A day of thunder and no rain, so far.

We walked around the bay this morning, the sky was interesting and there were almost no waves. I thought it would be hot but there was a lovely breeze off the sea. There were a lot of live green turbans washed ashore, John keeps collecting them and throwing them back, goodness knows if they survive or not or if it is some weird life cycle thing. Today there were absolutely tiny ones, I have never seen such small ones still alive. We came home and it was quite hot and oppressive. Now it is rumbling and grumbling, the black birds are singing and oh I wish we would get a decent rain out of this. I really hate dry thunderstorms as they can start fires. Trying to get stuff ready for my 5 days workshop with Sandra Brownlee. I am trying to pare down what I have and not take the whole workroom! Really looking forward to it.

Around the garden this morning

A lovely morning this morning, it is amazing how so much suddenly appears out and flowering in the garden at this time of the year. double click to enlarge and see the photos larger. I am sorry there are so many but I really couldnt help getting them all into the collage. dont you love my little pullets? A black Australorpe and a spangly silver wyandotte, such nice little people. In to the market early this morning, no walk as well I didnt really feel like it. John has gone fishing, a lovely day for it I just hope they catch some fish.

Been a busy week

The weather has been to say the least, interesting, hot and windy, cold and windy, no rain. I am still feeling tired after the after affects of my lurgi, but slowly getting a few things done. On Sunday we went over to "the other coast" and collected shells, always more interesting there and the little abolone had lovely shells as well as their interior. a pair of cape Barren Geese flew up and onto the shore, we dont see them often as they are mostly on the grassy off shore islands but do occasionally come into sheltered grassy areas around this lower gulf shore. I came home and P's rhododendron is flowering, it is lovely but always seems to hit the hottest part of October to flower. We walked around Victor this morning and the pair of boats were moored and showing up against the Norfolk Island pines. Things are a bit topsy turvy here at the moment, foaling is going on, I am still trying to sort out books and getting into the occasional cupboard. If we are downsizing I should at least have some idea of how and what, all I know is that there is so much in this house, after all I have been here 55 years and Johns family before him, since 1909 and more has come in than gone out. It doesnt bear thinking about.

Little Bit of Blue- An artist's blog from the west of Ireland: Some sewing & Free Give Away

Little Bit of Blue- An artist's blog from the west of Ireland: Some sewing & Free Give Away Love that little purse.

Morning walks

Thank goodness I now seem to have shaken the wretched lurgi that attacked me and I feel better. we have archery at the end of the valley, lovely to see that the oval which fell into disuse is now being used again, along with the old hall, or the joy shed as my father in law used to call it and the tennis courts. It would be nice if they played cricket on the oval again but I think a few trees have got rather large, it used to be a hive of activity but not any more sadly, at least this is giving some parts of it a new lease of life.. The mornings have been warming up and we are in for a few very hot days for October, 10 degrees above the average they say. We have hay down not a lot but I hope it is all done before or if we get any rain. John has gone fishing today so although we walked together yesterday, the cliff path near Petrels I walked along the Hayborough beach alone this morning, the river is dammed back so no need to worry about crossing it but an awful lot of large dogs with owners throwing balls in all directions which was a bit more than I needed so I cut my walk short. The wind has come up so I am glad John and the crew went down to the Murray mouth and Coorong to fish, a bit safer than the sea, they were all desperate to go out but wether they catch any fish, who knows. I think I may be on fire watch, total fire bans but there were burn offs around us last night, I do wish people would be sensible when it comes to fires.

A very special foal and more of the garden

I am still in the thrall of this wretched lurgi so only doing what I have to. This morning however a very special foal was born, I lost his grandmother foaling last year and we were quite apprehensive about this first time mother, She is my cream Welsh B mare Rivington Sunday Best and for a first foal we put her not to a section b but to a section a stallion, our very well performed Rivington Spring rain. This little colt will I imagine be a stunning little saddle pony, all well and he is a corker. i have muddled up the captions for the photos but I think you can work it out. While I was out with the camera I took a few photos around the garden, the rose zephryn drouin always has flowers on her, the first of the clematis are out, I loved the citrus yellow of the euphorbia against the grey of the succulent and the new leaves on the trees behind. Finally the yellow banksia rose is flowering magnificently, popped out the back where it could spread to its hearts content. It never fails to amaze me how lovely, however fleeting, the garden looks in spring.

