Neighbours!

The caravan park opened for the long weekend.  The thing I've missed during these Exceptional Times is the passing parade of campers nextdoor, and the first takers were first rate!  In other Tribes news, the Spring Bay Hotel is doing 'Light Bites' ie tapas style food.  They came up with the idea because of the current rule that alcohol must be served with food.  Her Majesty and I gave it a go last Friday lunch (even though it wasn't her birthday) and the food was excellent.  As was sitting in front of the blazing log fire. We both had the house-smoked salmon and prawn chowder, and then shared the pulled pork loaded fries - very wicked.  We had joked that everything is house-smoked, handmade or homemade these days and then the publican came out and told us that he smoked the salmon himself on-site.

I recently finished this book.  Highly recommended.  It's a long time since I've laughed out loud while reading.

I caught the full moon on Saturday night,

here glinting through the Eucalyptus caesia.

Here's the same Silver Princess the next morning in a pretty heavy frost.  Jilly and I went for our earlyish morning walk to the Gatehouse for a look-see.

Then back through our secretish track over 2 bridges, stopping to admire the water drops on the ends of the overhanging grasses.

Jill wore Pinky for the first time this year, but she wore it again for today's walk.  Fortunately, after very cold mornings, the days are bright and sunny and a girl can get into the garden.  I am working on a number of garden projects at the moment and can actually envisage the possibility that one day they will all be in place. Some haven't put up as much fight as I thought they would.  Still a cuppla years away, but I think it's going to work.

Triabunna and beyond

Last Thursday Jill PD and I trotted off to see a friend who lives on Triabunna eastside.  The approach to the bridge looks lovely in Autumn.  Steve met us at Ian's and we toured his garden.  I hadn't realised but Steve had actually looked at the house Ian now lives in when he came over from Wentworth to find a place for us.  I didn't know Ian had been looking at houses when we were.  He has also re-worked his garden, concentrating on edibles and native plants.  Steve took Jill to a beach and Ian and I drank tea and ate fruit cake on his sunny deck.

I walked home and took this shot as I crossed the bridge - so much easier when not juggling a dog at the same time.

On another jaunt through town, I noticed The Barracks has a new gabion wall.  Garry the Goat, aka Gazza, obligingly put in an appearance.  The student archeologists, who worked on this site for 4 summers, have t-shirts printed with Gazza's photo.  He knows he's a star.

Unbeknownst to virtually anyone, I have been on a virtual trip to the Tiffany Gallery at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.  Lady Jayne and I have long had a thing for the panel of the wysteria framing a waterview.  I've always wanted to emulate it but it has never quite come together in any garden of mine.  It still hasn't, but it occurred to me the other day that I could train the hardenbergia from next door along our carport.

Definitely has promise.  Though sadly the wind came up that night and blew it down and blew the pig off her pedestal.  The hardenbergia can be put back in position, and the pig suffered only a broken leg.

Lovely to see the Aboriginal flag flying at the council offices for Reconciliation Week.

Yesterday:  big adventure.  We drove into Hobart for a few errands but also went to visit The Big New Deck at Georgia's place.  It's big.

And has lovely views of rooftops and the city.  One day I want to dance Wu Tao, do tai chi and yoga up there - really feeling like a goddess.

Others, I think, have more prosaic plans, like barbecues and parties.  Lucky (and lovely) boys.

And me 🐕🕵🦴

no comments

Fleurieu Floosie has advised me that her new computer won't let her leave comments on my blog, so that's it, no more comments.  Boo hoo.  She was the last one to be able to, so all your voices are silent now.  But I shall struggle on womanfully (even though there is not a lot to report).
Here's last weekend:  Jill PD and I doing one of our favourite short walks along Maclaine's Estuary.

beautiful ripples as the tide turns

our friend the white faced heron

silver wattle living up to its name

People are thinking social again.  It's like the community is slowly waking from hibernation.  Yesterday I met Cheryl at the Eastcoaster and we started planning Wear an Old Fur Coat Day for the Winter solstice when the restaurant will be able to have 20 patrons.  So it will be invitation only, starting with the tai chi group - somehow the idea arose from there.  Tomorrow Steve and I are going to look at Ian's garden.  Today Mrs O Henry and I went to Her Majesty's place (not palace) and had a stroll around the grounds.

quince tree

poa grass, wormwood and other surprising cohabiters

outside the domestic garden

I could happily live here.

