Clouds

We managed a walk this morning after a lovely night of rain, 30 ml which is wonderful. The clouds as we walked the beach and cycle track this morning at Encounter Bay were magnificent.

My week in stitch

Another short week, Easter Monday we walked and it was a very rough day with waves pouring in.Tuesday, another walk, another place and washing was done. Wednesday i collected two new young hens, they are very sweet but I had to find another pen for them as they are rather young. Thursday I did the shopping and some how hurt my hand so doing hand work was difficult, I think I did it when I was fixing a perch for the little hens. Friday was ANZAC DAY John was up early for the dawn service. I havent been feeling terribly well, too many worries are upsetting my stomach so Saturday was an off day. Instead I played with stitches. Sunday we went over to Goolwa to look at paintings and boats and have a short walk, it was a lovely sunny day. Still not feeling well, my stomach and reflux dont like me feeling worn out and tired, so a pretty off day for me today. I hope I feel better tomorrow.

I have been knitting and we have wandered.

My grand daughter Celina asked for a beanie knitted in her net ball colours, so blue and yellow. I didnt have a lot of yellow wool and rather liked the gradations in the blue wool I had so first is the first stage and then the final result. She is pleased with it. I really dont like making bobbles and always have problems so I hope this one stays more or less put. We wandered over to Goolwa this morning, not madly wanting to walk the cliffs as there was a drowning at Petrels this week end and they still hadnt recovered the body this morning. It is such a dangerous little bay, fine if you are on a surf board but not for swimmers, lots of signs but still people drown. It gives me the horrors as I nearly drowned there as a teenager. So there was a couple of exhibitions on over at Goolwa and we went looking, one unfortunately had just finished, not on for very long, but the other two were very interesting. We had called into give Celina her hat and have a cup of tea before we went over to Goolwa, John was quite sure it would take ages but we were home in time for a not late lunch. I am now trying to see if I have enough wool to knit a sleeveless vest, time will tell. A lovely day but we have only had 10 ml all up for April so far, a ml here and there but not enough to really wet up the soil, we need rain. I am slowly trying to cut back stuff in the garden before it does rain but my old body doesnt like me doing more than an hour at a time, so frustrating. Whoops, I didnt explain the other photos, the one of the boats was at the Marina where one of the exhibitions was on, it was gorgeous there, and the other is of my Easter cactus that is flowering at the moment.

ANZAC Day, Lest we forget.

These were taken on Johns phone this morning in Victor Harbor at the Dawn Service. He had to lay a wreath on behalf of our local MP who had his own service to go to on Kangaroo Island. I am afraid I stayed in bed, it was a clear and freezing cold morning. Always a moving day and next year it will be the 100th year since the landing at Gallipoli of Australian and New Zealand troops to be met by the Turks, so many died, amazing that now we are friends and every year many of us go to remember at that place of death and destruction. John tells me there were a huge number of people at the Service this year, far more than he can ever remember and he has been wreath laying for a long time, since he was Mayor. The day turned into one of those rather nasty cold overcast but fairly still days, warming up as the day wore on. So many people down for the long week end. We were going to walk but I am tired and too many people around so I got into the garden instead.

Week in stitch and wonderful rocks

A little late for my week in stitch, we had our final day at Ballarat and ended it with a dinner together. Next morning we were up early, packed and off, with several stops and an extra one in the car. Wednesday was busy, unpacking and washing! Thursday we finally had a walk, lots went on but I just stitched, too tired. Friday was a lunch with friends, being Easter Friday John cooked the fish, no eggs for us for Easter, or hot cross buns, we ate enough any way. I did my stint over at our mix it up exhibition on Saturday morning, came home cold (needed a fire!) Sunday caught up with more friends and picked figs, another lovely day. The rock photos are some of the ones I took while we were walking back to climb up the cliff, yesterday, such lovely forms in these ramparts. Today we had an easy walk this morning, washing is being done. all pretty boring.

Last garden flowers and a walk

I think this is the last of the flowers in the garden for a while. A very warm and windy day, very warm, we have been having fires and now I am back in a t shirt and 3/4 pants! We walked along the cliffs this morning and the northerly was making mares manes out of the waves as they rolled in. We walked back a slightly different way as the tide was low and I thought I could climb up the steep cliff path (I did!) and just caught this wave as it came in behind the lovely rampart of rocks and then broke, I have more stunning rocky photos. I havent walked for so long, well not over rough rocks etc and it was a bit of a challenge but I am so glad we both made the effort. We have had a lovely holiday week end, out to lunch twice, yesterday also to collect figs from friends, and today John is well on the way to making his version of dried figs, they are yummy when he has managed to finish them. I hope every one had a lovely long week end.

