Back to Bunna / Some like it hot.

The Weily Fox invited me up for a big Tuesday in Triabunna:  Suzie's birthday, visit my car, Remembrance Day, lunch at The Village, see Jilly at Georgia's, dinner at the East Coaster and then Mama Mia at the Triabunna Tivoli.

We started with a swim on Spring Beach at 6.30am.  The Weily one had already been for an hour's walk.

bathers for every day of the week

and some stunning apres swim gear

Next was the Remembrance Day Service

good singers and good friends - Maria Voices

then a visit to my car, now at the bodyworks.  There's hope it can be repaired if the parts can be found.

Lunch at the Village was next, and I crawled from there up the road to have afternoon tea with Georgia.

Jill, Miya and Bilbo Baggins being very good

The Foxy One picked me up,

we drove home through a hailstorm and then bedecked ourselves for the evening and had espresso martinis and chips for dinner at the East Coaster.  Then off to the Triabunna Tivoli.

Contrary to appearances it was not a drag show but Mama Mia, with a best-dressed prize.  Not being much of an ABBA fan, and never liking their clothing choices, I didn't participate.  But it was a fabulous night with dancing, singing, and the movie too of course.  It was also a tribute to David and Gavan who started the Orford Odeon and mentored the Triabunna Tivoli.  Sadly they died this year within a few months of each other.  A truly inspiring couple.

Not getting to Suzie's house earlier, we dropped her birthday card into her letter-box by moonlight.

The next morning was set aside for The Big Event.

The Big Truck pulled into the driveway right on schedule.

Sadly the sauna man had based his delivery plan on google maps, not realising that the Fox, though Weily, had failed to inform Mr Google that she had planted a nature strip garden which precluded the truck being easily reversed into the backyard.

A lot of resting and thinking.  Eventually it was agreed that a Big Crane was needed for the job.  Since this had to come from Hobart, Foxy and I went for a swim.

The Big Crane arrived

 and swung into action,

scaring the bejeezus out of us

as the wind rose.

The driver lowered the sauna 'blind' as I ran back and forth relaying the instructions yelled by the exhausted sauna man.

Right in place.  I congratulated the Big Crane driver on his skill,

" bin doin' it since I was eleven" he replied.

Naturally, The Fox is very happy with her Hobbit sauna and couldn't wait to get it cranked up.

I'm not a sauna fan so, as arranged, went to Georgia

who drove Jilly Pup and me home to Bellerive with a bunch of flowers from the Weily One's garden.

Culture, heritage and home sweet home

Romeo and Juliet may have disappointed me

but Van Diemen's Band at St Davids Cathedral was paradise enow.

The second Tuesday in November saw me at The Shoreline for a Melbourne Cup Lunch with the Bunna Babes.   Caz (in the middle) boldly got into the spirit and came third in the Ladies Best Dressed.

The following Friday saw me at the St Mark's Church market, delighted by the remaining flowers.

This rose is borrowed landscape from the garden next door.   I had been tempted to use it as part of my Melbourne Cup regalia.

my nasturtiums catching the morning sun

Saturday brought a feast of opportunities with the Architecture Open Day Tasmania.  I couldn't make much use of the day without a car but I did catch the bus into Hobart to explore the controversial 'Red Awnings' in Murray Street.  Formerly a bank, it is  now in private hands and scandalised many when the red canopies were installed.

I was very excited to learn the sandstone came from Kangaroo Point aka Bellerive

I love the red blinds

Now, I lived in an old bank but not like this!

through the front door

I had thought it would be nice to have a piano...

we did have a vault to store wine

a ceiling feature is always nice

as is a good library

and my kitchen was also much admired, perhaps not on quite this scale

Sated, I strolled through Salamanca Market,

Cary Lewincamp playing

caught the ferry to Bellerive,

unknown couple on ferry

and visited our old home in Queen Street, now part of the Cottage School.

the space under the house has been converted to classrooms

and I am very proud to say that the silver birches I planted remain

A walk along the beach to Alexandra Paradiso and through my new front gate,

past the onions that are doing exactly what I want them to.  A most satisfactory day.

Alexandra Paradiso

This may become my new blog name.  We'll see.  My guests seem to enjoy my unit as much as I do.  Admittedly the weather may not be to their liking but the bandicoots seem to seduce everyone, as have the parent and child butcherbirds.

The (hopefully) Jill-proof fence was finished on the day H Bells arrived.  Georgia brought Jilly for a visit today and so far so good.
The fence has been widely complimented

and Sundance, the butcherbird, seems to approve too.

My sister, H Bells, came to celebrate her birthday, her last visit being about 40 years ago.  I was living in my unit then, too.  I don't think I had a car then either.  Poor Helly again had to battle the elements to get anywhere.  And she feels the cold.  Mrs History had 3 doonas, H Bells 4!!!!  Helly's allergies are far more numerous than mine so she could stay warm cooking her own food and walking to the new gluten-free shop.

There was more than food though.

the Cat and Fiddle Arcade must still be visited

 Helly chose the Botanical Gardens for her birthday outing

and immediately began photographing everything in sight

short trip to a very cold Macquarie Island

and a linger at the pineapple house

A birthday picnic was interrupted by marauding ducks who climbed all over us and snatched food as we lifted it to our mouths.  We gave in and shared.

The long march back into town took us past these peaceful cattle grazing on my friend The Governor's acreage.

we reached home for a replenishing repast

though Helly was a little apprehensive about lurking ducks...

There was also The Poochibald to investigate.

It's an annual exhibition for residents young and old of Clarence City Council.

so many contributions!

I think this one is amazing.  A true work of love.

naturally this was a crowd pleaser

and I think this one is both clever and appealing

more!!!!

But all good things...  There's Helly off to the plane

while I was off to see Romeo and Juliet at the Theatre Royal.  Despite the beautiful ceiling, I didn't enjoy the performance.

And for Helly there was even more.  A night in Melbourne!  She missed the connecting flight.