R is for Return

Arrivng in Adelaide on a Saturday, a day or so to recover and some days to do Mummy required things, so it wasn't until the Thursday that I could take my jaunt to Encounter Bay.

The Floosie had gone to some trouble over the repast after my subtle blogging of the fabulous food at the Spring Bay Mill events...

So delicious, and bubbly too.

Replete from lunch, we took a trip to Port Elliot (as we do).

Some of you will recognise this flowery bower, now sporting a Christmas touch.  We bought (Jill's) Steve a delicious looking chocolate concoction at the bakery, and a banbury for us to compare with an eccle.

And then time to motor home (well fuelled with cake) until the 2020 visit - the Year of the Rat's Tail.

The former Mrs History also loaned me this book, purchased at Flanders Fields (and not in or on).

It may have been later that same day - or possibly the day before - when Willowa arrived home with our new bike riding proudly on her car roof.  We had agreed to buy this bike between us last time I was in Adelaide.  I thought she had forgotten but no, there it was in all it's glory. And gloriously easy it is to ride, too, with only 3 gears that move effortlessly into place.  It was also a joy to watch Willowa effortlessly lift the bike down from her car.  How I love strong women.  I was in such awe that I forgot to take a photo.

This bicycle reminds me of the ones the women rode in Viet Nam when we were there the first time.  The riders wore their ao dai, hats and long gloves with unimaginable poise.  One day, when Steve was learning sword patterns in the park and I was surrounded by people wanting to practise their English, a lady's bike was stolen while she joined in this impromptu English class.  I can never quite get over the guilt I feel about this and the moral quandary it left me.  I don't know the lady's name but we were staying with a lady referred to as Ba Muoi (Mrs Ten) at the time, and so I have called my Adelaide bike Ba Muoi.

The jacarandas were in flower in Adelaide, always entrancing even when walking to the OBahn station on rubbish bin day.  My trip into town, however, was not so charming.  I've never been one of those people who avoid shop change-rooms because I can cleverly look at the overall effect and not hone in on the body.  Not so easy when trying on bathers...  When did my skin age like that?  One toss by a Chinese chef and I'd fall into noodles.

On one of my many restorative walks and bike rides I noticed this calming Buddha detail.  The house was also festooned for Christmas, and is situated on the grounds of the now bulldozed Radcliffe Theosophical Centre on Fourth Avenue.  Fourth Avenue is one of the many ways to get to my new food mecca - OG Road.  There I can partake of short eats, rice and curry, and buy pickles and sambals at ridiculously low prices at the Sri Lankan supermarket.  Sadly it is not open on Mondays so I was forced down the road to Han's Sushi.  Yes, they do sushi but they are Korean and have a huge Korean menu too.  So exciting for next time.  I do these food forays 1) because I'm greedy and 2) because Mum has Meals on Wheels so our food adventures together have been curtailed.

My second Big Adventure, after the Encounter Bay Road Trip, was to Raukkan sometime home to David Unaipon of the $50 note.  I'd read about this suggested day trip in the Sunday Mail and Mum and I were to embark upon it.  But she reneged, as she often does these days, so I re-scheduled with The Pearl.  What a fabulous day we had!

First stop:  Meningie for Coorong Mullet burgers

that we ate at Raukkan, which has a lot more to reccomend it that this photo suggests.  The photo was supposed to tell you what an idyllic spot this is.

This little white cat thought it was quite heavenly when I shared a bit of mullet with it.

The Narrung ferry is one of life's great treasure's (excuse the ufos, again) and I'd never heard of it before reading the Sunday Mail.  The ferry crosses the water where Lake albert meets Lake Alexandrina.

The Wellington ferry I did know and it was one of my favourites until Narrung came along.  When I lived in Wentworth it was my special way of getting to Port Elliot,

because all roads lead to Port Elliot.  The Pearl and I indulged in a coffee at Our Table in Our Pub in Our Favourite Easter Place.  But this was not the end of the adventure because we called in to the Floosie's to return her Flanders Field book (read cover to cover) and met the irresistible Bix.

Mum's only request for an outing was to the Botanical Gardens, and we did eventually get there.  This photo looks a bit wan but I was trying to capture the architecture and decoration of this pavillion where we paused after discovering we were too late for both the cafes - not even an icecream to be had.

