Oscar, the wild wood and a bracelet

Here is Oscar curled up and warm on our bed, he is waiting for it to get cold enough for a fire but before that he goes to the cattery while we are away. He loves the cattery where he lords it over all the flat faced pedigree cats.
The second photo is of a view through the pine forest behind the house, not much of it left these days but it is the cemetery for all the dogs and cats and some self sown pines have come up, I love the feel of the pine needles beneath ones feet. When the children were small now so many years ago, they used to call it the wild wood. There is usually a pony in here but now the dam is dry so I can walk in it with no fear of dogs or cats that are with me being chased until it really rains. .
Third is the bracelet I have just finished, I am still working on the other pearl one, it is taking far too long.
I have actually put clothes in my smaller case and they fit, worrying about how many pairs of pants I have put in, possibly one too many but we will see. I was going to buy anything I needed but now with the diff on the car going money is tighter than ever!!
Why is it always money.

Granite Island walk

Today we decided to walk over to Granite Island and back, a reasonable walk for us and I took the odd photo, the horse tram, John sitting on the jetty and a shot of the end of the Island and the causeway with the Victor Harbor suburbs behind.
Sorry the last one has come on first as I lost it but the other two are in order!
We went back to the Anchorage for a coffee and then home to feed the chooks.
We are definitely having problems with daylight saving not ending today, and so apparently did a lot of other people, including the airlines at the airport. We just got up an hour later and that put our timing out for the rest of the morning. We knew it hadnt ended just wanted to get up in daylight.
Today we measured suitcases for the trip, John wants to take a big one, I dont we will see what we can fit in.
I have been trying to finish the pearl bracelet but it is a beast to get right and I have also started knitting a jumper for Millie, cant make up my mind if I should take it with me or not, I have this feeling I will not really have time to knit. If I could knit on the plane it would be a different matter.
Not a lot of time for any sewing stuff at the moment but I have managed to get my travel diary up and running. Maybe more on that tomorrow.

Walking my world

Here is this evenings walk, well some of it. I walked up through the old pine forest and the gums are full of blossom and bees. I wonder if they know about a wet winter, I hope so. I walked up the hill and then down past the calves who were having their evening run and then around the road and up past the stables and talked to Joe who is in the yard, he was a stallion but we gelded him as we were not using him and he will make a nice saddle pony, actually I think we have sold him.
From there I walked up the track to the house and had another look at the colchiums, there are more out than before, the rain has been to their liking and on the other side of the track these three pomegranates were positively glowing in a patch of sunlight.
I am now home sore knees and back but I have managed a walk.

Bracelet in progress

I have been very busy trying to get my house and my life sorted out this week, being a short one it is Friday already.
We had our flu shots today so I hope we dont have a reaction, we dont normally.
I have been trying to get this done but it is very slow progress at the moment, I have never used fireline before and it tangles horribly, this design also uses masses of pearls.
Still cool, lots of brief showers yesterday but nothing today but another front expected to go through in the morning. I now have piles in my
workroom of things I think I will need and things I may not and my comfortable shoes are now hurting me!! Oh Hell I need comfortable feet and mine never are these days.
I will try different socks.
Getting excited, but also getting in a panic, the amount of pharmaceuticals we might need is alarming!! That IS showing our age.

The orchid in the bathroom

It never fails to amaze me that these orchids flower at this time of the year, just as its getting cold here although most of them are cool tropical.
I think I pinched a bit of this one from some one when I was in Queensland last year as I dont really recognise it.
Very cold here and quite gloriously damp although my knees are objecting a bit.
I have spent all morning on the computer trying to organise some where to stay in San Diego, as I logged onto places rooms were taken off before my eyes and it was all getting sooo expensive, and even the expensive ones didnt have any where for that time.
I have finally booked us into a small place, which seems to be undergoing renovations, probably why we got the room!! Also not close to much but we will get day passes for the buses and trolleys so that will I hope help my feet!! We have also booked our train down to there from LA and back so I think we are organised and what I saved on the room we can spend on getting around and it does have breakfast included and a kitchen so we can eat up big at lunch time and take back something at night.
Having been feeling depressed about the extra expense I now feel a lot better although spending will certainly be curtailed.
So now to work out clothes and temperatures!

Rain

I have just rushed to the outside door and taken these photos of it raining. It is cool it is quite wet, we had nearly 6mm overnight and showers all today, the fact that the washing is on the line is beside the point!
I do feel rather tired and a bit depressed as trying to work out where we are going for the 4 days we now have on our own in California is a bit interesting.
We are still looking in the San Diego area as there are some galleries and things I would like to see but finding a reasonably priced hotel near public transport and not too far from eating and interesting areas, when you nothing about the area is not easy.
But I do feel a lot happier now we have had a bit of rain and with any luck that will stimulate the springs into flowing.

