Adelaide yesterday, sewing today

I have no idea what this poster is all about but as we stopped at a traffic light in Pulteney St yesterday I grabbed my camera and took a photo. I thought it was very interesting.
We had gone up for haircuts and to see Gaby and Mason. Mason slept the whole time I was there, poor little mite, but he did end up eating the cheese hamburgher we left. They are both so fed up with it and hoping to come home today but so far I havent heard.
Today I have the shakes and aches so have been doing things that dont entail too much thought, like getting on with this little jill Maas doll, Maggie who you cant see terribly well as the light from the window is on her but she is getting there.
I have a box of birds finished but have worked out I need another 5, just hope they get done. I spent time today writing the Christmas letter, and wrapping the grand childrens presents and working out what else I have to do, I am afraid it is mostly a home made Christmas this year. I do have enough mugs to put the pate in and have worked out how many cakes to make. So a few things crossed off the list, but a couple of nagging worries about what to make for the friend who is coming to stay over Christmas. Havent had a brain wave yet.
The old pug is barking, he is sure it is dinner time, so I suppose I had better go and sort him out and the hens and then get started on what we are having for dinner.

A new foal and a bit of this and that

Here is the very smart palomino Welsh B colt foal who arrived the other morning. He is absolutely lovely but I wish he had been a filly. Still I have one full sister so I suppose I cant be too greedy. We just dont really need another colt.
He is out of our very well performed cream mare Rivington Sunday and by the lovely stallion we took back a few months ago Imperial Angelo.
Returning from looking at him yesterday I took a photo of the stuff I have around my back door, all sorts of bits and pieces, beach finds, some pot plants, bones and stones. I have fun changing things around here.
Next a wet the bed (or dandelion) seed head I saw in the paddocks, we need to get rid of these wretched things they can cause false stringhalt in the ponies. I do love the shape and the way the seeds are arranged, although this is not a terribly clear photo. Non the less they are a weed I could do without and this has been a good year for them.
Finally another view of the vegetable garden red runner beans are starting to climb the wigwam, the fig tree is looking very lush and the broad beans are coming to the end of their bearing. Potatoes need didgging and the verbascum are looking purely decorative.
John went fishing today and has come home with some fish, Oscar is so pleased, he hasnt had any for a while. I sewed for most of the day, trying to get stuff done before going to Kangaroo Island, which is getting closer. We go over on the 18th and come home after Christmas so everything has to be done before we go. Not only that but we have a friend coming down over that time and I have to get the house ready for her and the house sitter.
Havent heard any dire reports of the boys so I think all must be going well.

Around the garden, again.

It is damp again today, trouble is we need real rain not this bit of piddle we seem to be getting.
the top photo is looking towards the back of the house from the chook yard, then this rose, and I cant remember if it is wedding day or another is around the back garden fence and is flowering madly this year after a few bad years so it is enjoying the weather, and the next photo is across the paddocks, they have dried out quite a lot but you can see the misty look of the drizzle on the hills on the other side of the valley, this was taken from the vegetable garden across what are normally the calf paddocks and although there is not a pony to be seen at the moment they are mostly full of mares in with the little stallion, the mares and foals have been taken out to the bigger paddocks.
Finally my foot! All wrapped up prior to going to have a shower, glad wrap and then a plastic bag to keep it dry. Such an annoying thing to have to do every morning.
We were in Adelaide yesterday, we went to see young Mason but he was still in surgery or recovery when we had to go so we didnt see him but I spoke to him on the phone later. He has had to have skin graft, and then keep still and not take the wrapping off, I spoke to Gaby this morning who was overtired and as she said how do you keep a 3 year old very active little farm boy still and amused, he gets bored very quickly. They will re assess on Wednesday, it is such a long time.
I feel worried and tired and not able to settle either, whenever anything happened to my children they were in the local hospital and you didnt have to be there all the time, now they are miles away and there are not enough nurses to look after them. Poor Gaby has to race to the canteen, on the next floor to get very expensive food for herself when he is asleep. Consequently she is not eating properly and is not sleeping well either.
Enough of my complaints, I had better try and clean my house.

Some play and stuff in the mail

The top photo is of some little brooches I have been making, just a bit of play to have a few gifts on hand in case I need them.
Then in the mail today came this lovely tassel from Doreen, we did a parivate swap and I love this clever little tassel. I spent all day trying to find cotton reels at the op shops, no luck though.
Also in the mail this lovely post card from Meya in Holland, she received my quilt in the 6th little quilt swap. I love this postcard and it arrived safely with no envelope, I am always a bit frightened of sending things like this without an envelope.
Had my toe dressed today, I think it is going to take weeks and weeks, now it hurts, they put yet another type of dressing on it. Not terribly pleased. I seemed to spend forever waiting in at the surgery.
The weather is much cooler thank goodness but apart from touring the op shops no walk today and I feel as if I need one but my toe doesnt want to, moan moan!

