We arrive at Codrington Gardens B&B to begin our month long house sit. Its a wonderful setting. A small farm set in a few acres, where guest sleep in vintage train carriages converted by our host Geoff. The sun is shining for us and we are excited about the new challenges of taking care of so many and so varied animals.
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| Wellies at the ready |
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| Billy and Sparky |
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| Check in |
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| All aboard to sleep town |
Our newest animal family consists of the following members:
- 1 giant sheep who goes by the name of 'Horse'.
- 2 miniature horses, Susie and Princess
- 2 Alpacas, Tiramasu and Knickers
- 1 fluffy white rabbit, Snow White
- 13 chooks
- 8 budgerigar
- 4 peacocks
- 1 humungos gorgeous cat, Butch
- 2 delightful dogs, Billy the whippet and Sparky the Chihuahua
- 1 ferret named Fonty
- several working bee hives
- and Cocky the talking Cockatoo!
That's some menagerie!
We are looking forward to getting acquainted with all the animals and I am especially excited about being able to get my hands dirty in the veggie patch.
The sun's out for us and we are looking forward to an interesting house sit! |
| Port Fairy |
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| Love this shot |
The Joys of a Veggie patch afternoon!
"I'm not really a career person. I'm a gardener, basically." George Harrison.
I love the sentiment of George's quote. He was an avid gardener and lover of being outdoors in nature. Its no surprise that he wrote ‘Here Comes the Sun’ in his garden, wandering around with his acoustic guitar, Eric Clapton at his side, as the sun came up.
I also find wonder in a garden. The outdoors and fresh air, sunshine if you are lucky. The wonderful sounds and smells. The head is cleared of nonsense, crap filter in place, making space to soak up just the good stuff.
There is muck and physical work that make the muscles ache deliciously giving the gift of a beautiful deep sleep.
There is gardeners saying that goes; “ A gardener waits for his back to catch up with his enthusiasm” and after a few days of weeding here at Codrington I fully catch his drift.
I have been spending a few sunny afternoons getting my green fingers dirty, warm sunshine on my back creating long graphic shadows over all the beds. There are bees buzzing about. I am listening to the chooks all chattering and chortling in their comical bubbly language, Sparky and Billy, the dogs, pop in and out to see what’s happening, and Butch curls up in a big puddle of sunshine occasionally rolling over to show his miraculously white moggy belly.
How satisfying to tentatively rummage amongst the growing shoots, grasp hold of a weed, apply just the right amount of pressure, wiggle it just so, get the feel for it, slowly pull and tug at it, and victoriously it comes out roots an all! Oh, how vilifying watching that mass of green wheedle away to reveal the dark earth around thriving plants.
Like I say my idea of bliss.
Gardening is very calming and comforting. A simple task, that fills me up with happy tokens.
Meanwhile Jason took a spade and tackled the Chook coop and all that pooh! Poor lad, but the Chookies loved him for it. This is how they re paid his hard work!
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| Tortilla any one? |
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Eggy Peggy |
Here are some shots of Yuan's Veggie patch at Codrington:
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| Katy verses weeds |
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| Some fresh picked produce |
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| Cor what a pong! |
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| From this to this! |
We picked some delicious veggies, ruby red peppers, small tasty onions, courgettes, kale, and carrots and with the left over roast chicken made a delicious stock for our homemade minestrone soup.
This is the post from the wonderful Felicity Cloake, who's 'How to cook the perfect' Guardian based blog is my 'go to' recipe haven. http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/sep/01/how-to-cook-perfect-minestrone-soup
We choose our fave bits from each recipe and cobbled together a delicious soup. Lovely on the chilly nights here at Codrington, sat under the huge starry sky with a glass of red!
Homemade Savoury Muffins
Oh how we love to split a good muffin in the morning... Sadly, as good as they are, I find that the guilt borne from chowing down on all that sugar and butter, leads me to a speedy scoff fest, as if this might lessen the calorie intake. Not very satisfying! So then an alternative for breakfast, brunch or lunch, is this little dollop of savoury delight. Its also a very tasty way of using up all those fresh eggs we find piling up around us at Codrington. Clever Chookies. |
| All from the garden! |
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, grated
- 1 large zucchini, grated
- 6 eggs
- 1/4 cup natural yoghurt
- 1 cup (125g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup (60g) self-raising flour
Preparation:15min › Cook:25min › Ready in:40min
- Preheat an oven to 180 degrees C. Grease a 12 cup mini muffin pan.
