silly me

I said that I couldn't remember last weekend.  Well, it came back to me.  It centred around delivering and picking up Madam Cyn from the Maria Island ferry, then lunching at the East Coaster, between Orford and Triabunna.  We  lingered over the Seafood Tower - 3 tiers of seafood.  Sadly it was not all local but it made for a lovely meal with 2 glasses of Devil's Corner pinot grigio, and chocolate pannacotta for dessert.  After a bit of a drive around we went back to the ferry terminal to await the return of Mr Cyn.  All this on a warm sunny day.  Perfect.
I foolishly skited to you about Fran's fashion shows and her shop at the Village.  Imbecile!  She is shutting shop, selling house and moving elsewhere.
And as for Jackie Morris.  I thought she hadn't blogged for months but in desperation I went to her blog and there are a cuppla entries that don't show on my page for some reason.  I must check more often.
The other silly thing is that for years I've avoided testing the soil in my garden even though I'm constantly hearing how important this.  I did buy a soil testing kit many years ago but it was so complicated I never used it.  After the pruning demo at the Village and the urging of the presenter, I bought a kit and now can't stop running around the garden testing, testing, testing.  It has truly been a revelation.  Soily me.
We are not totally devoid of gardening success.

Here's Steve returning from the Golden Delicious tree

and sampling the fruit of his labour.

The Good Life gets even Better

Last Tuesday, Dot and I went swimming at Raspins Beach after zumba.  It was a sunny but not particularly warm day, but the water was warm as long as you stayed under it.
On Thursday, 5 of us turned up for the walk around the Orford Important Bird Area.  Currently this is an area of great public controversy, but the good news is that Fairy Tern chicks have been raised to independence this year thus staving off extinction for a little longer.

The beautiful backwater where Fairy Terns feed in the shallows

although, of course, it's much more important for humans to be able to ride jetskis through.

3 pelicans and the mysterious blobs

blobs and pelicans up closer

On the land side we passed this rather nice house and garden - and the first Easter Lillies I've seen this year.

On Friday there was a special assembly to farewell the lovely Mr Withell, music teacher at the school for 14+ years, and amazing harp player.  Chris, from the Suicide Prevention Network, is reading her speech prior to presenting David with our gift.  We're all hoping he'll return to play at our Memorial Service each year.

I have also been doing some reading.  The risque Miss Fisher, a good fun read.

The thought provoking saga of rural life in France, and a revision lesson in 20th Century French history.

And another thought provoking book about a town in Vermont with a similar history to Triabunna.  On Friday night I went to a summer pruning workshop at the Village, and the rest of the weekend is a total mystery to me!

Village update

There have been enquiries about Fran's boutique at The Village.  I trotted over to the market last Sunday and captured one of the super-models from the recent Fashion Show just about to enter Fran's.

It's very well stocked!  You can glimpse Fran to the left, and her husband, Joan (in the Spanish sense) perched behind the mannequin.

Sally, above, was also one of the models.  She and her partner have taken to serenading us at just about every Village event.  Steve eventually joined them with a drum he just happened to have with him.

In a far corner, Mel and Rachel sold off some of their old togs.  This picture was supposed to feature Snowy the dog but he cleverly hid behind the clothes-airer.

And for those who remember our house at 01 Queen Street, here's what it looks like from the back these days now that it is part of the Cottage School.  I was in Bellerive to meet Madam Cyn for another delicious lunch and, of course, can't help visiting old haunts.

15th February

It's Corinne's birthday.

Time to celebrate that gorgeous, crazy girl once more.  I'm trying to decide how to spend the day.

There has been gentle rain for some days,

decorating the garden in ways not seen for quite some time.

And helping my 'One Magic Square' plans immeasurably by bringing moisture to the soil.

I have a book, 'Applewood', translated from the French and about France so I may sit in my shed and just enjoy.

in brief

Friday night we drove to Swansea for the opening of the Glamorgan Spring Bay 7th Art Prize.  Steve had an entry but didn't win - though his work did have a yellow sticker on it.  We're not sure what that means!

This work appealed to me because it is so similar to a work H Bells did as a child in England to accompany a poem she had written.  Note it also has a yellow sticker.  The work is entitled What is Swimming for Me, Mixed Inks, by Jen Duhig.

On the home front, I whipped up a silverbeet pie / spanokopita from silverbeet Mr O Henry had given me.  I included some mint from Mrs O Henry's herb pots, and eggs from Mel's chooks.  On one occasion (it lasts me for ages because I'm the only one who will eat it) I served it with the grated salad made from apples and beetroot from our garden and carrots from the school garden.  Very satisfying.

Can't get too excited by the Cox's Orange Pippin crop.  We scored 5 whole apples, shared a couple with birds and sacrificed a few to birds and, possibly, a possum.  This is an even smaller crop than last year - as were the apricots.  Somehow I have to lift my game.

Yay for Facebook!!!!!

I got a hot tip (a red hot tip) that there was a photo of our tai chi celebration on  https://www.facebook.com/thecolonialfoodandwine/ .  I had a vague memory of Mielita, who owns The Colonial, coming out and taking some photos on Friday but had totally forgotten in my zen-like state.  Or it may have been the Jantz.

Yesterday His and Her Majesty, Mrs O Henry and I had lunch at Piedmont Estate, just south of Swansea.  We had been promising ourselves this indulgence for their birthdays but somehow never got there.  Yesterday we included my birthday (ie next month) as well.  It was a suberb meal.  The Majesties had hanger steaks, which I'd never heard of but apparently Nigella cooks them.  I had a taste and it was perfect.  Mrs O Henry and I shared a whole baked snapper, and we all shared 'sides' of smoky zucchini, crispy potatoes with garlic and rosemary, and tangy leaves.  Mrs O had some strawberry thing for dessert and I had a delicious smoky goats milk flan with white peach - bit like a leche flan and absolutely gorgeous.  I also had a glass of Freycinet Cab Merlot which was also excellent.  No complaints at all.  Plus it rained!!!

After lunch I hurried to the Orford Bowls Club to help set up for the Spring Bay Suicide Prevention Network dinner to celebrate 10 years of the Network's existence. 

I had to give the dinner a miss because Steve and I had tickets for the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra do at the Spring Bay Mill.

These are such amazing opportunities.  Seven minute drive, $35 a ticket, park right outside.  Couldn't be easier.  We sat right at the front, Steve actually had a beanbag to lounge in.  Here's the TSO getting ready.  They, possibly condescendingly, wear flannelette shirts and Blunstone boots for these events.

Here's the very exciting program.

And here's a very contented Steve after the show, with some of the sunflowers from last Saturday's Celebration.  The living is easy!  May it last.  And spread beyond my little patch.