BUTTERFLIES

BUTTERFLIES everywhere in the garden. 

SNOW IN TOKYO

I TALKED TO RENE yesterday, they're not in lock down, kids are still going to day care but temperatures are taken on leaving the house and arriving anywhere.  they woke up to snow yesterday, a complete surprise as temperatures had been in the mid teens.  enough for a snowman.

ANOTHER WEEK ON THE RIVER

SELF ISOLATION is pretty much situation normal here. 
i haven't visited anyone or had anyone here, situation normal  - just a visit to the supermarket every now and then, trying to keep it to every few days instead of daily. 
they've put black gaffer tape crosses on the floor at the IGA checkout now -1.5m apart, that's where you stand while you wait.   also messages from a calm female voice over the PA system recommending standing 1.5m apart,  there's hand sanitizer at the door which i use as i enter and leave.   it's like a science fiction movie.  and yet we've all adjusted.   
sunny says brunswick st where she works is almost deserted, only about 5 people on a tram.   i'm hoping they'll move out of the city to warrandyte ,  i'd certainly relax.
i'm hardly listening to live radio at all, a little bit in the morning just to check if new rules are being imposed.   otherwise podcasts about film, interviews etc are the order of the day while i work on my book, knit, sew and sort stuff.   the storeroom is tidier but i think i'll have a second go and really throw things out.
morning walks across the golf course are still fine and an exchange in the newsagent is my daily human contact.
Phone calls are good, i've had at least one good talk with friends each day.

it's good to see
rene and family
home in time
for cherry
blossom season

when i visited

marg's sister

in castemaine

i loved the 

comfy jacket

she was

wearing. so

i found a 

pattern and

some soft

drapy boucle

knit and

made it, 

nearly finished

KNITTING  - what a wonderful excuse to sit and watch endless seasons of shows on stan and netflix.  great movies on sbs on demand too.

THURSDAY NIGHT DRINKS were continued online this week, it was fun to share our drinks and locations on email, i made an
impromptu cocktail from champers and blood plum juice.   i had planned to create a real one, with gin, fresh lime and blood plum juice but realised too late in the day that it wasn't actually wednesday, it was thursday already!

on facebook i saw
a post from dee to
say the Darling
lilies were out at
Thegoa Lagoon. here
they are, they flower
rarely in different
spots, usually after
a heavy rain

 our local caltex servo has two long rows of magnificent iceberg roses which are kept in top condition by local arthur o'connor.  he also tends marg's front pathway columns of icebergs, he obviously knows his stuff

 morning walk across the golf course

ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL EVENING ON THE RIVER

DIFFERENT TIMES

LOOKING BACK AT MY LAST POST - visiting the wenty library to photograph storytime.   now the library's closing, along with the op shop.  everything's grinding to a halt from COVID19.
in the past two weeks rene has arrived, been up here with the family for three days, then i travelled back to torquay and we had gail's house for three days. altogether they had 12 days here and got back to tokyo safely,  all flights except for returning australians are cancelled and who knows where else this pandemic will take us. i'm more or less self isolating for two weeks, or maybe indefinitely depending on what happens.  i'm very lucky to live in this gorgeous place, the butcher birds are singing now as i write.
i'm used to being alone and scraping by, but a lot of people who work with people and are used to decent wages, with mortgages to pay will struggle.   all live entertainment is shutting down, galleries,
restaurants etc.

SO, since the 7th . . .
i've trashed my original portrait of sonja and painted over it, it's coming along nicely and i'm looking forward to getting back out there and doing more.

i've painted over it 

a second time, trying

to get the sense of

engagement with the

viewer that she has

mal
delivered
my archie
entry, all
framed.

now the
archie is
postponed

RENE and family arrive - so great to have them here

 scary moment 
- mara tried
to dip her 
feet in like
me and 
seconds after
this pic, she
slipped into
and under
the water. i
leapt in and 
grabbed her,
made us
realise how
easily a child
could drown. 
it sends 
shivers up 
my spine

cal cooked

the barbie,

very seriously

i made a big
chocolate
ripple cake
for the kids,
it disappeared
in two sittings

sitting on the
verandah, lots of butterflies after a
big big rain

WE ALL DROVE DOWN to torquay, i went separately via castlemaine and took marg down to her sister's there.  lynne is a sculptor, fabulous work and a lovely house and studio, great garden. 

just one more dust storm on the way

I STAYED WITH RENE AND FAMILY at gail's for three nights, family time with sunny and luke, susan and sean, jenny and freddie, grigor came round on two nights, gail . . . some beach time, op shop time, lots of cooking and talking, just right :0)

we all headed down to the beach and it was FREEZING! i wrapped poor little mara up in my scarf but we all hightailed it back to the house. luckily next day was beautiful

Mara fell in love with gail's plush dressing gown

    a beautiful visitor to gail's garden, the king parrot

BACK HOME NOW and staying here, i have painting, knitting, sewing, netflix, the garden and cleaning out the old bungalow to keep me busy.

the bee eaters here yesterday, i think they're getting ready to leave.  nice to stroll around the garden in lovely weather