Beautiful everywhere

The house is not that far out of town and the road would be lovely to cycle one day...

the gentle sounds of domesticity

Jill PD in her early morning hatbox

Some mornings we all have a little lie in.  Since quarantine I've reduced my listening to ABC Classic.  Not because of any dissatisfaction but because I love to listen to the sounds of home.  Often in the early morning the last lines of the Ralph McTell song* comes to me

...to wake up at home in the house on the shore

with you by my side in Wales

The Flying Pig is not quite that, but it's near enough and far closer than I'd ever dared to dream.

I've been spending a lot of time in the garden.  A new idea for this little plot came to me when I realised it receives the afternoon sun the longest.  It is a piece where I have been unable to pull up the layers of carpet underneath so a sitting place is the ideal solution.  From there I can worhsip my newly developed 'magic squares'.  They are currently alternating between productivity and farrow.  The lattice indicates the 'pea square'.  The bamboo canes are for broadbeans.  I have worked the soil for these squares with aged manure, compost, blood and bone, gypsum, comfrey leaves, woodchips and weed tea, so the magic better work!  These legume crops will hopefully nitrogenate the soil so I can grow spectacular corn, or somesuch, in Spring.

using artichoke leaves to form a path between rows

Meanwhile the raised gardens continue to grow the garlic, leeks and onions I planted, plus self-sown corn salad, miner's lettuce, wasabi leaf and the occasional radish.

Funnily enough the thing I miss most in these isolated times is the passing parade of campers next door.  There have been machine noises which make me think that Gina and Alistair are preparing for a return to the accommodation business.  But it is not total isolation.  After tai chi we walk to the coffee van on the marina where there is usually a small gathering of people we know, often including the local policeman - and all staying at arm's length.  And you may just notice a young chap hosing down the bow of a fishing boat.

* Wonderful Country from The Boy with the Note - an Evocation of the Life of Dylan Thomas in Words & Music

Daphne du Greyhound

There have been various daphne references through this blog and Fleuriue Floosie's so I thought 'Let's have a Daphne Extraganza'.  And here she is.

sometimes she looks like Jill PD

sometimes she looks pornographic

the way greyhounds have been bred means they are unable to sit and find it most comfortable to lie on their backs or sides

the food devotion I think is learned 

an adaption to living with my dog mad family

Photos courtesy of the doting Willowa who sent these to me and says:  Just a small selection from the life of Daphne xxxxx

when the road is a friend

Monday I returned to work at The Gatehouse - currently as the gardener.

I only work an hour at a time, so then was off to a friend's house for tai chi.  I have always loved this pathway leading from Melbourne Street to the back of the pub.  This tree looks Japanesey to me

and I stopped to take a closer look.

The mulberry tree behind the Spring Bay Hotel has split but looks as though it will survive - half of it, at least.

After a restorative (and covid compliant) tai chi, I happened to notice the Fish Van was open so partook of flake and chips for lunch just to stimulate the local economy.

Later that same day I went to the Poshest Shed in Triabunna for afternoon tea with Anne.  Fortunately she gave me some figs to take home so I could break my hi-carb diet.

On Tuesday I drove north a little way to look at a house that I have always loved and that has just been sold.  The 'Sold' sign is not yet up so I thought it was probably ok to sneak in and have a surreptitious look around the garden.

The sound of the waves breaking on the beach was hypnotic.

It wasn't until I saw this photo, enlarged for the blog, that I realised the house reminds me of the ill-fated (for us) house on Delta Road, Curlwaa - my Orange Grove that was not to be.

The owner of this house went for a protea grove.  Gardens which have been loved and left make me wistful.

The house is on the highway and tantalisingly glimpsed as you zoom past in the car on the way to Swansea.  But this time I parked up the road, walked back and, ridiculously, it was like walking the road to Caerfai.