Enchanted October

Japonica in flower and leaf

Coming together - red poppies and irises

One of Steve's glass sculptures beyond

Self-sown broadbeans

some of many artichokes

going towards the backdoor and kitchen

to cook artichokes for lunch

The Enchanted April is one of my favourite books.  I read it at least once a year.  Coming home to the garden after being away I was overcome by that feeling of abundance that Spring brings.  And I realised for the first time that October is April in the Southern Hemisphere.

The trip

I trotted off to Adelaide the Friday before last.  Well, actually I flew, and started reading a library book called Carpet Ride to Khiva which I highly recommend if you're interested in Islamic design, weaving and Uzbekistan.
Saturday, Helly, Tamasin and Willowa came to Mum's, Willowa only briefly because she was off to a TKD black belts' dinner.  Sunday they came again.  Helly, Tamasin and I worked in Mum's garden while Willowa and Mum worked on getting the 9-letter word in the Sunday paper puzzles.  Later I walked to the Indian restaurant on the OG Road to check out its hours of opening.  The area is changing quite radically.  Lots of the houses I remember replaced by 2 houses or McMansions. Four Trust Houses bowled over and replaced with a small village. Still some lovely gardens, lavenders of all types in bloom, and the remaining Italian gardens neat, promising and productive.  It has only been in recent years that I've realised how influenced I was as a teenager by the gardens at the top of Second Avenue. OG Road now boasts many diverse food takeaways, at least one gym, martial arts classes and a dance school, all catering for the large number of flats' residents, I presume.
Monday Mum and I discovered a new sushi place in Campbell Town, directly opposite Mercato.  What a dilemma.  I suspect The Beagle's guiding hand lead us there on this day.  That evening Heths, Mum and I ate Indian out.  Heths and I had eaten there previously but this was Mum's first foray into tandoori and curry, and she was very happy.

Tuesday:  sorry but the very poor taste Sandals in the Bin riposte always make me laugh.  Very self-indulgent.  Mum had her haircut and I had my usual pedicure at Marden.  Pictured are the thongs I get to wear home as my toe nail polish dries.  Now I've worked out I can import photos, I'll have to send you a shot of my summer nails.  In the afternoon the physio visited Mum to see how she is going with her rehab after her trip in the bathroom.  All good there.  I celebrated by going into the city, hence the Haighs bag doubtless spotted by the eagle-eyed.  It's lovely being a Senior who can spend the saved bus fares on marzipan bars.
Well, Wednesday was the Day of the Great Storm so we hunkered down for a good read.  This was cut short by the power blackout in the late afternoon.
Thursday was the day we intended to go to Port Eliot but we decided to play safe and stay home. More reading.  Helly, Tamasin and Willowa brought around a delicious chocolate and strawberry cake - Mum's late 90th birthday cake.  Tamasin had knitted Mum a beautiful purple jumper with scrumptious moss stitch sleeves.  Later, Tamasin, Rufus Poodle and I went for a walk along the swollen and raging Torrens River.  Parts of the Linear Park pathway were closed off and under water.  With the wind and sleeting rain it was exhilarating.
Friday we showed great restraint and decided not to go to PE, settling for Mercato instead.  Mercato now has a bar and cafe and it was absolutely jumping at lunch time.  With such a diverse crowd it's an event in itself (well, it is if you come from Triabunna).  Later I walked along the river again, crossing to the Campbell Town side by the O-bahn bridge, the other bridges being under water.

Finally on Saturday we got to Port Eliot.  The Flying Fish was virtually deserted.  The footy grand final was on.  We had a peaceful and delicious lunch, enjoyed the sunshine, and caught the last few minutes of Roy and HG's take on the footy as we pulled into the driveway at Mum's.  The 2 dachshunds over the road celebrated by taking on a passing dog out for a stroll with its owners. Much barking, yelling, swearing and sobbing ensued but I think everyone was relatively unscathed.
Sunday it was time to go home.  Mum promised to keep doing her physio exercises.  She had the rugger to watch as she feasted on Mercato delicacies.  I had a window seat on both flights which had a calming effect after an unattended bag was noticed at the security check area.  The waiting, snaking lines became silent as we all stared at the red bag standing on its own and staff attempted to find out who it belonged to.  Some chap eventually claimed it.  He must have forgotten it and proceeded through security without it.  I had no idea I would feel such a grab of fear.

