Back Valley seasons

A varied day

2012-02-16T16:30:00.000+10:30

This little wrap around doll made its appearance last night, I like playing with scraps and something new appeared.
This morning Max and I walked and did a bit of a detour to take photos of some of the old machinery that is in a paddock, all farms have bits, I just wish I could get those wheels and some of the cogs home.
Then on my way through the back gate the scarlet runner beans and the zuccini flowers took my eye so another photo. I am freezing a lot of the zuccini for winter soups and if we get the scarlet runner beans early they are lovely, older ones not so but I would grow them just for the flowers.
I did walk Max for half an hour at home.
Then John and I went in to walk along the beach, with my shoes off, paddling in sea water! I havent been able to do that since the end of October.
It was bliss, the toe hasnt completely healed and there is a horrid callous but this is part of the treatment, at last.
We havent taken Max out walking on the beach yet as he is so frightened of other dogs and people and I feel he needs to be confident in me and me in him before we try.
Here he roars out the back gate and up the paddock at a million miles an hour, you would think we kept him in a minute yard but the back area where his is huge, much bigger than a suburban block.
I have been stewing peaches, I have a lot to do and then I will freeze them, lots of breakfasts ahead. We did manage to net the little peach tree and foil some but not all of the birds. No apples or pears though, the big old trees are not able to be netted and the birds wiped out the whole crop before they were even half grown.

Fish, Oscar and Max

2012-02-15T14:51:00.001+10:30

John's fishing trip on Sunday was a success and as you can see Oscar was terribly pleased and waiting not so anxiously as they were filleted. He gets the ugly looking rock cod and red mullet.
Max is so hard to photograph as he sticks next to me when we are walking but I did manage to get this photo yesterday morning.
I have had a busy couple of days, not doing a lot of constructive work but Monday I went over and watched the Anne Bagley video that W had, I think I must get it as it is very well done and such a long video you get almost a workshop for the price of the video.
Yesterday we went to Adelaide, had lunch with a friend and John had a meeting that was later than I thought it would be, I also saw my sister. A very pleasant day catching up.
We ended up getting a take away from the asian place (and very nice it is too) as we were both tired. There are always the dogs and chooks etc to feed when you get home as well.
I gave J the heart I made and he was terribly pleased with it and said I dint make many things for him. I suppose I thought he wouldnt be interested, one should never make assumptions.
Oh I didnt realise that gum tree had got in, it is a lovely shape and one we pass every morning. The colour is a bit off, early morning light I suppose.

Three birds and a heart

2012-02-13T19:51:00.001+10:30

My little camera doesnt take terribly good bird photos and I have to crop them but I was quite pleased with the Adelaide rosellas that I captured on film the other day, especially the one eating the rose hips, as well as the Willy Wagtail on the fence by the seeding dock head.
The heart is one I had to do in a hurry for Holey Moley and it is athe result of some samples I had made in various classes, the back which you cant see, is silk paper, the middle bit is sari ribbon embellished onto felt and then stitched and the front bit is some threads that were stitched between romeo (dissolving stuff) all put together with button hole stitch.
I went over to play with Wendy today, instead we watched an Ann Bagley video on how to make painted backgrounds, fascinating and then ran out of time. Now I know what it is all about we may have a try next week, or the week after, whenever we have time to get together.
Last night we had a lovely bbq to celebrate Gabbys birthday.
Perhaps that is why I feel tired tonight.

Two walks this morning

2012-02-11T15:37:00.000+10:30

First with Max up the windy and dry looking hill, although we have had a bit over 6 mm of rain overnight, the sky was looking incredible.
Then in to Victor to the market and a walk around on the road at the bottom of the Bluff, again a low tide and high wind and the sea and clouds were wonderful.
Click and aclick again to enlarge.
Wind blown and refreshed we drove out to take Millie her doll, she was most impressed but hastened to tell me there were more dolls in that book!
She didnt think it needed a name, but played happily with it the whole time we were there. She is a delightfully self contained child who plays by herself quite happily. I just hope we dont find that she is dyslectic like so many in our family.
So a nice morning and now I am about to start something, but what? I have enrolled in Mary Ann Moss's Remains of the Day class, you will find her blog in my side bar as Dispatch from LA, this is to make another(??) book, I am a sucker for making and collecting how to of books, I really shouldnt need to but I cant help myself. I am now collecting all sorts of ephemera for it. Love the name. This is something to play with slowly, actually it will have to be as I have committed to a lot this year and I have an exhibition to get ready for as well, our annual, Easter show with a heap of mixed Media people.

While walking Max

2012-02-10T15:14:00.000+10:30

We went a slightly different way, looking for interesting and different things to take photos of.
This is at the back of the pine forrest behind the house from the new race that has been put through for the cows.
A lovely old tree stump with sketching possibilities, a tangle of dead branches and trees and the view through the pines, dark and mysterious.
Pussy tails blowing in the breeze with dry dock heads behind them.
Will I ever do any thing with them? Perhaps one day but they were nice to find and photograph.
It is still damp, actually quite damp today although not as cold as it has been, my arthritic hands are playing up.
Off to make them do something.

Doing a bit of this and that

2012-02-09T16:53:00.000+10:30

This has to be the ugliest doll I have ever made. Millie thought she might like it, I still havent got it to her so goodness knows what she will think when she sees it!
I think the problem is that the cheeks are up too high and look like mad eyes which are up even higher.
I also made a heap of paper beads today, and a couple made from ice cream wrappers that I had used the iron on, wasnt sure if they would work but they seem to have been ok. They are the silver ones.
I usually make beads from fabric or tyvek so these were a new thing to try out. Not sure why I have never used straight paper before.
I cut up a sheet of paper I had under where I spray and paint stuff so lots of interesting colours.
I am walking and doing mundane things like house work, ;;my toe is being a bit uncomfortable but I am perservering with no dressing on it, trying to get the callous softened so it will not be there in the future. I may be being opomistic, we will see.
It has been beautifully cool but I guess it will warm up again soon. Not wet so I am moving hoses again.
Max and I are still enjoying our early morning walks, we see at lest two pairs of kangaroos each morning, usually a mother and child, the females at this time of the year will have a smaller joey again in their pocket as the others are weaned. They are usually to far for me to take photos but it is lovely to see them.

Collage of today

2012-02-07T15:10:00.000+10:30

Here is a collage of where we went to lunch. The flying fish at Pt Elliot, the view around Pt Elliot and snaps of our lunch, this table looks straight out onto the beach where children were having surfing lessons. All great fun and we walked back to the car to walk off some of the food!
Oh and my toe is now supposedly better, no more dressings, no more doctors visits. Hooray.

53rd Wedding Anniversary

2012-02-07T09:25:00.000+10:30

Who would believe it!!
We look younger every year in these photos.
Off for lunch, nicer than dinner these days as we go where we can sit and see the sea.

Wild skies at Goolwa

2012-02-05T16:01:00.000+10:30

John and I went over to Goolwa this morning, we had a coffee on the beach near the first photo, lots of wild surf and the skies were looking interesting and in some areas quite threatening.
The last photo is of the River Murray taken with the bridge overhead.
We went to see about three exhibitions, including the one with the lovely books that I had seen a week or so ago, I am now home making a few small concertina books.
We kept an eye on the skies and finally J said he thought we had better start ot go home.
We hit a very heavy thunderstorm about haldf way home, luckily the hail was not large as there was no where to shelter.
At one stage it was very hard to see and then just as suddenly we were out of it.
Since coming home J has been mostly on the roof making sure that what rain falls goes into the rain water tanks. It is now very windy but we have had about 10 ml which will make the garden a bit happy.
Would have liked not to have had the wind but these sudden cool southerly squalls are wind driven.
So nice to be out and about, but equally nice now to be home and working on these little books.

Magpies and memories

2012-02-04T15:55:00.000+10:30

While J and I walked the cliff top this morning this magpie was catching the odd worm. We have two varieties of magpie in Australia, the black backed and as you can see here the white backed. These are our local ones.
They are capable of eating lizards but seem to prefer worms. When they sing, or carol as we call it the sound is quite beautiful.
We have several families around the garden and close farm area here, they can be a bit nasty during mating season as some get it into their heads that we humans are an enemy and they swoop, you can get a nasty hole in the back of your head if they hit you, luckily we have not had any swooping magpies close here for a long time.
I remember as a child at my grandmothers cottage in the country having to wave a large leafy stick every time we went to the outside loo (dunny) in the mating season as there was a family of swooping magpies with a nest in the large gum tree under which the loo stood.
Talk about outside loos!(the smell, phenol and ashes and cut up newspaper!!) and wood stoves and kerosene lamps and the Coolgardie safe to keep food cool and getting ice from the bus in a wheelbarrow to put in the zinc lined ice chest. A water bag hanging on the veranda full of water to keep it cool.
Water got from the well with a rope and bucket when in the summer the rain water rain out, the jersey house cow for the best cream.
A wash in front of the fire at night and a bath once a week, children last, no wonder I dont like baths (that scummy water almost cold by the time the rest of the household had finished, the so called bathroom was freezing cold in winter, hot in summer).
Yet as a city child I loved those school holidays with my grandmother.
No fans, no electricity even, my grandmother who had come out from England was a tough person, yet she had known a very good life in the UK.
A fantastic cook, she made the lightest sponges in that wood stove and I remember her lemon curd (always made to sell at fetes), pavlovas and helping her to make butter.
In her day a beauty with some decidedly odd family history( not sure how many marriages or non marriages she had!) I often wonder how she coped with it all.

Today and yesterday in collage

2012-02-02T11:04:00.000+10:30

I had to go over to Yankalilla yesterday to collect a necklace I had bought at a gallery and I took Max with me in the car, he sits in the back seat but tended to whine a lot on the way and was desperate to get out, I need to teach him a few manners when it comes to that.
I took the dirt road through the end of the valley and took the photo of the sign into Back Valley, also a shot of the road as it wound down to the valley floor and on a higher ridge this huge and lovely Banksia, it is a tree not a bush. Please click twice to enlarge these photos.
I am going out with Max at about 8 am at the moment so I can see where to put my feet and not fall over!
We walk approximately the same way every morning but this morning I headed across to the end of our swamp which abuts our neighbours. The reeds are growing tall and looking magnificent. I know the thistle is a weed but it was looking lovely and I may use this for more drawings in my sketchbook.
Their piece of swamp is largely untouched so I took a photo of it with reeds and ferns and in the back ground our very brown and crisp looking paddocks.
It is amazing how quickly every thing starts to look so brown and dry, well not amazing really as we have had very little rain for the last few months and probably dont expect much this month, or March unless a cyclone of the WA coast decides to head down our way.
We are off to Adelaide this afternoon, and then back to McLaren Vale for a 100 year celebration of D'Arenberg winery to night, I hope my fine clothes still fit and I can find some shoes to wear!

