LEIGH OUT, FRAN'n'MIKE IN :0)

Another glorious warm day,  I spent the day finishing off my little gallery area in the back room, it looks good.
Fran and Mike arrived on their way back to sydney after touring south australia's outback country.  I had to head down to the showgrounds to judge the 'citrus gift presentation'  -  five categories,  picnic basket, table decoration, main citrus gift presentation,  gift featuring mandarins, and dried citrus presentation.    First and second to be selected in each.  much deliberation  and comments to be written.  I did it! 
Today we're going to the show, i want to see the working dogs and wearable art, fran's keen to see the equestrian events

marg and jasmine set up the produce stall

GOODBYE LEIGH . . . sob

taking 

selfies 

101

It's another beautiful early spring day, a bit nippy but gorgeous pink light and early sun,  leigh's last morning here.  He's headed off now to a school in mildura then home to melbourne. It's been a gorgeous four days :0)  AND i've got some good work done

\

boo hoo   :-{

A NEW VOCATION

IT'S THE WENTY SHOW this weekend and I'm the judge of the 'Citrus Gift Presentation'.   more later :0)

LAST NIGHT

ANOTHER GOOD PRINTING DAY YESTERDAY :0)   I've almost done all the book, some watercolour to do and it's finished.   Hopefully.   depending on feedback.
Leigh leaves today, boo hoo.  it's been just lovely having him here.  He'll be off to do another school this morning then off home.  We spent yesterday afternoon on the riverbank in perfect spring weather and enjoyed a visit from donnie and penny. I'm very happy they've all met

champers on the river with friends, what more can you ask?

LAST NIGHT

LEIGH AND I headed off to dinner after work.  a quick visit to bunnings,  a highlight for a girl without a car, i haven't been since my licence issew - the bus doesn't go up there, well it does but it's on a long distance run and hardly ever goes.   so it was great to pick up the shellac i need for my printmaking classes.  then we went to dinner at the black stump,  a great looking restaurant in an interesting old building,  beautiful food - i had murray cod for the first time in my life.  yum

 driving home we passed

the crazy sphinx
on the Edge hotel  
(a la geelong).

i got out to take a pic

then noticed how sweet

the little female figures

on the base are.

A GOOD WEEK

IT'S BEEN A DELIGHT  to have leigh here, he lifts my spirits :0)    I was at work at the Art Vault all day yesterday, leigh was doing schools in merbein and wentworth.

But at 6 a.m. i was on the river, the local rowing club boss Sam Cross invited me to go in the coxon's seat while a four sculled up the river.  It was fantastic, we went round the junction island, up the murray for about 1/2 hour then back past the clubhouse and up the darling for a short while. the water was like a mirror and watching the sun come up from right down low on the waterline was magic. 

up at 5 to 

see the

beautiful

early

morning

sky

scary madwoman

in the boat  :0\

i sat up the

front in the coxon's

seat, feet out

in front with a few

cushions to try

to make it comfy.

as the rowers 

pulled i slid further

under the front

of the boat - 

tricky 

up around snake island, the land between the two rivers at murray/darling junction, darling on the left, murray on the right

the sun came up

about 6.30, what

a wonderful

time of day 

back at the rowing
club at about 7.30
- a fantastic way
to start the day

BIG THANKS 
to sam, geoff,
scott and flo

WORK DONE :0)

another print done for the book i'm working on 

the image on the copper plate

the printed image - it'll be hand-coloured in vibrant watercolour

A GREAT DAY

It's lovely having leigh here - he was off to Nichol's Pt school early this morning and i got stuck into making a print for another double page of my book.  A beautiful sunny day, birds all singing away in their best springtime voices,  Jake Modica arrived to check out the old bathroom to give me a quote for a reno.  we talked out on the deck in the sun for quite a while

my print worked well, leigh came home around 5 and had a nap on the riverbank before we cracked open the bottle of Moet he brought with him.   We stayed there until it was dark, then off to dinner at the pub.  An early night for this little black duck, up at 5 tomorrow to go down the river with a rowing team, i'll be photographing the river at sunrise from the coxon's seat :0)

leigh amidst the bright lights of wenty 

In the 'sheep shit' room at the royal

THE CALSTER

ONLY 7 WEEKS TO GO                                          and i'll be spending time with this busy little man :0)