An Outdoor Shower

It has been seriously hot here for the last few weeks, day after day of 35C plus and high humidity. We don't have a pool, we don't live near the beach, but thanks to Alan we do have an outdoor shower. This is beautiful and there is nothing like a cold shower to drop the body temp. by many degrees. This is me at the official `shower launch' this morning. Our next step is to landscape around it. Great work Alan :)

Peace and Good Health

I was thinking today of what I would give to everyone in the world if I was granted one of those magic wishes. What would be the one thing I would like to give everyone. Peace of course, but not just an absence of war and ill will. Also that wonderful feeling of peace inside that makes you feel happy and gives you a sense of well being. Secondly I would wish good health to everyone and I think these 2 things are closely linked. So to all my Blog Readers go these wishes and I will be back Blogging next year, I'm pretty much addicted to it now :) Next year will be hugely challenging and I think very interesting so I am looking forward to it, see you all then.

A Neighbourhood Barbie

Yesterday we hosted the Annual Neighbourhood Chrissie Barbie at our place. We have a truly wonderful bunch of neighbours, everyone helps each other, we look after each other's pets, plants, chooks and houses when we go away on holidays, we commiserate in sad times, celebrate in good times and help out with anything and everything as needed. We even carry our fish Nemo across the road in his bowl for our neighbours to `fishsit' when we go away. We get together several times a year for a Barbie and we make a special effort at Christmas. Here you can see our decorated living Christmas Tree with our pony Annie in the background.

I was able to decorate and use my painted `palm frond tray' and it received many compliments.

It must have been the hottest day so far this year, it was 36C in our kitchen and the humidity was high, so we set everything up outside. I made salads, Alan barbecued chicken kebabs and sausages, everyone bought something along to share and later in the evening the rain came down heavily to cool things down. So thats our Christmas entertaining done and now we can relax, today is another day as hot as yesterday so tomorrow we are planning a trip to Noosa for a swim :)

Venetian Mask

This was a wonderful way to pass the time in the heat today. I did this for an altered art/collage challenge and the mask template was my reward for participating. So much fun now I want to do another :)

The credits can be found here http://www.scrapartist.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=105387

Inspired by Randel Plowman

This week's `Frameworthy Challenge' was Randel Plowman and being a lover of Collage I really enjoyed it. Yesterday I bought a headscarf at one of those Indian style shops that smell of Patchouli, and the paper bag they gave me was so gorgeous I used it for my Collage. I have titled it `Jungle Juice'. If you click on the image it will enlarge so you can view it more easily.

Riding Max

Finally after several days of 35c plus temperatures we have a cool cloudy day so Alan decided to ride Max.

They both went really well!

And I couldn't resist the photo opportunity.

R.D.A. State Championships

We have just spent the Weekend at the Queensland Riding for Disabled State Carriage Driving Championships. Although the competition was held on Saturday a group of us drove up to Hervey Bay on Friday with all the gear, 3 horses and 3 Carriages. We stayed overnight, went out for dinner and woke with the birds on Saturday morning to get everything ready, horses fed, brushed and harnessed etc. We had a great day of competition with Classes for the Whips and the Drivers, we had 4 competing. I was one of the Grooms and once things got going we were running.

Here are the horses Bobby, Zac and Captain, in their stables after we arrived. Little did they know what was in store for them the next day.

This is Jason driving with Alan as Whip in the cones competition. This is judged on accuracy and speed.

This is Alan doing the cones course on his own.

Here are the horses all warming up - a wonderful sight.

This is where Alan and I spent the night - 5 Star with an en suite only a few steps away :)

At the end of the day there were ribbons and trophies for all and I was really proud of Alan who was first in the Whips Dressage Class and the Whips Cones Class. After the competition we took lots of little kids for drives and we also all got soaking wet in a tropical downpour. All told a really special weekend was had by all.

Snow Horses

I'm feeling pretty hot right now so this image of horses in the snow (from Google) was just what I needed to cool down. The Vellum overlay is by Crissy Armstrong. The b/g is an Olde Worlde Paper by Amy Hutchinson and the Cosmic Glow is also Amy's. The white and glittered dandelions are by Catherine Designs. I love pulling all these things together to create a piece of Cool Art on a hot day :)

Yoga Inspired

This one is inspired by my sister Patti who loves Yoga. I have always loved the idea of it and I have done classes from time to time but for some reason I always drop out. Anyway I enjoyed doing this one - the size is 12x6 inches.

Some Farm Animals

Today like the rest of this week has been super hot and humid with (if we are lucky) storms in the evening which makes sleeping easier. We don't get much garden work done between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm as it is so hot and uncomfortable. Summer has well and truly started here long before its official start date. We are making sure our chooks have plenty of water and we let them out after they have layed to forage. We notice this makes their eggs bigger and better.

Here are some of our chooks doing a great job of helping me weed and mulch the garden :)

This is Alan's new horse Max (a Standardbred) watching the chooks.....

A nice photo of Max who is looking good.

And here is Lewis the cat watching everyone LOL................

