LOCKDOWN

HOW MANY DAYS has it been since we've been at home - for me since the 19th March when i decided to self isolate when Rene and family returned home.

love this pic of cal and friend on their way home from their first school day

I'VE NOTICED -  how creative everyone is about carrying on with huge restrictions on personal contact.   the podcasts i listen to are all managing to relocate to their loungerooms, kitchens etc and hook up with their team via the net etc.

People are getting into their cupboards and sorting, rediscovering.  For me phone calls are suddenly more important,  they always were but now i'm having one major phone call with a friend each day and it's been really lovely to just sit and talk.

RECIPES and COOKING are suddenly being rediscovered, shared and enjoyed.   i made this cake form Annabel Crabbe's podcast CHAT 10 LOOKS 3 which she does with her close friend Leigh Sales.  i've shared this recipe and various people  have made it too.



TIME  i've really enjoyed the time to do things in an unfussed way,  all the things i'd normally do but somehow with nothing in the diary, no deadlines or expectations and knowing everyone in the world is in the same boat - it really takes the pressure off and i've enjoyed weeding (sometimes with a G&T), rearranging the garden, sewing, lots of knitting, 



also good uninterrupted time to work on romeo and juliet.  time to research costume etc and go down rabbitholes on the net without
the pull of other distractions        well, distractions are everywhere but i'm not going into mildura, op shopping etc.  i'm at home so
it's grounding in a way

the one thing that surprises me is that i haven't been in the studio at all since rene left and sonja's portrait is sitting there waiting, also a stack of square little canvases that i intend to use for still lifes.  and a plate of pomegranates that's probably rotting on the table out there :0(
i think when the weather gets colder, rather than keeping the house warm all day i'll just move out to the studio and spend time painting. i hope so, these things are unpredictable.
i saw a clip of archibald prize winner and lifetime artist guy warren at age 98 still as passionate and working as much as ever.  this self portrait really grabbed me, i'm keeping it for inspiration  -  big brushes!

IN THE MEANTIME i feel incredibly lucky to be where i am, if i have to be isolated there's not more beautiful place i could be, space to go out and walk around, the birds are constant company, and i love this house and everything in it.  having said that i need to downsize my stuff, so hopefully this is also time i can sort things, throw out some, give things away and get into my photo albums and throw out about 3/4 of what's there, keep the good stuff.

the beautiful easter
moon, another
thing about being
here - skies are
almost always
clear to see
the full moon

pelican at lock 10 when i was shooting the moon

this gorgeous egret is a joy to have here - the sight of it flying, almost in slow motion is a beautiful thing

no social distancing in the bird world

autumn arrives   i delivered some of the annabel crabbe cake to my friends sam and di, they weren't home so i wandered under their beautiful pergola of ornamental grapevines

the swans - so beautiful, here at lake hawthorn on my last trip to mildura, only the second in a month - to buy wool :0)  i've got enough to knit until the next century

on the way back i stopped in curlwaa to try and photograph the white winged wrens, i've only seen one once.   the local magpie tribe obviously decided i was a suspicious character

 walking across the golfcourse, thought this was a ball but it's a
perfect funghi


another gorgeous sunset