Gray Nomad,  gray with an a for active seniors lifestyle.
 
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Under my pergola, A great place to soak up some gentle morning sun, and get my Vit D. We planted wisteria to grow over this to provide late spring blossoms and Summer shade.
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I have been settling in to our northern Victoria, Australia, warm season home for just over a week now. Driving up to the front, it was wonderful to be welcomed by spring flowers, the peach blossom and freesia, daffodils, tulip and Dutch iris,in bloom, our first yellow rose was in flower and to have not missed the azalea and camellia, winter blooms, the lasted till I got home.   For a nature lovers like Reg and myself, it was a wonderful homecoming.

Having gotten over the shock of finding field mice in our home when we arrived home,  no doubt encouraged into the area by the healthy crop of oats opposite our home, I set about cleaning, dusting disinfecting  in the home, I am still moving furniture to clean behind it, and I have tidied up the garden, planted herbs and vegetables and  now the garden has been tidied, I am ready to carry the patio furniture that I stored in our bedroom while we were away, outside. 
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Our new five month old, garden showing the avenue of poplars opposite and the field beyond, which is now a lush green growing field of oats. This photo taken, April 2009.
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And today, early September ''09, waiting for my table and chairs to be replaced under our front garden pergola so we can enjoy meals served in the garden.
There has to be an easier way.  Next year, I will prepare the home, garden and patio with more care and save myself a lot of this work. 
I’ll be leaving mouse bait behind cupboards before we leave and I will use sheets as dust covers for the inside furniture and I’m going to chain our patio furniture to the pergola, hide the chain with flower pots or rocks and use patio furniture covers so there will be a lot less work involved when we arrive home after our winter away.  
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One of my Delbard roses, welcoming me home, First week of spring time, September 2009
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I always prune the garden make sure it is weed free, the ground soaked and mulched and climbers freshly tied back, before I leave and I find if I am home by early spring all I need do is cut off any frost burn, hoe any emerging weeds and fertilise my plants, especially the roses, and I am ready to relax and enjoy the garden I love.   I have already begun to have my breakfast outside in the morning sun, the garden furniture makes a great breakfast nook.
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This photograph shows the field of oats opposite our home, the source of our field mice visitors.  It is lovely living in a rural area with unbroken country side views so I accept I need to protect the home more carefully from uninvited visitors when we are away. 
After travelling around Australia and occasionally abroad with Reg for over forty years you would think I would be an expert at making the transition from the trip to back home, easily, but here I am still learning.

I would love to hear any tips other travellers have, for protecting the home, patio and garden while they are away or even just great way’s to batten down and winterise the home and garden and save time and effort on the return to spring time.  Your comments are welcome.

 
 


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