Two walks, flowers and I won a give away.

2012-01-31T17:21:00.000+10:30

I walked Max early this morning again, there was a southerly wind blowing and it was quite cold, more sunrise! The magpies were caroling as I walked back.
I went around the garden turning on hoses and took a few photos, of an early belladonna lily, usually these are out just before the season breaks but they have been very confused over the last few years so i dont hold my breath any more. The big cactus by the house is flowering and the red cedar, having been visited by a zillion butterflies earlier has set seed, loads of seed.
Then we had to go into town to get the papers and mail and so had a quick cold walk along the beach at Encounter Bay, the yacht was back and the sea was roaring as the southerly blew in, the tide had been high and had once more changed the contours of the beach and there were huge lumps of sea weed with roots etc attached along the beach where they had been ripped from the reef.
AND finally, in the mail today came the give away I won from the wonderful Jane LaFazio A copy of her dved, watercolour tubes, a set of pencils, a sketchbook bag, postcards and a Strathmore sketchbook. Oh bliss. I have been wanting a strathmore sketchbook for ages.
Click to enlarge the photos.
I am off to see if I can catch a very naughty hen who jumped the fence and now wont go into her pen for the night.

Kangaroos and grass trees

2012-01-30T12:19:00.000+10:30

With daylight saving not due to end until the end of March I will be walking in the dark soon. The sun wasnt even up this morning as I set off and it was very overcast and almost but not quite damp. Max may have to wait a while in future for his walks.
This morning the mother kangaroo and her joey were a bit upset and ended up in the pony paddock but they did soon work out that they needed to be in the house paddock, the light in the photo is odd, it really was quite early and I had to crop and fiddle with this photo.
The grass trees (or blackboys) up near the top of the hill had flowers spikes up, some over and one new one coming, you can see the misty conditions in the back ground of the photo if youy click and enlarge it.
Tiny blue wrens were out in the garden as I passed and the peacocks were all calling and starting their day, flying down from the high trees they roost in, the males have now mostly lost their tail feathers so were a bit more manouverable in the windy conditions.
I could here one of the Japanese bantam roosters crowing as the day lightened up and a lone black cockatoo flew over head calling.
Peaceful until people started arriving for work or left for work and cars started to head along the road at the bottom of the valley.
Max and I headed for home, moved hoses around and turned them on and then breakfast.

TAST Cretan Stitch

2012-01-29T19:34:00.000+10:30

I have this strange doll which I use to practice stitches on. I am not in the least bit organised this year for TAST, I really want to make a book and eventually I will get my act together and do just that but at the moment I feel I should be doing each stitch, so out came the doll again and the green is my take on cretan stitch. The next photo shows the whole strange doll. As you can see I have done odd bits to her over the years. \Loving this, thanks to Sharon b on pintangle (see my side bar),

A new house and more early morning walks

2012-01-29T16:30:00.000+10:30

I think you will get sick of seeing the early morning photos, I walk up the hill behind the house, so long as the cows are not there, sometimes up the race but this morning I turned around and came down the other side of the paddock, more starlings in the dead tree, and this morning there were a few clouds turning a lovely pink, it has been threatening a storm all day but unfortunately nothing so far. Several months without rain and the prospects of more similar months can get very depressing. For the first time in two years we have had to tap into the two top rainwater tanks, I just hope I am not told that I cant water the garden any more as happened all through the drought.
Max and I walked down to the road this morning, he hasnt been down there before and then up through the yards so I could turn on the hoses in the orchard, we managed a good half hour or more which is great, I havent been walking at home for so long and it feels really good that the ligament in my knee feels strong enough to negotiate the rough ground.
We went in to have lunch with an old school friend of mine and her partner, we dont catch up terribly often, but when we do we dont stop talking. A lovely lunch and so good to keep in touch.
I made the house this morning, I found the pattern on a blog I think it is called retro mama or some such thing (sorry, I should check it out but I am in a bit of a rush), it is similar to the other houses I drew up and made but had enough little extra bits (love the bird) to make me want to try it.
This as I keep saying is the prototype! A bit rough and ready but I may find time to do some more, certainly I have enough fabric scraps to use up.
Off to feed the dogs, cat, and chickens, then I might fall asleep, but not before we have the squid (calamari) John caught yesterday for dinner, that and a salad will be very nice, actually too much food after today's lovely lunch, but I did only have a salad and a bit of wine.
John came home with a sink full of fish yesterday, and not all Oscar fish so we will be having a fishy feed for most of the week. Very good for my arthritis, nothing nicer than freshly caught fish.

Morning walk and give away winners

2012-01-28T18:35:00.000+10:30

Ok so John came back from fishing( yes lots of fish) and pulled three names out of the hat. Dijanne won the doll and doily, Robin Mac the small bird and doily and Shirley won the doily and the owl, could I have your snail mail addresses please.
I hope you like them.
Today was an awful day, hot and humid, far hotter than the weather bureau said it would be, and so not a lot got done.
I went out early not long after 6 am with Max to walk, he isnt easy to take photos of as he sticks very close to me. The sun wasnt up until I got home but I loved this tree when it was alive, now it is dead it saddens me, but It still has a lovely outline.
As dairy farmers we have to do things we dont often like to just keep on going, and we cant afford to stop either. So paddocks are made smaller, more fodder crops are grown and the gum trees dont like it. Sometimes the cows ringbark them as well. I find it heartbreaking to see places I rode over on the horses now fenced in to smaller and smaller areas.
There is one plus, the races we have put in on the whole are easier to walk along.
So two dead trees which I will sketch and early morning light across the valley, with the sun about to peep over the hills.
I am so pleased that at the moment I am being motivated by max to get out and walk, and that I actually can walk is the biggest thrill of all after the last few months.
No the toe isnt better but it is getting there.
I went in to the market this morning and we are about to try two different posh pies from the lady who makes them, she tells me she will only be there every second week end which is a shame as the beef ones we had were delicious. Tonight we will try chicken and leek and salmon and something.
Yesterday I had to go to inspect some Connemara ponies up in the Barrosa, a lovely place but it was hot and quite a long way to go, so I got home late, John had to shut up the hens, and only managed 4 as when I went up this morning to let them out 2 were already out, thank goodness no foxes had been around. With any luck Max will keep foxes at bay, but he is so scared of Sarah's cairn terrier bitch it isnt funny, and today he sneaked inside to find a 3 times the size Oscar spitting at him and he nearly wet himself!
So maybe not.

Sorry

2012-01-27T21:33:00.001+10:30

Somerhing unexpected came up today, I will do the draw for my give away tomorrow.

Australia Day

2012-01-26T15:35:00.000+10:30

As John was one of the Australia Day recipients a few years a go we make a point of going in to the ceremony, held reasonably early in front of the Horse Tram Barn.
This year we seem to have a new Town Cry er who welcomed us in the traditional manner.
There was a large crowd and somehow I missed taking the Mayor who is hidden behind the Town Cr yer but I did get our CEO, who was also John's CEO when he was mayor, seems a long time ago now, nearly 10 years since he decided to retire.
I thought the flags looked nice, better than what we have had before.
First there were the citizenship ceremonies and then the actual awards. Speeches were kept to a minimum thank goodness.
We had a coffee and came home, having got out of our better clothes!
I picked this magnolia flower as a bud last night and it is now out and perfuming the house. They dont last long but are a delight when they finally decide to flower. My first magnolia was grown from a seed and took the designated 21 years to flower, it is not in the best place. This one is the so called faster flowering one and is in a better position. I have just been given another, all variations on grandiflora, although the last one is supposed to be smaller again.
Lastly this is a not terribly good photo (my reflection is there) of the painting I bought at the Rotary Art Show, done by Karen Haymon, it is beautifully done I just wish I could do as well. I am delighted with it. Now to work out where to put it on my overflowing walls.
I will draw my give away tomorrow, not a lot of comments so far and no one wants the doll so I may have to work something out.
Scroll down to see what is there and Good luck!

Early morning walks

2012-01-25T17:54:00.001+10:30

Max and I have been out walking by 6.30. Yesterday it was hot and sticky, today much cooler with a touch of damp in the air all day, although nothing to measure in the rain gauge.
I have been asked how Max likes Oscar, well Oscar becomes twice his size when he sees Max and Max hides behind me, so far so good.
Max does do a lot of moaning and howling if he cant see me, I am still telling him he is an outside dog, apart from that he is very good and well behaved. We had Tabby and John and Millie over for dinner the other night, we ate outside and he sat by my feet all night. Not too sure of the others at all.
So we have seen on our walks a roo and her joey, a series of ibis, one strawnecked and the other ordinary white ones. A dead tree full of starlings (wretched things I dont like them.) One of the Welsh Mountain stallions with a little young maiden mare, the lone poplar, and the lovely rush by the dam.
John and I also did a quick walk along the beach and found this ribbon of sea weed.
Last night we went to see Hugo, a fascinating film, described as a childrens film but to my mind a wonderfully photographed brilliant film for all ages. I loved the views of Paris. Although thank goodness our little heritage art deco cinema dosnt have 3D, I dont think I would have survived some of the scenes as I get sick. It is well worth seeing.
I forgot, double click to enlarge the mosaic.

TAST 2 feather stitch and clouds.

2012-01-23T17:55:00.000+10:30

I am sitting here dripping, our evaporative air con doesnt like this steamy weather and nor do I. It is awful and where my computer is is a hot airless little spot.
I took the photo of the clouds building up on my way home from Victor late this morning, it was 36 degrees C then!
I am still working on this small sample and the TAST 2 featherstitch worked in well. I know itws small but I may build it up later, if I ever cool down enough.
Another dressing on my toe, not sure how many different ones I have had so far, it is almost 3 months and has staggered to a halt.
I hope it is not like this for ever.
Dont forget to scroll down and look at my give away, leave a comment before the 27th.

Meet Max

2012-01-22T10:24:00.000+10:30

He is a rescue dog, lived at Pt Augusta and is a blue heeler cross ( possibly alsation?).
Very well behaved although he thinks he ought to live inside and I think he needs to live outside.
I collected him yesterday at about 4 pm and he sat like a gentleman in the car, infact he likes the car, he seems to like me, was a womans dog.
He does respond to his name and so far so good.
The next few days will tell but at least he is making me get out of the house and walk.

Walking and rust

2012-01-20T13:06:00.000+10:30

Dont forget to leave a comment on my Give away post!
We walked, a lot cooler and the beach has changed shape a bit, it is interesting when you walk a beach at about the same time every day and how the tide may be approx the same but in the intervening time it has moved both sand and sea weed around.
The sea gulls were all camped up by the blocked up river opening.
I came home and rusted some tissue paper, this was ordinary tissue bonded together. I have done a bit more to it but havent taken its photo yet.
If you go to my other blog (see on the side bar) you will see the wonderful book I have just received in the post, off to explore it some more.