Yesterday, some rain and a wander

We had a bit of rain overnight and I liked the way the droplets were hanging onto this wonderful striped canna's leaves, not much but it settled the dust for a day but it is windy and drying out again today.
After going to the market and lunch we decided to go to have a look at the Fleurieu Biennial exhibitions for the richest landscape prize in Australia. I went with high hopes having seen all the previous ones but was bitterly disappointed, I dont know what the judges were thinking or am I getting too old? Lots of blobs of colour, tone on tone and nothing to excite until we got to the sculpture part, even then there were some very good and some very awful.
The best were the vistas at d'Arenberg and my second and last photos were taken there, Loved the windmill and then the vista across the valley at McLaren Vale.
My middle one was outside Wirra Wirra winery where an old friend Greg Trott used to hold sway, John who went to his funeral thinks this was spoken there. I love the sentiment. This was where the young artists were displayed and again, the one that held my attention didnt even get a highly commended. Oh well, we all have our own opinions.
Today my toe needed re dressing, according to John it looks better but it smelt! I go in to have it looked at tomorrow.
Then a phone call to say that our great grandson Mason is in the Women's and Children's Hospital having fallen backwards into a fire, not sure of the total circumstances but he was rushed up to Adelaide and after a long night with no sleep his mother and grandmother are still stressed out, as am I. He will be there until at least Wednesday and then we know how well he is healing and if he needs a skin graft or not on his poor little bottom, he of course is running amok according to Tabby and probably enjoying the attention. Of course there are complications at home, a baby kangaroo to feed, Tabby's husband and Gaby's partner are due to fly back to the mining site tomorrow morning on a very early flight, nothing ever goes to plan.
I have spent a lot of the day with my foot up trying to air out my toe but I have managed to get quite a lot of odds and ends of sewing done so that is good and John hads been repotting the big rock orchids, first get the pots out of the tree, an interesting few moments but we managed it.
It will be interesting to see what tomorrow brings.

My beautiful basket,

I think they are made in Ghana but am not sure if they are imported or made here, I just know that they are made from elephant grass some dyed and leather and were different shapes and some very bright colours but I liked this one which reminds me of the french market baskets. Lovely to carry and hold quite a lot.
This one came from the Violet Town market and are sold by some one in Shepparton.
My big white apiphytic cactus is flowering, I missed the red one, it was out while I was away.
Not a lot to report, just boring domestic stuff like ironing and trying to get things away so I can start on sewing for Christmas presents.
Hope you have a lovely day.

Week end away

Sarah and I were up and off by 4 am on Friday morning heading to the Imperial Stud at Upper Lurg in North east Victoria. A drive of 11 hours.
The photos, morning sunrise on the way, and then the house in the lower right was a typical old Victorian house made of wood with lace added in one of the small towns we stopped in. The middle upper is of Sarah and her friend judging at the show on Sunday, the wonderful Saturday market at Violet Town where I bought a wonderful basket, (photos of that to come), and a couple of other odds and ends. It was almost as big as the Eumundi markets im Queenland where I love to go as well.
The middle photos of ponies (click to enlarge) are Sarah and Mark looking at ponies and the view from the house and the last little foal is the filly who was born while we were away.
So many lovely ponies to look at, almost all had foaled, luckily we had a yearling to take home and these were babies or we would never have known where to go if we wanted another.
Mark is a wonderful host, cooks liike a dream and it was tiring but also very relaxing. As I said the market was great fun, and at the show on the Sunday I caught up with old friends and won two things in the raffle! I dont often win raffles but I picked a crab apple, it looked a bit miserable but I hope will be ok and a small saddle blanket which will be useful for some one.
Monday morning we didnt leave quite as early, around 6 am and another long drive home, the filly was really good but the trucks on the road were a bit of a nightmare, it was very windy so we couldnt drive to the speed limit which must have frustrated a lot of people.
All in all a lovely break but its such a shame it is so far to drive, at least this time we managed to take it in turns driving.
Today I am a bit slow, had to have my toe dressed but am now home having unpacked, done the washing and general odds and ends that one has to do when you have been away. I should have hoses on as it is warming up but so far havent had time and its a bit warm, I will do it tonight.

