A little bit wet

 We went in for a walk this morning, which had to be aborted as it was much wetter in Victor than it was at home.
My knee has been playing up a bit as well and I didnt really feel much like a wet walk.
The beach was out as it was covered in sea weed and the cliffs are quite exposed.
So I havent had a proper walk for days, although I have been busy in and around the house.
On Good Friday I went over to Yankalilla aned spent the morning on the desk with a friend at the Mix it Up Exhibition.
For once it was a very slow movement of people through. I hope it gets better over the week end.
John collected me and we went up to Pt Willunga and had a lovely lunch with friends. I am not sure why but I came home and fell asleep!
Saturday morning John went up to the airort to collect Will, our Melbourne grandson, and I went in to the market in Victor and did some washing and made sure everything was ready.
I havent done a lot, I did start to get stuff ready for my class with Jade Pegler in Ballarat which begins next week, we go over on Saturday, taking Will with us, he is only 13 but boy has he grown since Christmas.
I am doing some slow sewing and a tiny bit of knitting, but mostly its trying to get things done in the morning as by about 2 in the afternoon my leg is telling me off. I think I will survive Ballarat!!
Trying not to eat (or drink wine!) as with this enforced inactivity is making me gain weight.
If its not one thing it is another.
I do hope every one has had a Happy Easter and is driving carefully.

Yesterday

 I went to see this exhibition over at Murray Bridge and caught up with India while we were there, she was going out as we were coming in. So lovely to see both her and her exhibition.
We had also gone over to Murray Bridge to help support the Dairy Farmers awareness campaign. I think the 2nd photo says it all and the next was a very small part of the crowd, I dont know how many were there but it was a lot and I have to say I think the qaverage age probably was near 60.
Once we get out there is no getting back in as the costs are prohibitive.
It looks as if we are getting out.
I also took some photos of the river, this crazy corella was getting a drink, but the numbers of corellas there was horrifying. Another photo of the railway bridge, the main link for us and the eastern states.
A long and tiring day, it is at least an hour abnd a half drive over to Murray Bridge and the meeting seemed to go on for ever. Nothing new and not really any suggestions of help.
As in most things we go it alone an d if you get too far behind and are too old, like us, too bad.
I think I would rather not have seen the X rays of my knee, better when I didnt know exactly what it was like!
Pretty uncomfortable today.
I have shopped and cleaned and dropped stuff over for out exhibition, lots of good stuff there. I am on selling tomorrow morning and then up to Pt Willunga for lunch.
It should be fun.

Dendrobium orchid

 This stunning Australian native dendrobium orchid cross has flowered, a bit early but it is gorgeous. I bought it a few years ago and I think then it didnt have a flower on it.
John brought it into the bathroom from the shade house the other day with one flower out, now there are more. Not sure why one is upside down.
A horrid day outside, suddenly in the mid to high 30's with strong winds and once more fire bans are in place and a couple of fires out there.
It is supposed to rain tonight, oh I do so hope it does.
I have been making biscuits which has made the kitchen hot, so I have retired onto my bed for a short time with the fan on.
I have to do the exercises I need to do three times a day!!
Better get on with them.

This and that

 I spent a lot of the day having X rays and seeing the orthopaedic surgeon. I am booked in for a knee replacement on the 18th of June, as he said, between Bali and Coffs Harbor. I am not sure about all of this but the X rays convinced me and I am fed up with the on going pain. Just hope the 9 weeks recovery before Coffs Harbor will be enough.
I have started my fabric book, I found some linen which I cut up and lots of bits of experiments and this is the start of it all.
The next photo is taken from my chair, looks quite domestic with the knitting etc, I am getting the urge toiknit again, autumn must be here!
Early, before the day was made a mess of we walked the cliffs near Petrels Cove, there was a big sea running, huge swells coming in and breaking from the Island across to the land, and huge satisfying thumps were sounding as they broke on the rocks.
So, a lot is ahead of me some nice, some not so nice, I just hope I can keep up with all the exercises as well as going to Ballarat and then Coffin Bay, then Bali!!
Have to get my act together as well for Easter, the exhibition, and my Melbourne grandson coming to stay. Should keep my mind off things and keep me on my toes.