- Heat the oil in a large frypan over medium heat. Stir in the onion Cook until onion is translucent, Stir in the carrot and zucchini; cook until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to a bowl to cool. (we also added red pepper and any other stray veggies)
- Beat the eggs, yoghurt and Parmesan cheese together in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Stir egg mixture into cooled zucchini mixture; stir in flour. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups.
- Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes.
Ingredients
We served them (almost cool, we couldn't wait any longer) with a salad of freshly picked tomatoes and leaves from the veggie patch. So delicious!
Homemade Granola
We were staying at Bondi Beach for the month of May and quickly became addicted to Gusto Café’s famous granola combo breakfast pots. http://www.gustoespressobar.com.au/
We experimented to make our own less sugary version. Here are the results and the recipe.
WELCOME TO YUM TOWN !
Ingredients
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 1/4 cups regular rolled oats
1/8 cup flax meal
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup apple juice
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon brown sugar, optional when adding dried fruit
Directions
Where we get to know the locals
His chicken is just the tops and we can’t get enough of it. The shop is old school too, its flaking paint and hand painted window advertisements. Sun bleached and has a 50’s feel. I like it a lot..
Where we get to know the locals
His chicken is just the tops and we can’t get enough of it. The shop is old school too, its flaking paint and hand painted window advertisements. Sun bleached and has a 50’s feel. I like it a lot..
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheet with canola oil (you may also use cooking-oil spray or line baking sheet with nonstick foil). In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flax meal, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well. In a small bowl combine the apple juice, maple syrup, honey, and optional brown sugar. Mix well.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring until the mixture is fully combined and moist. Spread the mixture on the greased baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until you get the roasted colour you like.
Remove from the oven and stir, breaking the large chunks into smaller pieces. We also added dried prunes at this point.
Bake for an additional 8 minutes or until crisp. Remove from oven and allow to cool. While still warm, stir to break up any remaining chunks. When completely cool, store the granola in an airtight container.
We served with a big dollop of Yoghurt, fresh fruit, and homemade stewed rhubarb. Makes me feel smug each time I eat it!
Well Port Fairy is a funny old place.
It is mainly "For Sale". The local pub, the abandoned School, the gas station, the deli, the local posh hotel.
It has a small hub, but wide streets, two books shops which sadly have no customers at all, a hotel, a butcher, library and many coffee shops, and my fave - the charity shops!
We spent a few lovely afternoons with them, and they very kindly invited us over to their gorgeous house for a wonderful lunch complete with homemade bread! Their home is The Old Codrington School House. They have marvellously transformed it into such a warm and welcoming place, complete with artist studio and a workshop where Bill does all the framing and printing.
The Animals!
Well Port Fairy is a funny old place.
It is mainly "For Sale". The local pub, the abandoned School, the gas station, the deli, the local posh hotel.
It has a small hub, but wide streets, two books shops which sadly have no customers at all, a hotel, a butcher, library and many coffee shops, and my fave - the charity shops!
The
Chicken Shop is run by a guy who thinks we’re cool. It's official, he says; “You
are cool”. He tells us every time we go in. “Wow guys, I could listen to you’se all day” ‘You are cool” “Where do you come from? London eh? That’s COOL”
“You're house sitting?, Wow so cool” “You eat Chicken? Cool, too cool."
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| Jason and Billy waiting for another chook! |
Coffin
Sally, Now here is a sparkling diamond of cool in a rock face of “whatever”. It’s
the local pizza place & I loved it!
The
building itself was once the local mortuary, and the bodies were taken in along
the passage at the side of the shop, hence its name. Shame it wasn't a cremortorium
too - imagine the size of the bone fired pizzas you could cook in it!
If that wasn’t cool enough in a
languid place like Port Fairy the
dudes that run it are super cool, like the way the French say it; ‘Sup pear
cool”. I recon they just pull up out the surf, all tanned and lean. Salty
bleached hair and white shining teeth, make a pizza, chop a log, do a cool
drawing and get back on wave, they are so cool. Part of me wants to run
away with the pizza shop, but pizza shops aren’t circuses and they stay put... But you get my drift right?