Flowers while its happening and morning walk

I took the photos of the garden late in the afternoon yesterday, things are looking lovely but watering is now happening in earnest. The Madeira geraniums are still flowering like mad and the crab apple is now out, I think I missed the pears while I felt so awful last week. I do feel better, well the cold is over but the hay fever is still with me. At least I can manage to get outside now without falling in a stuffed up total heap. Our walks have been by the sea and this morning we went over to Pt Elliot and walked the path around the point. a big sea was running and it was a pretty low tide which made for some spectacular waves breaking on the granite boulders. Since then the wind has come up and I have retreated inside. Yesterday there was a report in the paper about hay fever and although they dont seem to think it is any worse than normal pollen wise, the hot winds have made it worse, and the season could go on into December. Great!!

Three more birds and a bit of excitement

I am still being affected by this wretched lurgi as well as hay fever. Came home from seeing my doctor with bits of paper to have my shoulder x rayed and a check on a heart valve, fun. We had a small black snake in the house, about 2 ft long but very thin, not sure where it got in as I still had doors and windows all shut tight, still these things happen and at least John managed to kill it, not something I like doing but it wasnt going to go outside easily. We have had another foal, a Section B welsh this time, big and leggy and lovely. Three more birds I have finished, not sure what I am going to do next, I need to find some more linen. I did manage a walk this morning, the first in about a week, and suddenly the garden is blooming, but we need rain desperately, such a shame when we had a good winter and then spring lets us down, Not that the plants know that but terribly early for the hay to be cut and paddocks are going off terribly quickly, a lot of people will not be cutting much hay this year which adds to extra stress on the local farming community, as if we were not having enough problems. This just makes our thoughts of quitting that much more urgent, and rather depressing.

Fabric birds

I havent been feeling well since my birthday, not sure if it is a cold plus hay fever, or some other horrid virus but I have been laid a bit low, trying to get a few rooms tidy, my work rooms, between reading, I have started re reading m heap of old Alistair McLean's before they go to the 2nd hand book shop. They are quite riveting in an odd sort of way. So between bouts of doing something and not a lot I found a couple of old rather nice linen hand towels which I have been fusing fabric birds to and then doing a little bit of embroidery, they have been fun to do and I have another 3 ready to go, Not a lot of effort needed and a fun result. I think I saw this idea some where but no two could be alike. I have managed to feed us and the animals, as well as clearing out some space on floors so I suppose I havent done nothing, but no walks on the beach and I just hope I get over it soon, felt better yesterday, but isnt that the way of it.

Yesterday was my birthday

seventy five, where have all those years gone. No photo as the photographer (John) isnt very good at that sort of thing but even though I was feeling dreadful and full of hay fever we went out to a lovely lunch at d'Arrys verandah, there were twelve of us, all very dear old friends and I couldnt have had a better lunch and the surroundings were terrific and so was the food. I cant comment on the wine as I wasnt drinking but that would have been good too, I was sad to miss the dry dam riesling which I love. I had taken an ante hystemine which made me feel a bit groggy but I managed the day.Most of the children rang, although again this is not a good time of the year to have a birthday, hay or silage making for one, horse show for another, work for the other two. I like this walk so this is the Bluff and Wright Island on a morning walk this week.

More little houses.

I am developing a little village, I am getting better at making these, a few more waiting to be started.

A fine sunny day

With no wind. We walked this morning, a lovely walk along the cliffs, with a big sea raging in, speckled rocks and soggy sand. In Victor the steam train was just about to turn around on the turn table so we shot in and I took a photo, it is school holidays and one of the best days so far. My garden is suddenly blooming although after all the high winds I am not sure why it is surviving so well. Not a lot or rain, we could do with a lot more, but that is spring in South Australia. Yesterday was Mason's 6th birthday, my great grand son is growing up and is a joy to be around, and I forgot my camera!! We went over to have a bbq for his birthday last night. Another foal was it yesterday or the day before, actually I think there were two but they have been taken out the back, still lots to come though. With the better weather and no wind my hay fever is not so bad so I have been out trying to fix up a smaller area in the hen house for two chicks I bought today, Lucy the black australorp and Lacy the silver ?? cant remember. Just hope they survive, I think they are about 7 weeks old. Oscar wants to go out and I am trying not to let him as the first snakes of the season have been seen on the roads, so far not around the house thank goodness.