Gate Posts

This is all that remains of a rather imposing front gate on a lovely old house on top of the hill with magnificent views in Kingscote on Kangaroo Island, I just had to sketch it while I was waiting for John to finish his conference while we were there.
He has come home with some awful bronchial wog which is never good for him so I am hoping that all will be well while I am away. Always such a worry, and this is when I realise that he is getting older.
I probably wont get back to this until Tuesday.
I am having fun knitting my very stripey socks, I really should be doing all sorts of other things but at the moment I want to see if I can manage the heel etc and it is taking a while to get down the leg part, especially as I keep forgetting where I am up to.
The new foal is begining to straighten out and look a bit more respectable, the girls are calling him little Apache because of all the white on him.

Bay of Shoals, Kangaroo Island

I did this little painting while wandering around Kingscote on Kangaroo Island, we had been to the winery which is the bright green splash of green the night before for a dinnerand I was interested to see how close to the sea the vineyard was. Bay of Sholas is what it is called, a very shallow bay with lots of sea birds and sandy shoals in it, lovely colour in the sea which I havent captured very well and so brown for this time of the year.
We did have some rain yesterday, but with it freezing gale force winds.
I drove to Adelaide to see my mother who looked very well much better than when I last saw her so that was good. I virtually drove up and home again, although a friend kindly gave me some lunch as I badly needed some "normal" company. John is feeling "off" so I hope he isnt going to get worse.
We had a poor little foal born this morning who wasnt sure which mare was his mother, but we moved them and they have now become inseperable. Another blasted colt, and I had sent the mare out to a different stallion in the hopes of a filly.

Kangaroo Island, American Beach

YOu can see how brown the Island was from this photo, there is a sandy beach over the sandhills and one year, many years ago we were dropped on this beach, two families, a pregnant pug, 5 children, two of them just walking and we camped there for several days and ate what ever the fellows caught out of the sea. Some one dropped off bread and milk every couple of days.
Magic and foolish! High summer and hot.
It is raining at the moment, lovely sound, after being so dry. I dont know how much we will get but too late for most people as far as crops and feed is concerned but will put water in the tanks.
I went to beading last night and am well on the way with the latest bracelet now, they are all making Christmas baubles, so I think that may be the next thing to do. What with beading and my knitted socks Playways is on hold for a week or so.

Mary Beckwith Memorial

This wonderful memorial was to Mary Beckwith who joined NIcolas Baudin's boat in Sydney and was there when he went to Kangaroo Island. It sits by the sea on a fairly lonely beach, a few shacks around and not much else. I went there to sketch and a thunderstorm was out to sea with thunder and lightening.
We had a wonderful few days on the Island, although John came home tired after a 2 day conference and then a 2 day poetry workshop which he thoroughly enjoyed.
While I was there I caught up on a lot of sketching, reading and began my knitted striped socks which need some thought as I have never knitted socks before.
In Kingscote I wandered around the area as usually we only go in for a few hours so I had two days and a wonderful hotel room right on the front.
In Penneshaw we stayed with friends and had an equally relaxing time. So nice after the hustle and bustle of the last week.
While that was going on the results of the Local Government elections were announced and we now have a new young female Mayor who has never been on council, I dont envy her as it will be a steep learning curve I think, and several new councillors, but looks as though it will work. On the Island we went to a party for their Mayor who was re- elected with out much fuss and one of her new councillors, We had met Jayne (the Mayor) before, all these celebrations accompanied by a violent thunderstorm and very little rain and two lightening strikes which started fires. I have never seen the Island look so dry so that is the next big worry, fires as well as drought.

Rivington Victoria

I am afraid this photo is a little fuzzy but this is my little Welsh Mountain mare winning champion leading rein/first ridden at our South Australian All Welsh show. I think some ont took this photo on my digital and it wasnt on the correct setting but at least it is a photo, we were all so busy over the two days of show that hardly any photos got taken. I am quickly checking in as I am packed and ready for a few days away on Kangaroo Island. I took my two Welsh judges up to their plane yesterday for another round of judging in Perth, they were so tired when they got to me they really didnt want to do much at all, but were absolutely charming and I now have a bed in Wales if I can just get there.
We had never met these men before and we had a brilliant show, Supreme Welsh A with the stallion Rivington Spring rain, who then went on to be Best Led in Show, Supreme with my Section B Welsh mare Rivington Sunday and Best foal with her foal and the girls did very well under saddle. Poor fellows as they didnt know who they were staying with were very pleased that they had liked our ponies. Some years we do well some years we dont, depends on what the judges like. I dont mind I take them home and hopefully give them time to see a bit of Australian life.

A mixed day

I received this book in the post yesterday, got through Amazon and supposedly 2nd hand although it doesnt look it. I am so pleased as it is out of print and only cost me under A $26. I love this book and was so pleased to find it and it arrived in record time.
I heard this morning that a very dear friend of mine had died last night after a battle with a brain tumour, I felt desperatly sad but have spent most of the day thinking of all the lovely memories I have of her. She was much younger than I am and wonder how her family is going to cope. We had hoped to see her next week when we went over to Kangaroo Island but it wasnt to be. She always reminded me of a small elegant sprite.
On top of that yesterday I had been to Adelaide to the craft fair, met a friend there and we had such fun, spent some money but not huge amounts and got home last night to a phone call saying I had won some more yarn at the wonderful Threads and More stall there where I had bought some recycled sari yarn to knit.
I called in and saw my mother who was tired but cheerful but on the way out met a fairly elderly woman who was obviously upset who told me her husband of 52 years had alzheimers and she had been visiting him, but how much things were weighing on her as she had no children and was left with everything to sort out on her own, I felt so sorry for her and not a mite depressed about the whole old age thing. Especially as I suppose I could be termed elderly myself, although I dont admit it.
So on the way home I called into one of the major hardware stores and bought myself a dremel which I have been puting off buying for ages, so now I can play with a light weight power tool.
This morning saw the birth of another foal, a little Welsh Mountain colt who I hope is destined for big things, we have been looking for another colt and he is one we could use.
So all in all a very mixed day for me.

Great pot

I think I have drawn this pot before but not perhaps in colour, they are magnificent pots in a favorite coffee place in McLaren Vale.
Because I missed out on my week end coffee we went over to the Vale, about 3/4 hour away to have a coffee and catch up on some art exhibitions.
David Dridan had a lovely one of some of his retrospective stuff, he is a friend and I would dearly love one of his paintings but never have the money. From there we went to one of the wineries that was holding a 25 th anniversay exhibition (of his death) of another favorite of mine. Max Ragless, I have one of his paintings but I would have loved one that was there in oil, mine is pen and wash. He was a friend of my parents.
On Friday evening we go to the opening of the Fleurieu Peninsula Biennale which is the richest landscape prize in Australia, always a huge highlight and we are going to be pushed to fit in all the exhibitions that will be held around it.
Normally we are not doing much and I can mange but this year!