So
then how about the actual face filler? Well its pretty darn delicious - or ‘Awesome!’
as the barely broken voiced young owners may say might say. Proper dough, thin enough
to be cool, but not so thin its anorexic. Dough proving by the open fire! The
toppings are all delicious, quality freshly shaved parma ham and the best
mozzerella. Milky and loose as a mother goose. But these boys are cleverly
avoiding the trap most new trendy Sydney places fall into - dropped crutch pants
an all…… They ain't stingy with it, nor do they fall prey to just lobbing it on, like a greedy bird at a buffet. Its perfect. They are like the cool kid
at school who no one know was the hottie til it was too late, them
included. Like I say, “Cool”
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Trent one cool Pizza Dude |
Kate and Bill Smith, The Artist
It was also our good fortune to meet Kate and Bill Smith, a hugely charming couple full of Joie de Vivre and amazing stories about their travels and adventures in life - and no ordinary life to say the least. They have wandered and wafted on their wits and hard work, and landed quite often feet planted somewhere interesting. Kate loves to share a story and we would have listened all day.
Their adventures have included being farmers, fashion designers, interior designers and makeover Kings and Queens. For many years Kate has been a practicing fine artist - and very successfully too! You can check out her work and her knitted designs here:
http://www.katesmithartist.com.au/
http://www.katesmithartist.com.au/
We spent a few lovely afternoons with them, and they very kindly invited us over to their gorgeous house for a wonderful lunch complete with homemade bread! Their home is The Old Codrington School House. They have marvellously transformed it into such a warm and welcoming place, complete with artist studio and a workshop where Bill does all the framing and printing.
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| The Smiths |
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Reminded me of Matisse Studio |
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Tools of the trade |
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| Kate and Bill in her colourful studio |
We fell in love with all the animals at Codrington and really enjoyed the month getting to know them. It was an absolute joy to watch Billy the whippet and Sparky chase each other around the farm. To watch that boy fly!So graceful and slim lined,turning tight corners at full speed he was something else. Sparky put in a noble effort trying to catch him.They had the most fun anyone ever had from playing a game of chase!
Butch possibly the biggest cat in world took a special place in my heart. Im a bit of a mad cat lady anyhow but Butch was so beautiful, so big and so clean for an outdoors farm Cat. I've never met a drooling cat before!
The Alpacas Tiramisu and Knickers (Check out his black under crackers!) were lovely gentle creatures, who happily lived with Princess and the mini horses and the huge sheep named horse!
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| Beautiful Bill |
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| My Little Sparky |
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| The Egg Machines! |
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Up close and personal with Tiramisu |
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| A Sheep named Horse. |
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| Knickers's Knickers! |
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| Susie and Princess |
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| Cocky and Big Beautiful Butch |
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| Veggie visitors and feeding the birds |
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| Poorly Sparky and a clean ferret. |
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| Butchy and Cocky
Heres the reference from Geoff after we finished at Codrington Gardens
14th July 2013
To Whom It May Concern
I contacted Jason & Katy through an
International Professional House Sitting web site. One we’ve have used before
and trust implicitly for their professionalism and care of duty.
We require a house sitter when we take our
annual holidays.
Jason and Katy are registered, professional
house sitters with this site.
I know they retired from their previous
business, and are now setting forth into this new venture with a view to
exploring the country through house sitting.
Jason and Katy came to our property on June
13th to stay and look after it for 4 weeks, I have no hesitations saying that
they have met and exceeded all our expectations.
We found them to be exemplary in their care and
consideration for our property and animals. They've show a degree of
flexibility and resourcefulness that can't be denied.
They have spoken to me, at length, about their
upcoming booked positions, and their ongoing objectives, and I wish them both
all success, because I know how important it is to have someone of the caliber
of Jason and Katy to rely on when you're away from your valuable property and
your much loved pets and animals.
Our property, and the task it entails for a
house sitter, can not be called a typical situation. You can see our property
here; www.codringtongardens.com.au
and you will see we have a large property with a considerable number and
variety of pets and animals to look after.
Jason and Katy managed this task seamlessly and
competently while we were away, and I have absolutely no hesitation
recommending them to anyone seeking First Class support when they leave their
property and pets in someone else's hands whilst away.
Needles to say, we have requested Jason and
Katy to come and look after our property again next year. And are very happy
that they have agreed to do that.
Please do not hesitate to contact the
undersigned at any time should you wish to verify this letter, or to seek
further details.
Sincerely,
Geoff Tonks."
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