Tour Down Under Stage 3

2012-01-19T15:03:00.000+10:30

We went down to the Back Valley corner to see the Tour down Under go past, first the helicopter, who was almost over head and put up a heap of corellas sho didnt like this big bird, then the first sight of the peleton, more of the peleton and finally a support car. All over in such quick time and the stage was over before we got home.
Andre Greipel was this stage winner.
Lots of fun and quite a few of the neighbours down there to watch.

6th Blog anniversary Give away

2012-01-19T13:43:00.000+10:30

As my 6th blog anniversary is on Saturday I am offering 3 give away prizes. All you have to do is decide which one you would like and leave a comment on my blog. I will draw the names out on the 27th of January.
I am not sure how exciting this is but I had fun working out what to use as prizes. Goodluck.

In the mail

2012-01-17T11:16:00.000+10:30

first my lovely Sentinelle from Dijanne, the first one went awstray in the post, I am so looking forward to stitching her and second I won a give away on elizabeth Woodfords blog of her sun printed fabrics. So lovely to get something in the mail.
My 6th blog anniversary will be on Friday so look for what ever I find for a give away on that day.
I can hardly believe that when I started blogging I had no idea what would open up for me, blog friends all around the world, new places to visit and things to try our. It has been wonderful, I just hope I will be around blogging in another 6 years.
I had a very busy week end, we did very well at the show (SA Welsh Youngstock Show) but I am waiting for my daughter to get me some of the photos. We ended up having the Supreme of show, our rather nice three year old Section B colt. I wasnt there for all of it, a long and tiring drive there and back but I did see one ring.
The next day the judges came to look at our ponies and I organised lunch and then took them over to Tabby to see her cobs.
Just wish I didnt feel tired all the time, today is horrid very hot, screaming north wind and this is the first day of the Tour Down Under and the poor cyclists are heading straight into the north wind with temperatures above 39 degrees C. Horrid.
We are just hoping there are no fires near here.
Off to see what I can offer as a give away.

Buttonhole stitch and rust

2012-01-14T13:18:00.000+10:30

Take a Stitch Tuesday this week was buttonhole stitch. I use this a lot but havent had time to go into variations, although I have done those before. Here I had found a felt heart cut out but nothing done to it and in one of my quiet moments it was stitched as well as the pink silk one (although that one has no buttonhole stitch), using a bit of tatting, some lace on the pink one and a scrap of fabric and a button and some easy embroidery on the red one.
I always like to have the odd hearts in my drawer to add onto presents as an extra touch and I must make more as I am running low on them.
I rusted the fabric the other day, the easy way with water and vinegar and steel wool, it almost rusts as you look at it.
I am always using my rusted bits for odds and ends.
A friend is staying and we had a lovely morning fiddling around went back to the art show we went to last night and I bought a lovely little painting, I know I shouldnt but the price was right and I couldnt resist.
I pick it up next Sunday.

Rocks and waves

2012-01-12T16:39:00.000+10:30

A wonderful walk this morning, low tide and lots of beach and rocks exposed.
I love the orange lichen on the granite rocks, the beach euphorbia growing in odd places, the sea weed floats washed ashore and above all the roar of the waves breaking on the rocks.
The rest of the day has been spent tidying the guest bedroom and making the bed, vacuuming and cooking. Guest for the week end. What fun, we have an art show to go to tomorrow night.
I am also getting a little bit of fun sewing done, need a lot more stuff to find and things to work out but I am getting there, I think.
Saw my Dr yesterday and we had a bit more of a chat about the medication I am on and I feel a bit happier about it all. He tells me to expect to go up and then down a bit as this wretched polymyalga rheumatica is like that, small things can make me need to go up and then come down and I am the best person to work out how and when. A bit daunting but then at least I am in charge.

We nearly had a bad fire

2012-01-11T13:46:00.000+10:30

The power went off for the second night in a row and in the morning one of the men who works in the dairy said that as he came through to milk there was a power line down and a small fire starting which luckily was put out quickly. It has been cool but we have had some pretty high winds in the last day or so.
Although it wasnt blowing our way it could have beem quite nasty as there are a couple of holiday houses near by who have no one in them at the moment.
I had to go into town to have my toe dressed so took a photo when I came home. The last photo was taken looking at the other side of the valley, all mostly crispy brown and summer dry.
To the north of us there has been some rain but here just cool and windy, so the hoses are on in the garden again.
We were in Adelaide yesterday, my sister seems to be looking better than I thought, it was nice to spend a bit of time with her.
John took me for lunch and a coffee which was lovely and also found me a small bit of France in a new shop that has opened up. I will show that tomorrow.
However we also saw an old friend (and an even older school friend who I hadnt seen since we left school! who was with her,) who told me that my friend whose husband has a brain tumour was back in hospital. There seem to be some good and some bad days, I suppose it is the age we are at. Rang her in a panic as I realised we hadnt spoken for over a week which is unusual but he is home again and we hope all is well.
Such a stressful time for all.

This morning around Victor Harbor

2012-01-09T15:17:00.001+10:30

We walked the beach at Hayborough this morning, a pretty rough sea and much cooler so not many people and very pleasant walking.
The steam train came through a bit after 11 am, you can see how close to the beach it gets.
Waves were breaking and the sky once more was quite interesting. I think if you double click on this collage you can make it larger.
The old tree has been on the beach for a few years, after a blow like we had last night and yesterday it tends to move around a bit and get uncovered and then covered with sand. To day it was pretty exposed and in a different position to last time we walked this beach.
Adaire was showing up rather nicely over the blocked up mouth of the Hindmarsh and the ti tree and swampy bits. One of the old houses now used as a Christian camp.
On the way home we stopped so I could take a photo of the flowering gums in one of the back streets, unfortunately I was a week too late but you get some idea of what they look like.
Absolutely spectacular when they are fully out. They are a Western Australian eucalypt, but apparently the ones we have here are an older type not easily found any more. Trouble is like all gum trees they tend to cross polinate so dont come true to seed.
I have had a miserable couple of mornings , the dreaded aches are back so have gone up a notch with the meds to see if that makes any difference.
Been rusting cloth and trying to get a few lino cuts made but it all takes time!
Yesterday I made it over to the opening of an art exhibition by two people I know at the wonderful gallery in Yankalilla built by Karen's husband, shaped a bit like a nautilis shell it was where I did the eco dying with India Flint. I bought one of Emanda's lovely necklaces. The exhibition was called Birds of a feather, and was mostly featuring birds. If any one is in Yankalilla it is open until 29th of January and is in the Yarns and fine arts Gallery at the end of Glebe Street (next to the cemetary!)

Walking this morning

2012-01-07T14:52:00.000+10:30

Again we went in to near the Inman River mouth and walked towards The Bluff.
Hot and humid but the sky was incredible and there was every so often a long slow wave breaking on the beach.
Lots of dog walkers and the occasional swimmer.
Oyster catchers and shags as well as a couple of ducks. I only took the oyster catchers photos.
Rock pools and weed.
Lovely to walk on a beach but I cant wait until I can paddle again.

Having a bit of fun

2012-01-07T14:47:00.000+10:30

I joined Jude Hills class on patchwork beasts and this is my first rather odd attempt at a beast. No where near finished or even if I will finish it but fun to play witha nd see what came out.
Pretty primitive but I think this may be something I play with in the future.
Proportions are not right but as the sewing machines are not working, hand sewing is the go.
Very hot and sticky early this morning, we did managge a walk but the air was best described as 'heavy'. There may be thunderstorms later today too.
I would just love some rain.
At the moment I am relaxing a bit and reading. Not into Jackie Collins but some one gave me a book of hers so I am reading it, light reading!!

1012 diary cover

2012-01-06T16:57:00.000+10:30

I managed to get this done before all the machines went hay wire. Still having problems, again, getting the Bernina started! I have spent so much time on this when I should be doing other things and now feel rather bad tempered about the whole thing. I am not even going to think about it tomorrow I will draw and paint, eat and drink and get fat!!
Enough of that.
This was a piece I hadnt really liked or finished in the class with Cas Holmes last year so decided that it would make a cover for my diary, aprox the right size, but whether it will stand up to wear and tear I am not sure. I see in the scan that the button is not lined up with the tab to close it. It wont matter by the time it is finished and full of all sorts of odds and ends.
I dont draw in this diary this is my written account of my day to day stuff and I like to cut out articles, poems lots of political cartoons relating to the day, relevant invitations etc.
But... it is amazing how when I go to look for something its not written down!

Early morning Encounter Bay

2012-01-05T17:40:00.000+10:30

The sun was glinting on the water as we walked. Cooler morning and so very pleasant.
We hadnt walked this way for a while and the tide was out a bit so walking was pleasant as the sea weed was further up the beach. I need flat surfaces at the moment.
Trying to catch up with things. I looked at sewing machines today but nothing available, the old Bernina has decided to work for me thank goodness. My others are up being fixed.
I didnt see my sister as she wasnt quite up to it but rang this evening and they say, not up to taking a phone call but making progress.
Long tiring trip to town, called into the dog pund too but couldnt see anything I thought was what I wanted. John doesnt want another dog but I do, but I will just wait for the right one to come along.
Much more pleasant weather, so I hope to have a good nights sleep. I think I have been pushing myself a bit more than I need to.

Fly Stitch

2012-01-04T13:20:00.000+10:30

I am doing Take a Stitch Tuesday 2012. (see my side bar for Sharons blog link)' I did both TAST 1 and 2 before. Not sure how I am going with this one but as the first stitch was fly stitch I decided to add a bit more stitch to my Father Christmas stitch I started before Christmas on the lines of Jude Hills stitchery. I think if you click on the photo you will be able to see the fly stitch acting a bit like a bag on his back.
Thrilled to find I had won some lovely fabric on Elizabeth Creates blog give away, I seem to enter a zillion give aways and very very rarely win, so I am thrilled to bits with this one.
I will have been blogging since 2006 near the end of this month so I must organise some sort of give away.
Thinking cap on for the next few days while I see what I can find.

This morning 8 am

2012-01-01T11:50:00.000+10:30

32 degrees c at 8 am. A walk along the Hayborough beach, we havent done this for ages as the Hindmarsh River was open to the sea and we couldnt get across but we needed to be early this morning as by the time we got home it was 36 degrees and rising.
John and J having the last coffee as she is home this afternoon.
Means a stinking hot trip to Adelaide forecast there 41 degrees c so very hot but at least the car is air conditioned.
We didnt see the New Year in last night, although I did wake and hear the fireworks in Victor, but had a pleasant meal under the pergola, watched the Edinburgh tattoo and a bit more and went to bed to read.
Still not sure about celebrating New Years, just means I am another year older and more decrepit!!
Still I am looking forward to getting into some textile stuff and more painting in the next few days.

