STILL HOT!!

FEELING FATIGUED TODAY  it's been hot now for two weeks, in the forties beginning and end and mid thirties in between.  the birds are all sitting around with their beaks open, i'm keeping all the bird baths topped up but i'm going to get one more for outside the kitchen window - it's shady and i think a shallow birdbath for the small birds will fill the gap.


Friday i went into mildura to see Three Billboards in Ebbing, Missouri -  a terrific film, frances macDormand has to win the oscar for her performance, sam rockwell and woody harrelson, equally good.

Yesterday i went to a day of Shibori - tying and stitching fabric to be dyed in indigo.  very relaxing just sitting around in a group of five in airconditioning, talking and sewing nothing in particular.  i really enjoyed it.

twisting twisting, we didn't get to see each other's results, took our wet objects home and unwrapped them later - a shame, i didn't see this long fabric after dyeing

left, overstitching on the fold and pegs clamping
pleated ends gave
the result below,
i don't know how i'd use this method but
i love the 3D effect created in the fabric

above, fabric

 wrapped around

 large beads give this pattern on the right,

 i thought these

 would be circles

 - always a surprise unwrapping

 things

my pieces as they arrived home

 

Add caption

i really liked this one, just very fine gathered rows but a nice shirred texture 

like this - an unexpected result

SURVIVING

THESE HOT DAYS are good for forcing some organisation of time, walks are early, clearing the print studio needs to be done before midday and afternoons are spent staying still near a fan and painting. it's quite productive :0)  of course there's always time for taking a few pics

Here's indomitable isobelle,

she's been standing somewhere every day with this sign, telling people about the disgraceful way our government is treating the asylum seekers

trapped on 

manis island. she's been out every day in brisbane, and now in prague.

courageous girl.

LAST NIGHT  my favorite part of day - last light over the river

nearly finished, i think i'll make the vietnamese man's head more fine, less square

TODAY THURSDAY January 25

day before australia day - i'd be happy to change the date, it's not worth celebrating if it's upsetting such an important part of the nation.  after all, who's really thinking about captain cook arriving when we have the day off.  we should find a date where we can all celebrate living in a safe country with wonderful beaches, great multiculturalism, wonderful natural produce and resources and also use it for trying to make changes to improve it more.  (off the soapbox now)

 EENY MEENY MINY MO

where to be on australia day in wenty :0)

somehow i don't think 

these two events will be 

rivals for audiences

it was absolutely still this morning, a gorgeous morning at lock 10

this young butcher bird had just been fed by a parent, quite a meal

PAINTING PAINTING

time the council cut back the path on the island

 THIS MORNING was delightfully cool and breezy.  i went for a long walk on the island, so nice after the super hot days we've had.  now it's afternoon it's warm again, hot the rest of the  week.

i discovered a new darters' nest, visible from the bridge


SPENT THE AFTERNOON PAINTING

BLOODY HOT

CHRIST i'm sick of this weather, after four days over 42 today is 37, overcast and humid,  worse!   it's going to be the same all week and back into the 40's over the weekend. 
despite the weather the birds are all about, the little pardalote came back yesterday. and the variegated fairy wrens have progressed across the backyard and now they're in the garden outside the kitchen. 










I've been painting all day - after an early walk and a terse word to the stupid man who's brought his bus back and is parked and living outside my front fence.  i've contacted the council again, the bylaws officer is going to come and have a talk to him.  he's actually draining his sewerage onto the tree near the bus (which hasn't escaped the bylaws officer, can't wait for him to drop by)

many things to be resolved here

JILLIE

SUNNY'S FRIEND JILLIE, from school days, has been living in sarajevo in bosnia for at least 10 years, more i think.  she makes wonderful jewellery featuring ancient bosnian iconography, and tiny creatures.  i have these two, one dog and a little bird, each about
3cm high. 

here is her facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/search/top/q=monster%20and%20lizard

PROGRESS

ANOTHER PIC IS UNDERWAY, i've got three on the go now. one more to organise and then i'll start pulling it all together :0)

this will have a wide australian background, a mob of sheep in the foreground and a kelpie

HOTNESS

BOY IT'S BEEN HOT - ok in the house, outside this afternoon it felt like a fan forced oven.
But i got some more clearing out done in the shed, decided it was too warm for a walk and opted for a swim in the evening, divine.

the birds seem to just handle it somehow, i keep all the birdbaths and bowls topped up. I put the sprinklers on for them sometimes but they don't really use them.  they like to got to the sprinklers when they're off and drink the tiny amounts of water that are on them.
there was a kangaroo under the trees in the shade too.

i drove into mildura in the afternoon to look more closely at the doors i want for the studio.   i know what i want now :0) 
on the way back i stopped to photograph these lovely little avocets that were on lake hawthorn. 

 

a little friarbird
at the birdbath,
it's been a long
parade of thirsty
birds all day

EARLY WALK

feeding time on the island