Cockle train

Once more I was being a tourist in my own town and while we were having coffee after a walk along the foreshore the cockle train was about to leave.
I was a bit surprised that we actually had the steam train due to the dry weather, it has been known to start a fire with sparks before today.
Any way there it was in all its glory and I really was going to take a photo of it passing the gates and I forgot to turn the camera on and it had gone before I realised. What a bummer!!
Came home to a very sick foal and had to get the vet out, expensive after hours call of course. She was drenched with oil as she had a tummy ache and I was up about every 2 hours checking her all night. Seems fine this morning thank goodness.
We also had another colt foal born, the last I think for this season. Our ratio of colts to fillies is not good. He is rather sweet though.

Old Wife

This rather beautiful fish goes under the name of "Old Wife" I am not sure why and as I am an old wife it pleases me.
I sketched this on Kangaroo Island from a photo as I didnt have the fish in front of me. They are found around jetties in schools and we used to occasionally get one when we were diving, I think they are found around all but the tropical areas of Australia according to the book I have.
I felt I would like to put up a sketch instead of a photo and I am still knitting my second sock and taking ages over it so that wont do and I am trying to finish up some tags for a tag swap but they are not finished either.
This time between Christmas and New Year is always a bit messy I think, people coming and going the excitement is over but mundane things must be done.

Deserted beach Kangaroo Island

This is Antechamber bay on the one sunny day we had on the Island. The sea here is always this incredible colour. There was no one there and we walked almost from one end of the beach to the other.
You can see the mainland on the right, this is a very short stretch of water known as Backstairs Passage (interesting names!) and can be as calm as calm and really rough and treacherous at other times.
I always think there could be a white pointer shark patrolling off this beach for unwary swimmers.
There are very few shells on this beach and this time with the drought the Chapman River which normally flows out to sea here was dry quite a long way back. A popular camping spot now taken over from the Council by the National Parks people, a bit of controversy about this as more rules and regulations and camping permits. The locals are not happy.
John used to spend many happy evenings fishing for brim in the river.

Boxing day

This was a collection of friends watching the boxing day cricket match on the beach at Pt Willunga. The remains of the old jetty are to be seen in the background. I took dozens of photos it was such a fun thing, a bit grey and overcast again.
We went up to the 80th last night and it was a lovely night full of old friends and good food and wine. Stayed with other friends ovenight and am now home. Looked at my waistline in the mirror this morning and nearly had a fit. some sort of diet will have to be in place and lots more walking, hard walking not dithering around drawing!!
Australia post has been particularly slow as Christmas cards are still dribbling in and they have a holiday tomorrow!!

Home from Kangaroo Island

I hope everyone has had a lovely Christmas break.
This is a part of the Penneshaw beach that I walked every morning while we were on the I sland. This was Christmas morning, cold and damp and lovely!
We had a wonderful few days, lots of relaxing, walked everyday sometimes twice a day, got up late, went to bed early and ate great food. Caught up with friends and had a terrific time. I hate coming home, and after having some old and new friends for drinks on Christmas afternoon it was sad to pack up and leave next morning.
It was 13 degrees on the Cape jervis wharf when we arrived and i had sat outside, as I always do in case of sea sickness and I was frozen even if I did have about 3 layers of clothes on.
We headed up to Pt Willunga for lunch with friends and cricket with the children on the beach. Had to pick the cat up around four so home and then unpacking all over again. I think we were in bed by 8!!
Tonight is a friends 80th Birthday so we go to Mclaren Vale to celebrate, his one of those we go fishing at Coffin Bay with and a well known wine maker. We will stay with the other friends, also wine makers who come fishing with us. Should be a good night.

Aftermath of a bush fire

This fire was lit by joy riders who illegally entered a locked gate into a National park and got bogged and the exhaust of their car lit a fire that went onto ajoining farm land and burnt out most of the park.
I drove past it today, less than a week afer it had happened. No where near as bad as the fires in the Eastern states have been but a grim reminder of what can happen. Not sure how good these photos are but this was taken from the side of the road where the full effects would not have been felt
The ground is just a carpet of grey ash. The last time this was burnt was in 1982 and then there was nothing left at all. I would imagine that in Autumn/ winter a lot of these trees may sprout from the bottom again. I hope so.
I am learning not to go any where without my camera.

Christmas pudding

This was supposed to be a photo of John and I holding a Christmas pudding a friend had made, instead I came home tired from hot and horrid Adelaide, had half a glass more of wine than normal and deleted all the photos in my camera!
So sorry Paddy but here is a sketch of it instead, and it looked a magnificent pud as well. I used to make them but these days John is the only one who eats one so I buy one instead.
A hot day delivering presents to family and friends, first my mother, we took her out for coffee and a chocolate biscuit, then my younger sister, a friend and my older sister, home via the post office, dogs fed, us fed, no watering done, perhaps early tomorrow morning, a day up and back is tiring, tomorrow will be even busier.

