Today I was kinder to my body and kept the fire company while adding a few more rows to my latest crochet project.
Since I had so many photos from yesterday, I have decided to break the story up into two parts!
Low Tide
We started at the west end of Sisters beach and headed up around the hill you see in the above photo.
The first of a lot of ‘up’ sections of our day!Cute spongy moss – spotted when taking a breather
As we walked up around the hill we could hear a bunch of noisy voices – kids. We thought a whole class, but turned out to be only three!! Before we saw them, one young voice cracked us up –
“OOOOoooooh Wow – Wallaby Poo!!”
Pokemon Craze – eat your heart out!! 😀
The hill flattened out nicely and we headed through the Banksia Grove
Gnarly old Banksia trees
Anniversary Bay overview
I do love the view over the top…
After so long with wind and choppy seas… the calmness was amazing
I promise I didn’t get over excited this time about potential ambergris… although I was firmly banned from touching it!
This made me laugh
As usual, there was a lot of cool stuff on the beach to fossick through
Cool rock stripes
Due to the recent rains and storms, we noticed a lot of changes to this beach. A lot more rivulets of water making streams down to the sea, exposed rocks and we suspect the usual high tide mark has gone higher and washed away the beach edge vegetation
New stream bedsUnder the sand, layers of mud and rock exposed
Every now and again, proper blue sky would break through the clouds
And be reflected in the puddles on the beach
Making good photographic use of puddlesOdd little streams twisting their way down the beachQuite a lot of this red seaweed was scattered about the sand
We are pretty sure this black rock was not visible in our past visits. The weather has done its workThe water is stained by the local tea tree. It’s quite fine to drink out of the running streamsWater, sand and rock make for some great natural abstract art
At one point, we got quite soggy with this misty rain that came though
But you wait for a few minutes and turn around to enjoy the colours
Reckon we should have been close enough to see that pot of gold!
Even the rubbish thrown up by the storms had an artistic quality
Muddy water streaming down the beach
Interestingly this eroded channel exposed the roots of the coastal grasses – long ropy things that, when plaited, proved quite strong!
The blue sky, doing its best!Standing by one of the new streams
Almost time to strip down to my t-shirt!!
It was a really fabulous walk along the beach yesterday – so much had changed and there was a lot to see.
I shall return tomorrow with photos of the second half of our hike, where we wandered off into the bush to find Doone Falls
Enjoy what is left of your weekend!
Cheers
Last look at the beach before heading up into the hills behind
I am pretty tired tonight and there is no way I am going to be able to sort and post process the umpteen photos I took today!
We ignored the rain and took ourselves on a hike down to Anniversary Bay, and then found another path to a waterfall we had previously not known about.
So five hours, give or take, going up hill and down dale (literally) has taken a bit out of me, since I have been doing way too much slothing by the fire these days!
So enjoy a couple of the photos and I will come back and sort them tomorrow.
In the meantime I am going to fall into bed and whinge and moan about my ‘Old Lady Legs’ 😀
Cheers!
Loving the colour of the water and the sand pattern it makes on its journey to the seaTreasuresBeach stuffFirst time to Doone Falls!I have never seen a waterfall kick up this much foam and bubbles before!
We hiked the last part in twilight!!
Hello! Today I am escaping soggy Tasmania to show you another bit of Japan.
Fushimi Inari is an important Shinto shrine in southern Kyoto.
It’s pretty much famous for the thousands of tori gates that line the pathways all the way up the mountain.
Fushimi Inari is the most important of several thousand shrines dedicated to Inari – the Shinto god of rice. Foxes are thought to be Inari’s messengers, so fox statues can be seen scattered all about the area too. Some foxes will be holding  a bunch of rice stalks in their mouths, and others scrolls – presumably important messages.
It was a hot bright glaring day when we went- the colour is amazing! Sunglasses would be an advantage!
It was really good fun to walk up the mountain through the countless tori!
Since early Japan, Inari has also been seen as the patron of business. Merchants and manufacturers have traditionally worshipped Inari. All the tori have been donated by individuals or companies… and can cost up to a million yen each! Names and dates of the donor are inscribed on the tori.
