INTO AUGUST ALREADY

IT'S BEEN AN ARTY KIND OF WEEK with an exhibition opening, a visit to Hatrock gallery to look at the space with sunny, and a lovely opportunity to show my wedding dress drawings and some 50's dress etchings in Bendigo

Right: this is the show i went to see with a bunch of Salties. Karenne Ann, one of our swimmers has converted her garage into Shed 31, an intimate little gallery space in St Leonards

HATROCK GALLERY in Portarlington where i have a show booked in - with my photos of this bayside area and swimmers. Just waiting to pick up two A1 sized enlargements to see if they're OK

Ann Haddon and Dugal James in the Beehive building - three levels of beautifully restored rooms.  

On the day after the launch of the restoration at a long long dinner, we were invited to look around the building.  Anne and Den, Gail, Sunny Luke and Etta and I got the grand tour.  I was thrilled to see the way my work was hung, in  a beautiful large white room right at the top of the building.  Such lovely light with windows looking across to the park

this lovely pic of Etta taken by Lisa James

pics by Sunny

 

After looking around the building Dugal took us down to see his pub, The Black Swan.  He's converting what was the coolroom into a cavern style whisky bar with entertainment.  It has an amazing look and feel, not really captured here.  lots of brick arches and warmth

we had lunch at the Dispensary,  good food but a change of feel.

 i won't be going there again

I stayed at Gail's and drove home past beautiful waves at 13th beach

At Gail's I heard cracking noises as i loaded up the car.  These gorgeous gang gang cockatoos were munching on this shrub in the driveway completely unfazed 

by me walking past

     Swimming in the mornings is bloody cold but always invigorating.

         watching the sun come up every day is good for the soul

 

WRITING

I'VE BEEN WRITING so much about my time on the river i haven't given a thought to writing my blog.  it's been three weeks, swimming in the mornings - i tried out the new drysdale pool last week, it's going to be a weekly thing i think.  a chance for a longer swim when the sea is so cold.

    the canola is out, what a fabulous sight it is from this vantage point

     

     this white faced heron seems to have moved into Lilkenday Avenue.

     I wonder if it has a mate, it seems to be alone

    Checking out the space at Hatrock, where i want to have a show of

    my sea photos in november.

and honestly i've been up to my eyeballs going through old photos and trying to make head or tail of my nutty few months before i moved up to the river, there was so much going on but i think i've finally got a timeline and made sense of it. i want a decent few chapters so i can put in a submission for a Varuna residence again. 

I have had time to catch up with some buddies,  a lovely lunch at Man Bo with aileen.   it's changed dramatically since we lived next door, looking very swish these days.   and our monthly girls lunch was at the Diggers in front of the fire.  very nice too and it was a celebration for anne's birthday. 

ONE OF THE SALTIES Karenne Ann has set up a small gallery space in her garage, it looks good - Shed 31.  her friend Celia had a solo show there yesterday afternoon and we went along.  it was a great afternoon, lots of people and a great show of support.  red dots too!

GOLLY A MONTH'S GONE BY

WHAT HAVE I BEEN DOING?   Looking back thru my photos, looks like mainly swims in the morning and who knows what else.  

JUNE 17 was etta's fourth birthday and on the 22nd sunny and luke had a nice family and friends afternoon with cake and presents, low key and really enjoyable.  

   the bay was looking beautiful as i drove up to melbourne

    my present - rainbow bedding for when 

   etta's new 'big girl' bed arrives

On the 28th i headed off for five days writing retreat at isobelle's house near apollo bay.  i'm not sure how much i got done, but the head space was great and to be away without the distractions of home meant i got to think about the book ideas.  and i did a bit of writing.  now i'm home with the indesign program i'll do more.   it's hard tho, without an editor i feel like i'm losing my way.  uncertain.

i was really carsick by the time i arrived after driving around all the hairpin bends of the otway road.  it was cold and i was miserable and thought the whole stay was a mistake.  but of course in the morning i felt fine and the five days was just delightful. 

the surf was huge, big rolling sets of waves and rainbows throughout the day, every day.  i caught up with chrissie's ex ian, who's moved down there.  it was really nice to see him - we had some laughs over dinner.

FROM APOLLO BAY TO THE GRAMPIANS

I drove up for our family weekend straight from isobelle's, four days this year which we all decided was perfect.  time to just hang out, no hurry to do anything. in fact the pool table hardly got used and the scrabble and boggle were left on the sideboard.   it's always lovely to be there, have the firepit going outside and take it in turns to cook.  now i'm home and having a very quiet day, heading off tomorrow to geelong for a chat to the bank and a night at gails, then to melbourne to babysit etta on thursday, back on friday.

                               another birthday cake