in brief

Friday night we drove to Swansea for the opening of the Glamorgan Spring Bay 7th Art Prize.  Steve had an entry but didn't win - though his work did have a yellow sticker on it.  We're not sure what that means!

This work appealed to me because it is so similar to a work H Bells did as a child in England to accompany a poem she had written.  Note it also has a yellow sticker.  The work is entitled What is Swimming for Me, Mixed Inks, by Jen Duhig.

On the home front, I whipped up a silverbeet pie / spanokopita from silverbeet Mr O Henry had given me.  I included some mint from Mrs O Henry's herb pots, and eggs from Mel's chooks.  On one occasion (it lasts me for ages because I'm the only one who will eat it) I served it with the grated salad made from apples and beetroot from our garden and carrots from the school garden.  Very satisfying.

Can't get too excited by the Cox's Orange Pippin crop.  We scored 5 whole apples, shared a couple with birds and sacrificed a few to birds and, possibly, a possum.  This is an even smaller crop than last year - as were the apricots.  Somehow I have to lift my game.

Yay for Facebook!!!!!

I got a hot tip (a red hot tip) that there was a photo of our tai chi celebration on  https://www.facebook.com/thecolonialfoodandwine/ .  I had a vague memory of Mielita, who owns The Colonial, coming out and taking some photos on Friday but had totally forgotten in my zen-like state.  Or it may have been the Jantz.

Yesterday His and Her Majesty, Mrs O Henry and I had lunch at Piedmont Estate, just south of Swansea.  We had been promising ourselves this indulgence for their birthdays but somehow never got there.  Yesterday we included my birthday (ie next month) as well.  It was a suberb meal.  The Majesties had hanger steaks, which I'd never heard of but apparently Nigella cooks them.  I had a taste and it was perfect.  Mrs O Henry and I shared a whole baked snapper, and we all shared 'sides' of smoky zucchini, crispy potatoes with garlic and rosemary, and tangy leaves.  Mrs O had some strawberry thing for dessert and I had a delicious smoky goats milk flan with white peach - bit like a leche flan and absolutely gorgeous.  I also had a glass of Freycinet Cab Merlot which was also excellent.  No complaints at all.  Plus it rained!!!

After lunch I hurried to the Orford Bowls Club to help set up for the Spring Bay Suicide Prevention Network dinner to celebrate 10 years of the Network's existence. 

I had to give the dinner a miss because Steve and I had tickets for the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra do at the Spring Bay Mill.

These are such amazing opportunities.  Seven minute drive, $35 a ticket, park right outside.  Couldn't be easier.  We sat right at the front, Steve actually had a beanbag to lounge in.  Here's the TSO getting ready.  They, possibly condescendingly, wear flannelette shirts and Blunstone boots for these events.

Here's the very exciting program.

And here's a very contented Steve after the show, with some of the sunflowers from last Saturday's Celebration.  The living is easy!  May it last.  And spread beyond my little patch.

I see red

I was going to regale you with tales from our Tai Chi Chinese New Year celebration but, as usual, I was having such a good time that I forgot to take any photos. While we usually tai chi at the Community Health Centre, for this auspicious occasion we went to The Colonial restaurant and danced in their gardens under a large oak tree.  Then, I must admit, some had coffee and a couple of us had Jantz.  Most of us wore red hoping to attract good luck in the Year of the Rat.  It was lovely tai chi-ing out of doors.  The downside was we couldn't hear the music and another punter, tourist, apparently needed to talk with his stockbroker, or similar while we zenned.  But I feel filled with oak tree chi (and  little Jantz) ready to face the rest of the year.

In my own garden, this little poppy offsets the corn tassle.

We've had 3 days with the Red Umbrella in the garden, but only one day when we left it fully unfurled all day.

And, in a little upwomanship aimed at that cycle tour racing nut and reporter, Fleurieu Floosie, my friend Gisela gave me a photo of her son-in-law, John Degenkolb.  Apparently he is now with Lotto Soudal.  Check him out https://www.facebook.com/johndegenkolb/

Totally unrelated to red but giving me an inner glow, is this note someone left in the honesty box at the Gatehouse.

Top night in Tribes

Fran at the mike, Pan and Ange

Leah and new lady to town

Only know these ladies by sight

Top birds, Cheryl and Chris

Phillipa on the right and a lady I don't know but I want her hair

Jenny and Gail

Pan and Ange

Leah's groovy shoe heels and worn out own heels - she's just  back from Boot Scooting in Tamworth

The two unknown to me but well known to most of the audience

The fabulous  Chris and Cheryl - they are so gorgeous

Lady with fabulous hair and Philippa

Jenny and Gail.  Steve's art on wall behind them

Ange and Pan, the 2 great horse lovers.  Steve's art behind them

New lady and Leah,

the only ones sporting tatts

The 2 unknowns and a glimpse of Her Majesty's tunic

The two lovelies, Cheryl and Chris

Philippa and the lady with the lovely hair, swept up this time

Gail and Jenny

Last items - Ange and Pan

The finale

Final strut en masse

and back again

It has been a great evening.  Unfortunately numbers were down this time.  Some people chose to go to the bingo instead!!!!!

Perfect Day(s)

Yesterday was one of the best days of my life.  It was the inaugural Spring Bay Mill Sunflower Celebration.  I had volunteered to co-ordinate the stall for the Pulchella Community Nursery Landcare Group.  While there were some activities at the Mill site, the horticultural stuff took place at Paddy's, the Mill's produce growing area.  A bush track had been created to link the 2 areas and there was also a shuttle bus.  They do things well.

Here's a glimpse from where I spent most of the day.

Lots of people turned up for Tino Carnevale's garden talks.  Marcus Ragus also pulls a crowd.  He is the garden and landscaping guru for the Mill, and runs his own design company Verdant Way

Our tent is the one on the right.  Les Payne brought plants from the original Pulchella Nursery and was greeted like a long lost hero.  My job was to promote the new Pulchella Community Nursery Landcare Group which was created around November last year and will raise local native plants for sale, and provide workshops so that people can learn to gather and propagate their own native plants and seeds.  I had a trusty band of volunteers to help me, and we were very well looked after by the Mill - provided with lunch and coffee.  Things got quiet around 3pm so I joined the Bush Tucker walk and learned so much.  I can't think of a better way to spend a day.

This morning I woke up  and felt like toast for breakfast.  And realised I must have vegemite because it's AUSTRALIA DAY!!!!

And now for a short tour around the garden.  Above is orach and an alleged iceberg lettuce.

Yippee.  Yippee.  Yippee.  Figs!

I have a new plan for some irises so am getting them ready for a transplant.  It amused me to see them in the bowl - looks like they're climbing out of the primordial swamp.
There have been enquiries about The Red Market Umbrella.  I suggested to Steve that it could have its own blog.  He laughed wrily...  So here's today's chapter.

Fixing some spokes.  At least the ones that Steve fixed last time have held.  The original spokes are too weak for the size of the canopy, which is like a spinnaker once the wind gets under it.

As Steve was sitting quietly, endeavouring to fix the brolly so we could have it up for Chinese New Year, a totally unforecast rain squall came through.  What does it all mean???

We retired to eat silverside sangers made with slup-slup bread.  Very Australian.

Happy Australia Day.

and

Happy Year of the Rat

XXXX