The Floosie's reward

One of the things 'I would tell my 16 year old self' is that if you want something, ask for it.  You don't always get it but mostly you do.  It took me a long time and lots of delicacy and waiting for the right moment and going without, to discover such an obvious thing.  The Floosie asked, and she shall receive.

Close ups of some of Georgia's work in the Village exhibition.

The Floose also gets a prize for identifying the lachenalias in Georgia's garden: Spring Chickens.

These are the The Village chooks.  I took them some nourishing garden weeds on Saturday en route to a Grafting Workshop.

An excellent tutor and two + hours well spent.  I will probably never graft a tree but it's good to know the theory!

I had another indulgence last Tuesday when I caught the bus into Hobart, went to a lunch time concert in the Town Hall, and caught the bus home again.  Very civilised and relaxing.  It was the Brian Ritchie Quintet, playing amazing instruments

in a very beautiful venue.  Concert cost $10!!!!!

bright and beautiful, but windy

Friday before last saw the launch of the inaugural Mars father and daughter exhibition at The Village.  I went back on Wednesday to take some photos.  A lady came in and asked whether it was the work of the local art group. 'Oh no,' I exclaimed in what I hope was a blasé voice, 'It is the work of my husband and stepdaughter'.  Wendy Whitely probably enjoyed the same circumstance.

As forecast, the weather became wet and windy during the exhibition opening, and the decision was made then to cancel the Sunday Market.  This was somewhat devastating as most of Triabunna had been waiting out the month for the Hmong market gardeners to return and replenish our stocks. We are now facing an outbreak of scurvy.

The wind was such that it blew a tree from the caravan park over the fence and onto our water tank.

During the week, the manager from the caravan park removed the fallen tree 

and fixed the broken pipe.

Hopefully we will now have some decent rain to fill the tank. It is, in fact, raining gently as I blog.

On one of the wet and windy days I sat down and read this book cover to cover.  I possibly wouldn't have chosen this one but Mrs O Henry read it and said it was page turning despite there being no murders to solve.  It was an excellent read and quite thought provoking.  Of course at $6 it was a top of the range PUBS recommendation.

Every Thursday is School Lunch.  This time the menu was salmon pasta bake and fruit muffins. Jen and I whipped up over a hundred muffins.  Jen's cooked up beautiful and uniform.  Mine were a little more politically-correct diverse.

I was entrusted with Pinkle's care again, and took the opportunity to peruse Georgia's garden.  Spring bulbs are popping up all over the place, including the above.  I have no idea what they are.

Any ideas?

 

I had to show you these little (though ecologically undesirable) pines, looking perfect for Christmas.  Much tidier than that old gum tree...

Signs of Spring in my garden too - the quince tree on which so many of my plans are laid - 

and the japonica which I love despite it being a shadow of Georgia's hedge.

Home Sweet Home

I thought I had lost access to my blog earlier in the week and have spent some time trying to get back into it.  I gave up and was planning a new blog with a new sign-in when, non credibile!, I cracked the code and here I am.  I am not going to report on the damaging winds or deck progress this time but am staying with the cosily domestic.

a beautiful corner in Georgia's house

I was there to feed Pinkle while Georgia spent a cuppla days in Hobart to celebrate Son 3's birthday.  Naturally I was lured out by this amazing japonica hedge.  I've never seen it used as hedging before.  It makes sense because it has such barbarous thorns, so ideal refuge for small birds, and very beautiful.

Back at The Flying Pig I've stopped gnashing and wailing over my flattened daffodils and seized the opportunity to bring them inside.  I wouldn't have picked them if they had stood tall and triumphant.

We have also been charmed by an accompanying spider and its beautiful web.

Her Majesty gave me  a jar of her quince jam.  It is absolutely delicious with ricotta on soy & linseed toast.  And looks like bud burst in Spring.

Biding

I am going through a slump at the moment and have decided to just see August through and winter officially over.  I have been buoying myself with the image on the cover of this book and singing The Raggle Taggle Gypsy O  (note me on recorder). I curled up on Wednesday and read the whole book - a beautiful escape, especially as a caravan on wild Irish coast was involved.

I am leaving the garden more or less to its own devices.  The ongoing but intermittent deck building makes gardening awkward.  My 90 daffodil bulbs have done well but have been trodden down.  They have shown what they are capable of so I hope the bulbs can build their strength and have another go next year.

The pied oystercatchers have returned.  It is always wonderful to see them. Fingers crossed that their  young survive this year.  There is birdsong in the mornings now, although difficult to hear because I'm currently keeping my bedroom window closed due to very infuriating hayfever.  In the early evening the sound of the bird chorus is surround-sound magical.

This is Pinkle, the cat Georgia left with her Mum 17 years ago.  It is lovely having George 'just  up the road', a very pleasant stroll or bicycle ride.  I can't remember why I was prowling around her house on this occasion but was flattered when Pinkle awoke to look out at me.

Last Sunday Georgia went swimming with the wild bunch.  Jill PD and I did our clifftop walk thing.  I was contemplating swimming here at the end of the beach, hoping to coax Jill to swim.  She has an eye infection at present so I thought the seawater would be good for her.  She did a lot of romping through the water stick fetching, got her eyes wet but didn't submerge them.  Sadly by the time we had got to the end of the beach, the sun had gone in and I lost the good nurse impulse.  We were climbing the steep path back to the clifftop when Jill noticed a man and dog enjoying themselves as he thwacked a ball along the hard sand and the dog joyfully chased.  Outraged that another dog should enjoy thwacky ball, Jill hurtled back down the path, picked up the ball and loyally brought it to me.  When she dropped it beside me, it rolled merrily down the track much faster than I could chase it, came to a bend and bounced in big loops through the cliff vegetation.  The man and dog watched in shocked awe.  I pranced nimbly, keeping my eye on the ball, and eventually managed to return it to its rightful owner.  Though Jill did disagree with me on this point.

pine bark photo for the Floosie

Georgia has unpacked her bicycle so today we took Lauren Bacall and Madam Jade for a spin.  The weather looked highly changeable and I thought Georgia may want to postpone.  Silly me.

We set off for Mt Murray Road, a long time cycling goal for me and one of which my cycling guru, Maria Island Bruce, approves.  Mt Murray in the distance.

It was a beautiful ride and just the right level of difficulty for us.  You can see that the weather was indeed changeable.

By the time we reached the esplanade on our return, it was sleeting.  Georgia nobly stopped to wait for me - a wind gust had stopped Lauren in her tracks and put her out of gear.  I decided it was easier to walk for a while.  We got back to our place drenched on one side but exhilarated.  Heater on.  Pot of tea.

Georgia took the 5 photos above.

I have spent the afternoon in the garden and on the farm with Monty Don.  Divine.

And I'm still slogging through this one.  It is magnificent.  I'm learning and questioning so much.  Beautifully written and researched but so thick with ideas and information that I think I may spend the rest of my life reading it.