Last walk for 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A long day

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

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.

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.