Autumn 5 in Triabunna

We have been in Tribes for 5 years!

A week or so ago, we were invited to the Spring Bay Mill to see the progress on the accommodation pods.  This is a fringe benefit of being the Gatehouse Keeper - I get to go to the tourism operators 'famils'.  This little cabin is 'off the grid'.

We treated it reverentially.

I reported before I went to Adelaide that the house opposite us has sold.  The rumour is that it will become a Tea Shoppe.  The side fence was recently taken down to reveal a garden in the local vernacular - garden beds surrounded by sandstone rocks.

A tranquil and misty walk to open the Gatehouse earlier this week.

the full moon rivalled by the Black Moon

a protective little sunny pup

New work in our front garden.  I've given the eight prickly pines a haircut.  I don't want them at all but I can't just pull things out.  I'll have to wait until they die a natural death - or I come up with another plan.

Steve's glass sculptures (and dog) have made it out into the front garden.  The plan is coming together.

but what did you read in Adelaide?

I hear you ask, quietly.  Well the answer is:  not much really.  I read Jane Harper's The Lost Man on the ferry over and finished it at Mum's.  It is an excellent book.  Mum has now also read it and thinks it's great too.

This library book turned out to be much better than I had expected.  I got it thinking that Mum may like to look at it.  Unfortunately it is too big and heavy for Mum to hold.  The text was well written and very informative.

This one will be good if I ever get around to keeping chickens.

This is a very useful and inspiring book.  Unfortunately it does not seem to be available from the Tassie Library Services.

This one has changed my thinking about the back garden.  The writer believes every Australian garden should include a billabong to handle waste water and run off.  I'm thinking deeply about this.  I have the grey water but haven't had to deal with rain for a while.

Sandrine gave me this one as a late birthday present when I stayed with her at the Nurses' Accommodation in Warracknabeal en route to Port Melbourne.  I'm only on the early pages but it's a fascinating topic to know about.  She also gave me The Dry which was Jane Harper's first novel.  Of course I devoured that and sent it to Mum for Mothers' Day.

And this was my birthday card from Sandrine.  Truly my friends know me too well.

journeys extra

I have to say there wasn't as much nipping around this Adelaide trip.  No lunch at Mercato or Longview, no haircut or pedicure, no yoga, no Port Eliot, no Pru at Semaphore.  There was a hunt for a recliner lift chair but so far it has come to naught.  An engineer really needs to tackle this...

Pearl, Lady Jayne and I did checkout Port Adelaide and were rather taken with this clipper and a nice little cafe.

Watkins, the Yellow Terror, prepares to go to Fox Creek for shuttles.  Who knew!  Apparently she wears shoes for this.

I checked out this Dog Exercise Area in Coonalpyn.  A humble affair, and I wonder if it is much used though it is well sign posted for visitors.  Good view of one of the Silo Artworks.  Perhaps it could have featured some dogs.

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I've taken to stopping at Stawell on my drive home.  I always get a salad wrap at Subway but I am rather charmed by George & Kids fish and chip shop.  Perhaps next time I'll leave Warracknabeal a bit later so I'm hungry enough for fish and chips.  So far I've got to the ferry in Melbourne with hours to spare.

In line to board said ferry.

Some have already claimed the good seats.

Farewell to Melbourne for now

and on my bike to new adventures.

Out and about in Mannum

The evening after our cruise, Pearl and I combed the street of Mannum looking for likely eateries.  Unfortunately, we didn't find any.

But we did see the beautiful almost full moon over the Murray.

And we are pretty good at provedoring ourselves.  Our only meal out was at Swan Reach after a drive to Walker Flat, two of my favourite places on the river.

Mannum Social Institute shot for Mrs History

sewing machine info for Tamasinsky

One morning we walked to the ferry and crossed the river to explore the other side, spotting some sculpture cyclists for Watkins.

Another day we took an historical walk following a very mysterious map with numbers and legend we're still not sure about.  It included the site where the water pipe we had seen previously from the Mayflower, emerges above ground

and snakes its way to Adelaide.

The weather had been very warm for autumn and I spent a wonderful late afternoon lounging across cane garden chairs with the Murray in the distance.  The wind was warm but gradually had ribbons of cool.  I haven't had that 'cool change' experience since the Gully Winds in Klemzig in the 1960s.  Magic.

The next door cat and his mates have that beautiful view all the time.

tirra lirra

It's 5 years since we left River Bank.  I have no regrets.  But the Murray has a siren call and, for many reasons, I was excited to be Eastering at Mannum this year.

a long time since I'd seen the Lower Murray flag

or the ferries

We had the opportunity to take a river trip and jumped on board.

pilgrims on the The Mayflower

Mannum from the Mayflower

big wheels turning

the Mighty Murray lay before us

the Mannum-Adelaide pipeline starts here

they apprentice them young on paddle boats,

bunyips are always a risk

Adelaide delights

because I like to be close to caravans...

the wetland installed at Lochiel Park housing estate over the Torrens from Mum's

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a bit of garden design I find inspiring

I was early for a lunch date with Willowa so I sauntered through town, noticing details I've just hurried by in the past.  I was surprised to see these figures sitting on the balcony of the Adelaide Arcade.  In truth, I'd never noticed the balcony before.

The leafy figure outside The Hilton made me realise these are arty autumnal installations.  I spotted a number of them around town.  Good fun.

A day with The Floosie, who'd baked me a cake.  One of those delicious moist almondy cakes made from boiling mandarines.  Ever style conscious, I nonchalantly scattered a few rose petals around.  A couple managed  to land on the cake.

notice my new look: crocs and socks

We took a garden walk then a stroll around the wetlands at the end of the road, mulling over which would be the best feature tree for the Floosie's re-imagined front garden.  In my mind I looked like this .

Dream on.