Walking at Normanville

We had breakfast early at Whalers in Victor this morning with an old school friend who i keep in contact with but dont actually see very often, so it was a lovely way of catching up with her and her new fellow.
Home and animals fed and the day warmed up from the 8 degrees when we went in this morning, not too much but a bit.
This afternoon I had to go over to collect what I hadnt sold at the exhibition, quite a few things came home but also I had sold $205 worth so it was worth while.
We had a walk along the beach for half an hour before collecting stuff.
We are having to re think a bit of our Californian trip as Patti Culea is having to rush over to help her daughter who is having a few baby complications, not sure what we will do at the moment, not long before we go so will sort something out but I will be sorry not to catch Patti.
We had a wonderful lunch yesterday, but I am not sure about 11 people, I run out of cutlery and plates after about 8 or I use all throw away but this was a slightly grand sit down under the glory vine and they arrived at 12.30 and didnt leave until around 6.00 so I think that was a good party. Lots of work but the food worked out well and thank goodness two brought dessert as that is not my forte and they all helped with the dishes as I dont have a dishwasher so that was tremendous as well. They were all good friends..

No water

This is what our main big dam looks like, the one we clean the dairy with and supplies water for stock. John tells me it has never looked like this before. we are having to use water from other springs and hope we dont have to cart any. With this cooler weather the spring is running very slowly in to our neighbours but has a long way to go before it reaches us.
My week end visitor has just arrived, I am almost ready for her, and for tomorrow but I dont think I will do this again in a hurry (have 11 for lunch tomorrow!!). Far too tiring and my back is killing me.

Our Mix it up Media exhibition

I thought the set up was fantastic and as I was on the desk early this morning I took some photos without people around.
It was amazing how many people came through for just the 3 hours I was on and what we sold. One man came in and said, I will have that one that one that one and that and it was just incredible. Others came, some bought some didnt but all thought it was a wonderful show of stuff and all so varied and different.
The photos I have put up all have some of my stuff on them, the first one 6 little big foot women, the next an array of 5 small hangings next to the magpie, then two small dolls on the next and another 2 dolls, the upper ones on the last one but in doing so I think I showed a fair representation of what was there. More tomorrow.
I feel as if I have been run over by a bus but have finally fed all animals, I was up too early to get over to Yankalilla in time to do them before I left, 3 large kangaroos on the road as I went through too, but the washing has now been put out and in again, the dishes finally done, the indoor pots watered and the house is sort of back to normal. Stock for Sunday's soup is made and I found a recipe I needed, not an easy task!
Still to do is a bed to make for a guest, and tomorrow some shopping and cooking. John has been busy tidying the garden as it looks as if we will be lucky and have a nice day.
Some wind today and still damp this morning although we only had 2 mm and it is really quite cool, I had jeans and a windcheater on for most of the day. Such a shock after last week and now we all feel tired.

More Bantams

I have probably put his up before as it is an old photo of my Japanese bantam roosters but I have nothing at the moment. I think they are lovely, and I have more chicks hatched at the moment.
I am tired but had to put something up, I was told late last night that I had to put labels on ALL my stuff for the exhibition including the 20 embroidered and beaded hearts and 25 danglies, that was a shock to the system and I spent all morning labeling things, didnt finish until midday with John cursing over the computer stuff I asked him to do. After lunch I headed to Yankalilla in drizzle, lovely drizzle and helped put up my stuff and the exhibition looks fantastic.
I am on first thing tomorrow and will take some photos then. I had to say that the painting exhibition next door looked positively boring compared to ours.

This weeks Orchid

I have been to Adelaide and back via Langhorne Creek, Strathalbyn and Mt Barker and back. Well I collected John in Strathalbyn, it has been a long and tiring day.
Up in the dark at 6 am, why cant the stupid politicians work out that getting up in the dark is worse than having long hot evenings.
I headed down to Adelaide and after getting some flowers for my mother and by passing the huge petrol queue I saw her and delivered the flowers and the book which she was a bit confused about but did like, I hope it doesnt disappear but any way she has it and did like looking at it, I have no idea if she will remember it, or if I gave it to her. I did get the petrol at the best price of the day after I had seen her. It then went up very high so that was a good thing done.
I am on my second half glass of white wine as John has suddenly remembered he had an appointment tonight so I scrounged some cheese and biscuits and a tomato and some nuts that plus the wine is dinner.
Our "stuff" for the trip arrived today, at last it seems just a bit as if it might be happening, a back pack, a cap and a shirt, We are well emblazoned with our milk companies logo!! I will think about it after Easter. Some things are falling into place.
Oh and the orchid, it fell off the plant while we were bringing a couple inside from the greenhouse so I propped it up with some green lily stems. I was going to paint it and the other bits on the kitchen table but it may not happen.
Talking of the kitchen table it is a round cedar table I bought for 8 pounds, when we had pounds many years ago, it was very battered but I wanted a round table and this was all we could find we could afford, John used to cut up the home killed sheep on it and cut bits out of it with the sae (hand held) and i was told off by a stock agent once for having it in my kitchen and did I know what it was worth! I told him I did know but to me I paid 8 pounds and it was none of his business. Many a good meal has been had around that table.

