Sunflowers. Moon says

I want this year to be different.  Perfectly happy with my life the last few years but I want to do new things.  Last Thursday I went chocolate-making shopping with Fiona.  Fiona loves to cook.  She makes mountains of sushi for the annual Muirlands 'Saturday before Christmas Sushi' extravanza'.  I do not share her passion but I did enjoy going to places I didn't even know existed.  There is a shop called Exquisite Flavours.  Who knew?  Anyway, after an eye-opening shop forage, we ended up at Richmond for lunch.  Not Richmond as you may know it, ie Ye Olde Worlde, but Richmond milk bar where they do kebabs and a fine pot of tea.

Richmond from the milk bar

Saturday 30th had been on my mind for some months.  It was the Sunflower Celebration at the Mill but also the opening day of the new cafe in town.  Where did my loyalties lie?  I volunteered for the Mill event but heard nothing, and absolutely nothing happening at the cafe either.  So a leisurely day.  My own sunflowers are nothing to rave about.

Gardening by the moon has somehow come on to my radar and is currently dictating my gardening regime. https://au.rhythmofnature.net/gardener-calendar .  If you consult this, you see that Sunday was a crash hot day for gardening and I was itching to get into it.  However there is also the Sunday swimming...  I got to the beach about 1/2 hour early and did some solitary Wu Tao.  The sea was as calm as a millpond - just what I don't like.  So I resolved to have a quick dip to be sociable when the swimmers turned up and then head gardenward.  They turned up.  As did Shane Gould who, unbeknownst to me, lives in Bicheno these days.  She offered to observe us swimming and give us some pointers on how to improve our technique.  Having no desire to be an ace swimmer, I definitely wanted out.  I waded to the beach, thanked Shane for coming down to see us and tried to hotfoot away.  'Just let me see you swim', she said. 'No, no, I really have to go', I said.  'Just for 2 minutes', she said.  I wasn't sure I could swim for 2 minutes but I did my best.  And she brilliantly identified my swimming issue:  my freestyle is fine, but I don't exhale!  She put me through some exercises, which I'm keen to repeat next Sunday.  She really is an amazing teacher and a lovely and generous person.

calm waters at Raspins

And garden I did.  In the dying light of the day... I thought these prunings would make a rather lovely flower arrangement but I was too tired to lift them up.

Today I trotted off to have lunch with Anne, formerly of the Posh Shed, but now Anne of the Stone Cottage.  It is finally restored, and just fabulous.  As was lunch.

I was drawn to this boot because Georgia had made a pottery boot at high school, and it still inspires her work.  Today is her birthday.  So more gratuitous photos for George:

Number 41 from the Tandara Hotel

a little closer

from the highway

It  is also Rosa Norte's birthday.  This photo of the Rue Mouffetard is for her.  Quite a few years ago we spent a lovely time at the market there.  You can read about the photo here  https://murielwines.com/en/cuando-cartier-bresson-capto-la-esencia-del-vino/  My friend Glynis has it on her kitchen wall.