Last walk for 2011

2011-12-31T14:49:00.000+10:30

It is very hot today so an early start turning on hoses and going to the market and then a walk along the cliff top near the Bluff as I had forgotten my shoes and only had sandals, I cant get the silver that is still on my foot wet with salt water so better to be safe than sorry.
It was re3ally warm even at a bit after 9 am but sunbathers and surfers were out on the very small swell. Beautiful morning, I dont think I have ever seen so many boats out or waiting to go out but then it is summer holidays.
We retreated home under the air con, me to do some tidying up in my work rooms until it got too hot in those places that air doesnt get too terribly easily. John is doing accounts, j is reading and sleeping.
Tonight we are having take away pizza and salad and summer pudding made from the first mulberries of the season, bliss! Last night we sat outside under the pergola, I hope we can again tonight. I doubt if we will see the New Year in though.
I dont make too many wishes these days for the new year, my word this year is survive, and a hope that it is better than last year, no new health worries and and end to some of the ones that are there, but the older we get I think we just have to be grateful that every day we awake and find we are breathing and in not too much pain.
To try out many new ideas and perhaps get better at some old ones. Perhaps the most important for next year is to be happy with whatever I do, and dont expect too much! That sounds a bit boring doesnt it.
To all my blog readers,(if there are any out there!) Have a happy, fulfilling and enjoyable 2012.

December 26th and 27th

2011-12-28T13:28:00.000+10:30

The evening walk on Boxing day, beautiful, and the big two cats, a sailing yatcht and the ferry almost coming together, they looked incredible.
The view across the sandhills to the jetty and then the next morning, grey skies and the ferry we were to go home on, some shells off the beach, the sheep that were on our ferry and the vineyards in the middle are from the restaurant where we had lunch to celebrate the 85th birthday of its owner.
I was a bit tired and didnt actually take photos of the lunch or gathering, too busy talking, eating and drinking.
It was a great birthday party but after an early start I began to flag by about 4.30 and wanted to go home.
I think that John and J did too, He seems to have developed a problem with giddiness, they think maybe infected something, hope he gets over it.
Off to a not quite New Years Eve dinner tonight, I have cooked what I have to and bought what I think we will need. I am doing entree.
Oscar is home from the cattery and telling me he wants to go out.
sorry fellow but it is snake season and we have already seen one near the house.
All back to normal! Washing on the line, most stuff put away, shopping done early.I need another holiday.

Last day on the Island

2011-12-26T21:18:00.000+10:30

we managed to walk three beaches today, and get an art exhibition in.
The first photo is the wall of the tiny building the art show was held in, nice stuff but way out of our price range, but I did love this wreath of native plants.
We have been using up food, and there wassome bread left over, for the blue wrens, and finally I managed a shot of this little male through the glass.
A large ship going up the gulf, lovely to see them on the horizon and wonder where they were going and what they were carrying.
Me, not the most flattering photo, usually John gets me with my mouth open as he cant see what he is taking. This was a shot of the beachcomber, bits of rubbish off the beach, a gannets head in a plastic bag, lots of bits of twine and the odd bit of wood. It was quite cool on that beach, (Pennington Bay).
The last photo is of a beach we camped on about 40 odd years ago, with 2 just over 12 month toddlers, 3 other children, 5,4,and3 approx, 4 adults and a pregnant pug who gave birth while we were there! Mad. No car, we were dropped off by boat with our camping and diving gear, we got milk and bread from a fellow on a motor bike and ate fish and crayfish straight from the sea.
When I look back I wonder, but at the time, it was what we did and it was fun.
Well a long day tomorrow so bed is looking tempting.

Xmas morning

2011-12-25T13:21:00.000+10:30

Whoops I put what I was going to put up on my other blog (see the side bar if you want to look) so this is a little different.
My ala Jude Hill stitch of father Christmas is on the way but not finished, click to enlarge but I am having fun with him.
This morning was overcast and cooler so we walked a deserted beach and visited a deserted light house. J and J said it was cold, only a bit.
The sand hill euphorbias were flowering, and everything was a bit indistinct and hazy, no rain though. I beachcombed and found some good stuff.
Home to a light lunch and will cook the duck for dinner tonight.
so far a wonderful day.

This mornings wander

2011-12-24T14:36:00.000+10:30

We were due to look at a border collie bitch I might have taken on to replace Jake, she was lovely a brown and white, but far too long haired for me. We have a wicked grass seed problem at home and it wasnt fair on the dog.
So we had a bit of a wander, along Redbanks and these are photos I took, mostly looking towards Kingscote from across the bay.
we also wandered over to a new venture on the Island, KI
Spirits, very interesting anf bought an interesting bottle with orange and ginger. I hope they do well.
I am on the computer, the rest are sleeping. wine in the middle of the day has that affect.
I am playing with a Jude Hill style father Christmas and am having fun quietly stitching. Not sure if it will get done before tomorrow, but that doesnt matter.
Off to drinks tonight, its all go here.
Seasons greetings to you all, just incase I dont get to blog tomorrow (I am the cook but we have hot duck at night, not at midday).
To those in the cold and snow, enjoy my sun filled beaches and vistas. It is what I know and call Christmas time.

Stars have come down to earth

2011-12-23T16:52:00.000+10:30

I took this photo this morning on the way in to walk at Antechamber Bay, I loved the way they seem to sparkle and really looked like Christmas stars.
Another lovely day, a light lunch at a new winery outlet with one of the best views in the world, but you will have to wait for that.
Oh these are what we call roly polies seed heads of a sandhill plant.
Not much else, just enjoying the slowness and views, no rushing around, time to take things in, including some new but very old cd recordings, nothing like having the computer here for John to indulge in a bit of itunes nonsense (at the moment of all things, Peter Dawson!)
Hope my blog followers (who I appreciate but am very wicked about replying to comments, I do read them all) have time for relaxation, I have been enjoying all the different things people are doing on their blogs, especially the weather reports.

Various views and piece made of shore finds

2011-12-22T16:00:00.000+10:30

Last night this yacht anchored in front of the house, it was gone early this morning, you are never quite sure what you will see.
I found the wood and feathers and odds and ends at Pennington Bay and made up my little offering yesterday, great fun to do although the rest of them in the hous think I am a bit weird!
Another evening photo, ships loaded with containers are always passing up or down the gulf, I caught this one just by the point you can see from the house.
Another view of Hog Bay taken from the front of the house, yes there is a roof but somehow you overlook that.
Today I have fiddled and J and J played golf, then slept for 2 hours!
Last night we had a lovely dinner at the pub, which is within walking distance, I think the 2 bottles we consumed between us helped us get home safely.
Friends in for dinner, John is playing around with red cabbage, I am doing roast pork. I just hope everything fits in the oven, not having all my own stuff it can become a challenge!
Off to see if all is well.

Pristine beaches and avian delights

2011-12-21T17:12:00.000+10:30

I hope you can enlarge this and enjoy.
we are having the best of times, there are two beaches here, my favorite, well for today, is pennington Bay, the most incredible colour of the sea and fascinating rocks, today it was d'estrees bay, wild and lovely.
We went there after going to the raptor display, always good, here a barn owl who is really the star, a tawny frogmouth, a wedge tail eagle and a lovely little nankeen kestrel, some fly, some you can pet and I know, owls are not raptors but does it really matter?
John and J discussing something on the edge of Pennington Bay.
we have had friends in for drinks, eaten and drunk too much but it has been lovely and beautifully relaxing.
Off to the pub to celebrate Johns Birthday tonight, so just time to put my feet up for a while.

To day

2011-12-19T19:57:00.000+10:30

Penneshaw sorting out food so a trip to Kingscote, caught up with a lot of friends! Did the shopping, bought a beautiful lino cut which I will show when I get home as it is well wrapped and the same with a bird house, and a lovely new salad bowl as there wasnt much in the house, trouble with rentals, you never know what is still there from one year to the next.
We came home and there was this rather groggy looking silver eye by the door, I think it hit the window but did fly off eventually.
Here are the Christmas decorations set up on the mantelpiece, I re did the wreath ande now love it, it was from the English Stitch magazine, and I did the little Christmas trees from CPS Gifts magazine
Lots of fun, and finally the little tree is set up with gifts from friends surrounding it.
Dinner has been made and eaten, time to relax.

On the way to Kangaroo Island

2011-12-18T17:07:00.000+10:30

This was meant to go with the last post, read it for an explanatiom.

A long day

2011-12-18T17:03:00.001+10:30

We left home at 7.30 am having been up since 5,30 for the drive to
Cape Jervis and the ferry to Kangaroo Island, fog on the tops of the hills on the range road and some drizzle and low cloud.
The loading of the cars is always diverting as some have to back on, John who has done this trio so many times only had to drive on, this is our car about to load, it can be total chaos and often is.
The passage over was a bit rock and rolly but not too bad, at least it wasnt wet until we arrived so sitting out on top was fine, and makes me feel less sick I never sit below on any ship, no cruises for me!
We passed the other ferry half way across.
This all relates to the collage above which somehow I messed up.
Couldnt get into the house until after lunch so called in to friends and used their frig and freezer to store stuff, visited another friend and bought some lovely glass, this is my old friend and one time teacher Bernard Stoner who does such lovely stuff, always something new he gets bored doing the same things!
Lunch at a little cafe and then in and unloaded.
Pooped!
Now recovering, loving the view, the ferry arriving and departing and almost readfy for nibble of John's pate and some bubbles. ( these photos were taken from the front of the house, isnt this a view and a half, with the mainland barely visible over the passage, would you believe it is called Backstairs Passage!)
This is living!