Some of the original structures date back to around 711AD but most are much more recent than that
After all the orange, a bit of green is a relief!!
A lot of side paths and shrines to explore
Meeting the local kitties
Dark shrine on the side of the lake
Finally a bit of colour other than orange or green
Chains of origami cranes
When my niece Emma was shorter than me!!! (sob sob)
As we were heading back down the mountain having fully achieved not getting to the top, but chasing the cats all around because they were cute… I got out my fisheye lens to have some fun with the tunnels of tori
Jeff wandering off in the distance!I love this colour! Its so Japanese !!
This is really a must not miss place to see if you are visiting Kyoto. Its a short train trip from Kyoto’s main station and it costs nothing to enter the area and wander around until your hearts content!
One of Pip’s rare out of bed moments. He lasted long enough to give the weather a dirty look then go back to sleeping in my Nanna-Knee-Rug !!
I quite like the Tasmanian ‘I can’t make up my mind” weather. Admittedly it has been extra soggy and miserable lately… but it will generally give you little blue sky moments and a fleeting chance to run down the back to see if the chooks are still afloat, or show off with a rainbow or ten just because it can.
The gum trees that loom over our house!
The wind really did kick up there for a while!!
Dancing in the wind
The other half of our front gate set got blown off its hinges… there goes another job on to the ever lengthening yard list!
Damn
I had to re-weight the tarps down a few times before I got it right. The wind blew up in sneaky ways and dislodged the concrete blocks!!
I sorted this out but so far – no floods!
Very pleased with the weather curtain – it shields the barrow of wood and its really nice not literally wading in through the door!
The ground is now so sodden that its hard to push the wheelbarrow of wood up the small slope to the back of the house – the ground literally falls away under my boots!
Its a bit of a quagmire down the back right now!Pretty green but very soggy
Of course there are patches of blue sky every now and again
I see a break in the weather, so grab the camera and head outsideThis lasts for about 20 minutes!Then you watch the clouds roll back in!Grey skies over Norwich House!
We got some hail yesterday morning! This patch lasted all day in the garden!
Frozen strawberries!
The chickens seem to be coping pretty well… I really want to put a roof on their yard so they have more places to shelter…
Nice fat, fluffed up hensA nice big container of warm smash – potato and various other tasty leftovers
I like going down the back to stare at the little cows too! They eventually all come up to stare back at me! They are such a crack up with their serious faces!
While I am not really whinging about the weather – it was pretty miserable again today. We started with a hailstorm – and thus set the tone for the day!
It was tough, but I got myself out of the house and down to collect Margie and get to Ruby’s with the express purpose of sharing her warm lounge room and a cup of something hot!
The chit chat eventually accidentally fell upon that lovely old fashioned practice of getting a trousseau together! Â We were comparing notes and having show and tell with our latest knitting and crocheting projects.
With Ruby’s foot giving her grief, and her eyesight so very poor AND the weather keeping her inside, she is very grateful she can do something with her hands.
Ruby made this case to keep flat all her doilies etc
Back in Ruby’s younger years, most girls were taught all manner of needlecraft. The social scene back then wasn’t huge and in the country, it was even less readily available. Often when friends got together they would sit and make things. Lots of those things were ‘put by’ to give out at birthdays, Christmas or other occasions.
Girls started preparing gathering items for a house long before they even met a prospective Mr Right!
Looking through treasures
Lots of little memories and stories behind certain pieces. Some made, some shop bought!
One such set – a Duchess Set I learned – one larger middle piece and two smaller matching ones – was made by an elderly lady who was a patient for a while in Ruby’s hospital.
Apparently the ‘dear old soul’ had no family and it gave her great pleasure to make these beautiful pieces and wanted to give them to the nurses who took care of her. Â It was very strict policy that the nurses accepted no gifts, but it was so hard to refuse this lady, and a number of the nurses were lucky to get a memento. A beautifully edged tablecloth was given, and is now at Ruby’s church.