What a mess!

Some of the old dead pine trees that were brought down today, my poor quince tree took some of it. I hope it looks better then they have removed most of it.
Hobbling on my toe so not getting a lot done and so much to do.
Hope to be back tomorrow.

Quilt swap arrived

My lovely quilt from Glenys in New Zealand arrived on Friday, iI am so pleased with it, a very interesting piece of work, now to find somewhere to hang it!.
I walked to see the mares last week and collected this lovely leaf which is disintergrating beautifully, one part is slightly skeletonised. On that same walk I saw the ti tree flowering in the swamp at the back of the dam and had to take a photo.
Things have been rather busy around here, I had a small operation on my left big toe on Friday and as it was underneath I am finding walking painful and tending to throw my back out, always something happening.
Yesterday was our big SA All Welsh Pony Show, a good 2 hour drive north of here (and back again) it was one of the first hot days we have had for a while, and sticky. Luckily I could drive as my right foot was not affected but I did far too much walking and standing .
I didnt mind until I got home and it started to ache but the good news was that my little yearling Section B filly went all the way through to being Supreme B and then Best Youngstock, We didnt get best in Show but I didnt expect that of a baby on such a hot day.
Her mother did that and to the best of my memory so did her grandmother, so exciting when stuff you have bred for a few generations does that.
Of course while I was away one little mare foaled, and this morning another, and I am worrying about another one.
It all happens at once. At least the 2 who have foaled seem fine and so do their foals. I just couldnt get close enough with a gammy leg to find out what sex they are.
Feeling frustrated as I want to do a lot, but I do have some hand sewing to go on with.
At least the weather has cooled down a bit but none of the promised rain has so far appeared.

This and that

I posted this small stitchery before, say ing I didnt think it was finished. Well I added quite a bit more to it. Being light I am not sure how much shows up but now I am sure it is finished. I am very fond of it but will put it away while I decide what to do with it next.
The 3 following photos are of dead pine trees that have to come down. Next week I believe, and it is going to be some exercise. We have had to move a large shade house, a good thing as I have wanted to do this for ages but rather an exercise in trying to clean things up.
The trees will have to come into the orchard, a stallion will have to be moved and goodness knows what state his yard wil be in when they finish. These died during the drought and are very tall and now quite dangerous. They are leaning rather badly. It will cause havoc but better havoc of our doing than of theirs.
The last photo is of my youngest daughters, two daughters, so my grand daughters, Gaby has the baby kangaroo she has been rearing, like mother and grandmother, we have all reared them in our time. Celina is having so much fun with this horse. I took this photo when I was out at Tabbys last week end. I dont see them as often as I would like as they are always so busy.
I am procratinating but I must go and try to get the house vacuumed, dont feel like it but no one else will do it for me!

Morning walk to check the mares

As I head out to walk down to the far paddock to check on the mares who are due to foal I pass this lovely rhododendron, which despite all odds is flowering and looking wonderful. My friend P gave it to me and although it is still in a pot, but the roots have grown through long ago, it is where I can see it and where it gets watered and looked after. Not something I could grow out in the open garden.
Down the track the little stable cat was looking for mice but turned and talked to me, in the background my lovely sparrieshoop rose is flowering like mad and giving me great joy. I love single roses.
Then into the paddock and here are three ladies in waiting. The cream mare is supposed to be shown this week end and thankfully doesnt look too close, although she does look pretty large, but then she is an older mare who has had quite a few foals. The other two are young ones so dont look so huge.
In the fence line is an old fashioned honeysuckle I started as a cutting from an old garden, it covers itself in flowers at this time every year and looks spectacular. The birds and bees love it. I also have one in the garden by the house but over the years trees have grown around it so this is the one I tend to take photos of.
Walking back through the vegetable garden I see that John has a new structure, I bought some scarlet runner beans and he is hoping that the rabbits wont get at them or the peacocks scratch them up. He is making good use of the bamboo canes he cut back a week or so ago. He isnt too pleased about the huge verbascum rosettes but I love them. I see the parsley is doing well and we will have broad beans soon.
I havent posted for a few days, yesterday I went to lunch in Adelaide for the Melbourne Cup which is a horse race which has become so famous only two of the runners were Australian. A french horse won, second an English one and third, not sure but I did get it in the sweep! Not that it paid much.
I got home feeling terribly tired, and today more so, I think everytime I drop a mg of cortisone I feel like this for a day or so, but I am on track and although feeling a bit off also feel rather virtuous!
I am making more little birds so that is giving me something to do instead of just sitting and feeling sorry for myself.