Birds

 The last few days U have been taking photos of the local bird life. Some not as well as I would like but here is a collage of them and some coastal mallee flowers thrown in as well. I walked down to the point this morning and took photos and collected a few plant specimens to draw.
Here are my birds, I think the first one is a new holland honey eater but I couldnt quite make it out. Seagulls in the water, pelicans fighting over the remains of fish, an unidentified duck, a pair of very raucus Pacific gulls who landed close to where I was sitting on the point.
a lovely Pt Lincoln (Murray ring neck) parrot who came to check us out this morning and a grey heron who was fishing in the shallows.
Oh and I nearly forgot the red wattled wattle bird. Beautiful weather, just right for sitting on the balcony in the sun and not doing much.

Coffin Bay shells

 We arrived yesterday after a very long day, tired but all the crew arrived in good time too.
The smoked salmon pie went down well with a salad and some good wine.
Amazingly we were quite late to bed as there was a lot of catching up to be done.
This morning the fellows went fishing, and came home with a very good haul so we will eat well.
I walked down to the point and the little beach had a heap of shells as the tide was reasonably low so I came home with a pocket full.
I am managing the pain levels, more or less but I was glad to get home and sit for a while.
After all we did start at about 3.45 yesterday morning.
Finally a small sketched offering of shells and the coast view.

We are in Coffin Bay

 Yesterday we left home at about 5.30 am and started the 8 or so hour trip to
Coffin Bay.
There was fog in places, some rain, low cloud and a couple of diversions.
we called in to Pt Germain and had a lovely double headed licky ice cream each, a loo stop and saw this amazing boat launcher heading out over the flats (bottom left).I also really liked the metal sculpture of a grain ship.
We passed ploughed paddocks and wind turbines. The Flinders Ranges and a great cloud of (steam?) at Whyalla and on down until we arrived at Pt Lincoln for a delicious late lunch and a bit of food shopping and finally to Coffin Bay itself.(the second top on the left)
Every one arrived safely but tired, we ate salad and my pie andfinally fell into bed quite late.
I have walked to the pont and back this morning and the fellows are out fihing.
Im off to see if I can sketch something.

A third little angel

 I wasnt sure I liked this when I embellished the blue scrim onto blue felt but as she started to be made I rather like her.
A piece of handmade felt for her dress and scrim for flowers, beading and embroidery and some silk roving embellished on for her wings.
I like my embellishing machine.
We have had more showers today, we had our hair cuts and came home by early afternoon.
Collected my car which bunny hopped home, they forgot to do something to the springs so it has to go back in tomorrow and my shoulders and neck are aching.
The joys of the modern age when things dont quite go right.
A lot to do tomorrow so I will probably not blog until after we get to Coffin Bay.
My collection of' 'to do' bags to take with me is growing, and I mustnt forget my sewing machine.

Around the garden

 We have had some rain, not a lot but enough to start things off we hope.
The garden looks refreshed after such a long dry time and what autumn leaves I have (most fell off during the long dry) are looking lovely.
The self seeded plum is a beautiful muted colour.
I just managed a peacock in the photo as well.
Lots of seeds and flowers on the palms, although they wont much like the cold weather now.
Max is always there when I let the chooks out, he can look but get no closer!
My day has been rather mucked up, but when hasnt it! My car is not starting so it had to go into the garage to see what the problem is. I needed it yesterday when I had a Drs appointment but luckily Johns car was home.
Today I had set aside to do some baking and I finally have the biscotti done and the anzac bisuits but I am so tired. How silly to be so tired.
I am also trying to get stuff together to take away to Coffin Bay and organise the house sitter and I am so far behind with that.
Hair cuts at Glenelg tomorrow and then straight home.
I think I will make a cup of tea and go and sit by the fire!

A walk and another angel

I really like this angel, the colours work for me, they are fun to work on.
I seem to be getting my photos at a bit of an angle, the photographer not the blog!
We went for a walk this morning after going to the market.
We are supposed to be having a cooler change although at the moment it is still t shirt weather and we hope some rain tonight.
It has been a very odd few days.
As you can see there were some interesting clouds as we walked on the beach this morning, and sea weed piled up.
We havent managed a walk for over a week, so nice to manage one this morning, although I think the change may be coming as my knee was most uncomfortable, which it hasnt been for a few days.
John has once more cleaned out the gutters and blown away the leaves that are all over the place, I love autumn but the glory vine makes a huge mess. I know some people dont like blowers but I bless ourts.

This and that

I have been playing with my embellisher and this is one of Annette Emms angels that were featured in Stitch magazine. I had a lot of fun with thisw one and another is under way.
I havent used the embellisher for so long and it has been a lot of fun.
On Tuesday night we went up to Adelaide as John had a meeting and stayed with P over night as he had another meeting in the morning.
P gave us a lovely dinner and her son was there as well, it is nice to catch up with the younger generation, although they are not so young any more!
P and I did a little bit of important shopping and then went up to Carrick Hill to see the Jaqueline Hicks exhibition, I found it interesting as the paint in the 1940's must have been terrible as it has mostly gone to an over all mud colour but the later paintings were lovely, especially her aboriginal one of a figure with dogs.
I do find Adelaide tiring and so today I walked Max early and have done another angel figure but it is not finished yet.
It has been terribly hot for the last 2 days, over 30degrees C yesterday and nearly as hot today. With no rain until Sunday we are trying to water again.
So frustrating.
What has germinated in the paddocks is looking very sad and sorry and the garden looks awful.
Another difficult year for farmers here and so many being driven over the edge.
A couple of photos of the hills and houses taken from the Mitcham area.