J is for Jardin, Jolies Femmes and a jolly good time

This was going to be J is for Judy Jeopardy after another mixup with the numerous Judys around here.  But events have overtaken me.

Out in the garden around 7am the other morning I noticed the incredible calm in this corner.  This is the northwest corner where I was going to put down trouvé sandstone paving slabs until I uncovered the pavers in the southwest corner.  I've gradually put in plants endemic to the East Coast area as they have come into my orbit.  The big gull I found dead (but with no evidence of injury) the other day is buried under the 2 big rocks.  Other rocks may go in - I'm still working on that.  Anyway, it was after rain and the bird bath was full and it just all looked so tranquil that it started a photo shoot.

Here's my basket weaving after its bath and ready for the next adventure.

My aim is to merge the two branches of the myrtle so they become like the boundary trees on the Darling River.  In the meantime the woven 'spider' is to fill the gap.  Unfortunately I haven't quite worked out how to do it yet without resort to staples and similar non-natural things.

Moving on from that part of the garden, this part looks much the same as previous years.  The small logs in the foreground are awaiting sawing up for firewood.  Their smaller branches have been chipped in the wonderful new chipper.  Some of the woodchips are likely to go in that northwest corner.

Woodchips will also replace these bricks, and the bricks may be used to support the small logs so they can be chainsawed into firewood.

The red poppies are starting to do their thing.

The Daphne struggles womanfully among the boisterous hellebores.

The artichokes are starting to bud.  But you've seen all this before, so on to something new.

Last night I went to the Fashion Show at the Golf Club.  The lady with the mike is Fran and, though we have interests miles apart, I really like and admire her dedication and amazing feel for clothes and style.  The lovely Anna is looking boldly at the camera.  She is both a zumba and tai chi participant and we all hope to end up looking like her, and being chosen as models.  The other lady is her Mum, Beth, and doyenne of the golf club.  She is also a fashionista.

You don't really need to see Beth and Anna slink back to the change room but I wanted to show you the space where we do Zumba on a Tuesday morning, having moved the tables and using the dvd.

Here we have the lovely Cheryl, also a tai chier, and instigator of the local Winter Solstice Swim.

Here she is again looking unusually demure.

Anna, meanwhile, rocked these amazing shoes.  Fran cleverly pitched the last items at the Melbourne Cup.  It's a big deal here with at least 4 luncheons going on in different places.  I'm hoping to garden that day...

I don't think I can compete in the fashion stakes.

Despite it being Listless Thursday, ie my free day,  I agreed to help Mel and the Fonz with a serrated tussock finding display at the school.  Jill and I picked plants, mostly edible herbs because I didn't want to poison any of the children with oleander, rhubarb, foxgloves, etc, but some grasses too from the garden and then tied them up (I did this while Jill PD lurked).  Later in the day I met Mel and Fonzie at school and Fonzie strutted his serrated tussock finding skills before the primary school students.  The kids had brought out various items from their classroom and we hid my plants and some of the naughty tussocks around the oval.

There was no fooling the Fonz who found the 4 serrated tussock plants after having a good sniff around everything.  He is a showman as well as a much in demand working dog.