Not a lot of time

2011-12-16T13:25:00.000+10:30

I made a collage of the last few days, a new foal, photo of one of the mares and the older palomino foal taken on a walk,( a walk that ended up in agony as my toe was so sore but at least I managed a walk) The other reason to walk was to go down and get some of the tortured willow to hang the birds I found in the bottom of the Christmas decoration box, now in the sun room, an especially sun room type of decoration, not necessarily Christmassy.
The Lilies I found flowering all by themselves in the depths of the garden and had to pick and bring inside and the large Father Christmas who I made a few years ago and who I love with his bright red scarf, looking suitably wintry although here it is warming up.
Rain and thunderstorms forecast for the next few days, the crossing to Kangaroo Island on Sunday morning could be interesting, but then it always is.
Yesterday was Adelaide and delivering a few presents, this morning, more present delivery and a doctors visit and a bit of shopping.
The car, my car, not Johns ute is playing up and as we need it for 3 people on the Island it had to go to the mechanic to see what is wrong.
Now I am home and trying to think of packing, organising tonight's dinner ( roast chicken) John has gone to Adelaide again to collect J off the plane.
I was quite relieved to here that my blood pressure was ok, although my diabetic stuff has gone up, partly stress, partly not able to exercise, partly the cortisone. My GP patted me on the shoulder and said, its Christmas, dont worry about dieting until the New Year. By then I may be the size of a giant balloon.
Once we are settled I will be able to blog from the Island, although I will be glad when we are there, we have last minute problems with the house sitter, but she will be here, just a bit distracted I think.
I hope every one is having fun with the lead up to Christmas, sometimes I would love to live where there is snow, but we get used to hot or at the moment beautiful days in the lead up to it.
There will be roast duck for dinner with us, cold something for lunch and a walk on a beach whatever the weather.

Some of the decorations are up.

2011-12-13T15:38:00.000+10:30

My feet are sore but the house is vacuumed and the little tree is up as well as another and the fireplace has its Santas and reindeer and the center of the dining room table is decorated. I havent shown the wreaths on the doors, but have run out of puff.
I have put this little tree that you cant see very well against the window for all of our married life, nearly 53 years, although when the children were small it decorated the table and we brought in a fresh tree that we cut from the pine forest, now it wouldnt fit in the house, but oh the memories of sitting on the floor early on Christmas morning with the children who had been up since very early, opening their presents, and I really dont remember them being disappointed although we had very little money then. I loved being there when presents were opened. When I was a child our presents came in a pillowcase at the end of our bed. Times change and yet they dont.
Sorry about the rather blurry last photo.
Tomorrow there is more baking to be done and the pate to make.

Over the week end

2011-12-12T17:38:00.000+10:30

On Saturday I went to the market and then tried to get a plant for a friend, nothing much was open so here is the main street of Victor Harbor, one way and the other. I stood in the middle of the road to take the photo!
The bottom one I took this morning from the Anchorage across to the railway tracks to the old Telegraph Station building I was in there very early as I had a blood test at 8 am and after fasting needed a coffee.
Yesterday we went to a lunch put on by our local MP at a winery near Mt Jagged, a bit cool and windy but some lovely views and some great people to sit and talk to, all local Government friends from way back when John was Mayor.
Last night delighted in watching Smokey and the Bandit, they all smoked, no nude scenes but some of the things said would probably not be able to be said today. Amazing that I had never seen it but have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Today has been a long day, on going saga with my toe, I am now on antibiotics. Will it never end?

Ive been baking

2011-12-09T16:27:00.000+10:30

This is the third Christmas cake, a bottle of rum does three cakes which John thinks is expensive but I dont. Only 2 more cakes to make and then more biscuits. The second photo, well there were more biscuits but they have been eaten. The third photo was a new recipe, not sure if I will make them again but so far the jury is out on them. They were a pain to do individually so I ended up putting them in to a slice tin.
Back to making the usual biscuits next week, biscotti and something savory.
Wet and humid today, we had about 4 mm until 9 am but a bit since then. I am so glad as the garden needs every bit it can get.
In for a coffee with a friend this afternoon, very pleasant, now to feed the dogs and chooks and organise dinner.
I need to clean the house over the week end and then put up the Christmas decorations, I usually leave it until the week before Christmas but as we leave on the 18th for kangaroo Island and our friend from Queensland comes on the 16th I had better get them done sooner rather than later, then find the ones I take with us over to the Island.
Beginning to feel as if things are coming together.

Zozie and from the bedroom door

2011-12-06T09:22:00.000+10:30

Here is the little Zozie doll I made in the Susie McMahon class last Friday, she is very cute but I am going to try and see if I can make a cloth face instead of the paper clay mask. She is made from an old knitted shirt of my mothers, linen and something it was a bit hard to see where I had sewn and was very soft but I think my wild little miss came up quite well. Actually she is quite a delight.
I dont know where the last few days have gone, I know that on going problems with aches and my toe have taken its toll, I was a pretty grumpy old woman when I went in to have a stinking toe redressed yesterday, sick of every time I go in a new idea and its still far from right nearly 5 weeks after it was done.
I dont want to moan on my blog but honestly it has been a struggle and not what I need just before Christmas.
The weather so far, apart from the odd hot day has been lovely, if only one could walk and enjoy it, but these photos from my bedroom door show that even standing by the door had been a delight. Shadows and sun.
I did manage to sit out under the pergola yesterday with a coffee while John was away at a meeting, then felt a bit guilty, mad I know but one cant help the way one was brought up, at my age I should know better.
I have finished the other doll but cant show her yet. I suppose there are some plusses with being house bound, sewing things get done, sort of, I sewed up another 5 birds yesterday, they are now stuffed and ready to be finished off.
Now for the cakes.

Finally a walk

2011-12-03T19:36:00.000+10:30

Not a long one but back to a bit of sea and cliffs and fresh air and wonderful sounds and smells. Oh what a delight.
I seem to have been stuck for so long whith this wretched toe.
Not that I havent been busy, today I got most of the Christmas cards done, I thought there were not many to do but when I looked there were more than I thought. I needed to get the overseas ones done.
This morning I went in to the market and got a few veg and John got the papers and then we walked along from the Bluff, surfers out in the small rolling swell, a new sign telling about the granite that is all along this coast, swells coming in over rocks, the colours are changing, greens and browns, grey rocks and blue sea and the pussy tails (last photo) were blowing golden in the wind.
There was a bit of wind.
Click on the photos to enlarge them.
Home and chores to be done, the hens were not pleased that we were a bit late.
Yesterday I spent all day in Adelaide, tired, a bit over an hour trip took nearly 2 both going up and coming home, traffic was appalling. I had a doll making class to go to, making one of Susie McMahon's zozie dolls, simple but fun and a nice collection of people to chat to, although I did arrive shaking and feeling quite off. I will show you my doll when she is finished. I was so tired when I got home I fell asleep before dinner.
I had called in to see if Mason and Gaby were home and they were, so I hope all is well for the next few days before they go back for an early morning appointment on Wednesday.
Tomorrow looks like another busy day, but one thing crossed off the list to do.

Adelaide yesterday, sewing today

2011-11-30T16:16:00.000+10:30

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

2011-11-27T16:59:00.000+10:30

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.

2011-11-25T13:24:00.000+10:30

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

2011-11-21T17:55:00.002+10:30

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

2011-11-20T17:20:00.000+10:30

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,

2011-11-16T14:40:00.000+10:30

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

2011-11-15T13:31:00.000+10:30

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!

2011-11-09T16:50:00.000+10:30

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

2011-11-06T12:07:00.000+10:30

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

2011-11-03T13:38:00.000+10:30

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

2011-11-02T11:02:00.000+10:30

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.

Birds, fish and a rough day

2011-10-30T16:09:00.000+10:30

I have finished these little birds, probably more on the way but not just at the moment. I love making them but I need to get some more things done, Christmas suddenly seems very close.
I received this wonderful fish from Jacky of dog daisy chains. I absolutely love it. Cant stop looking at it.
I worry about where all my loved bits will go when I am no longer here. Feeling a bit mortal at the moment as my older sister has a heart valve problem and she is wondering if she really needs to have an operation or not she is nearly 78 and not sure about how she will manage, either way. Such a dilemma when you are on your own and one son is far away and the other rather selfish and terribly busy. I have offered all the support I can give but it really in the long run is her decision, but non the less I worry for her.
I think part of the problem is we went through this with our mother and her last few years were not pleasant and that was not terribly long ago.
So this morning after a not terribly good nights sleep we blew the cobwebs away with a walk along the cliffs near the Bluff. Quite rough but not too bad and such a lovely sea

Tiddy Widdy Collage

2011-10-28T16:58:00.000+10:30

I am home form a lovely few days at Tiddy Widdy on York Peninsula. I took lots of photos, and made a collage of a few. I notice the little brown snake lost his/her head but you get the idea. I think you can click and enlarge.
Such a lovely place, we sat looking at the sea in all its moods, from rough to glassy, I walked every day for at least an hour.
We ate laughed talked and played with cloth, I made some birds, and have a new pattern for a strange little Christmas fellow.
We went to the op shop, we read, we cooked and had fun.
the birds were incredible, well they were easy to take photos of, the red cliffs and the white silos made a lovely contrast and there was a boat in loading grain.
A lovely sleepy little area, very quiet during mid week.
The only downside for me is getting there was I have to drive from one side of Adelaide to the other, J only had to come down from up north. One of her English students came yesterday and spent the night, a lovely lady from Checkoslovakia (spelling!) . That was interesting. I left early this morning and was home by a bit before 1pm.
Now tired, it has been hot and humid, didnt expect that, and we have had a little bit of rain which is welcome as I dont have to water the pots.
Have a lovely week end. I think I will.

Making little birds

2011-10-24T15:47:00.000+10:30

I have been having fun making these little birds, using up scraps, I will have to make a lot more before all my scraps are used.
I am off for a couple of days to Tiddy Widdy tomorrow on York Peninsula, I dont think the weather will be warm, here it has been overcast and dripping for days, but it just might be us. I know the garden is beginning to look like a jungle.
I haven packed and I have collected an awful lot of bits and pieces to take to do but goodness knows if I will do anything. At the moment I just feel like sitting and reading.
I have no doubt the car will be full tomorrow morning with all the 'stuff' I might need.
Our Rivington Welsh Ponies had a great weekend winning in various disciplines in three States, such a boost, so nice to know you are just not breeding led ponies but ones that can go out under saddle and go from leading rein to dressage.
Not sure if my cmputer will work while I am away, we will take it and try but if not I will be back on Friday.

Garden wandering

2011-10-22T12:21:00.000+10:30

It has been a strange few days, overcast, warm and humid. My poor garden is worrying me as I am having a lot more problems with my hands at the moment, aches and a bit of a wobble. Not conducive to pulling weeds but despite that it looks beautiful.
As you can see from the first photo we have not a lot of distant visibility, infact in places it is almost foggy but not quite. Not the sort of weather we usually have.
Irises and roses are coming out, the irises are over a period of time but each individual variety doesnt last for very long.
I also have some lovely succulents flowering, the little rat tail is covering itself and the pink one seems to like me and I have it in various places, they strike so easily and reward you with flowers.
I have been trying to get some sewing done, a few ideas for simple Chrtistmas bits this year as I am not managing to get a lot done.
I am not painting either which is annoying but the wobble doesnt make for easy painting.
I am off on Tuesday for a few days to Tiddy Widdy with a friend, I am taking stuff to do and I hope to get some walking in as well. So John will have to look after himself, the cat, the dogs and the hens.
He is off fishing today, I do hope they can see where they are going in this misty weather.
Not an interesting blog post, enjoy the photos and click to enlarge them.

