Lately

A brand new annual art market was held in our town yesterday. I loved having a stroll around the stalls and also to see the inside this local building for the first time. 

Master J has completed the prerequisite 120 hours of learner/accompanied driving and passed his driving test with flying colours. There will be many occasions when it will be very convenient for him to be able to drive by himself.

You may remember this project which I shared earlier. After much deliberation and several changes, a finish is in sight, even though it is somewhat smaller than first anticipated. The creative process can be both rewarding and frustrating at the same time. I feel like I have very little to show for so much thought and effort - but I do like the result and that matters most.

It seems as if ever day something is being baked in our kitchen by one or other of our children. Between this and our regular meals, I suspect our rather compact kitchen may well be the busiest and most productive domestic kitchen per square foot in our whole town. Tonight's offering is another new one - Chocolate Blueberry Pies. The chocolate pastry by Miss E and Miss E tasted amazing even before baking. 

Autumn here is like a second spring. The heat of summer has given way to gorgeous warm days, perfect for tidying the garden and planting seedlings and seeds for winter colour and eating. I haven't the heart to remove the cosmos yet. I plan to collect seed for next summer first and to enjoy their gently bobbing flower heads for a little while longer, a total delight to the eyes.

Sharing at Our World Tuesday.

Lilly Pilly

Lilly pillies are Australian evergreen rainforest plants. There are many varieties of lilly pilly ranging in size from under one metre high to over five metres tall. Their flowers and berries come in several colours. All the berries are edible but not many are very pleasant to eat.

The photos of the flowers and berries above were taken in our yard from October through to late January (spring-summer). The new foliage on this growing lilly pilly is a delightful blushing pink.

Native Aborigines used lilly pillies for their medicinal properties as well as eating the berries. Today lilly pillies are commonly used for hedges and shrubbery. 



Sharing at Weekend Flowers, Nurture Photography.

Beautiful Coastline

We had a wonderful family day out today exploring a beautiful section of coastline which lies less than an hour's drive from home - the perfect way to celebrate our 23rd wedding anniversary. We've lived in our town for 16 years and have never visited this particular coastal area. I'm not the only one who wishes to return again - soon!

1, 2 & 3. Kite surfing.
4 & 5. My Sunlit Treasure quilt which has been two years in the making, completed last Sunday.
6. Picnic lunch.
7. Where the lake meets the ocean. 
8. Stunning red soil.
9. Looking further south.
10. Adventure Girl having a wonderful time.
11. Master J flying his RC plane (top of photo) and our other children - Miss N with a camera.
12. Miss N turned her camera on me as I was busy taking photos of Adventure Girl.
13. A sunny gazania thriving on the rocky cliff edge.
14. Off exploring again.

* Master J "discovered" this area while on a Duke of Ed. camp with his school last year. You can see some of his photos from the camp here - they include some stunning beach sunrise scenes.

Although it is mid-autumn here, the temperatures are wonderful. Yesterday was about 23C/73F, tomorrow is forecast to be 29C/84F.



Sharing at Our World Tuesday, Weekly Top Shot.

Around Town

Umbrella in one hand, camera in the other, Master T and I went in search better views of the noisy powerboat races last Saturday. As we trudged on through the rain I was struck by the unexpected glimpses of lush beauty.

The three photos above show snippets of the Catholic church and surrounding buildings, more beautiful than I had realised. Walking (with a camera) tends to reveal sights to me in a new light, despite the rain and other agendas.

I led the way down to our powerboat vantage point vantage but lingered behind Master T, letting my camera set the pace of my return walk. 

Maybe I should take the time to capture more of our older buildings around town, the ones which we hurry past regularly, rarely stopping to appreciate their timeless appeal.

Since the rain has cleared we have had some wonderful autumn sunsets and sunrises. I never tire of seeing such splendour in our skies....


Sharing at SkyWatch Friday.

Searching

I went in search of a quilt display at the local Visitor Information Centre but was more impressed by the water lilies on the pond. Yes, there were some quilts, four large and three small but nothing as delightful as the lilies. Maybe the internet has spoilt me for quilting inspiration.

So I returned home to the fabrics I had already selected from my stash, washed and ironed a couple of days ago.

My Sunlit Treasure quilt is finished and lays beautifully on our bed ready for the cooler nights ahead. One day when the grass is dry outside I will photograph it and share a little more. For now I am enjoying making my own way with these fabrics, unsure of what the finished product will look like or indeed how large it will be, just time to play and be a little creative. 

PS The gorgeous blue bird fabric and the one with the little blue triangles are organic fabrics from Gennine Zlatkis's Alegria range. Gennine has a wonderfully inspiring blog.


Sharing at WIP Wednesday.

Noisy, Noisy

We heard them (from home) well before we saw them! This weekend our river is the location for the third round of the Australian Formula Powerboat GP series with F1, F2 and F3 classes racing.

Holding an umbrella in one hand and snapping shots with the other, Master T and I enjoyed watching for a good while this afternoon. Tomorrow promises to be finer weather, better for competitors and spectators alike.

The river last night was much calmer - and quieter! 

Have a wonderful weekend whatever your weather.

UPDATE: On our way home from church Sunday (I was driving) the children noticed one of these super fast F2 boats bobbing vertically in the water with the other boats stationary near by. No more racing was heard for a good while. Apparently there had been a crash between two boats near the start line, one boat (recently imported from Europe) may be a write-off, but most importantly, no one was injured.