ANOTHER BIRTHDAY

IT WAS the lovely sonja's birthday yesterday and i was honoured to be invited to dinner with her family, six of us at the black stump, dinner and pool, what could be better.
i stayed over at friend helen's then walked in to get the car today and went to see The Second best Marigold Hotel with ruth, really enjoyed it , it was colourful, rich, joyous and funny.   

CHOCOLATE . . . MMMMMMMMMM

ANDREW'S BIRTHDAY yesterday at the Art Vault and Julie bought the heaviest darkest chocolaty cake, we had it first thing - phew    it was delicious

andrew  - 29 years old

the lovely sonja - three haloes aren't enough :0)

MY OUTDOOR LAUNDRY is nearly done, just the taps to go on and i'm mosaicing the top and splashback

THINK I'LL PAINT the window frame to match the cupboards.  it's great to have town water outside the house too, now i don't have to turn on the pump every time i want to hand water close to the house.

WORKDAY

A DAY AT THE VAULT - working away on a grant application for them.   it's pretty much done, now i have to start another one :0{   and then another.

Singing last night, it was casual and fun.

LAST DAY OF THE SURVEY

THE MONTH LONG BIRDBATH SURVEY

comes to a end today so

 i did my last 20 minute watch this morning.

after a very warm night

 it was like bourke street

 out there :0)

the beautiful
magpie arrived
and sang me
a song :0)

IBIS

BACK HOME and the first time i've seen an ibis down on my riverbank.  The cormorant was obviously not impressed  :0)

WEEKEND IN SYDNEY

MONKEY BAA theatre in Darling Harbour flew me up for the weekend to do two workshops at their premises.   I've never seen Sydney so busy, you could hardly move.

Met up with Fran at Circular Quay for our traditional get together,  oysters and champagne on the water, watching the ferries. I love that spot.

sydney rock oysters and prosecco -   mmmmm     good to seeya fran

The Grace Hotel- 
fabulous on the outside
and some beautiful
details like the
marble foyer and
marble and tiled
staircases.  but upstairs
it's all generic Asian
style renos - we could
have been anywhere
in the world.

fun to be right in 
the city thought

I was in Sydney to do workshops with the Monkey Baa Theatre, about 20 young kids in the morning and 8 older (9-14yo) in the afternoon, the space was great and we all had a good time

SUNNY and I met up for a martini in the wonderful marble bar, it's so over the top, and a walk around the paintings and sculptures, all from early last century,  showed up some very bad painting and creepy inexplicable subject matter - but the whole thing is very impressive and the comfy leather couches are perfect at the end of a busy day.

Then dinner with the theatre folk to discuss their project, creating a play out of the peasant prince, and then a walk from Darling Harbour to Circular Quay to see all the Chinese New Year celebrations.    unbelievable amounts of people.

THIS MORNING'S WALK

THE SWALLOWS are back in their hundreds

BIRDBATH SURVEY

YESTERDAY'S PICS FROM THE BIRDBATH -  I've always found noisy miners annoying, they're bossy and dominate the yard, but after observing them almost daily during the birdbath survey i'm participating in, i've decided they're the comedians of the air.  Lots of young ones around here at the moment, they love the birdbath and the sprinklers

TRADIES AND WORK

WORK ALL DAY TUESDAY, at the computer doing a grant application. Last night was the opening of the first two shows of 2015 at the Art Vault

sophie szilagyi's wonderfully atmospheric photos

 Lovely maya, left with the violin, daughter of friend and workmate
sonja - above

Left  jake, who's doing my
bathroom and wife danielle and daughter

big kev with bruce and meredith turner

Lorena Carrington in front of two of her images, with local ABC morning host
Sheridan Stewart

BUSY SATURDAY

OFF TO BUNNINGS EARLY to get a couple of things for the new bathroom, then to Helen Healy's for lunch, met two new people,  kate and marg.   We all headed off to see Julian Burnside in conversation with Stefano at the Brewery, he's an interesting passionate man, gave the Art Vault a great rap, and spoke beautifully about his wife kate durham.


then called in to see edie at her 3rd birthday, she was over it - almost comatose after a full on day- i gave her the dress i'd made her (didn't make a big impression :0)

amazing how the quiet mention of a present can
revive even the most bombed-out birthday girl ;0)

 left to come home, pick up marg whyte and head off to the murray/darling island parking area at the invitation of indigenous artist clair bates who, with a group of women from the murray up as far as albury, is taking part in a large art piece for the biennial Palimpsest festival in Mildura.  they had demos of making straw animals, singing, dancing and food.  we'd only planned to call in and say hi, but ended up staying till after dark.  a good day.

        the boys - funny, it was their first traditional dance, they were very serious :0)   then into

the river for a swim.  that's the historic Ruby going by, on the Valentines day cruise

SUNDAY  BLOODY HOT  and not nice,  the cooling system battled to keep the house comfortable and i just painted,  the ceiling of the new bathroom - palmolive green.  very happy with the colour and i felt i'd used the day as well as i could. I'm also working on putting the mirror pieces together to hang in there.  making progress