Not quite finished

2011-10-20T11:21:00.000+10:30

I have had a busy few days and needed something to quietly play with. I drew some small elephants for my other blog and used the more stylised one for this small slow stitchery. I was amused when I had finished stitching the tree to see a face in the foliage. I dont think it has decided that it is quite finished, I will leave it by my chair and see.
Tuesday we went to Adelaide, well down to Glenelg where my hairdresser now is and after hair cuts and a coffee decided to park the car and take the tram up to the city center where we had dental appointments, we dont usually use public transport in the city as we have a car and drive up but it was a pleasant surprise to find that with our seniors cards we had free travel up and back (so long as it was between ? and 3, not sure when it starts, we were there around midday), so that saved considerably on car parking. I can see lots of future possibilities!
Yesterday a friend from skiing days (a lot younger!) rang to say she and 2 friends were doing something with cycling SA and could we meet, so we had a very pleasant lunch at the Anchorage on the veranda, it was pretty hot but not too bad and it was fun to catch up. John had had a physio appointment as he has a shoulder that doesnt like him so it all worked out well with us actually being in the town. We shared a fantastic coorong mullet bruchetta, new on the menu since I was last there.
It has cooled down and there is the odd spot of rain but I have hoses going full tilt in the garden as two hot and windy days, as well as smoke from deliberately lit fires in the conservation parks has dried things out, not the smoke, that was just an added hazard and now we are really worried about some idiot who thinks it is fun to light fires at risk to all and sundry. One was to the north and one the south of us and not terribly far away.
The joys of summer in the country.

Stones

2011-10-17T15:17:00.000+10:30

Yesterday during our walk I took photos of stones, and there will be more to come, as the sand has been washed away rocks which have been under the sand for a long time have been exposed and some of the markings on the rocks have been very interesting. Not that they are all natural, the old stone well on the beach is now exposed as well and I had fun taking this photo through the two fence posts. The other non natural one is this lovely pile of stones, I think I have taken this or one similar before but I love making these at home, although something always fells them, but this was a lovely collection that would take some knocking over. My rocks dont tend to be as flat as these, This is a very satisfying collection as the entrance to the beach.
We thought the last one looked like a womans head, a very natural sculpture, dont you love the lichen on her head as a decoration.
You should be able to click on the photos to enlarge them since I disabled the wretched slide show blogger thinks I would like (I dont).

A glorious mornings walk

2011-10-16T13:17:00.000+10:30

Finally after days of damp and drizzle where I have had to walk around the paddocks in rubber boots and wet weather gear the morning was bright and lovely even if a bit windy.
Decision made, head along to Petrels Cove and along the cliff path to the first beach. The tide was about half way, and was showing how much sand has gone from the Petrels Cove beach, so many rocks and it was rather the same on the little beach further along.
Magpies have their young out of the nest, rather late and I hate the carnage on the roads as people dont let the babies have time to fly off. At least these were not near a road.
The pigs face is flowering as are the yellow billy buttons, on the fenced side of the track sheep were grazing and down on the beach the sea was roaring in and crashing satisfyingly over the rocks.
A morning to savor and remember.

The moon last night

2011-10-15T15:49:00.000+10:30

Coming home from a very pleasant dinner last night the moon was I think full, any way it looked pretty large and I tried to take some photos as we were driving, which is the last one, and then we stopped, the middle couple and finally at home through the trees. I took the flash off and got these wonderful affects.
Coming through the back way on dirt roads is always a bit of an adventure and you hope the kangaroos dont hop the wrong way, this time no one did.
More rain, lots of wind today, I went in to the market and came home rather damp around the edges.
Catching up on a few inside jobs and being a bit lazy.

The garden on a damp morning

2011-10-14T16:21:00.001+10:30

The weather has been kind to us again and we had showers this morning and not a lot of wind. About 5 mm I think but it has freshened things up a lot.
My lawnmowing man came yesterday too which always makes things look so much better.
Trees in the orchard are still flowering, the pears are out now and various things in the borders are showing thier heads, as still do the weeds but I can ignore them, well some of the time any way.
I am still playing with stitch but slowly.
I have walked and we are out to dinner.
I hope you all have a lovely week end.

More fabric pages

2011-10-13T18:47:00.000+10:30

The front and back of the next fabric page, not showing up quite as well as I would like but ok.
Then the two dolls, the first was a stamp and we made those when we were in Broken Hill last year, the second is one I drew free hand today, I had found some sharpie fabric pens in Big W and thought I would like to try them out. Unfortunately the yellow dots dont seem to show up very well in the scan. ON the whole though I am really pleased with how it is developing. A few more ideas coming out of this.
I will put this some where on the inside cover.

Quite warm today but I have finally planted out the petunias I bought over the week end and pulled some weeds, done more washing so I am up to date with that.
Spent yesterday in Adelaide visiting my sister who has a bit of a health problem, she is off to Melbourne next week and just wanted to tell me a few things and also give me my Birthday present, three lovely netsuke hares, I am thrilled with them.
Then on to lunch at a friends and there were three of us having a lovely non alcoholic time! Well I had to drive home again didnt I.
I realise I dont catch up with friends as much as perhaps I should.
I have just organised myself to the Grampians in late February too, doing a 2 day workshop with Keith Lo Bue, The class list is extensive, I thought a 2 day may not be quite as much but I do have time to quietly get most of it and thank goodness I have quite a lot any way.

Another filly foal and daisies.

2011-10-11T14:03:00.000+10:30

This filly was born yesterday, a nice Welsh Mountain filly and especially so as her mother has only given us colts up until now, so one to keep the line going.
When I walked out to take a photo I saw this clutch of fungi and with it some cape daisies,we call them dandelions but they are not true dandelions, the bane of our life in the paddocks but they do look lovely turning them into a lovely shade of gold when the sun comes out.
From there I went looking for other daisies, the purple one whose name I forget, the yellow winter flowering one and the common or garden bush daisy.
We rely on the daisy family to brighten up corners of gardens, they are useful fillers and groundcovers, and flower almost at all times of the year here.
I also love painting them, free motion sewing them and having them in the house as flowers when all else fails.
My visitors have gone, it was only a brief visit but lovely to see them as John and Roger have been best friends since they were very young and we never seem to get to Perth to see them. Our children are similar ages and we have from a distance gone through a lot together.
After all the cleaning and cooking etc, not to mention too much to drink last night I think I will go and so some quiet sewing.

Fabric pages and more of the garden

2011-10-09T14:31:00.000+10:30

It is still damp, and we have visitors coming so I have been 'at' the house, some bits have had a good going over, others as I ran out of oomph have had a lesser attack but the bthroom has had a clean and tomorrow I will wash floors, although if it is still damp that is always a bit of a pointless exercise by the back door, but at least I will know it has been done.
Oh for a thorough and young cleaning lady!
The top two photos are my small bit of using painted canveas and odd bits of stitch for the first of my fabric pages for my book, I have one lot of papers ready to go too but I do have a lot more to do before it is all finished. I was a bit hesitant about this one but from now on I think I will do a lot more sewing.
It is all a matter of finding the time for all of this and the garden weeds are calling very insistently. I have petunias to plant and weeds to pull but as it is still damp I am at the moment happy to let everything grow.
I hadnt realised that the clematis by the bedroom door was flowering as the long strands of the wisteria flowers tend to distract you but yesterday I looked up and there they were. and I found another rose manfully struggling to flower and up in the veg etable patch, near where John has been clearing the undergrowth I found these horse mushrooms. I think they are edible but am not game to try them.
The little gladioli are flowering their heads off too, I must move more of them around as they are so pretty at this time of the year.
Feel I have acheived something so all is well with my world.
Off to bake some biscuits for the visitors, the impossible pie is also made incase they are here for lunch, we had a bit for our lunch today, it was yummy.

Local Agricultural Show

2011-10-08T17:18:00.000+10:30

This morning after going to the farmers market we went across to Pt Elliot to the local agricultural show, this is the last of our district shows this year, we were away for the others last week end and due to weather and various other problems we havent been over for a couple or more years. I used to run one of the horse rings for them and now my daughter does.
It was a lovely morning, quite warm but with some cloud and there was a huge crowd gathering, we were there early so didnt have any problems.
Caught up with some friends, saw my grand daughter ride (the black pony) said hi to those at the truck and then headed down by the beach for a coffee.
As you can see there were some very colourful flowers and cakes on display. Sheep, scarecrows and old engines as well as a lot of stalls selling all sorts of things from old tools to plants and everything in between.
It is still school holidays so lots of people around.
We had dinner with Tab and John and the girls (and Mason) last night, very pleasant and the children are always fun, Celina made a nice dessert, chocolate self saucing pudding and I forgot my camera!
Lunch yesterday with a friend so a good day. My birthday is going over several lovely days!
The only trouble is that the house cleaning I am supposed to be doing is not getting done as fast as I would like, but progress is being made so perhpas tomorrow....

Spring blossom and a new foal

2011-10-06T15:24:00.000+10:30

Around the garden yesterday and the geranium maderense is looking superb, there are a few roses out and I managed to get a bee in this one, then the orchard trees are flowering, the old Lord Nelson apple, a pear, I think this was the burre bosch and lavender and roses intermingled in the border.
I was desperately trying not to let the weeds show!
We have had more rain last night and today. Lovely but a bit much having to go back to rubber boots again.
The new foal, born the morning we went to Melbourne is looking lovely, she is a Welsh B and is by the lovely stallion we took back to Imperial Stud a few months ago.
Very pleased with her.
I have been catching up with a few things and doing some sewing, trying to get my fabric/paper book under way.
Have just been looking at the tutors for the school in the Grampians at the end of February, would love to do the whole 6 days but accommodation is very expensive if I am doing it on my own. Maybe I will do one of the 2 day classes, there is so much on that I would love to do but money is tight. John cant come with me as it is right in the middle of fire season and so I will be going on my own. Any one out there interested in sharing a room?

Another year older!