A memory of a patientA bit more detail
Things were made that nowadays you wouldn’t think to have in your collection – a breakfast tray cover, for example – something to present breakfast on, to your house guests!
For when you are being posh
Collections were made of towels, linen and other household items and stored in a special box or cabinet.
Ruby’s mother presented her with 2 sets of white double bed sheets. The kind of quality that would last 10 years, despite being boiled in a copper, poked with a stick and starched into oblivion!
We don’t think anything of brightly coloured & patterned bedsheets  do we? Well – they were all white for a very long time. The first time Ruby saw and bought coloured bedsheets the look on Bill’s face was priceless. She hadn’t told him, and he went to get into bed and exclaimed “Well!!! I didn’t think things were so bad we had to sleep in the curtains!!” 🙂
Delicate pieces that lined the silver serving trays
Of course you collected towels – but you had to make sure you had a set of special towels for guests!!
Also special dresser covers were put on the dressers under the jug and basin of water that would be in a bedroom so you could have a wash. Hot water from the fire was used to fill the jug. Of course the cover would get grubby quickly, so there was a lot of washing, starching and ironing and you had to put it back ‘Ever so nicely’ on the dresser.
Tablecloths were important to have too – naturally you had to have your everyday cloth and also ‘one for best’ along with serviettes!
A beautiful tablecloth that Ruby made – a picture in each corner
I got married a bit late, so having lived away from home so long I already had a good collection of house goods to use.
Some girls still have a “Kitchen Tea” where a party of friends come along and bring small kitchen utensils, tea towels and the like.
From reading this and that I believe bridal showers are a big thing in the US?
In Ruby’s day it was a Kitchen Tea Party. Presents were not grand. Small useful things like colanders, graters, pots… it all helped. Usually family helped out with some of the bigger needs in setting up a home.
Times have changed a great deal. I could not imagine myself sitting down making a trousseau, or being any where NEAR that organised. Mind you, my sewing abilities are legendary – ask my mother the best way to put a pair of undies back together (at 15 years old I thought stapling was the best solution)  I eventually graduated from Staplers to Double Sided Tape. 🙂
It really was a lovely afternoon, snug and warm in the lounge room with Ruby and Margie chatting the afternoon away and reliving  those early years!
I bundled Pip up in my Nanna-Knee-Rug and there he stayed!!!
I am starting to feel more cooped up than the chickens!!
Outside is pure misery and the idea of bundling up, as per Pip photo and watching movies all day is really quite attractive!
I did get out briefly to go foraging at the supermarket.
While I was gone Jeff washed all the eggs
4 dozen!!
The soggy chickens are still laying really well, considering the time of year. Our chickens have always laid eggs right through winter. They slow down slightly but most other chicken owners I talk to say their chooks don’t lay any!
I reckon its something to do with the warm mash, variety of food and being able to free range. (And love??)
Or we are just lucky!! 🙂
New rug
Jeff said he would use a rug if I made it for him! So I abandoned the other couple of knitting/crocheting projects I am working on to start on a rug. He wants it black and white. Easy peasy… It covers a whole knee already!
That’s all from today’s rather boring household.
The rain is coming down heavily – I will be interested to sneak a peak at the rain gauge tomorrow. (and I better go upstairs for a look and make sure the buckets are in the right place to catch all the drips from the leak)
Jeff will be sleeping tomorrow in preparation for starting nights again, so I plan to nip down to see Ruby and see how that foot of hers is getting along!
Well, that’s Sunday been and done for us! The rain has started in earnest now – the wind is blowing it in from both sides and there is only a small space on the veranda (happily by the back door) that isn’t soggy.
I eventually stirred myself and got into a few kitchen projects.
First up, I figured 6 months or however long it was, was enough time for my plum liqueur to be ready, so after finally having remembered to pick up some material (muslin) I got to and strained the pulp
The smell that wafted up from this was a bit good! 😀Twisting all juice outTrying to get the light behind to show the colour
Three and a half bottles – well slightly less now as I just had a small tipple. 😀
Spelling and grammar may take a nose dive from this point!
