FIRST DAY HOME

PRODUCTIVE   i put together my great new laptop work station from ikea.  allen key, screwdriver and instructions and all was good.  half price for only $79 and mostly made of heavy black metal. 

THE DRIVE HOME

I took my time, called in to jen and rob's in stawell and had a beeeeautiful swim in their pool.  weather was hot and windy today. in the 40s in mildura i think.  a very nice couple of hours

then on to helen and don's for dinner and scrabble.  this little beauty scored

me 75  :0)

beautiful rosellas
at helen and don's
birdbath 

I left early and drove home taking my time, took photos along the way and got home around 3.  that was yesterday and now i have to get stuck into an illustration job that needs to be done by jan 10.  the garden all looks fine -  one
plant died but my persimmon which looked so dead after my last trip, has new
little shoots, the pea straw seems to be doing the trick.

lovely old 
letterboxes
- there are
all kinds of
variations on 
these along
the way 

Diamond house in stawell, built in 1866 without any nails.  all local stone.  I see it every time i drive into stawell and it always intrigues me.  one man's whimsy

the drive up
through the
wimmera to
the mallee

travelling out in the wheat country you often have to pull over for huge farm machinery on the move

HOME AGAIN

a walk around sandra
and patrick's garden
with the hose before
i left northcote. it's
such a pretty little
courtyard, lush and
green and peaceful

a pretty coffee at barry's in northcote. with chrissie
murphy.  i should've got a photo of her.  too busy talking :0)

TWO DAYS ON THE ROAD with the two blueys, my trusty car and little bluey who's been my travelling companion now for about ten years. slightly faded but still great company.

i had a slow drive from the grampians - left early and stopped a lot to take photos
I left Melbourne a couple of days ago after a quick visit to sunny and dean, and martin who dropped by to pick up my work for the APW show. i've dropped off work to damon, to sunny for the maroondah show,  to artback on the way down,  and i've come back with the car loaded with frames from ikea and all helen's work from the pt lonsdale show.  i don't want to see another framed picture for quite a while  :0\


martin and claude at sunny's

LOVELY LAILA

UP TO THE WESLEY ANNE to see dear laila who's back for a couple of weeks from the UK.  leigh hobbs was there, so good to see him too. 

meredith, laila and laila's lovely friend graham

it's always great to see laila, even for a little while

BEAUTIFUL ECHUCA SKIES

BOXING DAY

BACK ON THE ROAD after a large brekky of bacon, eggs, tomatoes and toast with the family.   another warm day of hardly any wind,  perfect celebrating weather.  we drove back a different way and had a swim at Moama beach on the way.

           we dropped into change at dean's brother's so we had a 

          chance to say goodbye to little jorja again.

 beautiful skies on the way home