Walking this morning, a very low tide

I seem to have an infected cheek, dont really know how or why but ended up seeing the duty doctor late yesterday afternoon so am now on antibiotics, still feel rather off and trying not to scratch. Looks awful and I am not keen on being seen out in public. We walked this morning, a very low tide and it was windy and can you believe it, cold. The Pacific gull was standing on a sand bank that was way out of the water, there was froth and bubbles and only one other person and her dog, daisy on the beach. I walk so slowly compared to others. I have a chicken curry on for dinner, I have repotted some succulents and given some of my pots some soluable fertiliser and made a ratty body and two arms. On my way. Hope I feel better tomorrow.

Once a doll maker, always a doll maker.

It has rained today, cooler and lovely. We walked this morning but John has just shut down the computer with my photos on it so....Instead photos of the doll I have just finished. One of Jill Maas creations, but I can't find the pattern so had to make it up, a bit odd in the arms but no one will notice when she is dressed. Finally her hair, can't find my hair but found this knitting stuff which did well. Pleased with her. Now for Ratty with his hottie. Max beat his way into the house again last night, I wouldn't mind if he didn't smell. As a rescue dog I can't wash him he won't let me near him with a brush or water, he is so sweet in every other way. Oh well.

No snakes seen on our walk today

Although there could have been, we walked on the top of the cliffs, long grass on the side of the path. It got hot quite quickly. I will be glad when we get a decent change but not for a while I think. Most of the day was spent inside, I sewed and we both watched an Audrey Hepburn/Cary Grant film set in Paris, Charade. It was quite fun and she is was so beautiful. Nice just occasionally to do that. We watched well no I watched the New Zealand film Hunt for the Wildepeople with Sam Neil and the 'fat boy' very funny, we had seen it before and I loved it as much the second time around. 'George and Max seem to be at odds with each other, I moved Georges meals area to near an outside door and I think Max comes and makes faces at him. There seems to have been a lot of swearing going on. Dinner (crumbed Coorong mullet) is ready to be cooked and the salad is made. I have just had a glass of bubbly. feeling a bit relaxed, finally. Just hope I survive this wretched weather, give me winter any time.

Walking

We have walked the last few mornings although to day was shopping and by the time I have sorted that out and loaded and unloaded the car I am tired so no walk and it is warming up too. There are a lot of Pacific gulls around at the moment and yesterdays walk along the cliffs was cool and overcast and rather lovely, today the clouds have burnt off and the expected few days of heat dont sound too good although I believe it wont be as hot as Adelaide thank goodness. It is Australia day tomorrow and as John was an Australia day recipient we will go in for the celebrations in the town. Hope it is still reasonably cool.I really dont like the heat and my body these days certainly doesnt cope with it very well. My feet swell and ache. I was going to do some sewing but at the moment just feel like reading a book. The stapeleia flower is the second one on this plant, it was covered in ants and blow flies at one stage so I think it does smell like rotten meat, even though it is such a spectacular flower.

Odds and ends

My camera is not talking to my laptop so I am having to use those I have on my tablet. We had a lovely walk this morning along the cliffs. The orchid is a very out of season zygopetalum (should be in autumn). I have a few more pots out the front and I have been having a bit of fun with stitching. I spent a busy day tidying up and looking for some fabric to make Jill Maas' Ratty pattern. A small job that took forever to get done. At least it was a cool and pleasant day.

Walking the beach near Hayborough and a new flower

We decided to go and walk the beach near Bridge Point at Hayborough this morning, we havent been there for ages but as it was cooler and overcast a nice firm sandy beach to walk on. Lots of dog walkers but nice to go on a different beach for a change. This one hasnt got much in the way of shells though. We walked for about an hour and I was really ready to come home and have a coffee and a sit down. I found this magnificent flower on a strange plant in the gravel wastes (as I call them) first I thought it was a euphorbia but then realised that it was a stapelia, I hadnt ever seen this one I think it is grandiflora, I only knew the smaller more common one. Love this and even if the flower is supposed to smell of rotten meat so far I cant smell it. Must take a piece off. A lot of the ones here look quite sad but there are a couple that look ok. I bought some more petunias today too and potted them into the two cement pots I have had waiting for something to go in them. I just hope they get established a bit before the week end when it is supposed to heat up again, although I dont think this time we will be as hot as Adelaide, they are expecting 40, 42, 42 a proper South Australian summer heat wave. Not much one can do but walk early and then find something easy to do like hand sewing, which I am doing or reading. I went mad yesterday and bought Jill Maas's lovely Ratty pattern, but of course now I cant find the fabric for him, another trip to the container, sigh.

