Changing Seasons

What is it about spring that makes you want to get things done? Is it the warmth of the sun after so many months of cold mornings and rainy days? Well whatever it is I know that when the sun is shining warmly like it has been the last couple of days it feels good on the skin and makes me want to be outdoors as much as possible whether working in the garden, tidying up or getting ready for a bbq, I love being outside in the sun. I love the warm weather but not the really hot weather, it must be something as you get older not liking the hot weather or maybe it's just me and Chris getting old....hehe... When we're kids we don't seem to notice the heat as we're too busy playing and swimming to notice and now we find the heat makes life uncomfortable while our kids are running around under sprinklers or swimming down the beach not even noticing how hot it is..... Spring is also when things really start to come alive in my garden and then I can see just how well my green thumb is doing. All my veges are doing amazingly well considering I've never grown most of them before. The tomatoes are popping up everywhere, parsley and basil are growing profusely, leeks are finally getting bigger and  the capsicum is coming along nicely just to mention a few. I sometimes think I'm becoming obsessed with my plants as I check them every day to see the progress they're making and if they need watering, anyone would think I was looking after a new baby but it's hard not to obsess after years of nothing growing and now everything is doing really well. Even the strawberries which I've never been able to grow are growing rapidly and getting bigger every day, however we haven't been able to eat a single strawberry yet and not because they're rotting or dying or bugs are eating them it's because my crazy dog Lady keeps eating them as soon as they're ripe enough. At first I couldn't figure out how or why they were disappearing and then my neighbour tells me dogs LOVE strawberries, so out of the ground they came and into hanging baskets and pots, safe and out of the way of Lady. It's also been a mission keeping Lady and Molly (our other dog) out of the vege garden and from trampling on everything....we really need to screen it off somehow.

I will admit despite not liking the heat I am looking forward to summer very much this year and spending plenty of time at the beach with Chris and the girls. We only live five minutes from the beach so it's nice to be able to go down there at the end of the day and just take a walk or have a late afternoon swim and enjoy the last of the sun for the day. Summer time in Busselton is nice and while it does get hot the sea breeze is always in early so the day finishes with a beautiful cool evening and a nice cold drink with Chris. I'm also looking forward to many bbq dinners cooked on the new barbie and eaten around the table outside. Dining outside is something I love to do in nice weather as it just feels more natural and relaxing than being in the house which I've worked in all day. The best part of eating outside with the family is relaxing afterwards and watching the kids play with each other and the dogs. So many summer nights to look forward to and I can't wait for them to start. Another thing I love about summer is the way cooking changes from hot meals that are heavy and comfort food to light fresh salads and chicken or steak, whatever takes your fancy. As soon as spring starts cooking becomes different in my house and I enjoy the different smells that take over from more traditional winter dinners. This is when I pull out my cooking journal and start rifling through my recipes and even inventing a few new ones along the way and of course I just love using all that fresh produce that's been growing in my garden.