Fur goodness sake

On Monday the Tai Chi group did something different.

Wear a Fur Coat Day for the Winter Solstice, and to raise money for the RSPCA.

The venue was the East Coaster and they looked after us very well.

We had the place to ourselves.

Mrs O Henry was there with her new knee, here in conversation with Keri who had a new knee last year.

Mother and daughter team, Anna and Beth, always look stunning.

Marion in the middle is our Debbie Harry look-alike.

Jackie is our tai chi guru.

She is wearing her husband's leather coat, and was told to say 'the fur rubbed off'.

 Jill did some mixing and matching until she got her outfit just right.

Keri in a borrowed collar which suited her outfit perfectly.

 Colleen looking like a Russian princess, possibly needing a little more caviar.

And of course, Her Majesty rose to the occasion.

Nothing succeeds like excess.

Dolphins came to play in the bay, which I took as a sign that nature realised our intentions were good.
Fur wearers were fined and we had a raffle.  We raised $170.00  - a drop in the ocean to meet the RSPCA's need.  Hopefully we put some money into the local hospitality industry too.

short weekend

Saturday was strange with a sunny day but sea fog drifting in periodically,

seen better here as I returned home from the pub having ordered Vietnamese Stew for pick-up at 6pm.  I was walking through the paddock which links Melbourne Street with the back of the Spring Bay Hotel.

I sometimes forget that I have a sunny, comfortable home, inside which I could stay more often.  And mostly this weekend, I have.  Occasional trips to the garden to check on something or throw frisbees for a while, and then delicious sits in the sun or by the fire to read and plot.  It has rained gently all day this Sunday.  Jill PD and I were up at 7am to open the Gatehouse, then sat in position to watch the sunrise on the winter solstice but there has been no appearance by the sun today.

back in business

Wednesday I went to do some gardening at the Gatehouse and found it open!  Apparently it has been open since Monday.

I took some poa trimmings to Mel's chooks at The Village the next morning - nice and frosty.

The Spring Bay Mill organic garden folks are back with their produce stall.

I proceeded to the Gatehouse via Vicary Street because the public aren't allowed through the school in these Covid 19 times.

I met up with my NRM (Natural Resource Management) mates and we eradicated the tetragonia, at least for little while.

The bed I had worked on the Wednesday got even more treatment.  I undertook to resume Gatehouse duties that evening.

And so set out the next morning, arriving back at the house, job done

just as the sun was rising.  My Gatehouse duties may change, but for now it's back to normal with some gardening thrown in.  Jill PD is delighted.

A very good day

Today I got two letters in the mail.  One from Lady Jayne, one from Fleurieu Floosie.  Here they are with the beetroot Mel gave me yesterday and which I trimmed up this afty.  All this excitement prompted a quick photo foray into the garden.

The produce garden is looking a little more colourful with marigolds and daisies in flower.  There's also the yellow of the Gold Bunny but Jill PD's ears got in the way.

Here's the edge of the native garden,

at the border with the produce garden.  Perhaps I should move the wheelbarrow.

Finally worked out how to festoon my shed with the beautful cards I am sent.  Can't find the string ball, wool just stretched and didn't work, and then I thought of joining 2 bamboo canes together.  So far so good.

Home and away today

We set off to Devil's Corner for the artist to take photographs for the art of the 2021 calendar.

the prepping artist

the artist's muse

the location with artist in position by a pole, muse wandering

Devil's Corner vineyard in Winter

Then it was futher north to Bicheno for the heck of it.  We did call into Freycinet Vineyard for some olive oil.  Their website does not do the beauty of the place justice.  It always reminds me of one of those perfect model toy farms.  Sadly I was concentrating so hard on hoping the place was open, that I didn't think to take a photo.

Bicheno is always beautiful.  Today parts of it made me think of Seachange, and other parts reminded me of Port Eliott.

We were home around 2.30pm so time for a bit of gardening.

the Gold Bunny keeps budding

Angel Face struggles on

my newish lettuce farms

The Emma Dish newly planted out with succulents, resting between the gooseberry plants and on the composting alpaca poncho from the '70s.

Neighbours!

The caravan park opened for the long weekend.  The thing I've missed during these Exceptional Times is the passing parade of campers nextdoor, and the first takers were first rate!  In other Tribes news, the Spring Bay Hotel is doing 'Light Bites' ie tapas style food.  They came up with the idea because of the current rule that alcohol must be served with food.  Her Majesty and I gave it a go last Friday lunch (even though it wasn't her birthday) and the food was excellent.  As was sitting in front of the blazing log fire. We both had the house-smoked salmon and prawn chowder, and then shared the pulled pork loaded fries - very wicked.  We had joked that everything is house-smoked, handmade or homemade these days and then the publican came out and told us that he smoked the salmon himself on-site.

I recently finished this book.  Highly recommended.  It's a long time since I've laughed out loud while reading.

I caught the full moon on Saturday night,

here glinting through the Eucalyptus caesia.

Here's the same Silver Princess the next morning in a pretty heavy frost.  Jilly and I went for our earlyish morning walk to the Gatehouse for a look-see.

Then back through our secretish track over 2 bridges, stopping to admire the water drops on the ends of the overhanging grasses.

Jill wore Pinky for the first time this year, but she wore it again for today's walk.  Fortunately, after very cold mornings, the days are bright and sunny and a girl can get into the garden.  I am working on a number of garden projects at the moment and can actually envisage the possibility that one day they will all be in place. Some haven't put up as much fight as I thought they would.  Still a cuppla years away, but I think it's going to work.

Triabunna and beyond

Last Thursday Jill PD and I trotted off to see a friend who lives on Triabunna eastside.  The approach to the bridge looks lovely in Autumn.  Steve met us at Ian's and we toured his garden.  I hadn't realised but Steve had actually looked at the house Ian now lives in when he came over from Wentworth to find a place for us.  I didn't know Ian had been looking at houses when we were.  He has also re-worked his garden, concentrating on edibles and native plants.  Steve took Jill to a beach and Ian and I drank tea and ate fruit cake on his sunny deck.

I walked home and took this shot as I crossed the bridge - so much easier when not juggling a dog at the same time.

On another jaunt through town, I noticed The Barracks has a new gabion wall.  Garry the Goat, aka Gazza, obligingly put in an appearance.  The student archeologists, who worked on this site for 4 summers, have t-shirts printed with Gazza's photo.  He knows he's a star.

Unbeknownst to virtually anyone, I have been on a virtual trip to the Tiffany Gallery at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.  Lady Jayne and I have long had a thing for the panel of the wysteria framing a waterview.  I've always wanted to emulate it but it has never quite come together in any garden of mine.  It still hasn't, but it occurred to me the other day that I could train the hardenbergia from next door along our carport.

Definitely has promise.  Though sadly the wind came up that night and blew it down and blew the pig off her pedestal.  The hardenbergia can be put back in position, and the pig suffered only a broken leg.

Lovely to see the Aboriginal flag flying at the council offices for Reconciliation Week.

Yesterday:  big adventure.  We drove into Hobart for a few errands but also went to visit The Big New Deck at Georgia's place.  It's big.

And has lovely views of rooftops and the city.  One day I want to dance Wu Tao, do tai chi and yoga up there - really feeling like a goddess.

Others, I think, have more prosaic plans, like barbecues and parties.  Lucky (and lovely) boys.

And me 🐕🕵🦴