My (late) week in stitch and a walk

I am very late with my week in stitch, I hope I have caught up by next Monday! So, last week on Monday not a lot done but there were birds eating seeds in the garden. Tuesday Max and I went for a damp walk, I am afraid Max doesnt look much like a big robust heeler cross, more like a pig, poor old boy. I had spent the day packing and he knew something was up. Wednesday was a long day, up at 4 am and over to W and left her at 6 and on the road for Ballarat, we arrived about 3 pm, in time to settle in and not stop until about 9pm when we slept like logs! Thursday was the start of our few days at Fibre arts, meeting old friends and working too hard. Friday my back was killing me but I did have some wheel bases done. Saturday was half day so we went to look at a coule of lovely old towns close by and junk shopped. sunday was back to work, all day, terribly tiring but getting there, I hoped. I went to bed early I was so tired. This morning we walked the beach, a beautiful morning, flat and lovely although a little warm. Poor John had to have one of the skin nasties he had taken off his neck re done, so they could take more so I hope all is ok, they seem to think it is a pre melanoma and this is just a precaution. I have been over to drop stuff in for our exhibition this week end. Now all I want to do is have a nap, but it really is too early.

To Ballarat and home for Fibre Arts Australia

I arrived home yesterday after a wonderful but extremely tiring few days. It is about a 7 to 8 hour drive, more if we stop and op shop as we did on the way home. When you arrive it is non stop all day, from about 6 am to at least 9 pm and in some cases even longer if you are younger and want to party! We made little carraiges first, wood and varnish etc and then little houses, in my case a very little house as my machine embroidery skills are not brilliant and I found the height of the tables and chairs gave me a hck of a back ache by about midday, its old age and the body falling in a heap but I did manage to get everything to the put together stage now I am home. Mine is the little red house in the first photo, then our wonderful teacher Christine Atkins demonstrating one of the houses she had partly made, such a lovely person. we had a fun class but it really was very full on. We have an exhibition of all the classes on the last evening. I wont put up others as I dont have permission. On the way home we stopped in to look at this place, we have passed it so many times, the fellow who runs it uses reclaimed wire and you name it, he makes it from it, this is a not very good photo of the 'thing' he has on his roof. It truly was amazing and great fun. We did op shop on the way home, I didnt buy a lot but a few bits that I will use, I am doing Samantha Bryan's fairy class next year, she does such glorious stuff and having seen her class I was so glad I managed to get in. it was fully booked and there had to be a ballot. I did buy some books and have a great one , not the latest but with a lot of useful knitting stuff in it by Loani Prior, she is such a nice person and I just didnt manage to catch up and get her to sign my book, damn it! The one I have is called Really wild tea cosies, I hope I have time this winter to do some fun knitting. I have now put 2 loads of washing on the line, more or less unpacked and hope to catch up on my week in stitch soon, at the end I really didnt have time, but I found some wonderful hand dyed threads from Cottage garden threads, I would have loved more but again, ran out of time. Off to have a small rest!!

Another week of stitch

Barry asked if I was going to make a book of this, at the moment it is a scroll and I think it will stay like that. I have shown what it looks like rolled, my year ends in August. I may leave it for a while and start at the beginning of the New Year, but it is rather habit forming quietly stitching my day. So what did I do? On Monday we walked, we walked most days, although there has just been a murder in the town, not something that happens often and one body was found where we go down to walk on the beach, a little off putting.Tuesday it was really quite warm, 36 degrees and we went in for our flu shots. Wednesday was a trip to Adelaide for hair cuts and Thursday not a lot got done as I was tired after walking for an hour, John thought it was an octopus but really it was just a bit of mindless stitching. Friday was a shopping and walking day, lots of leaves blowing in the wind. Saturday we went wandering to look at some art galleries which was lovely and on Sunday we walked over at Pt Elliott, it was sunny and lovely and another bit of mindless stitch to make up the room! Today is one of those hot breathy sort of days, we are supposed to have some rain, lots of rain in the next few days, I have washed and brought it all in and am trying to get through a mountain of ironing, the brown tree frogs are croaking so I think we might have some rain. I hope so as it is terribly dry out in the garden and the paddocks.

Visit to some art shows and a walk

Yesterday we drove over to Murray Bridge to see a couple of art shows that were on in their regional gallery, it is a lovely space and we both thoroughly enjoyed both lots of posts and India Flints textiles (and bones!)as we;; as the other exhibits. It was a lovely day so from there we wandered back to Strathalbyn and had lunch and a coffee and then on to Goolwa where we saw another couple of galleries including Dana Fatchens lovely photographs. All in all a lovely way to spend the day. This morning we went for a walk over at Pt Elliot, love those granite bolders and the sea was being quite spectacular. A longish walk and as daylight saving has now finished (Hooray! goes on for far too long.) we went to visit Tabby and family for a little while, they are weaning cobs so it was quite an interesting morning. Home and the last of the washing on the line. I am still trying to get my act together for Ballarat!

Autumn in the garden, and a walk

the leaves are dropping and turning colour but not a decent rain yet. We walked this morning and the sea was very stirred up out further but nearer the shore along the reef there were ducks and other birds happily feeding until a large dog came roaring into the water, a bird dog of some sort I think. I have been trying to get some sort of order into my work rooms, as well as getting stuff ready for next week at Ballarat, yesterday John had a meeting and I didnt walk but I think I walked far more by trying to get thins tidy. It is still not in the least bit in order. If any thing I think I have made more mess. I wish I had a huge bank of cupboards. So the shopping is done, and I am now back doing the clearing out.