Crumpled Home

RJ: I don’t care what colour a grape is. As long as it’s crunchy inside…

RJ: They’re a bit like people.

On the weekend, we all drove up to Gingin to help with the second stage of winemaking. The first stage, picking the grapes and first pressing, was already done a couple of weeks ago; it was time for the second pressing and getting the wine into vats for fermentation. We also spent time working on LR’s latest project, “The Museum of the Universes of Science” — a showcase for all the amazing animals, bones, plants and rocks that we discover up there.

Obviously, winemaking is a very serious business!

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(RJ is sitting next to his 5 month old cousin at the dinner table)

RJ: (holds up a grape) Now this. This is an olive. It’s delicious.

Vi: (flaps arms, yells)

RJ: And these are veggies. They are very bad for you.

Vi: (shrieks of joy)

RJ: Lollies are great though. Definitely eat lollies.

Vi: (loving the attention)

RJ: … and you can always eat rubbish.

RJ: (turns to everyone else at the table) I’m the worst teacher ever!

Despite the hot weather, we made it up to Gingin for the grape harvest, but Grammy, Poppa, Kath and Brad had already picked all the grapes and crushed them the day before we got there! We made the most of it anyway, picking a lot of figs and table grapes that were ready to eat. Mum cooked up some fig jam and we had a big sewing ‘sesh’ during the heat of the day, before going for an explore out in the paddock.

Our incredibly brave**, heroic** and good-looking** dad rescued us from this marauding beast** that had been ransacking the countryside and was intent on destroying the farm.

We found this guy having a drink from the dog's water bowl. He's a bobtail lizard which are pretty common around here.

**Hyperbole employed as official privilege of the author

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A few more pictures from our last trip to Gingin. Our friend E stopped by to visit and we had a great time playing in the shed and chasing the pinballs around the fields. The next day we had to prune the grape vines to get them ready for the next growing season. It should be a great crop this year!

RJ gives LR a lift on the block and tackle.

E, RJ and LR decided to bury a small finch, instead of feeding it to Mr. Bitey

Pinball wizards!

Playing fetch with the kids. Sticks don't work, but giant pinballs do!

Look out Poppa! Floating pinballs are dangerous!

Poppa had a bat take residence in his computer.

Mum gets to work on one of the more pathetic grape vines.

LR gets the low branches; Grammy gets the high ones.

RJ helps chop the weeds... unless it's one that he thinks is cute.

Scarlet helps by sniffing everything.

LR harvests the olives, lemons and rose hips.

These olives need to be pickled before we can eat them.

LR carried the bucket everywhere. Strong kid!

You might recognise a few familiar faces here from when we discovered the Garagistes de Gingin.

Keep an eye on those carboys about 30 seconds in.