Thank you all for following my blog. This is the last post I will make on this blog and I will start a new one. If you would like the address of the new one please email me for the address. The new one will be public but you should not be able to search for it so just contact me.
Happy New Year 2020
Sunday, December 29, 2019
Monday, December 23, 2019
Waiting for Christmas
The girls and I have had a wonderful time last week over the two days they came to mine. We decorated my little tree, wrapped presents and made cards. It was so hot we could not go outside. It got to nearly 40C at my place.
Underhill is crispy dry and we can't get down to pick the apricots and "blackberries" so at least the birds won't starve this Christmas. The roads keep getting closed with fires all around Sydney so no moving anywhere at the moment. But no fires at Bungonia yet. Even if we go down we can't boil a kettle so we'd have to call into Cal's on the corner to beg a coffee and he does not get up early.
Thursday, December 5, 2019
Horrible Sydney Weather
No rain for a month or more, fires to the north and west, and very little wind has made for appalling conditions here in Sydney. As Ivy pointed out at 3pm today "It looks like sunset". We've not been out to play for weeks now on my days with the girls as it is so hot and smokey.
On Tuesday I took the ferry to Janice's and it was grey smoke.
When I came home the sun was quite pink at 7pm.
But today at 3pm it was orange in an orange sky.
The grass is dead, ash is falling from the sky and it is very hard to breathe. I'm going to have to buy one of those face masks.
At least the new air con systems in the lounge and bedroom are keeping those rooms a bit clearer. I'm even using them in the evenings - hang the expense of electricity. I still seem to be covering my costs with solar generation well and truly.
On Tuesday I took the ferry to Janice's and it was grey smoke.
When I came home the sun was quite pink at 7pm.
But today at 3pm it was orange in an orange sky.
The grass is dead, ash is falling from the sky and it is very hard to breathe. I'm going to have to buy one of those face masks.
At least the new air con systems in the lounge and bedroom are keeping those rooms a bit clearer. I'm even using them in the evenings - hang the expense of electricity. I still seem to be covering my costs with solar generation well and truly.
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Our Christmas Holiday Calendar
Since about 1980 our family has had Our Christmas Holiday Calendar to guide us through the various aspects of the Advent and the Twelve Days of Christmas ending in The Feast of Fools or Epiphany. It started as an exercise book in which we made notes and pasted ideas until eventually there was something for each day - a picture I drew, space for notes, an explanation of the theme of the day, some things to do, an appropriate song, a story or recipe for the theme of the day.
I first self-published 100 copies of this book in 1990 with an ISBN and all. This year I am at least starting the digitising project. You can find it in the tab at the top "Our Christmas Holiday Calendar" or you can ask me for a hard copy.
By making this book digital I might even be able to add some photos or links that I find. Something that was not available to me when it was first published.
I first self-published 100 copies of this book in 1990 with an ISBN and all. This year I am at least starting the digitising project. You can find it in the tab at the top "Our Christmas Holiday Calendar" or you can ask me for a hard copy.
By making this book digital I might even be able to add some photos or links that I find. Something that was not available to me when it was first published.
Monday, December 2, 2019
A very busy time but lots of fun
I enjoyed what turned out to be a very long night at the School Spectacular a few Saturdays ago. Luke was performing and I took Alex out to meet Ellen there and see the evening performance. It will be televised this coming Saturday 7th December, Channel 7 in the evening.
The next Monday I headed to Blackheath to join friends from church for the weekend. I caught the train up and had a surprise as we loaded at Central to find Joan (a travel buddy) get into the same carriage I was in. We had a great catch-up until her stop at Blaxland.
Sue, Vivien, Kathryn and I joined Christine in her family holiday home in Blackheath for a few days. I met the ladies at Blackheath Station then we browsed Blackheath shops and had lunch before a quick visit to the Rhododendron Garden, Govetts Leap and Echo Point before the looming storm hit.
Home to the house to settle in. A decision was made to have substantial nibbles and wine rather than dinner either out or in while we played a variety of games and chatting together. It is the first time I've had a chance to have any real conversation with any of the ladies except Kathryn who comes to the Rainbow Connection Quilters.
The evening was filled with side splitting laughter and went long into the night watching the storm light the sky and wet the dry bushland.
We played Hanabi, Take Two, Concept and The Mind - all challenging in different ways.
I was the party pooper and called it quits at 11:30pm. The others played on becoming pumpkins I'm sure.
