A family of rabbits has moved into the area and have been engaged in some major earthworks in and around the labyrinth, the last few months.

No warren sighted yet, but I’m keeping a look out.

However the earthworks in the photo are of my doing!

The Oak tree which showed great promise before being munched down a couple of times was moved over the weekend to stand at the entrance to the labyrinth and a rose bush has been installed in the centre.  Hopefully the thorns will deter the animals, but next trip I will put up some wire to keep it safe.

With the recent rains and the previous application of gypsum, the soil is much easier to dig now and two large holes were prepared with compost for the plants.

I also took the opportunity to redefine the outlines, removing all traces of the holes that the rabbits made digging out the sage and the garlic plants.

Eventually, there will be something that is not palatable for them. Perhaps they enjoy something a little more exotic than the lush green grass that is starting to sprout!

Another refurbishment of sorts happened with the toilet system.

A “wee diverter” arrived and a new toilet was built for me, with the wee now diverted into a pit filled with rocks and ant sand.

As with all projects, nothing is simple although the finished toilet is practical and “throne like”.  Lucky we are tall and there is a small platform or step being built for shorter people who might visit.  The kit came with the diverter and a polystyrene seat and lid – a little different to the standard toilet seat, but nice for winter!

Buckets are sourced from the local takeaway shop in the city and the sawdust from the local sawmill in Rushworth. Permanent marker is not so permanent in the hot summer sunshine and tags made from aluminum cans with the dates scratched in are attached to the handles. The buckets are sealed for a minimum of 12 months before being used as a soil improver for the ornamental (deciduous) trees that I have been planting.

Collecting seeds is now one of my interests and there’s a shed full of empty pots to start another forest. Currently I’m waiting to see if another 3 oaks have germinated, and have some seed trays with Japanese Maple seeds in them.

Just recently, I gathered some Sheoak seeds and they are ready to plant.  Peppercorns have been sown directly into the soil along a fence line and it will be interesting to see what happens with them. I have asked for some nuts from a friend whose mother has a small orchard, but am thinking that the cockatoos will decimate them.

Next major project is to mend the horizontal fence.  More than a dozen of the old wooden posts have either rotted or been knocked down by kangaroos on their travels and along the length of the the fence is the local phone line. With more than half a kilometre of fence to repair, at this stage ….while the ground is soft… I’m going to get a dozen or so star pickets and put them alongside the fallen posts and wire the fencing to them. At least that will give the illusion of an upright fence!