Home and away

My apologies to those with whom I should have corresponded.  I went away for the weekend and then spent 2 days trying to reconcile financials in my role as Treasure.  I still haven't cracked it but the good news is that the meeting I thought was today is in fact next week.  And today has proved to be the best of Spring so far.  Sunny and no wind until late afternoon.

At Abel's Bay the weekend was cold and windy but what cared I with stacks of English home and garden magazines and a wood fire to peruse.  The Glorious Bean and I made a trip to the Woodbridge Nursery and the Riverbend Nursery, where it was owner Blue's birthday and he gave us each a pomegranate plant - an ornamental one for the Bean to paint and a fruiting one for me cos I like to eat.

Jean whipped up a feast for Mr Glorious Bean to take to the Men's Shed where the car racing on the big screen never stops.  We ate the leftovers above, and some fine Stilton cheese.  One Easter we will make these little pigs in baskets for a certain Birthday Girl who has never had Yorkshire Pudding...

A delicious lunch eaten on the sheltered back deck with a view of the skeletal Christmas tree.

On Monday Jill PD and I went to close up the Gatehouse and spied these little gems:

My impulse is to put them where I found them and let the universe take them but in the meantime I'm waiting to hear from the school as to whether they would like to share them with the students who grow the produce for the Gatehouse stall.  I'll give them a cuppla more days.

This morning I looked out the kitchen window and saw a Trojan Horse, curiously positioned outside

the laundry from which I rescued a man recently.  It was a harbinger of doom.  The milk was sour for my pot of tea and there was no bread for my toast. The Pharaoh Dog and I trotted to the supermarket

taking in The Barracks where the grape hyacinths are pushing through despite the summer archaeological digs

and home to our lovely house, wall and japonica, and a nice cup of tea.

around town and garden

Here's  the Community Health Centre which Jill PD and I usually walk past en route to the Gatehouse at the weekend.

I believe this to be a leafy sea-dragon.
In the 'borrowed landsscape' at the back of our garden

the willow is greening.

I was rather shocked to find an artichoke or two in the garden

and pleased to finally harvest some radishes.

Bit of excitement on the walk to the supermarket.

And later that same day

and indoors

we have these lovelies.

hyacinths from Wilma's garden

some of Wilma's posh daffodils

to and from the Gatehouse

 

Walking from the Gatehouse on Friday the Pharaoh Dog and I saw this kookaburra sitting on the railing of the newly restored creek bridge - look carefully!
This morning 3 black cockatoos flew overhead and we've spotted plovers with 3 chicks.  And this bit of Spring loveliness.

watching stones grow

I finished re-reading Shogun earlier this week.  Just as good second time around, and this time I could wallow in the culture and not leap ahead to what happens next.

On Thursday the Pharaoh Dog and I decided we needed to find out more about the new marina which is taking shape on the opposite side of the river.

It's getting to look like Monaco around here.

Though I don't know whether Monaco has the same preoccupation with sandstone.

There was a heavy duty guard dog on duty but Jill PD and I decided to sit on a large piece of warm sandstone and seek some professional development.  You may recall I have a front end loader licence.

I really admire the drivers of these machines and the gungho working perched in such precarious positions.  The stone would not fit to their satisfaction so it was removed and re-shaped and then tried again.  It was still proving difficult and we left before they were happy with it.  The poor driver had to put up with his guard dog barking at us despite his shouted warning that, if the dog didn't shut up, he'd come over and they'd 'have words'.

unplanned Big Day

Yesterday I was to meet Nicki at the school to discuss getting the Gatehouse stall up and running.  Nicki had picked a few samples and we decided to just do it and learn from the experience.

Definite potential.  We made $1.10 for the school with the sale of some red cabbage.

I also rescued a man from the laundry at the caravan park next door.  Kept wondering what all the banging was about.  When it continued after the mechanic on the corner had gone home, I convinced myself that someone had been kidnapped and was in the boot of a car - it was Friday night after all and that's crime night on tv - and had to investigate.  The poor chap had locked the laundry door from the outside so that he could just pull it to when he left but, sadly, when he closed the door from the inside to escape the howling wind, he discovered he couldn't unlock it from the inside.  Bit of a design flaw.

Fathers' Day

Georgia, Oscar, Remi and Lola visited yesterday.  Georgia has 5 days' leave from work in Singapore and I was thrilled that she was coming up to see us - and on Father's Day too.  Perfect.  This is the only photo I took.  As  you know, I am hopeless at remembering to take photos when I'm in the thick of things.  I took this one hastily to catch the moment.  I was spellbound that these urbane people found such fascination in the Peace Garden at The Village, delighting in the look, feel and smell of the vegetation.  Unfortunately I was so hasty that Remi, Oscar and Lola are barely discernible. Though it may be better to not have photographic evidence of any foliage they may or may not have gathered.

likely lads

There are skills that many Triabunna kids have that awe me.  Many can hunt n shoot n fish as well as swim well, dive, surf and operate a boat.  If we could have them confident in their reading, writing and numeracy by the end of Primary School they could have the life of Riley through High School, and possibly through life.  Declan and Jayden can't wait to get out of school each day and down to the wharf.  Which proved lucky.