A geological trip to Second Valley

Yesterday was not the best day to go exploring the geology of Second Valley which is about half an hour from us.
The museum had in association with the Waterhouse Club, which we are members of, organised a trip down there with the Museum curator Dr Suzanne Miller and a couple of other museum staff to look at both the geology and the biological stuff that should have been available but unfortunately the weather was not at all kind.
At least rocks stay put. Although even getting to the interesting ones was a bit frought with large seas over the path around the corner.
This shows how the cliff was folded and inclined and various other terms I cant remember. I dont think I will go into how old or how but it shows phyllite quartzite and marble . Just lety us say it is spectacular and very easy to get to and the whole area is quite lovely.
The first photo is of the little swimming beach and looking roughly towards Adelaide and the third I took of the sea to show how rough it was by the little jetty.
We had a lovely day, a great lunch and dinner with us diving home in between to change and feed the animals.

Take it Further Challenge for August

I am only just getting this up for this month. I have been away, playing with other thingsetc but finally last night I found the right fabrics in my stash and went for it.
The theme was balance and so the first thing that came into my head was circles and a mandala using gum leaves. I love gum leaves in all their forms and in my walks around the farm pick up ones that I like the shape of.
As usual with my stuff it probably isnt exactly precise, but then nor am I and I rather like the hand made look, I dont quite know if this is completely finished, there are no beads on it! I probably could do a bit more embroidery but I really wanted the clean lines .
September is going to be an even busier month so I hope Sharon will choose something I can do easily!!

Great grand childs cot blanket

Here is the cot blanket I have finally finished for my great grand child due in a few weeks. There is a yellow balloon at the top with the red and blue one but they are not showing up well.
As it is a boyI have had to curb my delight in doing flowers for girls but I think it looks quite sweet.
Cold today, early morning shopping trying to get in to find a car park at the shopping center where there are major redevelopments going on and no car parks. Must be a nightmare for the shop owners.
I have a load of sewing to do and not a lot of time, we go on a geological expedition tomorrow,locally, but it is supposed to rain and be windy and cold, we will see.
More on that tomorrow.
I found a pattern somewhere on the net of birds, made 5 today and they are gorgeous, I dont know wether to turn them into a mobile or a cot string.

Embellisher ATC

This is the ATC I sent to Sylvia Orlando in NSW.
I hope she likes it, it was made with the embellisher using quite a few different things that Dale taught us in her on line class.
Yesterday was Adelaide and a long day, my mother not being terribly herself, I think it is the extra valium they have put her on, I am still trying to fix this but without my GP to talk to it is difficult.
Today was a lovely sunny day and a friend came for lunch and we went looking at the foals and other ponies. So nice to get all of this done.
Still lots to do but slowly I am getting there.

Dyeing fabric

I spent to day and yesterday trying to get just the right color when I was dyeing some lace and doilies it didnt quite happen but these look quite nice and I can use them.
It has been cool and sunny and amazingly drying, I walked quite a way today and yes it is wet and boggy where the cows go but the rest of the tracks are really quite dry.
I havent been doing a great deal, I put the back on the cot blanket today and I have basted it but I need to get the right color thread before I can machine it.
Put some jazzy hair on a doll who has been naked for about 5 years, I will now finish her.
I go to Adelaide tomorrow to see my mother, they rang today to ask if they could up her valium at night as she is seeing things in the dark at night, things on the floor, well she sees them during the day as well, her eyes are a mess as she has macular degeneration but I will ask for a complete list of her medication so that I can double check to see if one medication is working against another. I dont trust her doctor at all and unfortunately mine is on holidays.
I do not want to get into my 90's if this is what I have to look forward to.

Pinned but not sewn

She is all pinned together but now I need to find time to sew everything on her. Frumpy Grump aka Lily is not impressed.
I did domestic goddess chores today, not much to show for it except a heap of ironed shirts.
Lovely day so I did walk this morning to look at the fillies and colts but although they are near by the track out to them is awful and I nearly lost another rubber boot.
John managed to shoot one of the rabbits in the garden tonight, after seeing the numbers around suburbia in Victor and Goolwa we dont need any of the wretched things.

Walking late afternoon

There were two rosella's on the bird feeder but when I took the photo there was only one! I then walked down to the road and took a photo of the creek which is looking satisfactorily full and rushing along.
Walking up the road I called into the paddock where the mares and new foals were and found Sarah talking to one of the Welsh A mares Woranora In Vogue's foal by our own Rivington Vyvian, a young colt and his first foal, who we are very pleased with. The only trouble is that so far we have four foals and four colts.
The new Welsh B stallion Osory Alexander has so far had all colts, a few more mares to foal to him so I hope we get at least one filly.
As I came up the track from below I met Oscar smelling the winter daisy bush, I wonder if he could smell the rabbit I saw out there this morning. John has been on the war path with the gun as we have seen several rabbits and we certainly dont want them. I think Oscar is too much of a wuss to catch rabbits, although I have had in the past some cats who always brought in baby rabbits.
So that was a bit of my walk today, cold but at least a bit of sun out.

