Visitors.

My sister flew in from Hanoi on Sunday. She and her husband are bigwig hotel  management types, and some years ago after a holiday in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia where they fell in love with tropical south east Asia, they requested and were granted transfers to Hanoi. Since then Lachlan, my nephew, was born, and I see far too little of him. Although I feel sorry for my brother in law spending Christmas without his family, frankly he can suck it up 'cause it's my turn. (Sorry Mick)

And what a surprise I had waiting for them. Let me paint a photo picture.

 Imogen was so excited that Aunty Rabbit was coming.

 Lachlan was a little wary to begin with.

 Grandad, ( my dad) kept an eye on his boy.

And why had they come? The uninitiated might think that Christmas had something to do with it, but no. They came all this way just in time to see the the piece de resistance. My very first cucumber. I know you find it hard to believe that they travelled all this way for my humble first cucumber, but that's family.

I think I'm starting to morph into an Italian immigrant from the 40's. i.e. I'd like to turn my small block into a thriving market garden with rows of produce, chickens scurrying hither and thither and a long table for family lunches with plenty of good wine. I started with leafy veggies and found that they are are fairly easy to grow and maintain and tomatoes are not much harder, but I'm getting into a greater diversity of food plants. The cucumber is the first triumph, and the capsicum aren't far behind. I wonder if Alison would notice the lawn if it went missing.