The beach and after Avatar

Sunday was terribly hot but I took Evie and Will down for a walk on the beach and a swim before it got too hot and there were many people and horses and dogs again, all trying to beat the heat.
The third photo is of Evie in the water and Will trying to make up his mind about it all of course when he finally got in he didnt want to come out.
We then stayed inside until we went into Victor to meet up with Tabby and Celina and see Avatar. At lest the movie theatre was cool and there was a packed house as for some reason this was the only reasonable time this week to see it.
It was fun and the visuals were great but as I get sea sick watching I think the Imax thing on the grand canyon I was glad it wasnt in 3 D as the heights were dizzying and the flights on the dragons the same. Not much of a story but interesting and I was glad I had seen it.
We went along the beach front to have a pizza afterwards so the there is Celina and Evie and a bit of Will he hates having his photo taken! The next I managed a better Evie and a worse one of Will but there they all are, out for a night on the town! Sorry muddled up my photos, I think that digital phones are the end, and I think Will was trying to make up his mind about what he wanted to eat. Evie and Celina were both born on the same day so will be 13 in May. One in South Australia and one in Victoria!
Yesterday was unbelievably awful but this morning we awoke to rain, it is still warm and sultry but only in the 20's not the 40's and everything is loving the rain.
This afternoon we are going on the cockle train to Goolwa.

Holidays

This house is a little premature flying the Australian flag as Australia day is not until the 26th. I rather liked both the house and the flag while I was walking back from the beach.
We have had a rather trying day here, John went off fishing and Will and Evie and I went into Victor to the market, got papers and did a small shop in the shopping mall and then out to see Tabby and Millie and Celina for a little while before my vegetables went off in the car!
Tab rang at about 3 to say that some idiot had lit a fire on the side of the road just up from her entrance, luckily although hot there was no wind blowing but as she said she didnt even know it was there as she was inside moving Millie into another room and hadnt gone outside and it wasnt until she heard voices and went to investigate that found she had a fire in her front paddock. Luckily the road is a busy one and some one had notified the CFS but as she said, Mum if there had been a north wind it would have been on us before I had even seen it. She is pretty shaken up as her husband is in the Northern Territory at the moment.
You really have to wonder about these ***** ( worse than idiots!) who light fires deliberately.
I must say I patrol around the house regularly on bad fire days and the next few days could be just that with temps in the 40's C ( not sure of the conversion about 105 F I think or more.)
I am trying to do a jigsaw puzzle to keep me still and relatively cool but the mind in gear, I dont think the one I have chosen is the best, a 2nd hand one I am very doubtful if all the pieces are there and some one has cut a whole heap of the pieces in half. A challenge.
Thinking of things I can do with the children tomorrow.

A whimsical cat and other things

It has been very hot today and going to be hotter for the next three days at least, so not a lot gets done when it is like that, one tends to do a sort of reverse hibernation. At least at my age I do but I must say the grand children dont seem to mind all that much.
I made another whimsical cat the other day, when I have not much to do and the brain has gone to mush this is what I like to do.
Last night John wandered out with my camera to try and take photos of one of the male peacocks in a pine tree just on dusk. So here he is in a couple of positions. they do make a noise in the morning when they tramp over the iron roof.
Then there is the cockle train, normally a steam train that runs between Victor and Goolwa but at the moment it is a diesel, a/ because the steam train cannot run when it is hot and dry in case of fire and b/ because I believe the steam trains are in being repaired.
Finally the calendar my Japanese friend Yoshiko sent me, this year it is done like a mini kimono, every year I get a different one.
We were in Victor very early this morning as the red ute had to go for a service at 8 am and I had a physio appointment at 9.30 so we collected mail and did the grocery shopping while it was still relatively cool. The ambient temp in my car got over 41 degrees C in the afternoon when we had to go in and collect it.
It is still well over 30 degrees at the moment and will be a hot and uncomfortable night I am afraid.