Driving towards Willunga

We spent most of the day in Adelaide, saw my mother and my sister and then went to the Waterhouse natural History exhibition at the Museum and two exhibitions that were on at the Art Gallery.
I was disappointed in the Waterhouse, not as exciting as it has been and I didnt like the winner at all, but that is my opinion.
I loved some bits of the aboriginal exhibition and the other which was of the misty artists (or so they were called), those from about 1888 to about 1950 was interesting but no great paintings.
Coming home I grabbed the camera and took these from the car, I love these hills the bare folds and in summer they are stunning but in a way it is unfortunate that suddenly people are planting trees on them and their beauty will soon be masked by them.
I need to take more before they have gone and at different times of the year, this is winter so they are green.
Done later than I normally do and in haste as John wants me to shut down the computer and come to bed!
Oh and we have just watched the most delightful film I found very cheaply in the supermarket, made in 1939 it is called Holiday and had Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn in it, wonderful, funny and light and they dont make movies like that any more.

Spiral Rope necklace

I have made several bracelets to this design but thought it might be nice as a necklace for summer. I seemed to go through an awful lot of beads and it took me ages to finish but really it was because I only did it on beading nights but it is finally finished and I love it.
Yesterday was a fun day, I went to Spotlight to see what they had in fake fur for tiny dolls hair, I hadnt realised how expensive it was so only got tiny bits and came home and had another look at what I had in my cupboard.
I am now trying to see if the white I found dyes with dyna flow, if it does whoopee.
I had a lunch date with friends, all women and a hilarious time was had by all. Even the one who lost her husband 2 months ago, I think she will be a merry widow but is still getting over the fact that he isnt around any more. One of the horrors those of us who have been married for a long time have to face. The trouble is we dont know when or how, as I said to John, the older we get, the worse it will be.
Off that subject.
I sailed home full of good food and probably more wine than was good for me, to change and go out to dinner at the Goolwa South Lakes golf club, very good food and the speeches not too long and at least for once I knew the people near me on the table, so a good day in which I enjoyed life and didnt get much constructive done.

Head on but no where near finished

I have been working on this doll for a few days, One Jill didnt have a pattern for but said I could adapt her pocket Angel pattern which I have done. I love the concept and will work on her she needs a hat and lots of embellishment. A dear friend gave me bags of material from a friend of hers who was downsizing and this bit of furnishing brocade was in it and was very welcome.
I finally saw Millie today and Gaby who only has about 4 weeks before she has the baby, I needed to ask what else she wanted on the cot blanket, bows in the corners.
A lovely day, so nice to see some sun and for it to be a bit warmer.
Both John and I feel a lot better.

Oscar and some dolls

Oscar happened to be sitting on the chair while I was photographing these dolls.
The dolls could have come out better.
The small naked ones in front are two I am going to dress and play with, Jill Maas gave me the pattern for these and they are such fun to put scraps on, the one at the back is the first and not so good one but you get the idea.
Behind the others is my Grumpy Frump, called Lily, she strides out in all weathers occasionally calling into her favorite op shops before taking her singing lessons, she was once an opera singer but needs a bit of re tuning.
We have had another foal this morning, another colt, I am going up to have a look in a few minutes, after I have fed the chooks and dogs.
I have organised to have X rays of my spine, nothing wrong with my knees, so why do they ache? and some calcification in my hips but not enough to worry about at the moment, I hope.
I think I need at this stage to see why I am getting continuous back aches.

More Flinders Ranges

I am sneezing and feeling a bit stomach sore so dont think I am over this wretched virus yet.
So far I have refused to go to bed and have been making small people with tiny heads. I will show them one day.
The heads are so tiny it is difficult to sew them but boy they look great when finished, more of Jill's stuff.
Another view of the ranges, one of a tree in the park, did I show it before? sorry if I did not thinking very straight. Then a young roo who we got really close too, I guess in the park they get used to people wandering by.
The last was a sign on a barbecue area which I thought was rather fun.
Still damp and cold but at least yesterday I sat and stuffed dolls and watched my football team beat the opposition so they are in the final 6 at least I think, hope the 4.

Wild women received

These came in the post yesterday they are my swaps for wild women hosted by Dale Rollerson of the Thread Studio.
Top left is by Robin McWhinney, top right is a lovely one by Gill Gavshon, bottom left is from Pauline Tonkin and the bottom right is a gorgeous wild and zany one made by Britt Fairchild.
Robin is a friend from McKay in Queensland and I was so pleased to get her brooch, the others are all from Western Australia, such a talented group over there.
Here I am slowly getting my act together but it is so wet and cold it is nice to think I dont have to do very much any way. Just wish my back would settle down.

Home from Mambray Creek

Home but not well, I think I got over tired and my back has not liked me and I just dont feel quite right, maybe as I was surrounded by colds etc I have a slight dose of the cold.
Here are the dolls we made, they look better in groups, first are the Frumpy Grumps and mine is the one with red hair, then the fisherwoman and mine is the one on the right, she does have fish now but didnt when I took the photo, the other was made by Kay Curtis. All designed and taught by New Zealander Jill Maas who has such fun patterns and is an absolutely gorgeous lady. We had a great few days.
Then the view of the Flinder's Ranges from the front of the house and finally an Emu we saw while walking in the Mambray Creek National Park.