On Tuesday of course I was up at 6:30am on the 10th anniversary of Surrey's death. As I sat quietly watching the freshly washed bush awakening I had time to contemplate some of the changes of the last 10 years while writing and sharing emails with Geoff and Ellen. Somehow I think I still think surrey is just away on one of his many collecting trips or conferences but I've stopped wondering if and when he'll return.
When eventually all the others were up we had breakfast and headed out for our day by 11ish. Our first stop was the Community Op Shop. Most of us found something but Sue fell in love with the shop and its owners. We were delayed there for a while with a heavy storm but eventually left Sue to browse some more while we drove down into the Megalong Valley to a winery for lunch. It was a beautiful drive but unfortunately the winery was closed. After a quick turn-around and toilet stop where we all admired the view we headed back to the Tea Room we'd passed on the way.
The lunch at the Tea Room (at about 2pm) was delicious.
On the way back we stopped for a walk to Mermaid Falls ("an easy walk" but not for those with dodgy knees and hips and poor balance as the stone steps had no railings or hand holds).
Back to Blackheath through an impressive dust storm. We found Sue and browsed the shops for a short time. I bought a hemp shoulder bag which will go well with my "jeans outfits'.
Back home for a quiet evening chatting and solving the problems of the world.
More games and laughter around a table loaded with nibbles and finger foods until I collapsed into bed at about 11ish. The others stayed up until well into the wee small hours.
I've never been a night owl so felt a bit of a party pooper again but was pleased that the others just ignored my retiring.
Wednesday morning I was up again at about 6:30 enjoying a coffee on my own looking out through the trees on a calm and sunny morning. The storms and winds of yesterday had all cleared and the sky was blue again.
After greeting the others as they woke I caught the train back home just after 10am and was home by about 3:30 ready to collapse.
The next Monday I headed to Blackheath to join friends from church for the weekend. I caught the train up and had a surprise as we loaded at Central to find Joan (a travel buddy) get into the same carriage I was in. We had a great catch-up until her stop at Blaxland.
Sue, Vivien, Kathryn and I joined Christine in her family holiday home in Blackheath for a few days. I met the ladies at Blackheath Station then we browsed Blackheath shops and had lunch before a quick visit to the Rhododendron Garden, Govetts Leap and Echo Point before the looming storm hit.
Home to the house to settle in. A decision was made to have substantial nibbles and wine rather than dinner either out or in while we played a variety of games and chatting together. It is the first time I've had a chance to have any real conversation with any of the ladies except Kathryn who comes to the Rainbow Connection Quilters.
The evening was filled with side splitting laughter and went long into the night watching the storm light the sky and wet the dry bushland.
We played Hanabi, Take Two, Concept and The Mind - all challenging in different ways.
I was the party pooper and called it quits at 11:30pm. The others played on becoming pumpkins I'm sure.
On Tuesday of course I was up at 6:30am on the 10th anniversary of Surrey's death. As I sat quietly watching the freshly washed bush awakening I had time to contemplate some of the changes of the last 10 years while writing and sharing emails with Geoff and Ellen. Somehow I think I still think surrey is just away on one of his many collecting trips or conferences but I've stopped wondering if and when he'll return.
When eventually all the others were up we had breakfast and headed out for our day by 11ish. Our first stop was the Community Op Shop. Most of us found something but Sue fell in love with the shop and its owners. We were delayed there for a while with a heavy storm but eventually left Sue to browse some more while we drove down into the Megalong Valley to a winery for lunch. It was a beautiful drive but unfortunately the winery was closed. After a quick turn-around and toilet stop where we all admired the view we headed back to the Tea Room we'd passed on the way.
The lunch at the Tea Room (at about 2pm) was delicious.
On the way back we stopped for a walk to Mermaid Falls ("an easy walk" but not for those with dodgy knees and hips and poor balance as the stone steps had no railings or hand holds).
Back to Blackheath through an impressive dust storm. We found Sue and browsed the shops for a short time. I bought a hemp shoulder bag which will go well with my "jeans outfits'.
Back home for a quiet evening chatting and solving the problems of the world.
More games and laughter around a table loaded with nibbles and finger foods until I collapsed into bed at about 11ish. The others stayed up until well into the wee small hours.
I've never been a night owl so felt a bit of a party pooper again but was pleased that the others just ignored my retiring.
Wednesday morning I was up again at about 6:30 enjoying a coffee on my own looking out through the trees on a calm and sunny morning. The storms and winds of yesterday had all cleared and the sky was blue again.
