Harvest Festival

That's the 2010/11 olive crop.

The Mirror Crack'd...

Been a long time between posts. I drove to Portland on my birthday to spend the weekend with Southern Belle.  Here's the view from my bedroom window on my first day of being 58.

Breakfast on a misty morning with Southern Belle on the ocean-facing deck.

We decided on a picnic lunch at national park where no cycling was allowed - to find a race in progress.

So, of course, we had to look out.

The next day we visited a lavender farm.  Jill and Steve have their own lavender fields so really it was a case of industrial espionage.

All too soon it was Monday and I had the long drive home, happily bearing apples from the orchard and fresh laid eggs from the Isa Browns.  Mum had sent me some money to have a birthday meal on the way to Portland but there wasn't time, so I indulged in Hamilton on the way back.  I had a look at the Art Gallery and took a photo of a dragon pot for Georgia.

I love Regional Galleries - they are just the right size for me.  I don't get overwhelmed.

This visit was amazing.  Art Deco in the foyer (where I wasn't game to take a photo).  Then a ginger pot in their Asian Collection.  Jill and I had been talking about ginger, loss of sense of taste with aging, and having a pot of crystallized ginger on the mantle-piece.

And then a display including lots of Morocco, where Jill and Steve will be traveling soonish, including this Tom Roberts that I thought (my) Steve might like.

I had lunch at the Dariwell Farm cafe - heaps of smoked salmon and other goodies with a glass of wine.  Then detoured to Nigretta Falls.  I figured this may be my last chance to see them flowing for a while.

Here's the river at the bottom of the falls.  Next year it will probably be in drought and dry again.

I got home in time for tea, then had to work four days straight to make up for my Monday off.  Sadly I was then fluey over the weekend.  Then we had computer / internet problems.  Now we seem to be back on track.

Exhibition Opening 12 March 2011

We now have some photos of the big night.

Sam and I pondering something before the big event - I was just home from my hospital job.

Sam's daughters on our newly upholstered couch.  Exhibition behind them.

Another part of the exhibition.

Local Arts identity looking at works (which weren't technically part of exhibition) in dining room.

Cuppla uni students doing likewise.

Happy Accidents

Sometimes you become aware of the beauty that surrounds you.  It's easy to notice the nature stuff and things that you have contrived to make beautiful but this week I've noticed these.

I'd hurriedly emptied the 2 big blue bowls one night, tipping the contents into the Mermaid plate that Georgia made.  Now I've noticed that the mermaid and seal are playing together in a petal strewn sea.

Someone, presumably Steve, has left our old kindling bucket up on the deck.

Returning to nature.  Remember the photos of Lake Benanee on the way to Balranald that I posted during the drought?  Well the lake is full again.

The lakeside trees must be in shock!

Autumn

at last.

Our mini-holiday

The weekend before last, Mum and I went to Lady Bay and stayed a couple of nights at The Links, the golf resort there.  We've had a weekend there before and the Gang of Four stayed there the Easter before last.  It's close to Normanville and Port Eliot so keeps us very happy.

The view from our room looking left, centre, right to the west and the sea.

Looking down

a bit of zen.

The morning before I drove home we had a little look at Melbourne Street.

I wanted to check on a sign I thought I'd seen while driving back from the Fleurieu Peninsular.

And then we had a coffee before my long drive east.

Empty Nest Syndrome

This phrase often comes into my mind as I struggle with my dashing new bras each morning.  I shall spare you the photos, but suffice to say I still think the lady at Bras and Things meant egg cups, not E Cup.  And sometimes I think of 'Don't Put All Your Eggs in One Basket', even though I could.