Too Many Things To Do!

I've been pretty quiet in blogland, but feel that I've been running around like a chook with it's head cut off!
Trying to chip away at the final Roosters/Hens quilt - I have the central block to work on and it has over 300 pieces to applique. It didn't help that I couldn't find all the fabric for the vines and flowers, but I have since decided that it doesn't matter too much, so I am now cutting out all the pieces of the Vliesofix and ironing them onto the various fabrics. I think that quilting group will be a good time to cut the pieces out and arrange them on the baking sheet.
There are still heaps of apples, but then they are good to give to friends and family, as well filling up the freezer.
Monday, my friend and mentor, Nolan, and I took 4 wether hoggets to the sale and I received a very good price for them - thank goodness the $$ received make it more viable to have sheep now, than in the last 20 years! Today we (well actually Nolan) dagged the lambs - they need to be shorn which will help them to grow (don't ask me how, but that is what he said!). I think I will be selling most of them as I have mostly wethers.
Anyway, it was a nice morning to be on the mower. I found that the figs are starting to ripen (keep those birds away, please!) and one of our two walnuts, is getting close to dropping:

Tomorrow is my Dad's 80th birthday - it will be a great celebration and good to see him again.

Pickin' and Preservin'

Last Sunday I had the opportunity to pick some apples - they were on a property that had been semi-commercial, an horticultural teaching place (but no longer), but the trees had not been sprayed or pruned for 2 years. So I managed to get five 10 litre buckets - mostly medium size - apples. This week I have been peelin', stewin' and dehydratin' apples and baking spicy apple flans
Today I went and picked my tree clean - this is the result!
The birds have had a great time and now I've left them nothing on the tree :-) So I guess I'll be peelin', stewin' and dehydratin' apples this week! You can tell that these are real apples because if you look closely you will see leaves still attached and dinkum bird poop!
I wanted to plant an orchard on our lifestyle block, because I loved the idea of going out under the trees to pick and eat fresh fruit - yep! like that happens often - there are more birds out in the country than in town and they get first dibbs! Ah well, still love the lifestyle though!