After greeting the others as they woke I caught the train back home just after 10am and was home by about 3:30 ready to collapse.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Coming Messiah Performance
It is nearly Christmas, come to a performance of Handel's Messiah with Tim Chung directing 400 singers, 4 soloists, an orchestra and Peter Kneeshaw playing the Grand Organ at the Sydney Town Hall on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 December 2019 at 3:00 pm.
Purchase your tickets online or at the counter at the City Recital Hall:
https://www.cityrecitalhall.
More information? Email: handel@handelsmessiah.org.au
Purchase your tickets online or at the counter at the City Recital Hall:
https://www.cityrecitalhall.
More information? Email: handel@handelsmessiah.org.au
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Special Friends at Underhill
Last weekend Rauri and Janice came down to Underhill for the first time in about 15 years. They arrived in their new converted ambulance.
Elaine came down with me and we three ladies went into Bungonia for Happy Hour at the Hall. This is now on every Friday night while the weather is warm.
After dinner we had some great games of Take Two using two sets of tiles.
Elaine and I took the opportunity before Geoff, Jen and the girls arrived to clean up a bit and sort the scullery. Stella (black dog) just supervised.
Rauri spent lots of time basking in the sun.
and Janice brought various bits of sewing along for the ambulance.
Ivy and Heather just loved playing in the ambulance and finding Hugh and Cameron's special cupboard full of things they are allowed to play with.
Of course there was lots of chat time...
and we picked one nearly ripe loquat to try it. I hope we get more as the years go on because I would like to do a bit of experimenting with them. It tasted sort of lemony.
Elaine came down with me and we three ladies went into Bungonia for Happy Hour at the Hall. This is now on every Friday night while the weather is warm.
After dinner we had some great games of Take Two using two sets of tiles.
Elaine and I took the opportunity before Geoff, Jen and the girls arrived to clean up a bit and sort the scullery. Stella (black dog) just supervised.
Rauri spent lots of time basking in the sun.
and Janice brought various bits of sewing along for the ambulance.
Ivy and Heather just loved playing in the ambulance and finding Hugh and Cameron's special cupboard full of things they are allowed to play with.
Of course there was lots of chat time...
and we picked one nearly ripe loquat to try it. I hope we get more as the years go on because I would like to do a bit of experimenting with them. It tasted sort of lemony.
A friend from afar
Carolyn is a friend I found whilst singing over the last few years. She is staying with me for most of November as she is between homes in Italy and house sitting in Sydney.
We walked down to Carss Park and were both astonished by the new walkway around the point. It is great and apart from the bridge seen below there are lots of nooks and crannies built into the new sea wall that provide habitat for all sorts of creatures. It is worth a visit.
A week ago I was diagnosed with skin cancer on my ear so we had lots of fun trying to keep my hair out of the biopsy site as it healed. I was really lucky that Carolyn with her training in medicine was able to take the dressing off for me. I could not see a thing. A very awkward spot.
After it is healed I will be prescribed some chemotherapy cream that is supposed to kill off any remaining cancerous cells. This diagnosis (a result of too much sun!) comes on top of a blood test some months ago that showed very low vitamin D (a result of too little sun) and just recently was scanned and I have osteoporosis (again too little vitamin D - too little sun). This all seems very illogical.
Nevertheless, life goes on and both issues seem to be treatable so we laugh a lot and continue to watch lots of movies together.
We walked down to Carss Park and were both astonished by the new walkway around the point. It is great and apart from the bridge seen below there are lots of nooks and crannies built into the new sea wall that provide habitat for all sorts of creatures. It is worth a visit.
A week ago I was diagnosed with skin cancer on my ear so we had lots of fun trying to keep my hair out of the biopsy site as it healed. I was really lucky that Carolyn with her training in medicine was able to take the dressing off for me. I could not see a thing. A very awkward spot.
After it is healed I will be prescribed some chemotherapy cream that is supposed to kill off any remaining cancerous cells. This diagnosis (a result of too much sun!) comes on top of a blood test some months ago that showed very low vitamin D (a result of too little sun) and just recently was scanned and I have osteoporosis (again too little vitamin D - too little sun). This all seems very illogical.
Nevertheless, life goes on and both issues seem to be treatable so we laugh a lot and continue to watch lots of movies together.