2011-10-05T15:32:00.000+10:30

We are now home from our few days in Melbourne, the top photo was my birthday breakfast yesterday, we had scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and champagne, one bottle between 4 so we were not over the top. I do look a bit spaced out though, it was either this one or a very serious one with pursed lips, not a good look.
We had a long day after that getting home but another bottle and some asian take away helped send us off to bed.
Will is an xbox player and he spent most of his time playing but it did mean that at least I got a photo which he usually shies away from I didnt get one of Evie she wasnt home a lot and at 14 is going through a bit of a stage, sweet but friends are terribly important and grandparents not at all I think, not that I blame her and we did have some time together over the few days.
The last photo is of the cemetery where John's I think grandparents are buried and really what I was taking were the bright yellow african daisies covering so many of the graves. On the one day the sun came out it was a blaze of coulour when they opened.
Washing is being done, and I am doing the usual mundane jobs around about and had a doctors appointment to get my drivers license, which entails an ECG all ok there and an eye test, just it took so long and I had to get Oscar from the cattery earlier so I havnet been home much.
It is still damp and the garden looks lovely but so do the weeds. I will take some photos of the flowers tomorrow I hope.
A busy week or so coming up so wether I will get some of the things I want to get onto done will remain to be seen, at least I feel a bit more rested, makes a difference just being some where different.

Geelong textile Forum

2011-10-03T16:28:00.000+10:30

Here are some of the dolls made in Akira Blounts class. The first are the ones Mandy made and in the second at the top are Hilary's. I dont know who did the bottom one on the second photo.
It looked like a wonderful class and I really wish I had been able to do it.
There were more wonderful classes, I didnt take photos but the wild knitting one looked fabulous and there was a very interesting printing class by wendy Lugg, sorry I dont have my book with me so no idea who did the knitting class.
We went out to Ziguzagu today, we are really finding our way around on public transport, Nat of notjustnat had suggested we go, what a treasure trove of a place for Japanese textiles. Not that I could afford to buy much but some scraps came home and a new Yukata for John.
We go home tomorrow but it has been a lovely break and great to catch up with the family.

Wandering around Melbourne

2011-10-02T12:38:00.000+10:30

This collage is of a few of the photos I took in the last few days, down here at the beach at Beaumaris, in Geelong, around the Fitzroy area, and wandering around the suburban streets here, houses that took my fancy, a black rabbit eating on the verge, the stairs down from the loo in a cafe in Geelong, just things that took my fancy.
We are having a relaxing time, lots of walking. The trip to
Geelong yesterday was great, met friends at the TAFTA thing at Geelong Grammar and will post more about that later.
It was the grand final in football and Geelong won which was great for their fans, we got home just in time to watch most of the game, I was secretly hoping Collingwood would do it for Mick Malthouse but it wasnt to be.

Wet and wild

2011-09-29T17:06:00.000+09:30

This is the view on the tarmac at Adelaide airport., wet wet. The view over Adelaide as we flew out. Grafitti from the train on the way down to Beaumaris, well the Cheltenhan railway station on the way down to see the family.
Today we went to see the Vienna exhibition at the art gallery, having an adventure on the way as we were bussed from Moorabbin to Cheltenham railway stations, waiting for ages and going miles out of our way. We finally made it into Flinders st and after seeing the exhibition had a bit to eat here at the little Austrian Kaffehaus they had set up in a corner of the art gallery, not so crowded as the more well known places. We then had a lovely time exploring other galleries but I must say I loved the Klimt's, to see them up close was the best.
Oh and I did enjoy these figures from the Pacific gallery.
Made it back on public transport safely, but rather damp around the edges, as more wind and rain in the late afternoon.

Off for a few days

2011-09-27T14:09:00.000+09:30

I am trying to pack and see what I still fit into, this wretched cortisone has added surplus weight around my tum and nothing fits! the weather in Melbourne sounds like a bit of everything too.
It is hot and windy and a bit sticky here at the moment but there is a forecast for rain both here and there.
I am trying to get watering done as well just incase we dont get the rain, and any way the ground is incredibly dry, less than half our average rain for September so we need a downpour to catch up.
A couple of photos, the first two are what you see as you walk towards the back door and up the path to the next gardens, I have to say that Johns large cutting implement is not normally there.
Then the yearling fillies in the paddock I pass on my evening walk, they are starting to look lovely, losing their coats and filling out.

A short wander around the garden

2011-09-25T17:04:00.000+09:30

Trying not to look at all the weeds that are out there!
I spent today tidying some of the area around the back door, still lots to do, but I have at least made a start and pulled out a heap of forgetmenots which although lovely in confined spaces are a nuisance.
I was interested to see that I now have three different clivias, the first one with dark flowers and tighter trumpets, a yellow one that took about 20 years to flower and never can I get a decent photo of it, it always looks washed out, then the ordinary clivia that I love as it brightens up dark corners under trees and is as tough as old boots.
The long Japanese wisteria is covering itself, I love it even though I bought it as a white and it turned out to be this very subtle blue/mauve colour. John spends his life cutting it back as it is growing over the prunus by the bedroom door, I know it will probably kill it one day but I would rather have the wisteria any way.
We went to the Native orchid show in Adelaide yesterday and I came houme with 3 new ones, this one is one of the very old dendrobium crosses, delicatum "appleblossom" I think, it grows in this hanging basket outside all year around, although we have just looked at it and are notsure how or if we should re pot as there doesnt seem to be a lot of bark around its roots.
The show was spectacular, some varieties I would love but they dont seem to become available.
I have walked twice to see the mares, I would love one of my mares to foal, but probably while I am away. We go to Melbourne for nearly a week on Wednesday so am having to organise the usual stuff, house sitter in, cat to the cattery etc and leave a moderatly clean house!

Silage time on the farm

2011-09-23T17:11:00.000+09:30

They were gathering in silage from the paddocks near the house so I wandered out late this afternoon and took some not terribly good photos.
I love the way the truck keeps pace with the chopper, we have two trucks working as the silage stack is a distance away from these paddocks, further over in the next paddock is the rake.
Our son and grandson do this and their contracting business is flat out at the moment.
I am afraid there is not alot to pick up so they are cutting every paddock possible and hoping for some regrowth.
At least the gale force winds have dropped and there was actually a small sprinkle of dampness as I walked, but not enough.

A bit of textile play

2011-09-22T16:34:00.000+09:30

Here is another one of my prayer flags, this one has Simon and Garfunkels 'The Sounds of Silence' exerpts written on it.
I was reminded very forcefully of this song when it was sung in New York on the anniversary of the bombing of the twin towers, a lot in there to think about.
The background was a monoprint and then I cut out a stencil and painted the black crow onto it. It is supposed to be eating an insect (actually I made a blob so added legs but they dont show up terribly well). This one is hanging by the back door next to the other one and John is wondering what is going to come next! He says there is not much room inside so he supposes it is logical that I have moved outside.
In the new Quilting art gifts Angie Hughes has made some small brooches and I decided that I could have a go at making a tag in the same style. I may make more of these they are fun to do.
At the moment I am painting paper and canvas for the start of a new fabric type journal, the sort Ro Bruhn makes, but it is taking me ages just to get the backgrounds done.
An absolutely awful day here, gale force winds again it is drying stuff out terribly, and I didnt even go for a walk today as I feel so full of hay fever. I hope the winds drop tomorrow as I have a lot of watering to do but dont even dare go out tonight.
It did dry the towels in rapid time though.

Pennants

2011-09-21T15:35:00.000+09:30

These are the Pennants I have recieved in the Stargaze tome swap. The first is from Megan, the next, Jannice, the 3rd is from Judi and the 4th from Connie.
I am so pleased with them.
I tried to put these up on the yahoo group but it kept timing out, so here they are, one more to come but that person is ill so I thought I would put these up here now.
I am supposed to make one as well, it will happen eventually, but actually I quite like the fact that there is an odd number.
Now to find somewhere to hang them.
A busy few days in the garden, the weeds are growing a pace and after managing 2 wheelbarrow loads yesterday I could only manage one today. I am a bit worried about overdoing it, but the way I am going I am afraid there are weeks of work ahead.

In the mail and a day out

2011-09-19T09:59:00.000+09:30

This lovely collection of doilies and lace came from Julie in the Uk and the collection of wooden stamp images on cloth came from Chris, also in the UK. I am very lucky to have blog friends who are happy to send out stuff for me to play with.
Yesterday was a long day as I was up at 5 am and over to collect two of my granddaughters, Gaby and Celina put on the float and take them and young Mason over to Strathalbyn for the mounted games. As I said a long day but we did see the steam train, the Duke of Edinburgh storm past, always gives the horses a bit of a fright as the line is right by the back fence of the grounds but lovely to see, although Mason was a bit scared of it. Not easy to get photos and these were all I could manage.
I didnt get home until way after 5 pm, by the time they had finished and packed up and loaded the ponies but they all enjoyed it, Mason did mostly, here he is posing in my hat, he did get tired and grumpy towards the end but managed to fall asleep which was bliss for me. I seemed to feed him all day.
Today I am aching and tired, more I think from the terrible day outside, hot and windy with a change forecast and a very low barometer than from yesterday.
Hope we get some rain, and not a tiny bit we need lots, when I weeded and cut things back on Saturday I couldnt believe how dry the soil is.

Port Adelaide

2011-09-16T13:33:00.000+09:30

Yesterday I drove up to Port Adelaide to meet P as we had arranged to go to a demonstration at the art shop there of the use of Derwent Inktense pencils and blocks, we were the only 2 there so it was fun to ask lots of questions and play a bit. I bought some of the blocks as I decided that they were rather nice to use as paints, I also bought a brush, and a silk screen for a class I am doing.
I love going to the Port, although it has been ruined by the fact that developers have come in and now large ships cant get into some of the traditional areas and most of the lovely old buildings and wool stores are now just that buildings, waiting for people to 'convert' them.
I took a few photos, the lovely stone and brick work on these buildings, the ship and cornucopia on top of one of the wool stores, an old dtug on dry land across the river from where we had our lunch. a geranium flowering madly and brightening up a corner of an industrial site, and this seagull who sat and tried to get some food from us while we ate and had a coffee.
We went to an interesting exhibition in a gallery, all rusty objects and skulls and bones from a northern station that had been turned into the sort of thing I like. No photos unfortunately.
So I drove home and was tiredd, John was at a meeting until late so I fell asleep infront of the tv until he woke me up when he came home.
We had another foal yesterday and one this morning, the Cob stallion was busy as all of his have come within a few days.
I think we have a break for a few days now, although as the mares run with the stallions the timing is never very precise.

Fern

2011-09-14T16:59:00.000+09:30

This is my daughters Cairn terrier pup Fern, she is about 6 months old and absolutely gorgeous.
Here she is in the Toyota waiting for 'mum' to come back, where is she? She didnt go this way did she? No? You are not mum. Oh well you will have to do!
Sarah was out feeding the ponies and I was walking.

a glorious mornings walk to Kings Beach

2011-09-13T15:04:00.000+09:30

I had to collage this as there were so many wonderful photos, if you click it will enlarge and I think click again.
We havent been over here for a while, I am finding I am still a little unsteady on my knee and my eyes are a bit wonky so I walk a lot more slowly than I did, especially on these cliff paths with the odd rock and step to negotiate.
It was really windy at home but along here there were long steady rolls of swell but not a lot of wind, in fact we got hot walking, and the sea in places was incredibly clear. We have got used to dirty water coming out of the River Murray.
I loved the sign, although all I saw was a bull mating cows, not young claves and some one had gone to a lot of trouble making a very tall pillar of rocks.
Blue seas, white froth, curling waves, bare sandy beach, orange rocks and blue skies.
Bliss.

