It is the summer school holidays here in Australia, so I invited my little brother to stay with us for two weeks. He timed his arrival perfectly, getting here only ten days after our ducklings hatched. He thinks they are the sweetest and feeds them every morning. I will have to check his bags before he leaves to make sure he doesn't smuggle one with him, as I am not sure how keen Mum would be on that!
We have enjoyed lots of fun things together whilst he's been here. But there has also been work to be done, and having an extra pair of hands, even if they are small, does make a big difference. For two and a half hours Thursday afternoon we:
- Cleaned out the duck pond.
- Watered all the vegetable gardens.
- Harvested beans, cucumbers, carrots, capsicums, potatoes, tomatoes, basil and zucchini's .
- Pulled out the last of the carrots.
- Planted tomato seedlings.
- Harvested dried beans and saved the seeds.
- Water bathed the broody chook.
- Weeded the entire yard.
It was interesting having a kids perspective on this whole vegetable growing thing. He was concerned when he uprooted a purple carrot "this one isn't orange", when he harvested yellow pear tomatoes "these are not red", and found a "green worm" (caterpillar). Lessons were taught on heirloom varieties and good vs bad garden bugs. Eating dinner that night he tells us, "I could be a farmer when I grow up, it was really fun pulling out those carrots". I'll be sending him home with some bean seeds so he can give the farming life a try.
Feeling lucky to have had this time with him.
Sam xox