Monday, November 4, 2019
Walking on the wild side - with Devils, Quolls and Potoroos
After 8 hours of travelling into the isolation of the Barrington Tops area I became part of the 2019 AusGeo Expedition to Aussie Ark. A sudden stop along the road in to see a beautiful big Bearded Dragon.
Our accommodation was a tent for sleeping and a lovely farm house for bathing, breakfast and lounging.
Within 15 minutes of arrival work started with a 10 km drive to Aussie Ark where we were introduced to Tassie Devils at their social feeding time - lots of growls and snarls, nips and chasing.
But for us, no time to relax. Off again to one of the large fenced sanctuary paddocks where released Tassie Devils were to be trapped for monitoring. My group was on trap-setting duty. Others set Elliot traps for small mammals.
Back to the centre for a quick bbq dinner then out of the sanctuary to the Barrington Tops - Gloucester road for an evening of spotlighting. By now the evening cold was setting in and those of us who had not thought to grab a jumper before leaving our tents started to get rather cold. But what excitement! We spotted (and were even close enough to handle) a Bandi Bandi snake
and a baby Diamond Python,
a Davies' Tree Frog (Litoria daviesae) and an Eastern Stony Creek Frog (Litoria wilcoxii), and a Forest Dragon.
In the spotlight we saw a Ringtail Possum and a Greater Glider high in the trees. Unfortunately there are not many mature hollow trees in the sanctuary itself so the gliders and possums and many other hollow-nesting animals are rare. This brought to mind a poem I wrote years ago for my children called "Nobody Likes a Dead Gum Tree".
Nobody Likes a Dead Gum Tree
Nobody likes a dead gum tree!A danger to have around.
It could fall on the house or on a friend,
The fears for life abound.
A branch might snap in a sudden storm
And fall - CRASH - to the ground
Or the whole huge tree might topple down
With a terrible deafening sound.
Nobody likes a dead gum tree!
Or is it really so?
A dead gum tree makes a cosy home
For lots of friends I know.
I saw a dead gum tree in the bush
Where bees had built their hive,
An owl had a nest in a hollowed out branch
That couldn’t have been alive,
A glider slept in a cosy bed
In the hollow trunk, unseen,
And a family of lorikeets raised their young
In a hole where a branch had been.
Millions of tiny creatures too
Took advantage of the tree.
Cicadas shed those dry brown skins
As they climbed up to be free.
They sing a song for all to hear,
They’ve seen the day at last
And shrill the praise of their gum tree
To all who happen past.
The ants find food, the slaters rest
And the fungus grows supreme
And spiders spin their silvery webs
In the dead gum trees I’ve seen.
And what a gnarled and twisted shape
It forms as it lives and dies.
Through wind and storm, fire and drought
It looks so old and wise.
The shape inspires a thousand dreams
Of ghost or witch or sage
Or caves of treasure rich and rare;
A shape that comes with age.
Nobody likes a dead gum tree!
What rubbish! How absurd!
About its ugly useless form
I won’t believe a word.
Nobody likes a dead gum tree!
No-one at all ‘cept those
Who live in it or hide in it
Or just admire its pose.
By Betty Jacobs, April 1979
Back home by about 10pm to collapse into bed for a restless night in the cold. Up again for breakfast and a bit of “nesting” before heading back to Aussie Ark for the day (this time we all took our jumpers).
Our first task was to check the Devil Traps where we had trapped about 10 Devils to be weighed, dust wounds with antiseptic powder and apply a topical tick and flea treatment.
The other group checked the Elliot Traps before the small mammals overheated. These included 5 house mice, 2 Antechinus and a swamp rat. We also had small macropod traps to check and were able to radio-collar the Potoroos and release 2 Bandicoots with pouch young. Then it was the turn of the Eastern Quolls to be radio-collared.
Morning tea then off to build a “soft” predator-proof fence enclosure in which animals will be released then gradually allowed to escape into the larger sanctuary enclosure when all the predators have been removed.
The afternoon was spent re-setting the rodent traps, feeding the Brush Tailed Rock Wallabies and the Quolls and then ourselves. While eating we watched a Wedge Tailed Eagle stealing food from the Tassie Devil pens. They learn quickly!
Dinner was early then some of us returned to the house to catch up down time and sleep rather than joining the spotlighting group. We even watched Platypus in a dam on the way back.
Our final morning was spent packing, processing the traps, feeding the menagerie and having one final cuddle of the joey Tassie Devils and Potoroo. Then for our long journey home past the Xanthhorhoea glade in our various directions after an exhausting, inspiring and full-on hands-on three days.
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