February frolics.......

Feburary started as January finished with the rain coming down.  It was so good to see a few days of solid rain though the drop in temperature was a bit of a shock.  The sun came out again and so did the grass which meant that the lawnmower had to follow soon.  It's lovely to see everything looking so green for a little while at least.

Rainy days meant indoor activities and so for the first time in over 35 years I reacquainted myself with a sewing machine and after an afternoon of sewing 101 ( reading the manual) I was ready to attempt my first project.  Making a cover for my Feldenkrais Mat.  Very proud of myself!

My next achievement was to bake Bill an apricot pie finally making use of a giant tin of pie apricots he had bought at SPC. It was delicious and I was so impressed with my efforts I might even try again another day.  For now the remaining apricots are in the freezer.

The next week I ventured out with the line dancing ladies to lunch at the RSL in Shepparton.  We were entertained by Anthony and a good time was had by all.  I even managed to get a dance or two right!

And then it was time for the annual trip to Halls Gap for the 30th Jazz Festival.  A bit of a longer adventure this year as I went down to Mum's by train on Thursday and we drove up on Friday picking Astrid up along the way.  

Again a fabulous time was had by all but also a time of sadness as this was to be the last time at Halls Gap.  The organisers have decided to move it to Port Fairy next year and so for us it was time to say goodbye.   

It's been a lot of fun over the last 8 years for me and 20 something for Mum and we will miss the fun, friends and the music but as we all know things can't always last forever. 

On Monday Morning we had a final ice cream in the sun and made our way back to Mum's at Edithvale where I stayed the night and returned home the next day.

Back at home it was time to get ready for a weekend of fun with Cheryl and Shane.  They arrived on Friday afternoon and we immediately enjoyed a cup of tea and an hour or so on the verandah catching up on each others news.  A change of clothes a little later on and we were off to have dinner at The Butter Factory.  We had a delicious meal and were thoroughly entertained by Michael, the chef, and the lovely young girl working that night.  

The next morning after a leisurely start we made our way down to Rotary Park where we explored the Euroa Farmers Market.  The lovely sunny morning had brought out lots of traders and we came home with a bag full of goodies, beautiful fresh figs, yummy cheese, delicious tomatoes and some beer from Strathbogie.  A relaxing afternoon rolled into a night listening to some old favourites, The Eagles and The Bee Gees, a barbie for dinner and a very late night.

A slow start to Sunday and another leisurely breakfast and then it was time to wave farewell to Cheryl and Shane.  Great to see you both again and already looking forward to next time.

A busy week coming as we get ready for our next big adventure during March.  It's time to visit Tasmania again and we leave on Sunday for six weeks touring The Apple Isle but first we caught up with Astrid and Hans for lunch at The Weekend Local.  Such a yummy lunch and a lovely afternoon of fun with  friends.

We spent two days packing the car and van getting ready for our departure and so now we say farewell to February as we hitch up and head for Port Melbourne to catch our ferry.  Next stop Tasmania.

until next time .........

And then it was 2016.....

 January 2016 - We went into Christmas with no plans for 2016 other than to escape winter later in the year.  All that changed on Boxing Day when we decided to join Astrid, Hans and Bianca at Lake Eildon for a few days.  Our trip to Perth last year saw us miss this annual pilgrimage to the water but we were looking forward to camping there again this year.

We drove up and over the Ranges on Monday morning and soon after we were winding our way into Lakeside camp ground to find our site for the next three nights.  Our neighbouring campers, Martine and Sandy, introduced themselves to us and together with Astrid and Hans we enjoyed their company for the next couple of days.  Happy hour tended to stretch much longer than usual.  A bad influence on us I think!

The following morning we woke to a grey sky and soon after the rain came tumbling down and stayed for most of the day.  Astrid had had a small mishap during the night and had hurt her foot so we all drove into Alexandra to the ED to see what the damage was.  Bianca, Bill and I checked out the new cafe in town and shopped for dinner for the next few nights before returning to see how the invalid was faring at the hospital.  

Having seen the Dr it was decided that the foot was broken and needed to be x-rayed after lunch.  We said goodbye here and returned to camp and sure enough Astrid arrived back with crutches and the verdict - broken bones in the foot.  She decided to stay on for the few days and got quite good with the crutches on the rocky uneven ground.  No surgery was needed and she is on the mend now.

The next couple of days were fine and sunny and at last Bianca got out on the water to ski with Bill going along as the spotter.  Astrid and I remained under the awning and just watched the world go by. Later that afternoon one of Bianca's friends, Erin, arrived and set her tent up at Chez Van Lierop and we all enjoyed a great night around the campfire.  Bill found a Whistling Kite nesting above us and kept a close eye on the comings and goings for a couple of days.

All too soon it was time to pack up and head home.  It had been a fun few days, accident aside, and as always we love camping with you at Eildon.  Back at home the activities had begun again and it was back to golf clinic, line dancing and exercises.  

Bill had the opportunity to attend a camera function at Kooyong Tennis Centre where they got to take photos of the players from the sidelines.  It was an extremely hot day and I stayed home in the airconditioning and set about finishing my jigsaw while he went down by train.  Shame about the missing pieces!  He enjoyed the day but came back well and truly heat exhausted.

During the weeks at home Bill has been busy putting up a side fence and sorting out some waterworks for the garden. The little tomatoes we planted grew well and we enjoyed eating those we picked before the heat finished them off.

While in Shepparton this week we called into the fabulous nursery there and bought some plants to go in along the fence.  Fingers crossed they survive the summer.  Love this quirky beetle out the front of the nursery.

A phone call out of the blue on Sunday saw us welcome surprise visitors for the afternoon.  Bett and BB had come to Victoria for a wedding and decided that a drive in the country was a good way to fill in a Sunday.  It was so good to see them both and we enjoyed a couple of hours catching up over a liquid beverage.  Now I know there will be some of you that could never imagine this could happen but tea and coffee were the drinks of choice.  Thanks for the lovely surprise and we look forward to next time whenever that may be.

The following Sunday we enjoyed another lovely afternoon with Shelley, Darren and Kyan who had come over from their holiday spot in Mansfield for a barbie lunch.  The milder day saw us enjoy the great outdoors as we ate, drank and made merry for the afternoon and evening.  

The next day it was time to pack the van and head out again for a few days.  We were off to stay at Clarkesdale Bird Sanctuary near Linton as Bill wanted to try out his new camera.  We drove over through Ngambie, Kyneton and Alfredton and arrived late afternoon to a very dry camping area.  Loved the old Redesdale Bridge!  This was the driest we had ever seen it and most of the waterholes were just a puddle in the mud.  Not too many birds either but we still enjoyed our three days of communing with nature and the lovely little Blue Wrens kept us entertained.

On Wednesday night the clouds appeared and there was some rain with more forecast for the next day.  We decided that we would leave in the morning and did so before the rain returned.  We stopped for a coffee at the beautiful old Court House Hotel in Smythesdale before taking the most direct route home via the Western and the Hume freeways.  And yes it rained most of the way home.  So good to see some decent falls at last but I'm sure the summer will return with a vengeance soon.

And so now with only one day remaining in January I'll leave you all here as we work out what February  will look like.

until next time...........