Tiny Christmas Teddy

My older sister has a Christmas tree adorned with small teddy bears, mostly made by me. I didnt think I had time to make her one this year but found some faux suede in my stash and a small pattern and spent most of today making him. I hate making tiny teds but this one was remarkably easy, his nose is a bit gross but hey I havent made one for 2 years.
I am supposed to be a doll maker, embellisher embroiderer etc but she wont let me bead or embroider her bears, frustrating.
Any way I made another bracelet, biscotti for John for us to take away and the bear so my day was fairly well filled considering I tried to take the top off my little finger before I did anything. I actually havent seen how much damage I did I just wrapped it up in cotton wool and wrapped about 3 band aids around it. I dont want to look! Typing has been interesting, I keep making typos.
John wenr fishing and came home with fish, I am pleased and so is Oscar.

Gates

On my other blog I have been sketching gates, amongs other things and when I took my camera out the other day I took this collection of gates.The one infront is the one I open every day to feed one of the stallions who is by himself in one of the spring fed dams. You can just see the nose of my Toyota tray top in the corner. Things look quite green here, that is because it is a cleared swamp so we have some minor springs and heavier soil which keeps in the moisture.
I tried to take a photo of the trees dying on the hills but the angle was wrong, this morning of course I didnt have the camera and there are even more dying trees, so I will see what I can do tomorrow.
I am trying to hand sew a tiny bear for my sister before Monday, it may get done but we are off to the Christmas pageant tonight and then dinner at the pub with friends shortly.

Drying dam

This is one of the dams on our property which is gradually drying up, despite yesterdays bit of rain. It has a very small spring in it and is at the bottom of a swamp so some of the grass around is still green but the poor ducks wont be there for much longer, there is just a sI will be making them, only a few days before we go to Kangaroo island so such a lot to do

This morning

I took the camera out with me while i fed the ponies and took some photos. This shows the dry paddocls and a doe (female) kangaroo and her joey, I hope you can click on the picture to have a better view.
I dont know how many kangaroos i saw this morning, a lot. You can see how dry the paddocks look.
I have spent all day cooking, savory biscuits and sweet ones. I have also put up the tree and a few special decorations out, but I am not doing the whole house thing as I sometimes do.
It has rained here for most of the day, very light and very gentle, but rain! Probably not a lot but it has washed the plants clean of all the dust and the smell of everything is wonderful. The birds all went mad when it started.
Always a down side with rain, paddock feed will go off, but I hope we got some water in the rain water tanks, even if it probably is a bit dirty.
Oh and the strange looking trees in the centre of this photo are what we call blackboys or grass trees. I love them but unfortunatly so do stock who will eventually kill them, luckily we have some in the scrub on the hills, although even there this morning there are signs of large areas of quite big gum trees dying.

Coffee table

Sitting wondering what to do and there in front of me was the coffee table with a stack of books and magazines and the tv remote. I think that somehow I have got my proportions wrong but this is todays sketch.
A bush fire is being reported from near where I was today, had lunch with my friend Wendy and we talked about all sorts of things, reported on the death of a friends mother, what we hoped to do next year, saw the beginings of a wonderful leafy sea dragon quilt she is doing with others, looked at ideas in various textile publications and what we might do together. So I hope that the fire is further away than is being rather badly reported. Sounds a bit like a deliberatly lit fire, in other words a fire bug, the scourge of those of us who live in the country, especially when at the moment both Victoria and Tasmania have devastating fires raging over 100's of kilometres with in Tasmania many many houses being lost.

EDM Challenge, a gift

I think that was the latest challenge, any way these little fabric frogs are one of my most precious presents, I have a very special 80 year old friend who every year sends me either tiny fabric people or these wonderful frogs, made out of wild fabrics and beads and trims, they have wire in their legs so they bend and this collection are all trying to find their way out of a glass vase I have. Done in rather a hurry using the inktense pencils

Dry paddocks

This is Rivington Nell and her filly foal, she is a Welsh Section B. I am really pleased with the way they look, really this was to show how dry and brown the paddocks are although this one has some dry feed, we had been keeping it for the mares and foals. Normally at this time of the year this would be green and growing.
My back has been killing me for days so I am probably not in the mood for anything much, I cleaned the house right through as the last few days had left it so dusty and awful, and I dont like house cleaning at the best of times. I was going to get the Christmas decorations up but after my massive clean I think it may get done tomorrow.
Too tired to sketch.
I think I have Tabbys' girls on Sunday which will be great as I havent seen them for a while.
At least it was cooler and more pleasant today.
I have just finished reading an interesting book set mostly in Burma called The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh. I picked it up In Penneshaw at their book exchange for $3. Done from an Indian point of view about the British Raj amongst other things.

Angel ornament

I rather liked the silly expression on this angel who is a companion for the fat little father Christmas. Not as hot today but very humid so not really much better.
I finished off my 3/4 pants I am making, I havent made anything for me for years, these are a crazy pink fatigue looking cotton drill that cost me very little and although they make me look even more like a mad short round elderly person they are very comfortable, I dont think they will be used except around the house.
Much cooler in Victor this afternoon and just as hot when we got back as it had been when we left about 10 degrees difference, went in for a walk along the beach, lovely to get the sand between my toes, and then a coffee.

