Chop Chop Chop

Hired a trailer for the weekend to get rid of the two camellia trees I chopped down...

but will it all fit?

Spent 6 hours chop...chop...chopping...

Getting there...chop...chop...chop...

 more chop...chop...chop...

Nearly done...chop...chop...chop...

 Yes!!!!

and with room to spare...

Guess I didn't need to chop so small after all!!

It was quite therapeutic actually :))

And here's a shot of the sunrise from my kitchen window the other morning...

looks like a fire!!!

Raining here today, so no walkies.  About to have lunch and get some more squares knitted...

Enjoy your day!

xx

On a winter's day...

For Yarn Along this week...

Finished the second cushion cover I was working on...

Now back to my knitted squares...

...while watching the first series of Granchester from the library, browsing my Country Living Modern Rustic publications and listening to Hayden (Paul Hayden Desser) - Elk Lake Serenade.

Enjoying the cosiness of the wood heater on this cold, rainy, winter's day...

xx

Art

Wall art...

dried leaves and plants, feathers and moth wings

Sky art...

sunrise

 sunset

Garden art...??

Hmmm...maybe not...

Who chopped down the camellia tree??

T'was I!  T'was I!

I chopped down the camellia tree!!

Real art...

one of daughter Natasha's paintings (from her school years)

Th'art's it!!

xx

How many weeks???

Catching up with pics from the last couple of weeks.  These are for Yarn Along...

 Knitting a cushion cover (brown/grey with cream stripes) and browsing these books from the library.

 Two blankets finished off from squares knitted by others.  Taken to Deloraine Neighbourhood House to be passed on to those in need of some warmth on these cold winter days.

 Browsing the latest Australian Country Style mag and knitting diagonal blanket squares from the wool I bought recently from Wirraworra/Bennett and Gregor.  8 ply yarn double, 6.5mm needles, starting with 3 stitches, increasing to 50, decreasing to 3.

 Diagonal knit cushion cover finished.  The two linen cushions I made from tea towels.  The two books I bought :).  They are really good ( Chic Boutiquers at Home and Design Bloggers at Home)

 Started another diagonal knit cushion cover in reverse colours (cream with brown/grey stripes), and reading the first book in the Stieg Larsson Millennium Trilogy.

How to have your cake and eat it too...

Made a banana and blackberry cake today...and ate a piece warm from the oven...before I went for my walk to work it off :))

Home now...fire is going...and I've settled in for the night!

Enjoy yours!!

xx

River deep...

Major flooding of the Meander River after all the rain we've had. 

Some pics from my walk this morning...

 the caravan park is under water

and the permanent caravans have been evacuated to higher ground

 the bridge I usually walk over

and the pontoon that is anchored to the edge of the riverbank

 taken from the bridge at the spillway...the trees normally stand in the parkland, not in the river!

not so good for these houses

 or for the residents who live down this road as it is the only way in and out

picnic anyone?

my walk track, that  is either side of the river, is completely submerged!

This afternoon when I walked, the water was even higher but I did not have my camera with me.  Although the rain has eased the river will probably continue to rise as the water flows down from the mountains.  Some of the locals said they have never seen it this high.

We did need rain, as the dam levels were seriously low, but perhaps not as much, all in one go!!

Keep safe and dry those of you who are in flood areas!

xx

Indulgence

Went to the monthly Deloraine Market this morning to get my vegies...

Then home for my coffee, toasted sourdough with Castello blue vein cheese, and a new magazine to browse...

What more could you want?!?!

Maybe this?...

:)) xx

Winter

We are into our second official day of winter (June to August) and although the nights have been very cold and the mornings white with frost and fog, the days have been sunny and calm, more like autumn.

A few frosty photos from the garden this morning...

 

I've continued to try and get an hour or so in the garden most days.  Ran out of seaweed that I had brought back from my trip to Stanley recently for the last vegie garden bed...

So I gathered some Plane tree leaves from up behind the church, pulled up the stakes and wire that had been used to support the tomato plants, spread the leaves and lay the wire on top to prevent them from blowing away...

As the early mornings are so cold (around 0'C these last few mornings) I do my walk late morning rather than early, and usually again in the late afternoon.

This winter weather has me in knitting mode.  I've recently bought some natural wool from Black Hills in New Zealand...

And some from Wirrarorra in South Australia...

 The New Zealand wool is a 10 ply and I think from Corriedale and Romney sheep.  I may order more from them, but will see how it knits up first.

The South Australian wool is 8 ply from Corriedale and Merino sheep and is lovely and soft, and as their stocks are low due to difficulties in finding spinning facilities in Australia, I have ordered some more while it is available.  Should be here any day now!!

Thinking up ideas as to what to knit/crochet with it :))

Finished the baby blanket I was working on and have another one ready to put together...

And finding inspiration in THIS book from the library.  Full of lovely interior ideas, and advice and hints for setting up an online store from home. I might have to buy this one...

Linking in with Yarn Along.  Go visit, for lots of read/knit inspiration and ideas from fellow bloggers...

Time to bring in some more firewood...stoke up the fire...don my coat, hat and gloves...and go for my walk!

Should be nice and toasty when I get back :))

xx

Postscript

My yarn arrived!!!

 such beautiful natural shades

Grandson Denver was over tonight, so while he was on the computer I availed myself of his presence to wind some of the yarn into balls...

I don't think he even noticed :))

xx