FALLING INTO BED

SO MUCH RUNNING AROUND doing last minute things before i go to melbourne for the weekend.  i've got a chat on red's show on friday at 6.45, in the studio which will be fun and a little bit nerve-racking








beautiful driving 
home though

MORE AUTUMNAL SPLENDOUR

BEST TIME 
of YEAR please wind, stay away till after the weekend and leave all the autumn colour on the trees for my exhibition opening

AUTUMNAL COLOUR

RED RED RED everywhere 
- the ornamental grapevines, liquidambars, claret ash and manchurian pears are ablaze - the colours this autumn are amazing. that red seeps in and lifts my spirits :0)





coffee at artback
behind the ruby curtain

with anne hederics

I had a fascinating

morning at friends

sam and di's - they

let me go through

their parents and

grandparents

letters from WW1

and WW11 so i

could gather

photo reference

for my book.

such lovely old

paper and

handwriting,

interesting post

marks and stamps,

and another place

where the grape-

vines are just

stunning

OFF TO THE MOVIES with sonja, then a g&t at fosseys, once again under spectacular
red vines on
a gorgeous sunny autumn day

my botanical illustrations for fossey's gin labels

I SAW THIS BIRD down on the riverbank this morning, i scared it off before i saw it down on my riverbank, so these pics are taken zooming way in across the river.  it's a young nankeen night heron but i was surprised to see it plop into the water like a duck and disappear into the reeds.

TONIGHT

WHOOPY DOO!!

IT'S SO WONDERFUL how people help out - fresh vegies and eggs, looking out for the house when i'm away,
watering . . .
friend sam dropped by today and delivered this fantastic stack of freshly cut sweet smelling redgum  - i'm so lucky.

RAIN

BEAUTIFUL STEADY RAIN all day thursday.  I had a friend from bendigo here interviewing me about my illustration work processes and the weather was perfect for sitting inside going through examples of work.
we had a drive down to thegoa lagoon in the rain and the birds were all out, just sitting in the rain.



these are just phone shots down at the lock but it was a funny moment

driving around in the rain

BIRDBATH

THE BLUE-FACED HONEYEATER family is loving the birdbath, fat little fellas :0)

MOTHER'S DAY on the road

I TREATED MYSELF to a lazy mother's day morning, alone at sunny's in melbourne.  a huge leftover vanilla slice and an episode of pride and prejudice at brekky time, a hot bath and then on the road to see sunny and stay with helen in the grampians. i had a long phone talk with rene too -  all in perfect sunny hazy autumn weather.

this was a huge field full of kangaroos and deer, my long distance pics weren't good

    helen and don's front porch ablaze with grapevines

MONDAY ON THE ROAD

what a gorgeous day, i left helen's early after a night of roast dinner, toasting mum with a bailey's and a game of scrabbleIt was a foggy morning which turned into a beautiful hazy day, lots of pics, i just took my time and got home around 3.  it's another beautiful day today, the autumn weather is divine.

aaaa

ok, i'll pull over!!!

i stopped to photograph these silos and could see two birds up on the roof.  i couldn't really see what they were until i downloaded the photos - two lovely little harks or falcons of some kind, must look them up in my bird book.

WHIRLWIND WEEKEND

I'M IN MELBOURNE - sitting in bed on mother's day morning, rene has emailed to say he'll call later, how nice :0)   i dropped off all the work at Dromkeen after a slightly apprehensive eight hours driving with 28 bubble wrapped and strapped up framed works with glass. hopefully they've all arrived undamaged, i won't know until i unwrap them in a couple of weeks :0{
Dromkeen is wrapped in autumn glory, the gardens are looking magnificent.

director bernadette joiner

SATURDAY - Sunny's off to the grampians for the weekend, i had a busy day - walked all morning up sydney road, it's such a wonderful shopping strip. then off to the print workshop to see four friends' exhibition,  a group of large works commissioned for some new corporate building.

kate hudson, marian matthews, melissa smith and barbie kjar who's off to spain today lucky girl

met up with the illustrious mr. hobbs
at APW and we had
a drink or two and a
good catch up across
the road.  always so
good to see him :0)






THEN ONTO THE TRAM and up to the Westgarth to see a film, 20th Century Women.  i found it interesting but ultimately flat, i dozed off and still wonder if i was audibly breathing :0\

then a short walk to martin's new home for his 60th, a very busy night filled with friends and family old and new, martin's new partner trish and her sisters and kids all working busily serving food - i didn't manage to get a photo of martin and trish together because she was on the move all night :0)  all good though, lovely house and a great night.

a lovely surprise, tony scott (left) is back in town,
probably permanently.  so good to see him

    great pic of ros

    hmm - this was one of 3 popout moustaches on the card i gave     martin, not sure they thought the design out too carefully but the white outline definitely coordinated with his outfit :0)  this particular
moustache was called 'the trucker'

martin and brother robert (?) and mum stella, going strong at 80