First calves. Long shadows.

The first calves of the season have gone out to be fed in the pens before going into the paddock.
This morning there were very long shadows across the grass and another wonderful sky.
Max and I were up early.

Two walks today

 One out the back when I walked Max and one in at the bay when John walked me!
The early light was still on the hills and this stunning cloud was making the sky look huge and endless when Max and I walked.
We had to go into collect the papers and mail and so we had a lovely walk along the beach, lots of broken shells and sea weed..
Then home and I have ironed for the rest of the day, about 16 shirts and probably as many pairs of pants as well as all the other little things.
The basket still has table cloths in it, maybe tomorrow, today my feet are swollen from standing and I feel very tired.
Just as well John does fish for dinner tonight and I only have to make a salad!

Miss Millie and I dont have fairies at the bottom of my garden

 I rather like this latest photo of Miss Millie, I think it was a small toadstool she was looking at. Taken last Wednesday at the wake after the funeral.
Also although some people may have fairies at the bottom of their gaden, I have a rather nice Welsh Cob stallion, Pen-nant Prime Time. I like going down to talk to him and give him some grass, although he isnt too sure about Max but then I dont think Max is too sure of him either,.
John is off fishing.
I have done a heap of washing, and now have an even bigger pile of ironing waiting to be done some time this week
It has been a glorious day, magpies warbling as only they can.
I did take a coffee and a biscuit outside and had it with Max but most of the day I have been painting backgrounds and sewing up stuff to use as cards for the exhibition over Easter.
I am not sure if this is a good day or not, I suppose some stuff has been done but it seems to have taken ages to get to where I am at the moment.
My muse is still not roaring ahead, instead it seems to slip and slide, sometimes there and sometimes not.
All rather frustrating as then I suddenly feel tired (and if truth be told hungry, and I am trying not to eat too much!)

A full day

I made rock buns, John likes them to take fishing ( he is going tomorrow) and he felt the biscuits I had might break, so rock buns it is. They are really easy to do. Oh and I should have taken a photo of  the Moroccan chicken we had for dinner tonight before we ate it. Very nice.
This morning Max had an early run and a bit of an adventure, I am not sure if it is the same fox, but it is pretty laid back as it didnt see us until we were only a few yards away, then it and Max took off, I am afraid that the fox has a much faster turn  of speed and he lost it quite quickly. then while investigating its smell he put his nose on the electric fence. Not a happy dog! I have been surprised that he hasnt been bitten before.
We went in to the market and then up to McLaren Vale to see two exhibitions, the one at Red poles was done by a group of print artists, interesting and we had coffee there, and then on to Dog ridge where they had another interesting collection of artists. I liked the one in the last photo although I think she used the term Boro a bit loosely in how she made her art.
Dogridge has this lovely avenue of roses going up from the gallery and tasting shed to the house.
Some where in the middle we also bought a new fig tree, we may be 80 before we taste the fruit but I can always hope, it was a green genoa.
So out to dinner last night (have to say the food here tonight was better than last nights!) and a pretty full on day.
The way I like it, but tomorrow will be a lot slower.
Hope every one is having a good week end.

TAST 2 and a new book

This weeks TAST is, well I think it looks like starfish so thats what I call this stitch, wrapped spiders web I think is another name.
It took me ages to get my head around this stitch, but I did manage it finally. The one on the right wasnt quite right but I think the others are.
This wonderful book arrived last week,it was on Dale of The Thread Studios going going list so I got it at a great reduction.
I love it.
A difficult week, my arthritic hand is paining me and has moments of being quite bad. I am doing some exercises that I hope will strengthen the hand and wrist.
The funeral on Wednesday was, really rather lovely, sad for the going of a good and quiet man but organised so well. The tiny church had had arrangements for the large number of people to come, and just as well as it thundered and lightening shot all over the place and it rained. Thankfully not a huge amount as the burial took place, in a lovely small cemetery on a hill at the end of the pony paddocks.
I am beginning to think I would like to be buried and not cremated.
Now to try and help my dear friend through the next few months.
I really havent felt much like blogging but life does go on.
This morning John and I walked the cliffs at Petrels Cove, a windy cool blowy sort of morning, so nice to get out and enjoy the waves. I do have photos but ... I havent got around to downloading them yet.
Sorry if this is a little disjointed, its the way I feel.

Ships, a walk and the cockle train

I have finished two of these little sailing ships, they have taken me forever, mostly because I was procrastinating but I have one more to finish and they are done.
This morning we walked along the coast at Pt Elliot and as the tide was very w watched a black oystercatcher and a seagull.
Then the cockle train came along on the other side of the bay, I dont very often see it from this direction, as you can see it hugs the coast.
A bit further along there was a very tame magpie sitting on a rock, who posed nicely for me and then decided to sing very nicely as well. I wonder if it doesnt get fed at the near by caravan park it was so tame.
We went on into Victor to have a coffee and this is the close up of the cockle train that we had while sitting drinking that coffee, sea on one side, railway tracks on the other, have to love The Anchorage and its great coffee.
Click or double click to enlarge.
It hasnt been a good week end, finally I managed to catch my friend who has just lost her husband, lots of tears, lots of chat and some laughs, but it all left me drained. I am going through photos of our trips away to give her, those did bring forth some laughs, our hairstyles, what we wore, what we did and where we managed to get to, so many lovely memories.

The last few days

 I have been missing for the last couple of days as I havent felt much like blogging, havent actually felt much like anything as a very dear friend has died, suddenly, his wife and I had many adventures together with our pony trips and with the two of them we spent many happy skiing holidays. I feel really upset and unable to get down to much.
Having said that I did manage to do this little bit of silliness and hand stitching, and the other one is for the exhibition over Easter, one of the wrapped dolls, a background I had hand stitched on a hand dyed back ground with wrapped wire to represent trees.
I quite like it but not sure if any one else will.
This morning we went into the market and walked along the cliffs near Petrels Cove,( the last photo) and came home the back way and one huge bit of excitement, just around the corner from where I took the photo of the dirt road there was a bandicoot by the side of the road, they are quite heavily endangered and although we know they are known to live in the valley we very rarely see them and it was a huge thrill. They are predated on by foxes and wild cats and of course their habitat has been cleared but the place we saw this one in is just the sort of area they like. Just didnt expect to see one at 10.30 in the morning.
While walking Max this morning I also saw the first harbingers of autumn here, the purple crocus that isnt a crocus and I have forgotten its name Colchium I think. They look a bit battered and the soil is very dry even though I watered there a few days ago.