Seed saving + Ibis visit.

Seed saving is something all gardeners should get in the habit of. It's simple, but it does take time (like everything in the natural world).
Saving seed has many advantages, the most obvious is that you don't have to keep buying seed, you just collect your own! Another major advantage is that plants acclimatize themselves, meaning that they adjust to your specific local conditions, which results in the plants becoming stronger generation by generation.
Remember to collect seed from the best plants you have, that way you have the best chance of increasing your success the following year, I read a farmers saying that goes - 'Collect the best, eat the rest' :3

My current technique for saving seed:
*Let the seed pods fully develop on the plant.
*Cut a big section off.
*Label each one using masking tape + a sharpie.
*Hang them undercover to dry (this may take several weeks, depending on the weather).
*Open the pods over a bowl (preferably one with a spout)
*Remove any husk, etc.
*Transfer the seeds into zip-lock bags (which I also label using masking tape + sharpie)

It's a bit of a process, especially shelling the seeds, but it's fairly enjoyable if you have somewhere comfy to sit, & maybe a friend to chat to :)

The process is similar for fruiting plants, which have seeds directly inside them (rather than growing seed pods like salads, broccoli, radish, etc)
Allow the fruit to fully mature, harvest it, remove the seeds, & allow them to dry completely on a rack/tray before bagging + labeling.
For fruit such as zucchini & cucumber it's a good idea to allow one or two good looking fruit to grow quite large, so the seeds are big & mature, & therefore, easier to collect.
You don't necessarily have to buy all your seeds, you can collect some from fruit + veg that you buy, I've done this several times, especially with tomato, pumpkin, & capsicum :) or if you know someone with a garden, chances are they have extra seed, so maybe ask them as well, sharing seed, & encouraging gardening is a great habit to get into!

As I was wondering around collecting seeds last week, I noticed a large Ibis wandering around the property. I've got no idea why he dropped by, but it was interesting to watch him investigate, & eat whatever he could find. It's probably the closest I've ever gotten to a large water bird :)