Wandering

 I had too many interesting photos not to turn them into a collage.
We went in for an early walk, trying to beat the rain, we did a bit but now we are having a lovely heavy shower, may it keep up.
we were going to walk on the beach near Kent Reserve but the tide was high and there was a lot of sea weed making walking difficult so we headed back across the reserve, I took photos of the leaf litter, the trunk of trees, a pair of magpies who were almost under foot and the ducks, I think are chestnut teal but the sun wasnt in the right place, by the river which has silted up at the mouth.
There were some big waves coming in leaving wonderful manes of spray behind them.
All in all a good walk and looking with fresh eyes at bits that I know well but havent walked across for a while.
Click twice to enlarge the photos.
Circular needles do not make a good knitted nest so now to wait until tomorrow to get the right needles.
Off to look for some white fabric to use as a base for my Jude Hill class.
Oh and I saw a lovely fabric book on Noela Mills Wabisabiart blog that I would like to take and quietly stitch.
Oh dear I dont think I can link to this blog, things keep changing and I have got left behind I think.

Its been a few days

 I have been busy, not achieving a lot but trying to get things done.
we celebrated my sisters birthday at P's place on Thursday, I baked a cake and we had quiche and salad and cheese and wine and it was very pleasant having lunch outside.
Thanks P much better than being in a hurry in a cafe.
I have to say the night before was a nightmare with high winds and some rain and lightening strikes, so not a lot of sleep.
There are two photos of a dam with not much water in it, we pump up to this one or it would be dry and also a photo of the house paddock with the poplar tree in a pretty dry paddock, it looks worse now as the cows have been in it, with hay fed out to them.
We have had about 9mm over the last few days but you honestly wouldnt know it, so much wind to dry things out again.
In to the market this morning and a slow walk along the beach near Hayborough early, lots of dog walkers but some lovely clouds.
Double click to enlarge.
Must say my knee has ached ever since but I have been trying to get some knitting stuff out, cant find a crucial pattern! So at the moment I am unwinding , or rather winding a mess of wool that I found in the cupboard.
I found, some where on the net, a pattern for a knitted nest, which I thought I would like to have a play with, I will have to use a circular needle instead of double ended ones as I forgot to get some this morning but I dont see why that shouldnt work. The fact that I bought the circular needles and have never used them is beside the point, experiment I say.
Making messes wherever I go, but I have been trying to tidy up as well and now have a heap of free knitting patterns taken off the net all neatly in a folder, well they are neatly there for the moment.
I should be able to find a pattern when I look for it now, surely.
Well food for dinner to be thought of, luckily my posh pie lady had some for me this morning. Beef and wine so into the oven and top and tail some fresh beans bought this morning as well. A glass of wine and that should do very well.

A small cushion and a walk

I had made the face of this cushion ages ago, using if I remember rightly oil sticks and then hand sewed it. I didnt really know quite what to do with it until John suggested a small cushion, so that is what it has become.
I am finding that unless something is useful I really dont know what I am going to do with things.
I am feeling the need to de clutter, but not sure if I want to!
I am about to start a new on line class with Jude Hill which I am hoping will give me some inspiration.
I think because I hurt and my joints dont like me and I find sleeping not easy when I am in pain that I cant get very motivated. Not like me.
No walk today as I had other things to do but yesterday, very early we were out on the cliffs from Petrels' Cove. There were sheep in the paddock by the track and long shadows on the sand as a lone surfer decided wether to go in or not.
The tide was again very low so the pools in the rock were showing interesting lines of sea weed and worm casts on the rocks and the pools themselves were reasonably still and had a feeling of going off into the distance.
The sea was quite noisy too, it makes me feel better being there but it does turn into a bit of a route march with John as he needs to get home, get things done, etc etc, so not a lot of time to just sit and enjoy.
I am lucky that at least he does come with me.
Poor man I think he worries about what is happening to both me and the farm.

