Olive harvest continues

 I spent an hour in the tree again getting another 6 kg or so of olives.  It has been in a more inaccessible higher region of the branches so I am happy with the 13 kg so far in two mornings. Once I start I need to keep at it . Your mind wanders about the most efficient way of doing this stuff. I know about the tree shakers. Sometimes you think if I spread a tarp down there and just shake the tree with my hands will that work. It is a sturdy tree. What about having a concertina type hose with a funnel at the top and you let the olives roll down that into a bucket. Maybe not.

Late Beach

 Not sure what the record is for the latest beach day in Autumn but we gave it a go today. Originally they were saying 28° but when we arrived they were saying 25° and then it was actually more like 22°.  The clouds were starting to build so we retreated. Nevertheless we had a good lunch, which I made, if I don't say so myself.  I should mention the sausage rolls which I did not make.  Truth is, the bakery did most of the work but these cheesy rolls are good value, just add a bit of crunchy salad and some ham and there you have it. Everyone is happy. Except the Sun went away.

cheesy mites

April Tree Time

I have had a request for olives that are more green than ripe. With that in mind I have started picking the olives in April rather than in previous years where I have picked them in May. That was mainly because the group weigh in occurs in May for the combined oil crush. I have never added these into that scheme. I spent 90 minutes up the tree this morning on the sunny side where they would ripen more quickly so the theory goes but are now in the bucket where they will stay green in the fridge. The weight came to 7.2kg so that is not a bad start. The tree is heavily laden so am expecting a few more buckets. Now I have to make space in the other fridge. 

Jetty Pole Line

 I went back to the pole line where the class was having a canoe lesson. It seemed like unfinished business. The poles here are closer together and there is a lot of tall but spaced out grasses. It seemed  like good cover for fish and I did find a school of larger ones, maybe 10 fishes. My camera decided not to work. I went all the way out again, dried it off as best I could, found my glasses and read a media error. At great risk, with wetness and sand and grass etc, I opened it up, got the micro card out, reseated it back in and the error went away. The only way I can unload now is to take the media out each time, as the cable connection never works for uploading videos.  Of course when I went back in the water  I could not find the fish again, although there was a large orange cuttlefish that had just been bitten by something. It was laying on the bottom.

Ride to the Reef

 Normally I would walk to the reef but I end up taking the road route and got the bike right down into the Dell. Getting back out was another matter. It was just easier to walk it back up.  Back at the reef I was talking to a passerby who had never swam out but I could tell wanted to try it.  How cold, does it swirl around, can you get caught on anything?   He has observed birds sitting on each mound at low tide trying to pick off fish.  Now this is a new development. Another sign that the reef is working to attract fish. On this swim I did see more fish than ever before and some bigger ones as well. The plants and sponges are coming on also.  This swim needs to be timed for the higher tides. The fisheries guys said it should have been sited in deeper water.

just poking their heads out

Fisheries Dept

I wanted to try combining a bike ride with a snorkel swim. I tried this some yar ago but it was a bit bulky as I had a backpack as well as a snorkel pack hanging around, all while trying to keep the bike in a straight line.  This time I was more efficient with only the snorkel pack but I put a small hand towel in there as well.  I cycled around to another old pole line that I have never properly swum.  This time there was another problem as the whole lane was crowded with canoes as an outdoors class was being held.  Kids have way more fun than when I went to school.  We had concrete and one handball court yadayada. I got back on the bike and moved around to the reef area.  There were two fisheries guys patrolling the shore line, taking photos, taking notes and taking prisoners.  Is there a problem officer? Yes we are looking for illegal drainage flowing down that could effect the clams, oysters and mussels. I did not tell them about the huge oyster I had in the pocket of my budgie smugglers. I plucked it off the sea floor right near there.  What are the odds of grabbing seafood from the ocean and there are two fisheries guys waiting on the shore.  When I got home I found I had shocking shucking skills and not the right knife so I threw it out. One time we took a shell back to our hotel room but it had a fish still inside.  The room stank the next day.

shucks

canoe slalom

Canon Ball Garden

 This would have to be the best conditions I have experienced for a few years. The only thing missing was fish although there was another big ray today.  I went out further than yesterday and just floated on the surface. You could spend more time checking out the contents of each pole but I seem to want to move on. The ray was hiding beneath the foliage of one of the poles.  He was too big to hide and decided to move off in a fairly lazy fashion. I branched out from the poles crossing some open water on my way backin. The sea floor always has something going on. I found this cluster of balls and the further I looked the more they stretched into the wet yonder.