & Flood Face Book page. The FB page is run by volunteers who do the most amazing job in keeping people connected in times of crisis. Community spirit at its best!