Christmas Ornament

I buy myself a new ornament every year and this funny little fellow was this years buy, actually I bought two there is an angel as well.
I was going to set up the Christmas stuff today but it has been so hot I have given it a miss and tiedied up things in my work room and on the dining room table, where a tree normally goes but at the moment is covered in John's agendas and my Christmas cards still to do.
It was 37 degrees before 9 am today, I hate to think what it got to, I havent bothered to look at the gauge as I really didnt want to know.Thought I had better draw something but we are going in to Victor for drinks tonight and have animals to feed before I go. Watering cant be done until much later anyway.
We are supposed to have a slight cool change, I hope it is better than slight but I doubt it.
Tony F thanks for all your messages, feel rather an imposter as my drawing is pretty awful really. I have this blog set up for emails to tell me when new messages come in and while the computer was with the computer man he was intrieuged(sp!!) by the number of emails I got! Cant e mail you personally.

The Dentist

We have been off line while John got this new laptop, I get the old computer, if I can find somewhere to put it! I have dreadful trouble typing on a flat base, and we have been having a few teathing problems getting it all up and going, havent got the wireless connection yet so this is the one to play with.
today was over 40 degrees awfull hot, too hot and it still is and the garden looks a mess, still too hot to water anything and tomorrow sounds even worse 41 in Adelaide, 39 for Victor Probably about 41 out here as we are always hotter.
Yesterday we went to Adelaide, to see my mother, she looked remarkably well for all that she has gone through, we took her for a coffee, I think getting out is what she craves, although it was rather warm for her. Then we had to go to the dreaded dentist, I really am not comfortable with peope in my mouth and attacking my teeth but it wasnt as bad as I thought, the first visit to our old dentists son. I now have another intsrument of torture to try to remember to put between my teeth.
I keep hitting something on this that moves what I have just typed, I guess I will get used to it.

Playing with an embellisher

This is what I did yesterday playing with the Janome embellisher, only a few minutes work and it was such fun. I have now ordered one.
What I did here was lay down some wool tops, some knitting wool and some glitz onto some felt, Then go to it with the needles on the machine. Lots more could be done.
Today was another very hot and windy day, bushfires close to our friends in the McLaren Vale area.
John had meetings in town all day and I had to take the poor old toyota tray top into Victor, all dressed up to go to the Womens and Childrens auxhillary lunch. The lunch was fine, lots of people and father Christmas gave us all a gift. Driving home was very hot and uncomfortable, shows how much I rely on an airconditioned car these days.
I have been scanning the skies here fro smoke but all so far is ok.
I am getting the Christmas cards done, I cant remember who I send to and who I dont.

EDM Challenge, A card

This is a little rough but I quite liked it. I had wondered about not having a star but the sun but in the heat we are having and in those heavy clothes and boots the poor old chap would melt away. I dont really think I would like to ride an emu.
I have finally written up the Christmas letter, now to find time to get to the cards and address them.
I had fun this morning trying out the Janome Xpression felting embellisher and was most impressed. I had a lot of fun with it so yes I am going to buy one. Not all the money will come from the bracelets that were sold in Victoria but at least part of it.
Of course I need to have time to play with it, but after Christmas I hope things will slow down a bit.

Maggie

This is Maggie, my little pug bitch who disapeared for 9 days only to be found down the deep hole in the shed used to work under cars. Amazingly she came out without a scratch and still quite fat. Today unfortunatly she is even fatter and due to go on a diet.
She is a lovely girl but has a bit of a floppy tail, not good for pugs who should have tight curled ones. Trying to take her photo was impossible., she just wanted to be next to me.
Today was cooler and I did some cutting back in the garden, we went to a pre Christmas lunch which was fun and full of old friends, came home for a sleep. At least Sarah is now home so I only had to do the morning feeds.
Of course nothing productive got done, and probably wont for the next few days, although I go to try the embellisher tomorrow.

Across the railway tracks

Yesterday I couldnt access my blogger photos but some one kindly told me to clear my cache in firefox so that done they seemed to come back, I have no idea what else I cleared.
Yesterday we had a wander around Victor Harbor and a coffee and I took a few photos and this was one of across the railway tracks and looking up to Adaire which is one of the old stately houses that is now a holiday camp for children. We still have a couple left. You will find a sketch I did of the same place in my other blog, the boots and sketchbook in my links.
A long and tiring day, I had to organise Harry again and two late nights in a row is a bit much for me these days.

Waiting at the hairdressers

While waiting at the hair dressers I saw this very strange edifice, made out of plastic and loaded with everything one could want in the way of hair care.
An interesting thing to say the least.
Today was cooler but blowing madly all day and tonight the air is full of dust and dirt, filthy and so drying, the paddocks are crumbling to dust in front of our eyes. I do so want some rain.
I have just fed us and Harry and taken him in to work at Woolworths, probably until about 2 am when he will ring me to get him. The next two days will be tiring I think.
I havent heard from Sarah as to how they went today so I imagine we didnt do at all well.
I still havent had time to get to the computer when John isnt using it to write my Christmas letter. Somehow I dont think I want to know about it so I am not doing it!