It seems an age ago that the aphids were attacking my newly sprouted garlic chives.  Now as autumn makes its long anticipated appearance in the temperate areas of Australia, the black aphids are back.  This time they are attacking a beautiful succulent that my friend gave me last year.  The ants are milking the aphids for honeydew.  It is a good system.

ant2ant3

How is your foraging going?  My adult children, used to popping down to the shop for a feed, are struggling with the new movement restrictions brought about by Covid-19.  One son in particular, is fading away.  Fortunately, we still have an income which is more than can be said for many.  If only we could buy eggs and flour.   Fortunately, my friend has given me some of her surplus veggie seeds (these too are sold out), so we will try to establish a winter garden.  You have to admire those people who are relatively self-sufficient and live off the land.  However, it must be a full-time job — just ask this worker ant.

ant

Kind Regards.
Tracy.

Sunshine’s Macro Monday

55 thoughts on “Land Of Milk And Honey”

    1. That’s our plan, Dries. We’ve been working hard to establish a system My son has lost five kg recently and he has been pretty cranky, but he will have to learn to prepare food. It is learning experience for him too, as it is for all of us. Hope you are going okay?

      Liked by 1 person

  2. I don’t get any flour or eggs here in Hamburg either. Sometimes I also said * back to the roots *. I have no children, but my greedy cat tolls like a can; o)
    Nice MaMo’s! I like it!

    Have nice week!
    xxx Britta

    Liked by 2 people

  3. I’m shopping at the corner store now and they had eggs, though only cage ones which I don’t normally buy, being a free range person. But needs must I suppose. Lovely sharp photos Tracy

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thank you, Pauline. There is much to observe and photograph in the garden.
      I’m going to a small independent supermarket too (or rather they are picking and packing for me). Small businesses are being incredibly innovative. It is great to see. We should be getting a delivery of eggs too from our Yass farmer soon. He does deliveries in Canberra and is going to swing by our place. ❤

      Liked by 1 person

      3. I just checked all egg deliveries, around here are all commercial to restaurants etc. but guess that trade will be closed to them now so they may have to widen their

        Liked by 1 person

  4. Beautiful images Tracy 🧡 We’re lucky we’ve been able to get eggs and can’t get flour here either. We’ve sown lettuce, kale and carrot seeds in the garden but it will be a while before we can harvest them. Great to hear you are growing some veggies too 💖 xxx

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Xenia. I hope you have a good growing season this year. Goodness knows, we don’t need anymore challenges at the present time. We’ve not had much luck with our winter plantings before. Too frosty, but maybe we will have a mild season. Watch this space.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Such lovely pics, Tracy!
    Here most everything is available but I am not stepping out much. We had an inkling of the lockdown beforehand, so had stocked most dry provisions and some staple vegetables. Scarcity has proved to be the mother of inventions in the kitchen for me! 🙄😂

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Love the ants and your fall blossoms. I planted vegie and flower seeds this weekend which I hope to transplant into the garden in a few months and ordered some new flower bulbs online..spring is rather bitter sweet this year..I haven’t been in a store for over a week, relying mostly now on frozen vegies, but the coffee is dwindling, so I may have to make a trip and replenish some supplies.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yes, I imagine spring feels very strange this year for all sorts of reasons, Heather. You will enjoy the new life your garden brings, I’m sure. The coffee situation is getting dire here too! First world problem, eh! I was already thinking I should try to grow a coffee tree but it is too frosty, but I might look anew at a workaround, but first things first, right?

      Like

  9. It is just my husband and I, and I tend to keep a well-stocked pantry so it is mostly the fresh fruit/veggies we are going out for. How wonderful would it be to have a garden right now. I hope your winter garden works out. Hang in there, Tracy.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yes, this frugal experience is new for many. Shame the wake-up call had to come in such a horrendous form. My body is built for thrifty times too. It is the insulin that is the problem for me. We once produced it locally. I hope we do so again.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Yes, just like masks and hand sanitiser – maybe we’ll learn. I’m hopeful some will. But th epoliticians are just marking time – they’re a fairly dull lot.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. I can understand people thinking that when they look at the average mortality rate, but as ever, the details are important (including who is most vulnerable), as is the rate of infection and the capacity of the health system to cope. Some critical thinking would be incredibly helpful about three months ago.

      Like

  12. I wasn’t going to have a vegetable garden this year then, last week, I realized “Fresh food” — not soon (we can’t put anything outside until June 1, seriously) but this way what you guys call spinach (and we call Swiss chard) and tomatoes and basil. Anyway, it’ll keep me off the streets. I love the photos.

    Liked by 1 person

  16. The photos are incredible and very beautiful. I’m beginning to get the hand of taking pictures on my iPad but haven’t moved anywhere near the category of photographs.
    We’re trying to stay in, but must occasionally venture out, wearing masks and gloves, then sanitizing
    when we return. Learning independence (how to bake or garden or fix our own breakdowns of every sort) is a good lesson for anyone. Sorry to hear your son is struggling with this. I worry about all the people doing so much so that the rest of us can sit at home and wait for deliveries. Thinking farmers, harvesters, grocery workers, everyone in the health care industry, all the first responders, those who shop for us, those who deliver to us, food service workers in every capacity, the mailmen/women, essential utilities employees and repairmen. (Someone is making it possible for me to type on my computer, and then I’ll shower, launder our clothes in my electricity powered washing machine, turn up the heat from our gas furnace.) It’s an enormous army of people out and about in this infected world so some of us lucky few can stay home and complain about the last potato. Never in my life did I imagine I would be in this lucky upper class.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. It feels good to have the potential to take photos, Sharon. 🙂
      I’m feeling very fortunate too, and worried about all those workers putting their lives on the line.
      Our whole family is now confined to home. The young men have their studies at least. I can just imagine the question they will get asked in years to come, “So what did you do in the [war]?” “I stayed home.” Oh the shame! Doesn’t look very good on the CV, does it?

      Liked by 1 person

  17. I’ve always dreamed of living off the land and being as self-efficient as possible – which is funny since I’ve lived all my life in a city! Love your photos, Tracy, and hope your son will feel better soon. And that flour and eggs will magically fill up our shelves again! I was lucky to get both and even toilet paper last week – never been so happy to buy these before! 😀

    Liked by 2 people

    1. We’ve managed to get eggs and flour too, Sarah. We’ve filled our son up with stodgy food, crisps and chocolate. Also nachos and chilli con carne, so getting a bit more iron into him. Seems to be working. I think the secret to his dietary regime is that he doesn’t eat often, whereas if there are biscuits in the house, I am on a constant forage.
      You are so lucky to get toilet paper. I still haven’t managed that and we are getting low.
      Being self-sufficient is a nice idea. I think if it can be done at a small community level, then it would be more manageable but doing it on one’s own would be very challenging. It will be interesting to see how the world changes as a result of this virus.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Glad to hear that your dietary regime seems to be working on your son, Tracy, young men can loose weight far too easy and too quickly if they don’t take care. Wish I could send you some toilet paper, but I guess it wouldn’t make it down under but get lost on the way… Will keep my fingers crossed that it will soon make a reappearance in your supermarkets!

        Liked by 1 person

Comments are now closed.