Tonight will be cold chicken and salad for dinner and we will have a glass or 2 of cold white wine on the terrace beforehand. We like to sit and watch the horses as the sun drops down. Thank goodness we don't have Summer time here in Queensland. With this heat we so look forward to sunset. We get up early anyway (this morning I was up before 5.00 am) as it is the best time to get the work done and exercise.

A Special Day at R.D.A.

On Saturday our Riding for Disabled Centre held its Annual Riding and Carriage Driving competition. We had a really great turnout of riders, drivers, volunteers, friends and family, all there to cheer everyone along. It was a tiring but really special day full of magic moments which remind us why we enjoy volunteering at RDA so much. In these photos you can see Alan doing the Dressage Competition with 2 of our Drivers. Jason in the bottom photo was the winner.

An Arty Morning

Every Wednesday morning I head off to our local Art Gallery to meet with other Art society members to create Art, talk about Art and once a month to listen to a lunchtime lecture on a variety of different themes. Yesterday was a treat as talented artist Kym Barrett spoke to us about the theme of her current exhibition: `In search of the Golden Thread'. You can see some of her Art in the background. Her work is really special and we all learnt a lot from her talk.

Here I am at work on our current project which is decorating palm fronds. This is a great example of re-cycling as these `supports' are free. You do have to live in area which grows palm trees to find them though. I plan to use mine to hold small bowls of snacks at barbecues etc. I really enjoy Art Society as it always fun and inspiring and because we meet at the Gallery there is always additional inspiration to be gained from the current exhibitions

Here is another one painted by Ros, one of our members. Her effort is really colourful - gold on the inside. She painted the outside in bright colours and adhered small mirrors with liquid nails. Ros plans to hang hers on her verandah on a swivel.

Be The Change

I had a lot of fun with this one this afternoon (credits can be found here http://www.scrapbookgraphics.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=44085&cat=503&limit=recent)

Midnight Fairy

I haven't done anything creative for quite a few weeks but a kit called `Midnight' by PST Designs at PBP has inspired me :) The book was downloaded from Stock Exchange and the Font is a favourite of mine called Jane Austin.

Home from Holidays

We arrived home from our great holiday on Saturday, feeling a bit down when we saw all the yard work that had to be done, but it was still good to be home. We had a wonderful relaxing holiday and even better neither of us put on any weight :) I took my bike and did quite a bit of cycling which was fun. On Saturday night we were invited to a neighbourhood barbecue and bonfire which was great, and then yesterday we spent all day washing, weeding, trimming and mowing. Now we are feeling full of energy we will be tackling the overgrown kitchen garden. I was able read some good books while I was away, I really enjoyed `The House at Salvation Creek', Susan Duncan's sequel to Salvation Creek which I loved. I also read `The Heart Garden', Janine Burke's fascinating story about Sunday Reed and Heide. I bought a Yoga DVD as well so I am looking forward to starting some `at home Yoga' soon. Alan didn't catch very many fish but had a lot of fun trying. We had take away fish and chips instead :)

Holidays Yay

I won't be posting for a couple of weeks as we are going on a much needed holiday. We are taking 2 weeks off in our Caravan at our favourite spot at Noosa on the river. I don't have a laptop so I have a screen free holiday, although we do take some DVD's to watch. I also have a heap of good books, Alan has his boat and fishing gear so we are all set. This photo is me at this time last year on the little beach adjacent to the van park. This is where we watch the sun go down with a glass of wine and some nibblies most evenings :) See you on our return.

R.I.P. Bella 28.10.95 - 7.10.08

Our beautiful dog and best friend Bella passed away peacefully at the Vet Surgery last Tuesday. She had Cancer. Both Alan and I were with her at the end. We loved her so and we will miss her terribly. So many people have been passing on their sympathy and it is amazing to me how many of them, both friends and family, have been through the same experience. When I am ready I will do a photobook of her life as a keepsake. I have cried a lot this week but now is the time for us to pack her away in our hearts where she will stay forever. We always used to say to her - Bella `you are the best dog in the whole world' and to us she was. Bella you taught us so much about loving and life, thank you for sharing your `almost 13 years of life' with us. It was a great privilege.

A Birthday Brekkie

Yesterday our family all met up for a birthday Brekkie at Dicky Beach at a great restaurant called `Bucket and Spade'. They have an excellent Brekkie menu and gave us all a complementary glass of Bubbly to begin with. What a great way to start the day. Alan had the `big Brekkie' and it was certainly man size. Afterwards we went for a walk along the Boardwalk at Caloundra to Kings Beach and we had an ice cream. All in All a great day. I really love it when our family all gathers to celebrate, whatever the reason :)

Happy Birthday Alan

We had a wonderful day yesterday celebrating Alan's 68th Birthday. We went to a great little cafe called MoonDoggy's at Noosaville for lunch with Alan's brother Geoff and Julie and then we all walked along the river bank. It was a beautiful day. Later on when we got home we celebrated with a few drinks with some good neighbours and we had some Bubbly. All in all a great day. Hard to believe our Noosa holiday starts soon, we can't wait to be out on the river in our boat and I think we'll be going back to that cafe - they make wonderful healthy freshly squeezed juices.

