PASTA MAKING SUNDAY

ETTA gets a lesson in pasta making with dad 

and the results look pretty good

AUSTRALIA DAY

THE NEW YEAR has really begun.   i'm feeling more settled since my trip to wenty and morning swims are a great way to start the day :o)

etta helping luke with baking :0)

A QUIET TIME

HOLIDAY TIME -  taking it easy, i'll spend this month just straightening up here, reading, knitting don's jumper.  just been to the dentist about a sore tooth, the price list of options is in the 1000's!!  but everything's on hold till i get a quote for the bathroom, that just has to be done. so it's antibiotics to calm down the troublesome molar for now.  last time the effect of that lasted eighteen months.  fingers crossed.

I'M LOVING MORNINGS AT THE BEACH

the spirit of tasmania comes in every sunrise

ETTA AT THE BEACH

FRAN & MIKE'S VISIT crossed over with Sunny's arrival with Luke and Etta so they met Etta. She's a delight to have around - very busy and constantly finding things to do everywhere, a crazy runner whenever there's a good open space.  a tiny package of gorgeousness 😊

Over four days we spent time at the beach in indented head and point lonsdale, and on friday susan and sean, jenny and freddie came over with kayaks and sean's amazing new full face snorkel/mask.  we had a great morning at the beach then spent the afternoon in the backyard having a bbq.  I bought a neat new barbie at bunnings and it's going to be used a lot.

painting faces with

etta's watering can

They left yesterday after a brief visit to the Mussel Festival in Portarlington. Brief because it was a really hot day and there was not much shade.  Saw gail and the girls performing a couple of numbers then left. 

Now the house is quiet again, i'm having a laid back time till friday when i'll housesit for them in coburg while they have a short holiday in Merimbula.

VISITS

IT'S BEEN A BUSY TIME  after the trips to Lake Lonsdale to see Don and my long drive up to Wenty, i had a day home then a visit from Fran and Mike for two nights. Fran and i had a lovely long lunch in perfect weather at Jack Rabbit.  fabulous views

NEW HOME, NEW YEAR

I'M EXPERIENCING THE SUMMER HERE - from boxing day it's been so crowded, all the streets lined with SUVs, lots of fishing boats anchored in the bay, people in bathers and hats carrying chairs and towels wandering all over the road.  i don't know how the shop copes with the sudden influx, they only have one coffee machine and limited space.

I've been swimming in the mornings with the Salty Bitches at Indented Head, up at 6 when the sun's coming up.

Lucy comes down most mornings

ANOTHER SPONTANEOUS TRIP

AFTER A NICE NEW YEAR'S EVE  in torquay at jenny and rob's with just six of us, bbq dinner and lots of talk,  i decided to head up to the murray and see my old house, the flood and friends.   Sue and derek very kindly put me up in their separate cottage, perfect so we could all do our own thing and come together in the mornings and evenings.

cool and misty weather as i headed off towards ballarat

I DROVE TO SEA LAKE and stayed at the terrific Royal Hotel as i often do.  it's been bought and renovated by the local community to provide accommodation for the tourists who come to see Lake Tyrrell, a pink salt lake currently with a lot more water than usual.

a new bird - Robert's Pippin, a sweet little bird seen in low scrub by the lake. 

Arrived at Sue and Derek's on a night when sue put on a great dinner for friend Marg Thomson's 80th.  Marg's house on tucker creek had water up to the back steps, too close for comfort.

I had lunch with Sonja and Helen at Fossey's Ginporium like we always used to. So good to see them. Visited Marg at her home, she was as colourful as ever - sadly her vision is getting really limited.

On the last morning derek drove me all around the outskirts of wentworth, up the Darling and over to my house.  it was all pretty emotional but it felt so good to be back there, waking up to gorgeous melodious birdsong in the mornings. weather was very warm but with cool mornings, perfect sunraysia days.  I'm so glad i went and i managed the drive home in one long hit, driving from 9.30 to 6.30 with a couple of short breaks and my arm held up, a bit achy towards the end but so was my bum 😁

the front yard of my house looks like a lawn but it's about 2m of water with duck weed growing all over it.  there's sandbagging and a boat at the front gate.  Cadell st is underwater further up 

the studio on the right.  everything is loving the water

   The Darling River is huge, spreading out endlessly past the banks

I visited Di's house, the water came right up close to the verandah from

about 100m away, rising about 4m in all.   the kingfisher arrived while

i was taking pics :0)

A mural in Birchip on the way home, i loved driving through all the familiar towns along the Sunraysia Highway again.  I left at 9.30, got
home by 6.30, rising full moon at 9.30

the moon rising over the bay last night