Spring's comin' a callin'

[bcday]

Mantis, did you catch that fish somewhere, or did you get it from a pet shop?

http://www.myfishbox.com/xtremeaqua/...?fid=44&pid=37

[Mantis]

We got Billy from a shop in Melbourne near the Vic Market. We were told that he is a Balloon Mollie and they were too busy to give us any more background. He is a real dag, and a very busy surface feeder. He also chases the crap out of our one remainig little Zebra, that is getting very toey. LOL

[bcday]

OK, I was thinking balloon platy (couldn't find a decent pic though), and balloon molly looks very similar. Mollies and zebras are some of my favorite fish, very active and fun to watch.

My SH dictionary is growing, but it doesn't include "toey" yet -- ?

Just think, Grub, you might not have to toil so much in the mater patch next year if Grubette and Mrs. Grub commandeer some of that space for games of tag, or catch, or maybe soccer practice?

[Grub]

Archer fish? No no. I was so off the mark. Lol!

I have only had the standard-issue Black Molly before. Mollies are nice but I prefer Cichlids. Oscars that eat large insects and draw blood are great.

Always wanted to have a dedicated catfish tank. A tank for bottom-dwellers alone. Could put some politicians in there as well

BC,

I think I will lose one bed to Grubette and a clam shell filled with sand. Not too bad really

[Gimme3]

Aussies, New Zealanders...yall are indeed a Crazy Lot...)))in a GOOD WAY...))) Mantis...u are micro-managin stuff.Relax...u got 6 or 8 months....lol...Beautiful Starts...)))

a question, if i may barge in impolitely...i would sure appreciate any...inputs from Native Peoples...lol...that happen to know a tidbit about a certain crayfish...known in your part of the Earth as a Marron.

To start with...do we say ...Marr...on....or is it called...ma-Ron ? Or how else ?

What can yall state about how it tastes ?



If ya ★★★★ed off about the Native Peoples inference...i laugh, cause...who else could i ask this to ?...)))

[Grub]

Hi Gimme,

You won't get any more Aussie than Mantis, a former shearer no less. You can only imagine the conversation in the sheds with a sheep between his legs and a pair of shears in one hand.

As for Marron. That's M for mmmmm. As in yummmmm.

Marron is pronounced as though it were spelt maron: ma as in mad, ron as in Cunningham. Ma-ron. Maron. Marron.

Not Mah-Ron unless you are from the smoked-salmon-and-caviar set.

You got some? Let's eat.

[Mantis]

Have never tried Marron but have eaten tons of Yabbies. In fact I am going in search of some this weekend as the channels are running around here.
Yabbies are the best tasting shellfish I have eaten by far.
I think they are similar to your Crawdads.

[Grub]

Mantis,

How do you reckon the Yabbies survive long period of no water. I mean, when a river dries up, and then fills years later, yabbies appear. Maybe they lay eggs in mud holes or something.

Yabbies make great pets too. Might nip some fish fins but.

[Mantis]

Grub
As the water starts to dissapear they burrow deep down into the mud. Large caches of yabbies have been found 18 - 20 feet down under dry dam beds. All the dry swamps and lakes here will have yabbies in them the first summer after they fill again (if that ever happens). They go into a sort of hybernation and live off the meat in their claws. If you catch yabbies soon after a long dry dam fills their claws will have very little meat in them.
Thus endith the botany lesson

[Grub]

Sometimes I wish I was a yabby. Crawl back into my hole.

Hey, nice spring weather here today. Not too hot. How is it there? Then I can get an idea about the weather on Sunday.

[Mantis]

Yep its very nice here as well. Looks like you are in for showers on Sunday

http://www.eldersweather.com.au/loca...t=aploc&lc=624

[Grub]

Yeh, right. Showers.

I just go to www.bom.gov.au and get the forecasts there.

But for the front chilli bed I'm pretty much all planted out, so it might be back to the hedging and other stuff.

Might spray for grubs.
Might go for yum cha.
Might hit the nurseries for impulse buys. Lol.
Bought a Jalapeno andd Yellow Wax last week.

[Gimme3]

Grub........Mantis....i dont know if the commercial made it's way down that far south, yet...heck, i dont even know if yall have a Burger King in the Whole Country...


there was a funny commercial here in the states....an Grub...you reminded me of it, talkin bout wantin to jus be a Yabbie....lol, crawl in a hole an Hide...)))

The burger King commercial was 3 roosters, 2 of em....mockin a third one.The 2 roosters was gangin up on him, mockin him for supposedly sayin that he might jus wanna be french fry. All in All, its a mind-bogglin idea, but the animation is so funny....the killer line of speech comes from the single rooster, who replies to the taunts of his 2 buddies, eventually, sayin...."Yeah !, Thats RITE, I Think i DO Wanna be...a frenchfrie". I can jus picture in my mind....You , Grub...sayin...."Yeah ! Thats Rite, Sometimes i DO....jus wanna be a Yabbie".

Mantis....the sheep got what they need...lol....comin to em....Be Strong....)))

I thank you Both, for the Marron insights. Thats how i'm gon say it, from now on...Maron....like baron,like a gal named Karen, like a old english Barron. Correct me if i'm still wrong.


Sister has a nice pond, but water has been scarce for too many years. They thinkin bout fillin it in. I'm thinkin tilapia or crayfish....along with simple sand-point drillin for fresh water.....thus the Question .

im gon sit back an keep enjoyin this thread, its a good one...)))

[Mantis]

Gimme
I think you may be getting things a bit screwed up. We Ozzies just shear the sheep , it's the New Zealand folk that have love lives with them
Mantis *ducks for cover*

[Raymondo]

At last something to contribute. I'm way behind all you guys. I didn't even sow seeds till eary September. No point here as planting out is very risky until early November because of frost. Last year at this time we had a big freeze that wiped out most of my seedlings!
Anyway, mine are up and running and all's looking good for early November plantout.
And the list:
Alicante
Aunt Gertie's Gold (My third attempt at growing this one. Hope I get something to taste!!!)
Azoychka
Better Boy
Brandywine Cherry
College Challenger
Costoluto Pisanello
Fireworks
Galina's Yellow (a great tasting yellow cherry)
Golden Grape (this is from a supermarket tomato that wasn't bad)
Grub's Mystery Green (yes, our very own Grub)
Hungarian Italian
Jaune Flammée (my favourite tomato)
Jaune Flammée x Paragon F1 (I want to develop a larger Jaune Flammée and this is the start. I did the cross last year. Exciting! Well, for me it is.)
Joe Thieneman's Australian Heart
June Pink
Kellogg's Breakfast
Local cherry (seeds from a plant that survived the winter here outdoors!!!)
Mama Leone
Martino's Roma
Matina
Paragon
Santa Clara Canner
Sioux
Spitfire Hybrid
Sweet Baby Girl
Tasmanian Blushing Yellow
Thessaloniki
Victoria