Jumping Into January...........Slowly !!

It's my first post for 2019.....it's been a slow start to the year...after all the excitement of weddings and baby announcements...followed by Christmas...the New Year went of with a tiny little POP.....no Big Bang ...... and started with just a slow trickle, which isn't really a bad thing.  I've been trying to spend some time in the vegie garden....but this last week has been so Hot !!!....then we had very strong winds which knocked the fruit trees around... lost most of the apples and pears on our trees and also the poor old tomato plants took a beating....It should be a much cooler day tomorrow so I will try to repair the damage.......!!

I spend most days at the desk in my office and my window looked out onto a pretty barren courtyard which is alongside the house.....I recently gave it a spruce up with some plants and a little tweak .... set under the kiwi fruit vines (which unfortunately had lots of blossom but no fruit developed!!).  .... I'm a lot happier daydreaming out the office window now.

The New View.

The year has clearly started off pretty slowly for Daisy as well..... this is one of her favourite sleeping positions ....she loves to sun-bake along the back of the couch.....this picture was last week , not this week , as the blinds have been closed and sun-blinds down keeping windows shaded for most of the time......it's been way too hot for me.

Daisy taking it easy.

 My new years resolution to walk the dogs more often got off to a very slow start.....I'm not that good in the heat....I have managed a couple of walks to the lake and loved this annual sunflower display.... (which grow wild along a vacant block opposite the lake).....they were all turning their fabulous yellow heads skyward....there is just something so joyous about sunflowers. 

I might have to try growing some of these in my garden

On another note...I have a big milestone coming up in February......

I will be turning 60.... It's quite a significant number I think...

and while it does seem a little daunting I am reminded of two beautiful

woman who I sadly lost in their 40's, both to cancer....

 and I am simply grateful to be here.

A Few of My Favourite Things ......!!

Spring has arrived in a flurry and the garden is alive with bees, birds, lizards and insects...was so excited to find our Japanese Maple absolutely dripping with ladybugs....they've arrived in time for the annual aphid infestation I think.  They are mating and laying eggs all over the tree...I have done a bit of a google and they are 'Harmonica Conformis' or the large spotted ladybug.  We use no chemicals at all in the garden and vegie beds and the earth is full of worms, the borage and lavender humming with bees and now the ladybugs!!.....We have installed a habitat pond but as yet no frogs...hopefully they will arrive soon.

Ladybug and her eggs...the tree is crawling with baby ladybugs

They were busy doing what ladybugs do....quite a few of them were in threesomes?

All of the fruit trees have blossomed and hopefully the bees all do their thing and we have loads of fruit this season.

Apple Blossoms...hope this means lots of fruit!

An early Spring morning shot driving past the small lake at the end of the street.....it was so beautiful in this light with the morning mist rising off the water....lots of new baby duckling swimming around there now.

The lake at the bottom of the hill.

 This dog of mine is such a gentle laid back beast......she is so relaxed ...spends most of her time lying near me wherever I am....She needed a clip and a bath....the glasses stayed on for ages!

Daisy....Crazy hair and a pair of my glasses.

After a trip to the groomers it was time for a snooze on the couch....she's hilarious !!  when she gets into these positions I always do a quick check to make sure she can breath with her face stuffed into pillows. 

It's a hard life !!

A travelled by train to Melbourne and met a friend for the MOMA exhibition at the art gallery....I'm not really a big fan of modern art, I guess it's all in the understanding of what the artist is trying to say....but I did love this huge piece from Ghanaian artist El Anatsui ... a sculpture made from liquor bottle tops and seals discarded by Nigerian distilleries.  Anatsui and his assistants flattened, folded & linked the pieces together with copper wire....I thought it was spectacular, and my favourite modern piece.

Europeans used alcohol to barter for African goods and it became a key commodity in the transatlantic slave trade.

 It is always great to see original art from famous painters that we rarely get to see here .
I took a few pics of some of the great names..

Don't love Picasso but great to see an original

I love Frida Kahlo...one of her self portraits was on display

Van Gogh's famous portrait of a postman....I love some of his other major works

The original Andy Warhol's Marilyn Monroe

That about wraps it up.....my favourite things for September and October.....!!

What's Happened to Autumn ....!!

Is it just me or are we still waiting for Autumn....some of the trees have lost a few leaves and the pumpkin vines have all but died off ,thankfully leaving quite a few pumpkins......but what's with this weather....I love Autumn, in fact it's my favourite time of year.... but it's been so hot and dry here I just want some beautiful mild days and a lovely bit of rain. ... 

Spending so much time watering the garden....the droplets on this plant looked beautiful in the light

I found this picture of hand embroidery in a magazine....I just love it and would really love to learn how to do all of these wonderful stitches.... there is something so beautiful and timeless about this piece.........if I get brave I might give it a try when the weather cools down !!

I just love this embroidery....looks really difficult but I would love to try.

 Couldn't resist adding a couple of pictures of this little minx....she spends most of her time laying around wherever I am ..... 

Daisy in her usual spot on the couch.... !!

Daisy with 'Bed Hair"....she comes up for a cuddle in the morning.

 This week will find me in the vegie garden with more planting for the coming season....fingers crossed we get  a nice decent downpour.