I did get to the Central Market and the plan was to meet H Bells for lunch.  Sadly she caught the wrong train, possibly The Ghan, and by the time she arrived I'd eaten crispy lechon, corn pancake and coleslaw from Cumbia, and a coconut from the Cambodia stall.  And delicious it all was too.  Helly and I did have coffee together, and a bit of a trot around the fruit and veg stalls.

This is the view from the driver's seat of my car.  The Mum's garden hustles to say hello to you, but also goodbye.  It was time to leave for the lengthy drive back to Tribes.

I always stop at Coonalpyn to buy a pasty at the Post Office cum Bakery (I discovered it's an outlet for the Meningie Bakery).  I took a photo of this rather lovely shed for Steve.

Stayed overnight at the Nurses' Quarters in Warracknabeal with Sandrine.  It was such a perfect evening we walked to the pub for dinner, stopping only to take a fashion shot on the bridge over Yarriambiack Creek.

Drive, drive, drive and here I am again at Station Pier, waiting to board The Spirit on Friday 13th.

Yes yes, but what did you READ while you were away?  For reasons I can't quite fathom, I didn't read much at all.  This library book will be useful if I ever build my pond for wildlife.

This book has been hanging around at Mum's for yonks so I read it and then took it for a oneway trip on my bicycle to the Book Cupboard at Lochiel Park.  I should mention that Mum and I did a couple of strolls along the Linear Park, including the Book Cupboard.  We even got to Mercato one day, an easier trip than I had imagined it would be with a wheelchair.  And once we saw a koala.

I spent most of my reading time with this library book.  It jumped out at me because I have been compiling my own Rules of Life for some time.  I've got to 3 so far, but keep changing them.  I have no problem with Peterson's Rules, in fact they're rather like The Desiderata, which has long been my guide.  However he takes forever to get to each rule - though his anecdotes are often amusing.  He is a psychologist with a Christian bent, and I just can't accept some of his presuppositions. Thought provoking but.

Q is for Quo Vadis?

And the answer is Adelaide, of course.  I leave tomorrow to drive to Devonport for the night ferry and drive Melbourne to Adelaide on Saturday.  And quando quando quando do I return?  Saturday 14 December.

With absolutely no Q qualities that I can think of, here is last blog's Augusta Luise bud in full bloom

They don't look quite as stunning from a distance...

Saturday was the Flower and Craft Show held in the school gym and for some reason these entries appealed to me.

Quenching, perhaps.

Her Majesty, Queen of Hearts and Sun Queen, won first prize for her tussy mussy.  Admittedly it was the only entry but it has long been a quest of hers, coming second last year, and third the year before.

Some real quenching on Tuesday after Zumba.  You may recall that the Zumbettes held a similar event probably about a year ago, on Robyn's land before her house was built.  It has just been completed and they have moved in.   The house and deck are rather special.

Que?

These rather stunning red seed pods are on last year's radishes.

I tend to overlook these roses at the front gate because the plant was there when we moved in and not part of my plan.  People stop to look and photograph them, and I only realised this morning that it is unusual to have different coloured flowers on one plant.

It has been a hot, constantly windy day today.  I'm very glad I wasn't driving to Devonport.  Tomorrow is forecast to be milder.  It is Steve's birthday and we're having pizza.  Maybe a glass of red...

P is for Paradise and the Pup, produce, pasta, peas and plenty

There are, of course, three of us in this marriage and we all have our garden space.  Steve has the tomatoes, I have the other produce and flowers, and Jill has the rest.  She needs Grandes Allees to pursue thwacky balls and frisbees.  Unfortunately  Fred Risbee, pictured below with Jill, landed on the studio roof today and may have to stay there until the wind blows him down.  The wind blew him up there in the first place.

Great excitement for me yesterday with my first strawberry.  Naturally it was half-eaten this morning, so another lesson learned.

Some carelessly sown peas are producing the goods.

The broad beans are cropping well enough to have meals of pasta with cream, bacon and broadbeans.  You may be able to glimpse the orache in the foreground.  I'm still not quite sure what to do with it.

I have been watching this iris unfurl for a few days - well worth the wait.

Here is the Augusta Luise rose sent for one birthday / Christmas by Rosa Norte.

And here's the pig with her wing mended.  The wing got broken clean off by a thundering thwacky ball but is now restored by Tarzan's Grip, and Miss Pig can fly again.