Morning walk

People were on the beach early this morning as it will be hot and the main part of the day is not much fun.
There was a young family making sandcastles, another fishing off the reef, an abandoned boat, a lot of dog walkers, an awful lot of dog walkers, some doing the right thing and others not and three horses being given a swim in the sea.
We walked and I am afraid I was terribly slow, and then we went to get the papers and the mail and have a cup of coffee.
I think every one had the same idea this morning.
the family were still home when we got back and have only just left to go to the beach and have fish and chips later.
There was much discussion on what dvd to watch and in the end they watched Heath Ledger in 'A nights Tale' which I last saw on a plane to somewhere.
I can hear the black cockatoos in the pine trees getting the pine nuts, they love the fact that a few years ago we planted the pines that produce pine nuts. It is interesting how they adapt as their normal foods are the nuts of Banksia and Hakea.
Now I am off to feed the dogs and Oscar and the chooks.

Neck warmer and Grands

I made this triangle knit neck warmer while I was on Kangaroo Island and finally got it put together but still not blocked.
An interesting concept I found of Melody's blog, see my side bar.
Then a nice photo of Evie, 12, with Millie 2, Mason 1 and Gaby 17. Mason is of course Gaby' son and so my great grandson.
Evie is one of the Melbourne family who we dont see very often, she is growing up and of course Millie features often. She is wearing the dress I bought her in York. Mason is now a real little boy.
The bbq went off well last night and there was plenty of food and some wine was drunk.
It was warm enough for us all to sit outside under the pergola, and no one seemed in a huge rush to go home.
I had worked so hard my back threatened to give up the ghost but finally calmed down.
I have had a much slower and calmer day today and there are left overs so I dont have to worry about food tonight.
Another burst of heat is coming, it has been so nice to be relatively cool but no rain is rather a worry.
I hope I can entertain Will and Evie for the next week after their parents go home, not much we can do in over 40 degree C heat.
I have been loving the snowy photos that have been coming through on other blogs and wanting to be cold!
Not being able to walk as I would like is annoying me, especially as I need to lose some weight, this post Christmas eating is begining to mount up.

My new diary cover

It didnt scan terribly well but this is the new cover for this years diary.
I used the piece of cloth I had done my lino cuts on and feel that this is something that I have created. I had these lovely wooden buttons so that had to go on, at the moment my diary is slim but by the end of the year it will be bursting with cuttings and photos and other bits and pieces that I put into it.
The Melbourne family are here so the house is a buzz of noise and decisions and people coming and going.
They are out for dinner tonight but tomorrow night I have arranged for as many of the family who are here to come for a bbq, so 17 adults and 2 babies is the last count.
Some preparation to be done, but at least some one else will cook the meat and a few will be bringing salads so I just have to make a few more and bake enough bread and defrost the prawns.
I have had a quick count of chairs and tables and think we can make it, it will be hot so outside and trying to get rid of the flies but that will be ok.
Just off to feed the dogs and chooks and think about boiling a few eggs.
Things just seem to take longer to do these days.

Walking the beach this morning

This piece of wood with goose necked barnacles was on the beach this morning, the barnacles were still alive and I felt so sorry for them, but the wood would have just washed ashore again had we thrown it further out.
They were sailing in the bay too, there must be a carnival on, there usually is at this time of the year.
Overcast and cool and a sluggish wave but we havent walked here for so long it was lovely.
Not that my hip was liking it much but I am just going to have to come to terms with that.
We had a coffee and I did a bit of shopping as the Melbourne family should be arriving soon. They were not coming until tomorrow but decided to get going today so I have been making beds and tidying up.
I may be a bit hit and miss with blogging for the next two weeks, depending on what every one is doing but lovely to have them here.
We have another new foal but I havent seen it yet, I will feed the dogs and then walk out.
Oh and the rooster did get back in with Tuppy but we found him in time and so I hope he has now had sense enough to keep out of that area.
I dont think roosters are very bright.