Small dolls

I still havent quite finished these but at least now they have some hair on.
I dont really call these proper dolls but they do sell quite well at markets.
I am off to make some proper dolls over the week end so may not be back before Wednesday night or Thursday morning.
I have finished most of the cooking that I am taking with me, and leaving some for John so he can just defrost and eat.
He is still full of cold but not as bad as he was. I hope he keeps getting better and not worse while I am away.
Still lots of lovely rain but the prognosis for the Lower Murray and Lakes area is not good and people are getting angry about the Federal Governments lack of action. You over hear people speaking in the streets of the town now.

1999 photos

I am still on some of the photos I took in 1999. the first is in the Duloe Church in Cornwall when John was searching out his mothers side of the family, all I have written down that that is where I took the photo so really must research who or what this is.
The second is in Lincoln, either part of the Cathedral wall or the castle wall, but I love the window and the wonderful color of the bricks.
When I look back on that trip it was a whirlwind 10 days from arrival to finish and my diary complains of a/ the state of my bowels!! and b/ that I was so tired.
We spent a few days with friends in Devon having flown across the arctic to London from San Francisco via Frankfurt, got a hire car and drove to Devon getting lost on the way, we then virtually circumnavigated Britain in about 6 days, total madness.
I would love to spend real time wandering around the UK but I think it will not be possible.
today was very wet and with strong squalls coming in at regular intervals.
John is still not well. I have made soup, bread, and a large lasagna and 3 small ones ready for the week end. I have searched out supplies for the dolls I am to make and thrown stuff all over my workroom floor and had to try and tidy it up. Raced into Victor to get the mail and a few odds and ends and home again.
Now it is time to stop.

Rivington Church yard, Lancashire 1999

Our property is named Rivington after the Rivington in Lancashire where John's great grand parents lived so in 1999 we went to have a look and I found these stones around the church yard and photographed them.
I have no idea what or where they came from presumably an earlier building but wether it was the church or some other building I dont know.
Any way I think they are lovely and are part of my search through photos to use at some time in my textile stuff.
We are still having showers, infact for the first time this year on my evening walk I almost lost a rubber boot in the mud.
Wendy came for lunch and we had a lovely time catching up, it seems so hard to find time to do anything.
John is still full of cold and snored last night keeping me awake. I just hope I dont get it.

Japanese Shutter details

I have been going through photos looking for textile inspiration and on our trip around the world in 1999 I took these on the final leg of a fascinating journey.
Our friend Yoshiko who had interpreted for us when ever we were in Japan took us to a friend of hers house in Tsuyama, it was very old and the family had been Saki brewers. These were on the outside of the folded back shutters along the veranda of the house, wooden carvings and quite magnificent.
I am trying to scan a few more of these photos so I have them on the computer for use.
I just wish that I had had a digital camera on some of those trips.
I am not sure if they are all the right way up, some it was pretty obvious which was the correct way but some not so sure.
Monkeys and fish seemed to be important but one is a bit hard to make out what it represented.

Jacket finished and Native orchid

I have finally finally finished the jacket for the new baby and was really quite pleased with the way it has turned out.
We have a native dendrobium orchid flowering in the bathroom at the moment, it looks very spectacular and smells gorgeous. I have quite a few of them and John has taken over their care and they are doing very well for him. He brought this one in from the shade house a week or so ago before all the flowers were out.
John is still full of cold so the trip to the Waterhouse Clubs viewing of the Waterhouse prize to night is off. I guess we will find time to see it before it closes.

Birds and sea

We walked around from the opening of the Inman River today, the last photo shows that it is actually open, hasnt been for ages, but not a very big opening!
The first is of a pond near the river with a duck actually two ducks in it, then the second photo shows the two hooded plover that nest on the beach near where we saw them. These must be so used to people I could get really close to them, usually when I see them on Kangaroo Island they fly off and you havent a hope of getting a photo like this one.
There were occasional breaks in the sea this morning and the third photo was trying to get them with Wright Island and the Bluff in the background, apart from that remarkably calm and flat and relatively warm with the sun out.
John is not well, I hope only a cold but may mean we dont go to see the Waterhouse Prize tomorrow night. Bother.

Old photos

Here is Millie's mother Tabby (Tabitha) aged 10 months, the same age as Millie is now and the group photo well it was taken in April 1968, and is from Left to right, my son Nick aged about 5 Myself looking terribly skinny holding Tabby then Sarah and our oldest Simon holding the cat, at the back my mother and in front my younger sister. How about the hair styles!
I was actually going through looking for photos to scan and use as texture etc and I found some quite interesting stuff, maybe more of those will come later.
Very cold today and more rain, so after shopping I spent most of the day inside as every time I thought I would go out it poured again.
I have finished the jacket I was knitting so I will try to take a photo of that tomorrow.