There is something quite nice about sipping a liqueur in front of a fire in winter!
My brother in law has suggested using the pulp in a baked cheesecake! I am a bit tempted I can tell you!! I need to find something to do with it – too good to give to the chickens, not to mention might make them a bit wobbly! 😀
I also baked a cake (recipe here if you are keen)(Scroll to bottom of that post)
This has now been iced and taste tested. Nice to have some comfort food on a rainy day
Oh yes, also popped in a loaf of bread to bake
Warm crusty loaf!
I’ll add the plum liqueur recipe soon in case some of you are interested in trying it. Its not hard – just a little expensive when it comes to adding in the vodka!
I would like to try something similar with my strawberries next season to see what happens!!
Off to bed early tonight to read and listen to the rain!
Precious little was done today at Norwich House – the torrential rain never really materialised, but it didn’t stop the weather looking like a sulky child!
I did manage to complete the post processing of a set of photos for a young cousin of her at her school formal. I suppose thats a tick of the list! 🙂
The strawberries will need a tidy up soon – but the colours are still pretty in the dying leaves
I eventually extracted myself from the computer to load up on some wood, feed the chickens some scraps, water a few potplants… that kind of thing.
I enjoyed a brief wander around the yard for some fresh air while it wasn’t drizzling
pelargonium
Garden tip for newbies – if you want to feel like a champion, break off a bit of pelargonium or geranium and shove it in a pot or the ground – it will grow a whole new plant with no effort on your behalf – ok – maybe a bit of watering, but they are ridiculously easy to strike!
The winter look is a bit bare and sad
All the pelargoniums on the left side of the photo I grew from  bits I snapped off a mature plant (Original from Ruby) I did it to hide the side of the deck and they have grown really quickly. When in flower they are a mass of purple!
I finally emptied the rain gauge again. Tipped 150mm (6inches) out of it. Now if we get that promised rain I can tell exactly how much!
Princess Lily reappearing – I think she likes the breathing space now that the salvia has been tamedLion’s ear cut to the nub is already showing signs of a comebackOnion weed. Pest bulbs that are quite pretty, but will need to get on and dig them out soon. They take over quicklyA small splash of red has popped out on one of the rose bushes!
Hello! No Fridays Footprints today! We went out to the movies tonight (Independence Day 2 because who doesn’t like seeing a war with Aliens??) and we were home preeeeetty late!!
Apparently we are due for torrential rain and wind, so we sorted a few things out today just in case the weather forecast got it right
We picked this up at the tip a few years back for hardly any $$
Jeff dragged the outdoor weather curtain from the shed, we duct-taped the dodgy bits and put it back up
Why walk all the way back to the shed for a hammer, when we have a rock?
We only have one panel, but by putting it here, it stops the wind blowing the rain in the back door. Its nice to have a little dry buffer zone during the wilder days! Also the boots don’t get saturated!!
The wood in the far back corner is ok usually, but we can now pull the wheelbarrow back behind the curtain to keep that mostly dry too.
Done
It really wasn’t that nice of a day. Pip was being annoying. He really wasn’t sure if he wanted in or out! If he was left in he howled. So I finally dragged him out and hooked him up to his lead. He promptly ran to the garden for a wee, then came back, sat at the door with his paw up looking pathetic. Back inside to bed he went!
We were not keen on the possibility of having all those stones and path dirt being washed back down the path, so we made our own slip & slide  covered up the path with tarps and tried to make a guide for any water gushing down to head across the path and straight to the tank area.
I cannot tell you how keen I am to make this a water slide in summer!!
I save my bread flour bags and thought they might come in handy as sandbags!
Hopefully all this will keep any more of our path from ending up in the paddock!
Well… its raining quite heavily now as I type. Nothing like what we had a few weeks back. And the wind hasn’t kicked in as promised as yet!
I suspect tomorrow might be an indoor day!
Its 1.30am so its time for me to go to bed and get a start on my sleep in tomorrow!
