One handed! At least they are tall enough now, not to be lifted to reach.
Stamp collecting will be a thing of the past, since letter writing is going out of fashion.
Mackenzie’s robotic dragon
Dog in a mummy’s costume
Jack’s random shape
Mackenzie is determined to read all of Roald Dahl’s books. He completed ‘Matilda’ in two days. I’ve already been beaten at chess!
Happy Holidays!
This wonderful aquatic centre has recently opened in our nearest city, Frankston. Frankston is not held in high regard by many, probably due to high unemployment, and drug related problems. It is wonderful seeing the children appreciate this new facility. The huge yellow bucket at the top, fills with water, and a bell rings about every ten minutes as a warning before it tips over and floods all beneath it! The children come back again and again to have this water tipped over them!
I did think of Gerard O.’s post about his holiday at Port Macquarie, when I saw some that shouldn’t, carrying plastic plates of chips! Swimming is a secondary activity after this major play centre with slides and water pipes that become water guns and sprays of all sorts are activated which opens at 10am. How lucky we are, when water has become such a precious commodity, that children are still able to enjoy the pleasure of water play.
Jack and Mackenzie at the playground Sept ’14. Spring deferred, snow on the mountains.
Mackenzie adores reading
Cake that Jack helped cook and decorate.
Acacia we pass on our walk
Mackenzie at Hastings
(not the best beach, but lots of pelicans live there).
Jack and Millie
Jack
Andrew Roger’s Maze
This sculpture’s sensor sets off cello and other sounds as people pass
Having time off from blogging has inspired me to catch up on lots of jobs that had been put aside, things to do later. The satisfaction is enormous. I have found a new Danish computer man, Thomas, who helped me solve a couple of things that will allow me to do some tidying up on the computer and also to understand some of the simple things that seem obvious to everyone else.
The TV aerial needed adjustment since we’ve gone from analogue to digital. Every storm or rainy night left us with a black screen. It is quite a treat to see a session without having to fill in the blanks.
The garden too has benefitted from the installation of a watering system, ready for next summer.
Having the children introduced us to predawn starts to the day again. I have included some photos of our visit to McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park, where we used to live in the caretaker’s cottage. The boys enjoy running around finding their favourite sculptures. I love to see the growth of the trees we planted. The sculpture park is on 40 acres with lots of sculptures scattered around the park. There is a biannual sculpture prize of $100,000. Shall introduce you to more sculptures as time goes by.
Troubling times for those around us makes us realise how fragile life can be. Our neighbour is in intensive care after a very severe car accident. Another larger car swerved onto her side of the road. It took an hour and a half to cut her out of the car, before she was airlifted to the Alfred Hospital in the city. Her injuries are massive, and we’ll wait to see if she’ll survive. It makes us grateful for every day, as none of us know what the future holds.
Brugmansia (Solanaceae) Angel’s trumpet making a show in a narrow arched area, where it will be covered mostly in creepers.
Children’s cubby house at the back of the garden
Virginia creeper on our water tank. March 2014
Autumn is upon us; a relief after the hot weather. As you can see the leaves are beginning to turn. The vegetable plot has done its dash, with a few eggplants still to come. Tomatoes have almost completed their task. Now it is time to make relish and chutney.
I painted the cubby the colour of the changing leaves. I enjoy looking at it hiding under the trees. It is ready for our next grandchild, the first grand daughter, to be born in April. Our two grandsons who live not far away, are a little old for it now, as they prefer to play other things. It’s good to think there are little ones still to play with it. Our young grandsons from Canberra will come down during the year, so it must be ready for them.
Getting back into the garden is so therapeutic; we finally had some rain. Green instantly reappears bringing joy and enthusiasm to replant and get ready for winter. I do like to spread manure and freshly mulch every autumn and spring. Writing at every other opportunity; life was meant to be full….
Barbara Pyett 