Flowers, foal and fantasy

2011-09-12T15:40:00.000+09:30

New growth is appearing down the drive way as the tamarisk flowers and the ponegranite shows new leaves. Exciting times.
On one of my walks I came across this Banksia flowering, they really are this incredible colour and look stunning. Another one we planted between paddocks, this one has survived the droughts well.
This is the new little boy foaled on Saturday, we have another boy this morning, a bigger one by the cob stallion and from a part arab mare, but this little fellow is a Welsh Mountain and could well be a replacement for his sire who we lost last year. He will go grey eventually, see the rings around his eyes?
This mornings foal thought a post was his mother so there were a few fraught moments getting him to drink but he seems ok now, his mother is in the background of the foal photo, the one nearest to the fence..
These are the finished cupcakes which are now on their way to Gina Ferrari in the UK, not sure if she will like them but they were fun to do. Heavens postage has skyrocketed though, cost a small fortune to post them, might have been easier to just send the money.
and I have been playing around a bit with monoprinting, this is one of several I did yesterday. All to do with the class I am taking with Alisa Burke called Beneath the surface. Great fun to do.
Oh and I watched our Aussie girl Samantha Stoser take out the US tennis Open Championships this morning, finally she has made it through, what a girl, it is so long since we had an Australian girl at this standard and she has had a hard time getting there, so Congratulations!

Stitching

2011-09-11T13:14:00.000+09:30

I have added a few bits to this moon piece, it is not showing up terribly well but may look better when you click on it to enlarge it.
I have been rather fascinated by the prayer flag project, Jane LaFazio has a good turorial on her blog, I love the idea of a prayer said and always left a small something when we were in Japan at the shrines.
I found this material, it had been a sheridan cotton pillow slip, for very little in the op shop the other day and decided to use it for the base for my prayer flag.It looked rather Bali ish, and I added the bird made from a piece of Japanese fabric and a few lines from the song To Everything there is a Season as it has special meanings for me, and seasons mean so much to farmers.
These photos were taken by my very old farmhouse back (main) door, along with a cow bell, a pottery bell and the thermometer that John has just re done as the original plastic disintergrated I wont tell you what is behind that door! You dont want to know.
Another damp and cold day, thank goodness although I have this horror thing that when finally I can get into the garden it will be too hot! I have no hope of cutting things back at the moment with my aching fingers.
Back to finishing my last knitted cup cake for Gina and then they will fly to the UK.

This mornings walk at the base of the Bluff

2011-09-10T13:27:00.000+09:30

A collage of the walk we did before the rain set in. There was a big swell running and some hardy or perhaps fool hardy surfers were out in shark alley, they sometimes get really big sharks out there as we know from our diving days but sometimes I wonder if they know. It was never a place to surf in the old days a big white was reputed to come by regularly so we were told by the fishermen but they have all died (the fishermen and no one nets the bay anymore) now so perhaps no one knows about the tales. I know we were always terribly careful and with the influx of seals around now (there is the one we saw this morning in the photos) I would be even more careful but surfers are not known for their caution.
An interesting morning for photos but unfortunately the best ones of the surf rolling in didnt come out clearly enough.

Adelaide Central market.

2011-09-10T13:16:00.000+09:30

This is the most exciting place to go but not good for taking photos! Yesterday we called in on our way up from Glenelg and having hair cuts to deliver eggs to my friend P. We did a bit of shopping and had the best coffee ever. We are not very often in Adelaide when the market is open so this was a treat.
Not that we bought much, I could always go overboard here but restrained myself and I do like to buy my fresh veg from the local farmers market here in Victor on Saturday morning, (which I did).
But there is always the chance of picking up a few nice things I cant get elsewhere, and the coffee at Lucia's is the best.
Quite wet at the moment and we had another foal born this morning, a nice little colt whose sire we lost last year so he may be kept as a replacement.
John was trying to cut back the wormwood by the back gate which we think is harboring a large rabbit, well it nearly tripped me up when I went out at 6 to see the foal so it is there somewhere, but it has done nothing but rain on him since he tried to do it.
I have given up all thought of cutting back and am about to see if I can make a screen to use in screen printing as I have started a new online class with Lyric Kinard at Quilt University, and of course have no screen, how silly can you be, but I have an idea and I will see if it works or not.

Banksia, collections fantail and the sea.

2011-09-08T13:46:00.000+09:30

A rather odd mix of photos today.
In my mail yesterday was this wonderful leaf from Barry Smith (5th photo down), he lives at Maleny in Queensland and does these beautiful leaves, and with it came a lovely metal tag and a photo. I had ordered the leaf and told him to choose, I love it, only trouble is I really need a couple more!
If you google barrysmithart.com you should find his website. He does amazing stuff with recycled metal.
The Banksia's I collected from the few that remain from the planting John and I did years ago, this is the possum Banksia so called because of its large and furry seed heads. I needed to dress up the old cupboard we found and is now by the back door, so a basket an old friend gave me many years ago came into use and then next to it you can see the collection of shells and skulls and stones that have moved a bit further away from the back door. I am a terrible collector of bits and pieces and the back door area is not wide but I like to add things when I come home from a walk.
The new/old cupboard is a welcome addition and will be a useful bench for doing out door stuff at. It is not pretty but old and battered and it will do, its a bit like me.
The grey fantails have decided to build a nest in the silliest place, just above where we walk to go to the incinerator at the back of the house, every time some one walks out they fly off and scold us, I did manage to get this ones photo and here is the tiny nest in the camellia. The nice thing is that if they decide to sit and hatch out young I can see it all from the kitchen window.
We had a short walk this morning over around Green Bay at Pt Elliott, John had to go to the industrial area to try and get a new drill bit (he was unsuccessful!) so we went a bit further. I loved the way the big swells were cascading off the granite boulders as we walked around the point.
A beautiful morning there.

Cupcakes, birds, and flowers

2011-09-06T11:48:00.000+09:30

I have knitted up two cupcakes for Gina and the third one is a felt one I made a while ago, not for Gina, but I have two more knitted ones on the go they are so easy and a bit addictive.
Nice to do when I am feeling a bit tired.
While walking the other night this big white cocky and the galahs were on the race way eating the seed dropped out of the hay. I couldnt resist taking their photos, I love the bright pink and grey of the galahs.
I also took some photos of the Banksia flowers and the manchurian pear that are planted between the paddocks near the dam.
Once more I was looking at the mares to see who may be closer to foaling, what I actually found was one mare with sore feet and close to foundering so in she had to come. Suddenly with the odd days of hot weather the clover has started to grow and be a bit of a problem.
Typical very changeable spring weather, we go from heat to thunderstorms but still not enough rain but today it is cold and windy.

Sunday walk

2011-09-05T13:32:00.000+09:30

John and I went along the cliffs towards Kings beach from Petrels Cove yesterday. it was a brilliant morning after the wind and thunderstorm of the day before. The sea had that incredible colour to it and there was a freshness about everything after the rain.
We didnt get much rain, we need a lot more.
Walking down to the beach was interesting. it was the first time in months I have managed to get this far and the high tides of the last few months have made a difference, a lot of sand had been washed out and what was left had a lot of mineralisation in it and was quite a deep purple colour and there were lots of rocks exposed as we havent seen them before. Lines of what look like the backbones of dinosaurs and these odd rocks that are left standing like some kind of sentinels.
I loved the fact that some one had been building these lovely little stone cdairns around the place too, I sometimes wonder if we have this great desire to say we have been here in stone. I know I do it myself.
I came home with a few odds and ends, my hens love the cuttlefish as it makes their eggs stronger, and there was a ray egg as well as a few other odds and ends.
I think I did rather too much yesterday as I am terribly tired today, as well as this walk I went around the mares last night making sure none were due to foal over night (they didnt thank goodness). And I managed to cut back a wheelbarrow full of garden stuff that should have been done ages ago. I had hoped to get some more done today but think I had better not try to push myself too hard.
I am also knitting cupcakes, Gina Ferrari in her blog has asked us to do a few so I am having fun, I might even make some for me. Photos when I have finished.

A morning at Adelaide Royal Show

2011-09-02T17:03:00.001+09:30

John took Mason, Gaby and I up to the show this morning, we left early and were there not long after the gates opened on the first day. A good time to be there as not so many people and we left a little before 1pm but for all that I was very tired by the time I got home. The biggest problem was having to stand for an hour to see the Jenny Gillies show, textile art with fun, music and dance all mixed up. Jenny Gillies is a New Zealander who lives in Christchurch and we didnt think she would be back this year as she suffered damage during the earthquakes. It was a very moving and fun show and for all I had to stand it was well worth it.
The first few photos are a sample of what she makes to make the show a (cliche here) show stopper.
I caught up briefly with my sister and nephew who was showing dogs, my grand daughter who I watched gain 3rd in the class of pony hacks in the photo, had to take a photo of the junior driver event and a few of the flowers and the fun scarecrow event.
Glad I went and will be back next year but not again this year. All the pony events I would like to see are on over the week end and it will be far too crowded for me.
Click twice and it should enlarge and scroll around.

Texture and glass

2011-09-01T14:40:00.001+09:30

While the SALA festival was on P and I went to visit this glass workshop. Eamonn Vereker was trained at Waterford Crystal in Ireland, in his workshop he has several of the pieces he made while he was there. Now he is in Australia he is making the most beautiful ranges of glass imaginable.
Totally different to his days with Waterford.
I am not showing any of his current glass but these magnificent bowls,. which I assume are glass which were outside the workshop, simply decorative pieces full of rain water, leaves and the most wonderful texture.
I think if you click to enlarge you will see them better.
Well worth a visit if you are ever in Adelaide.

Pennants for swap

2011-09-01T12:42:00.000+09:30

These are the pennants I made for the swap run by the stargaze yahoo group. I have to confess I cant remember who got what at this stage except that the last one went to Jannice Power in Queensland. Very naughty of me to not remember but I was going through a pretty stressful time when i sent them off. I actually think I added a charm to all of them as well.
i think I put these up before but as I cant get them onto the yahoo group they are on my blog instead.
Not having aterribly good day today, the aches are back with a vengeance so I have had to up medication and take things as they come.
At least it is a beautiful day and I can sit in the sun and enjoy the spring blossom.