Busy couple of days

It has now cooled down a bit but the humidity is up. Yesterday was my great grandson Lachlan's first birthday, celebrated with a bbq lunch. I am not sure he was terribly impressed with it all but every one seemed to have fun. We had walked the cliffs earlier, and came back from the party rather tired, watched the last bit of stage 5 of the tour down under, and then a movie I havent seen before but I know the theme tune well, The Big Country with Jean Simmons, Gregory Peck and the wonderful Burl Ives. Nice to watch while hemming small squares of fabric. Today it seems even more humid, we had a walk on the beach and was glad to get home. I think the cooler weather is making me tired, all I want to do is sleep! I seem to get up early and do things and then collapse in my chair. Reading or sewing. I think the hot weather seems to take a lot more out of one the older one gets, trouble is it doesnt use up many calories. I loved this blue crane who was fishing on the reef, low tide today but the beach has changed, a lot steeper and not so easy to walk on with a hip telling me off. We walked back on the bike/walking track, love the view over the low for dunes. Trouble is I am a slow walker these days and wobble a bit, always a worry when both walkers, dogs and cyclists pass me, I dont mind the ones coming towards me but worry about those who come from behind and either dont ring their bell or I cant hear it. Its not fun getting old!!

Very hot, 43 degrees C

So while I have been stuck inside I have been doing my Take a Stitch Tuesday, fly stitch in a spiral, and playing with a travel tag.Yesterday we were in Adelaide, very hot, and I have been watching our great cycle race around the State. Called The Tour Down under it shows not only the race but views of our beautiful State. Very hot and dry at the moment. Some of my plants in pots have had rather a hard time of it which is very dissapointing. I am also in the process of hemming 25 small squares for a secret something, India Flint has written a great Blurb book with a closed Facebook page associated with it. Going to be fun. Looking forward to cooler weather tomorrow.

From the house and garden.

I have been a bit tired and not feeling 100% so I hope I haven't posted this before. Tomatoes from the garden, they were planted here when we moved in and it is almost hard to keep up with them. One of my moth orchids is flowering really well again and my tiger striped plant in the bathroom is doing really well. We have our first 3 month inspection tomorrow so there has been a bit of extra cleaning going on, we are now both tired. It is slowly warming up again, we will be in Adelaide on Thursday when the temperatures are for cast for 41 degrees C. Oh joy.

Walking this morning and a vase of flowers

I seem to have a terrible dose of hay fever, or an allergy to something. Stuffed up nose sneezing, head ache. It was a dreadful night last night hot and humid and not a lot of sleeping was done so we were up early this morning. The weather bureau promised rain, well we have had one short shower, made things smell nice but not what is needed. We walked the cliffs at Petrels and the boobyalla by the path was covered in these wonderful purple berries. I came home and slipped over the road to where the flowering gum is and snipped off a few leaves and one flower head. I think the neighbours might find me doing this more often, I do hope no body minds but I hate not having flowers in the house. Our weather has not been kind, cool for a couple of days and then back to the heat again, it would be lovely to live some where it was about 24 degrees C Back to 41 next thursday when we go to Adelaide. Oh joy.

Pathways and wandering

I have been playing with this. I am doing an on line class with Roxanne Stout. I am enjoying it but this is out of my comfort zone.. I can't find a lot of stuff so am trying to do this with what I have. I think in a lot of ways I need to loosen up. I will persevere and one day I may feel more confident.

More pots and a gift in the post.

I finally put together another number of pots. This is on the side at the front where there is a very blank spot. I hope they survive the heat. His lovely post card arrived in the mail the other day. From Fiona and Barry in Queensland. I love the elegance of it. I am very glad to have such lovely, thoughtful friends.

Cliff walk this morning

A much cooler day but it will be warming up again in the next day or so. I suppose we should be thankful that we are not having any prolonged days of heat. Yet! There were quite a lot of walkers but no children, school holidays are still on and obviously parents and grandparents are still down here. Still a lot going on, I see we have a family ride day on the same day as the Tour Down Under finish in Victor Harbor. Usually we go to see part of it but we have appointments in Adelaide that day. I have a new hose so now I can do a better job of watering. I am up to date with the washing and ironing so am catching up with other things.This is a lovely part of the world when it is cool and comfortable. Johns comment when I took the photo of the sheep was that I did realise they were sheep and not Indians. I think he watched too many cowboy and Indian films on the hot day!

Another lovely morning walk

Very early it is beautiful and cool but later when the clouds have burnt off it is amazingly warm. Not a sign of the jellyfish in the water this morning and only a couple of dead ones on the beach. I guess that they all got washed out to a different beach. I spent the morning re arranging some pots out the front. I hope that they survive and dont get too burnt as they do get a lot of morning sun, but then that should be better than afternoon. I do need another hose as the one we have has to be moved from tap to other tap, only 2 taps! I am used to lots of taps. There is a photo on my facebook page, but I will try to take another on my camera and not on the tablet. I have done several washes, after all it is Monday, not that I ever stick to when I wash, just when I think things need doing. Today I received a lovely post card in the mail from Fiona ande Barry in Queensland, but when I tried to scan it something happened and it looked odd. Tomorrow I will take its photo, I love the type face that has been used. So lucky to have it I think. I have been silly, thought I could stop a bit of my pain killers, ok for a few days but not today, so back to not thinking I know best I think. My expensive little car is home too, we really didnt need to have to pay to fix it but then I also need my car and although she is getting rather elderly we cant do without her.

Around the garden.

The purple is some sort of wandering jew I think. My collection of pots and the flowering gum over the road. It should look spectacular in a week or so. We went to get more pots today, I think they may be the last as I can't cope with many more. Did pot up a few geraniums. I think they will cope reasonably well