Sunday morning collage

 I have had to change into long pants and a jumper! It is cold and there is a nasty little southerly wind blowing.
Not much rain though.
We went off this morning early for a walk, being hardy souls in short pants and t shirts, with a sleeveless jacket over the top and a cap and froze!
I can hear calves bellowing in the sheds, is this really the beginning of autumn?
Oh I do hope so.
The tide was the lowest I have seen it for ages, some fascinating clouds, sea urchin pieces in the pools and on the beach, such interesting  marks on them when the spines have gone.
The movement of water at such a low tide was different too, washing away little sand banks and leaving bubbles as the water came and went.
The willy wag tail was following me all along the beach, pecking at something, insects perhaps, and then going back to the bushes in the sand dunes, I wondered if it had a late nest or was just so used to people it wasnt worried. I took the photo about a foot from it.
If you double click the phots will enlarge.

Suddenly its cool and a bit damp

 My lovely crucifix orchid has decided to flower, I have about four more buds starting to open but this is the most advanced, it seems to like under the perspex on the verandah. One I brought back from J's Queensland garden years ago. So much prettier than the usual orange one but I have seen a red I would like but .. even though I am a great garden pincher this one is too far in for me to try and get a kiki.
We walked along the cliffs and on to the little beach near Petrels' cove the other day, it was much cooler and quite grey, we went in to walk this morning after the market but the rain beat us to the beach so we had a coffee instead.
Some lovely vegetables in at our farmers market and we had a magnificent sweet corn cob each for lunch.
I probably need that walk but suddenly it is quite wet out there and any way, I am about to have another go at coptic stitch binding on a small book I am making.
I am just waiting for the covered boards to dry.
I did this stitch in a class with Adele Otteridge, years ago and havent been back to it since, but with my trysty notes and another couple of books I think I can work it out. I hope so, I love making books.
Oh I had almost forgotten, I love these tiny blue shells that hide in the crevices of the rocks on the beach, they are so small it is hard to take a decent photo. If you click twice you may see them better.

Cool and wild on Goolwa beach

 I had to go over to Goolwa today, such a different day to yesterday, cool, windy and almost the odd shower of rain.
Lovely.
Now I just want to sleep!
I called into the beach on the way home, very briefly and took photos, briefly because the sand was blowing off the beach at me and my camera.
Some one had a surf kite up and apart from a couple of women , one of whom was carrying a penguin, I didnt ask but presumed it was going to the penguin shelter as the sea was incredibly rough as you can see from the photos.
Perhaps it is the beginning of the cooler weather, I hope so.

Oscar

Much to Johns disgust he has been sleeping on our bed in this hot weather,I saw him looking totally relaxed and in a funny position but by the time I got the camera he was just moving, and then curled up and said DONT.
We have a bushfire a few ks away and it is very hot and windy but as far as I can tell the wind is away from us.
Mind you we are due for a wind change so things might get interesting.
I find it interesting to read of blogs I follow in the northern hemisphere where they are complaining of snow and it should be spring and they want some sun.
Here we are saying it is autumn and we need, desperately some rain and cooler weather.
Whatever I dont think Oscar could care less.

This morning

 In the heat, we went to get plums off these trees, well not those exactly, at least one is a fig, but friends have a small orchard under net and they asked if we would like to come for morning tea and pick plums, we said yes we would love to, but the heat was pretty fierce and we were glad to get indoors.
Once it cools down a bit I will stew and then freeze these as breakfast fruit with yoghurt.
Yum.
We cant afford to net ours so the birds tend to get them early and any way with the water problems there would not be much any way.
This has been an odd summer, bursts of heat and then cool but little rain at all.
Our paddocks are looking bare and dry but then so are most other peoples.
Too hot to do much except early morning and late evening but it is the humidity factor that is draining us all I think.
I know this is supposed to be autumn, but at the moment roll on winter!

A little bit of hand stitching

 Too hot to do much but a little bit of hand stitching and another prayer flag will be born.
I picked the shell up off the beach yesterday.
My usual rather wonky placements, but that is how I feel at the moment.
Wonky.