More pages from the fabric book

Here are a few more pages, I keep adding little things to it but basically it is now finished. My family will probably think I am mad!
Much cooler, infact it has actually drizzled a bit but not enough to make any difference but John did get on the roof and blow all the leaves out of the gutters so we can catch every drop.
The Weather Bureau is now forecasting much cooler temperatures too which is a blessing.
My house is dusted and vacuumed as I will go to Adelaide tomorrow to see my mother.
I can hear lots of calls from ponies so weaning has begun.

Fabric Book

These are a few of the pages of the book I have been making for my mother. I thought she might like to look at it and feel the different textures. The scans of my paintings I put on canvas and had fun with different backgrounds using stains, stamps and stencils. All sorts of bits and pieces went in as well.
I wasnt sure how to put it together but although it looks a bit cobbled up I have sewn it together using strong linen thread.
It is another stinking hot day here today, Supposed to be a cool change tonight, but then the temperatures seem to be rising a bit. Certainly no rain to speak of so this has kept my mind occupied.
I may put the other pages up tomorrow.

This morning

We were up early this morning, chooks fed and disheds done and in to Victor to Whalers, a bit early so we walked around the base of the Bluff and as we did two seals came pouring in around near the little beach we used to skin dive from. They were rolling and playing and the first photo is a not very good one I managed to get just as one put his head out of the water. They were so fast it was hard to get them.
We met Tabby and John at Whalers for breakfast, getting hot then, it was over 36 degrees when we left at 10 am. so the next photo is of Millie smiling and looking pleased with herself at having an audience. She is gorgeous but not entirely enjoying the heat, they are solar powered and as yesterday was overcast the air conditioner was off for a lot of the day, that is the only power they have.
The next scan is one of the pages for a fabric book I am playing with, I have a few pages done but probably not enough, not as nice as the ones I have seen but I am learning what and how to do it all.

After the fire

I rushed outside and took these photos just as the sun was rising yesterday morning. John rudely asked if I took one of my self in sandals and nothing else. Not worth thinking about.
Any way this was what the clouds looked like and the last one is of the earie light in the orchard. These were taken at about 7.05 am and sunrise (with daylight saving!!) is about 7.15.
Smoke in the air always gives us these rather spectacular sunrises and sets.
Still hot but more humid today. I am sewing and making pages for a new fabric book.

TIF Challenge for March done

I decided to go fairly minimilistic with this months challenge, so here it is done. the scan doesnt really do it justice, but another page in my book.
I thought it looked quite Japanese and as my Japanese visitors always think my house is over the top with stuff in it it is appropriate for this months theme of small things.
I can hear a tree frog calling outside the bedroom door, we have had a mister on there for the orchids, not that it is doing a lot of good with this long dry spell, I am only watering what I have to. Yesterdays fires were just too close and the wind that got up in the night was awful, so not a lot of sleep but a lot of getting up and looking out of the windows.
It is cooler here and tonight will be pleasant thank goodness but no real relief until Wednesday. Oh for rain and lots of it.

Two different days

The first photos were taken on Monday evening just as the clouds from a weak change were coming in.
I took a distant view of the Bluff and also one of Mt Breckan, our local sort of castle, one of the early stately homes.
the others were taken early this morning as I had to be in for a blood test by 8 am, and then we walked on the increasingly hot beach but much clearer skies.
More or less the same Bluff photos, some bright yacht sails at the yacht club, a schools thing I think, and another of the old Stately homes, Adare which is now a Christian Bible college or some such.
Going to be a stinker today and the wind is getting up as well.
A lovely walk and two in one week, but it is far too hot to walk at home.

TIF Challenge March

I have finally started on my TIF Challenge for this month. Small things, the small things that delighted my mother in her garden, she was always trying to grow exotics and when they flowered for her was extraordinarily pleased.
I have laid down the pieces and done a bit of stitching but much more to come.
It has been so hot and now it is hot and sticky, dry heat I can cope with but hot and sticky is uncomfortable.
I have now to unstick my fingers or hope for better weather to do the next stage. they say this heat is going on for another week!!

Succulents in the garden

Blogger has thank goodness fixed my non loading photo problem. I took the photos of these early in the morning so they all look a bit washed out. I think it was Bunks who was asking for flowers. I will try to do better now it has cooled down here, although in Adelaide today it was another shocker. They have now broken the March record of more than 8 days over 35 degrees, I think that was the old 100. The forecast was for 43, it was 37 when we left to come home, and about 24 here, very pleasant but more heat to come.
These are all sedums of various colors, the top one Is very dark almost magenta, the second is pale pink and the third is Autumn Joy.