Monday Driving

Today we were off to visit our friends Neville and Julie who train horses. They have one of our Ponies `Sam' who they have been training for harness driving for a few weeks now. After we had warmed up the ponies Nev suggested we all head off to the local Pub for lunch, a distance of around 3k. This sounded like fun so off we went. Alan and Julie and their little daughter Jess were in front driving Sam while Neville driving `China' with myself and his son Ben as passengers followed on behind. The weather was fine. We set off at a trot and we walked down hills and trotted up. We are so pleased with how well Sam is doing and he performed really well. I took a photo while were on the road so it is a little out of focus but gives you some idea of our journey. Our destination was Theebine Pub which is a beautifully renovated `Queenslander' style Pub with lots of atmosphere, we had an enjoyable `pit stop' and returned home without mishap. Altogether a perfect day!

Perfect Winter Weather

Finally the cooler weather has arrived and we are loving it. We have cool nights and beautiful sunny days when we can get lots done in the garden. Today the temperature range was between 3 and 23C although thanks to insulation we don't drop much below around 16C inside the house. It also means that we can enjoy our slow combustion heater at night and be really cosy. On Friday evening when it was wet and cold we sat in front of the fire enjoing a good bottle of wine while a pot of Minestrone bubbled on the stove and our dog Bella slept at our feet. We felt like millionaires. Even better the timber is from our block and was felled by a storm last year.

A Fun Programme

I have found a fun programme to play with for making digital art, it's called Art Rage and is great value for money at only around $20.00 USD. To use it properly I really need a graphics tablet so that will be my next purchase and I am currently researching this. I have pretty much decided on the Wacom Graphire 4 6"x8". Thanks to the rainy weather of the last 2 days I have been able to sit and play and this is what I have produced with a mouse, inspired by a line from one of Patti's poems.

Wet Wet Wet

Morning Stretch

Here is my latest piece of Art, a sculpture titled `Morning Stretch'. I bought it at a recent Art Show at our local Gallery. The artist Lee is a friend of mine and she is very talented. Lee works in all mediums and now in her 60's she is even experimenting with Digital Art, but sculpture is what she does best. I found the perfect place for him on our recently refurbished wall unit. I first bought this in about 1983 and it was showing its age but now it's repainted white and looks just right for our light and bright living area. Lee will be here for lunch on Tuesday so I hope she thinks he looks just right here too :)

Family Matters

Back home again after just over a week away in Sydney. A wonderful family re-union and a week of much celebration, catching up, laughter, eating good food and drinking good wine. Equally special for Alan and I was the chance to have a holiday in Sydney. Country Life is peaceful and healthy and we wouldn't change it but we always love the chance to visit a city, especially one as beautiful as Sydney. Impossible for me to pick out one highlight as there were many with seeing family at the top of the list!! So many people in Sydney, especially so many from different cultural backgrounds, a kerbside spruiker flanked by a flag draped coffin, a perfect Panania Deli and a cute market, a fun family barbecue to farewell Paull, a naked lady at Circular Key running through the crowd, a man sitting cross-legged on the lawn in the Botanical Gardens knitting happily and meditatively, the Bridge and the Opera House of course, the fun of riding on the Ferry on a perfect day, the view from `The Gap', harbourside walks, lunch at the Art Gallery and the chance to see some wonderful Artworks, browsing in the Art Gallery shop, lunch at beautiful Avoca Beach, Bellbirds at Erina, a cockatoo sitting on the hand of a statue in the Botanical Gardens and drinking from her mouth, hours in a second hand bookstore, laughter on the bus, fish and chips and Gelato at Watsons Bay, dinner at Waverton followed by a balmy evening walk, singing along with James Reyne at his concert, glorious cool and sunny weather, really good coffee everywhere. In a word perfect! This picture was taken at Watson's Bay and I have taken some artistic licence with it. I also have some special souvenirs. I bought a John Olsen print at the Gallery which I will get framed and some Arty fridge magnets and of course I have my photos so I may do a Collage, watch this space!

Pussies Galore

Yesterday I took myself off on an `Artist's Date' to our local Art Gallery. Alan and I are members of `FOG' - Friends of the Gallery and we are invited to Gallery Exhibition Openings among other things. Our town has a beautiful Art Gallery, housed in a heritage buiding. Two storied with a wonderful curved timber staircase (Think Rhett and Scarlett). So yesterday there were 2 exhibitions opening. One called `Pussies Galore' with a collection of artworks all depicting cats. And the other a collection of pastels depicting endangered animal species from all over the world. After the speeches a guy played 2 of his own compositions on the guitar, followed by Lennon's `Imagine', and then we had afternoon tea. So as you all may have guessed I bought a `Cat'. It was hard to choose as I loved them all but I finally decided on a sculpture in Hebel entitled `Morning Stretch'. Its a beautiful scupture of a cat stretching and I love it. He even has a bell round his neck! I forgot my camera so I can't include a photo yet but I will when I pick him up. The picture on the front of the brochure is titled `Pensive Wombat' and is a pastel painting. This was in a beautiful blue frame which went so well with the colours in the picture and was only $60.00. Great value for an original piece of Art. I came very close to buying this one but I have so many pictures already so I thought twice and 3 times and then decided on the sculpture. I am pleased to say that someone did buy it though.