Catching Up

It has been a while since I posted, last week our computer was away for a few days for its annual tune up. It has come back working brilliantly. I defrag and I use C Cleaner every week but it still seems that `stuff' seems to collect in some odd places and slows the whole system down. I have also been continuing to sort our wardrobe and my books and a lot of stuff will be heading to the RSPCA Op Shop.

Alan continues to work on his stable building project and it is coming along well. On Friday Alan will be 68 and we are going out with his brother Geoff and Julie for lunch at Noosaville so it should be nice. Then on Sunday we are going out for brekkie with the family at Caloundra. Our Grandson Joel is 15 today so we are all using these 2 family Birthdays as a good reason to get together and celebrate.

Building a `Pony Palace'

For the last week or so Alan has been engaged in building a palace for our ponies to sleep in, or to escape from the weather. Luckily he has had help from his brother Geoff and neighbour Bob aka `Bob the Builder', as I would have been more of a hindrance than a help. As you can see it is all progressing well. In the background is the rest of our block, as far as you can see and if you look carefully you can just see our dam and a pony in the distance. So now the roof is on but the sides still need to go on and then the whole thing will be painted. I will post the finished product then.

Today the summer weather has begun and it is 29C here - our spring lasts about 2 weeks :) and its over already. We are both starting to get excited about a holiday at Noosa next month. I can't wait to have a swim in the surf and an ice cream at Noosa Main Beach. I think this is almost the best beach on the East Coast although I love Byron Bay the best. We will also be fishing every day, boating, reading and relaxing. Not to mention watching the sun go down each evening while we enjoy a glass of wine. I also really enjoy getting up early and walking along the river bank, buying the papers and sometimes a croissant for after brekkie. Roll on October.

A Spring Weekend

We have been enjoying perfect weather this weekend. Yesterday we were invited out for lunch to the home of one of our special friends. Nancy is 78 years young and we love catching up with her and her friend Margaret. We had a really yummy lunch and Alan and I love her home cooking which always includes her special home made mayo and salad. :)
Today was Father's Day and the weather was as perfect as it is possible to be. We have spent the day enjoying the garden and doing various odd jobs. I have been washing winter things, putting away throw rugs, picking spring flowers for the house and generally spring cleaning. Our kitchen garden has been lacking a bit of care lately since I developed tendonitis but there are still mini tomatoes, herbs, capsicum, papaya, passionfruit, oranges, limes, lemons, sugar snap peas and other things that have just popped up. I found some coriander growing today which has self seeded. So I collected enough goodies to make a salad for dinner. This is a photo of our `girls' - we have 4 chooks and 3 of them are laying every day. Now I know that it is impossible for us to eat 21 eggs a week, or even half that many, but we love to give them away to friends and family and neighbours, especially as a thank you. We took a dozen fresh eggs and a paw paw to Nancy's place yesterday as a `thanks for your hospitality' gift.

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Maidenhair Print

Last week at my Art Group we were learning print making. For this the preparation for me involved picking a piece of Maidenhair Fern and gluing it to a strong piece of card to make a printing plate. Then I coated it with 2 coats of Shellac and let it sit for a week. Last week I painted it with a sienna colour and ran it through our wonderful old printer at the Gallery, printing it onto a piece of hand made paper. The plate will be re usable. Of course my print was `officially' finished then but I wanted to do more with it. My next step at home was to scan my print and then make a piece of art in Photoshop Elements. For any Digital Artists viewing this, the background is a freebie from April Mouse. I duplicated my fern scan and then blended it in. I have since printed it and I am very happy with the result. I used gloss paper as it was all I had, but I am going to try it on some canvas and see how that looks.

A Birthday Celebration

So yesterday was my Birthday and I had a really special day. Here in this photo I am in `town' for morning tea. Our town is hosting a `Country Music Muster' this week so there are cowboy hats everywhere and I got right into the swing of it. :) Then last night the whole family gathered at Sue and Brian's place for a special roast lamb dinner with all the trimmings. This was followed by Black Forest Cake with candles and of course we had lots of `bubbly' too. I have also received some really special gifts and well wishes from my sisters and brother. Thank you to everyone :)

Inspired by Peggi Meyer Graminski

Whew so many American Artists have these double barrelled names. I have always wanted one of these but none of my names have ever come `together' as it were. Man how I would have loved to be called Peggi Meyer Graminski. http://desertphotography.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2007-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-06%3A00&updated-max=2008-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-06%3A00&max-results=50 Ah well............. Anyway here is my response to this month's Frameworthy Challenge, I really enjoyed it!

A Perfect Day

Yesterday we decided to forget all the jobs that need to be done around here and just take off and go fishing. We stopped on the way to buy a newspaper & some food for a picnic - bread, ham, coleslaw, potato chips and of course Tim Tams. I had already filled a Thermos. We went to our favourite spot on the Noosa River and there was no one else there but us for most of the day. The weather was perfect. We both fished and I had the chance to use my new pink fishing rod which alan has bought me for my Birthday. We didn't catch any fish big enough to keep but we had a perfect day.