THE PAST WEEK

superb autumn        

finally i'm home after a week away, recapping the week here

the weather has been amazing – it’s nearly winter but the indian summer we’re enjoying is warm and still and the river looks like a mirror.  add to that a huge full moon in clear skies at night and its pretty gorgeous

Helen and don came to stay on tuesday night on their way to broken hill,  roast lamb, apple pie and scrabble, lots of sitting out on the grass and looking at the water and the pelicans.

wednesday – work and julie is back from her six weeks away.  i had lunch with donnie and worked late, drove home with the full moon by my side.

EARLY THURSDAY

i hit the road at 8.30 and it was a full day drive to chrissie’s in northcote.  i was so tired,and yesterday was more of the same, driving all over melbourne picking things up, buying art supplies. the car is packed to the rafters.

THE DRIVE
out of mildura
- the grapevines
are looking
gorgeous, golden
and glowing in
the early morning
light

 the moon coming up

in northcote taken

in sunny's lovely

quiet street

selfie with chris

i now have sunny’s bike to ride – nice thick tyres, it’ll be good on the rough wenty road near my place

FRIDAY NIGHT i met up with martin, jackie and susan baran at enoteca for a drink. they’re all great, lovely to see them and to chance being in town at the same time as susan.

then sunny and i share a doz oysters at the good old panama dining room before driving down to torquay

I LOVE this light at panama

- a laundry basket hung

with rubber gloves,  mad

SATURDAY, up early for a walk with sunny  

passed this lovely tame king parrot on the path to the beach

barbie with friends this arvo.  beautiful autumn weather again, it’s warm and mild, we all sat outside till the mozzie’s arrived, jenny, freddie, jen and rob, gail, sunny and me.

 

SUNDAY.  another morning walk, sunny did a long run in training for a half marathon, then we all met at the RACV club and enjoyed a swim and a long hot spa.  another lazy day of reading, eating out the back, rearranging gails kitchen cupboards then denise arrived to cook a lamb roast and we had another scrabble game.  a nice weekend of chilling out in good company :0)

terrible photo - good hug  :0)

 driving home on monday, i stopped in ballarat and visited the ballarat art gallery and the Museum of australian democracy where i saw the eureka flag - impressive - and an exhibition about the making of the Dr Blake Mysteries, all shot on location there.  got close and personal with the good doctor himself :0)

ran into deborah klein in the op shop in ballarat so we caught up over a coffee. a surprise and delight to see her.

l

drove on the

the grampians in the afternoon -the car is     packed with op shop stuff - i'm out of control

beautiful mountain ducks near helen and don's in the grampians

brekky in

bed at helen

and don's

another good 

stay, scrabble

and roast :0)

then the drive 

home 

yesterday

look at that colour - i must be home

SUPERB AUTUMN`

A PERFECT DAY - not perfect for me all day, a trip to the financial adviser in the morning was an anxiety maker but after that - pure heaven out at Wangumma, donnie and peter's wonderful place on the billabong. i'll let the pictures do the talking.

EARLY MORNING, MIST OVER THE RIVER

These pics are at my place around 7am before leaving for mildura

these gorgeous lemons

are MINE - off the

tree i planted soon 

after moving here. i'm

thrilled that they are so

big and juicy  :0)

OFF TO THE BILLABONG  -  peter, donnie, wendy and me. the weather was sublime autumn at its best, soft warm sun, not a breathe of wind and amazing skies full of clouds.

ah yes, 
and then 
there are the flies

the house is lovely, this is the side that is the free standing kitchen, a brick breezeway divides it from the main house

 the road to wentworth, coming home

MOTHERS' DAY

I CAN HARDLY WALK :0( after a whole day in the garden, on all fours trying to rid the back lawn of an evil weed which has little arrow shaped seeds in clumps, they've infiltrated the house, the soles of all my shoes and some of my clothes.   a successful day though, transforming half the lawn into a large garden bed with newspaper and peastraw mulch.  only half done but a very satisfying day's work, sad about the body, i'm stiff as a board

  autumn in the garden                                       

the three tallest plants in this pot are
avocados, i'll transplant them soon -
fingers crossed, they should do well
up here

A WALK TO THE SHOP

YESTERDAY MORNING - i'm trying to walk to the newsagent a few times a week - need to get fit. there's plenty to see on the way but i do get bored.  i think i need a little radio with earplug to keep me company.
autumn is really here, there's beautiful colour everywhere

set into a nature strip

these are growing along the bank of the little billabong near the lock, a bit like a morning glory


finally, coffee and crossword under the grapevines at artback 

driving home from the art vault on wednesday night

CAL IN CLASS

ROB CUST has posted this pic of cal on his first day of english lessons - well, it about time!

THROUGH THE KITCHEN WINDOW