O is for On Flanders Fields*, and omission

*Since this inspiration I have discovered that it is 'In Flanders Fields' - hope John McRae doesn't mind too much.

I remember a Remembrance Day in Wentworth when this poem was read with lines spoken by different Returned Soldiers, including one on the rooftop of the RSL.  It was one of the most moving things I have experienced, although I'm not so keen on the idea of passing on the baton so the war can continue.  At our Remembrance Day service in Tribes yesterday, the guest speaker chose to interpolate his rels' war history between the stanzas.

The wreaths were very Springy.  I had a full-on morning and didn't get around to picking an armful of red poppies from the garden.  Having seen the news coverage of London blitzed by biodegradable poppies, I now have a plan to scatter poppy petals over the cenotaph.  Not quite sure when!

On another Remembrance Day, again in Wentworth, I watched a lady reknowned in town as a tough old biddy, stand with tears streaming down her face.  I loved her ever after.  She had a red heeler called Jewel so I was half in love with her already.

And here's the omission:

I forgot in the last blog that I could show you Steve's painting of the flowers in the vase this way.

N is for No Promises to Keep

It is a real list-less Thursday today.  I need it.  But there are no photos.  So here's some I prepared earlier:

Steve has taken to painting flowers.  The painting of the flowers in the vase on the table is unframed in the sunroom - a tad difficult to see in this photo.  I thought it would be good to get an action shot featuring them both, but I failed!

Tuesday we boycotted the Melbourne Cup and went for a road trip to see apparently happy horses in fields.

Here we are dining in splendid isolation at the South Arm RSL.  Everyone else was otherwise engaged, either propping up the bar or tottering around in fascinators.

How about this for a coincidence.  I was merrily reading this Pufferfish book when I realised the bookmark I was using.

M is for Mission accomplished

It could also be for mayor, minutes and meeting but I won't mention such matters.
I refer to the garden.  I'm definitely not saying its finished  - a garden is always a work in progress.  But I think I have its measure.  And I think its got mine.  So we're mates.  I think I now know what will grow where and what I want to grow.

Starting from the driveway:  an access ramp is planned to go along the house wall and end on a deck; the carport will be moved to the fenceline.

 looking to the left (south)

walking southerly

taking a look at one of Steve's sculptures with the rain still on it

to the southern boundary and looking back

now looking left again and proceeding to the western boundary

passing the Angel Face rose on the way.

The plan is for this climber to cover the shed and look stunning from the bathroom window.  The plan has gone slightly astray cos I thought I was buying a Blue Moon.

Western fence directly ahead.

This small area may be developed in the English style, ie I'm thinking of moving the foxgloves, hellebores, solomon's seal and aquilegia there.  Maybe even growing delphiniums, as requested by some.  This part of the garden does not get any sunlight until Spring.  Lilies of the Valley already in place.

looking back, ie easterly towards the street

looking to the left again, ie northerly now

This area behind the shed, and stockpile of Steve's glass, was recently revealed by Snipper Shane, and opens up a world of possiblities.

walking through aforesaid mentioned New World and turning to look the length of the garden

keep walking to the northern boundary - turn right to view the nascent orchard and chipping HQ

looking back through orchard and woodchip paraphernalia

standing outside the laundry window, looking west

The laundry is to be demolished, relocated and replaced by a deck if all goes to plan...  some of this herb garden may have to go as well.  Note also fire pit obtained from caravan park next door.  They were only too happy to give it to me after a caravanner left it behind and I was only too happy to remove the possiblity of our house catching fire.  It is to be regifted to Steve for his birthday.

totally posed photo to imply Jill PD indulges in fine dining in the laundry

However, I have enjoyed having these flowers in the laundry where I can appreciate them without constantly clearing up, so they (more likely their successors) may have a place in the future laundry.

looking down the garden from the backdoor - without rain this Sunday

bit hard to see in this photo but most of Steve's tomato plants are in this part of the garden, in front of the artichokes - Steve's favourite part of the garden

my current favourite part

I will also mention the mateless magpie.  Steve has always wanted a pet magpie and I thought this may be a happening thing until I saw the butcher feeding the young magpie a handful of mince.

I so love the weekends.  'Listless Thursday' seems to have gone by the board.  I'm fond of saying my dance-card is full and refusing to take on more responsibilities, but the dances seem to be getting longer.  Which reminds me, I'm also really enjoying Vanity Fair on Saturday nights.