break in transmission

I apologise for this break.  I have been away but that is not the only reason.  Before I went to Adelaide I discovered that Google and Picasa have parted ways and most of my photos have disappeared.  I have been mourning them, particularly my house and garden ideas.  And am not quite sure how to proceed with getting photos into the blog posts.  So I'm working on it.  Listen to A Walk in the Black Forest in the meantime.

wealth for very little toil

I think I have written previously that the only reason I would like to be Holmes a Courtishly wealthy is to own Van Gogh's irises.  Well I'm nearly there.

no-one to blame

but myself.  Yesterday I went to the Blood Bank in town.  I remembered the camera. I had charged the battery the night before.  The BB has moved to Bathurst Street and now has rooftop parking.  I like a bit of roof top.  So I took out my camera, framed a shot which showed that Hobart is starting to feel like a city - and I'd forgotten to put the battery in the camera.  It was a glorious day with magnolias leaping out of gardens and Mt Wellington (kunanyi) soaring like a cathedral.  But you'll just have to take my word for it.
If you're interested in local colour, I've discovered 2 authors who write Tassie based detective stories.

I've read 2 SJ Browns and finished the David Owen this afty.  I prefer the Pufferfish.  The DI Mahoney books read more like scripts to me.  Both, however, take you on a joyride around Tasmania.
And here's some green for Spring.

Tonight we're off to see The Grand Budapest Hotel at the Orford Odeon.

Kefir Queen

Jean Green Bean's skills are many and various.  She may not have persuaded Princess Mary to be the Patron of the Taroona School's soccer team but she has turned me into a kefir queen.

Here's the stuff bubbling away nicely on the window sill (in lieu of hellebore in small glass vase) and possibly keeping an eye on the laundry in the caravan park.

In the morning  you drain off the juice while your teapot is steeping, the bread is toasting and the dishes are waiting to be done.

When the dishes are done you have this  bowl of apparent purity which is in fact heaving with probiotics (move over Dr Shirota).  After putting the curdy looking stuff in a clean jar, you add milk and put it back in the window for another 24 hours toil and trouble.  I drink the strained liquid straight from the bowl.  It tastes like sour yoghurt but has a lovely creamy texture like a smoothy.  I'm sure it must be doing me good.

Tassie Idyll

Went South for the weekend to Abels Bay.  The weather was windy and showery which gave the Green Bean and me the perfect excuse to read magazines and swap gardening ideas.  It also gave GB plenty of time to cook (though she has that down to a fine art) and we ate most royally, including venison on Saturday night (with a mushroom risotto, of course).  Next time I shall photograph each meal - if I remember.

We did venture out on the Saturday and made another visit to the wonderful Woodbridge Nursery.  We didn't buy any of these sedums.  The photo was supposed to capture the raindrops reposing in and on the leaves like sparkling diamonds and lenses.  I did buy a tree-dahlia. GB finally got her hands on the Bishop of Llandaff, a dahlia she'd been after for some time.  We drove through clouds of wattle to another nursery, River Bend, which is a much smaller venture and only opens on Friday and Saturdays.  A good find for the future.

As you can see from the photos above, the Bean's garden is coming on nicely.

Sunday we had to walk off some of the delicious lunches, mains and desserts, and breakfasts for that matter.  We stepped out to the contentious Eggs and Bacon Bay.  An animal rights group has recently requested that the name be changed to Apple and Cherry Bay.

The rain came in but passed quickly over us as we stood behind this tree.  The goddess was certainly smiling on us.  After our bracing walk, GB whipped up another Michelin 4 star lunch and then I was on my way back to Tribes, after a cup of tea or two.
Monday saw me back on the road, lunching with Madam Cyn this time.  We dined at Maning Reef in Sandy Bay - a gargantuan feed of tempura veg, seafood and sweet potato cake with chips.  We were too stuffed to have summer pudding for dessert.
And here's a cuppla iconic shots for those who know Tassie well:

The Tasman Bridge from Cornelian Bay

The boat sheds at Cornelian Bay.

There was a time when I desperately wanted to own one of those boat sheds.  Now I just want to remember to take photos more often.  Today Jill had a play date with her Big Boy friend, Dexter, and I took not one photo.  Admittedly Dexter's Mum, Dorothy, and I mostly sat inside and had tea and chocolates.