Battle for the figs

I am unable to add text to my blog other than as a caption to a photo.  In the garden I have been fascinated with these little birds, silver eyes, devouring the figs on the tree.  The tree is alive with them and they are not bothered by my sitting nearby taking photo's.



They scrap over who has the best figs.  I have to be quick to pick some myself.  We have had them with our meals and there are plenty for the birds and me.




I didn't realise that this one I zoomed in on was a baby silvereye in the camelia tree.



Things are starting to happen now in the valley

getting to know Donnybrook and surrounding areas

Hydrangeas

I think I have found the place to call home.  I am so loving Donnybrook and enjoying exploring the town.

Have found a great walk which takes me about 40 mins down one side of the river, across the weir and back the other side.  It is so hot here at the moment so I leave my walk until around that time, the wind has come up and cooled it down somewhat.

The monthly market is great for plants and produce and I am thinking of having a stall just to let people know what I am doing and its a great way to meet and chat to people.  We visited the Busselton Market on Sunday but don't think I would do very well there and it would mean leaving around  6 am.  Will have to see if there is a more specialised fair for Art and Craft.  We are meeting up with the agent for Storybook cottages on Saturday which will be great, need to know what trees will need to be cut down, one large gumtree on the front will have to come down and I expect a couple on the boundary.  We will be able to start making plans.

Have joined a great art community that meets each Wednesday for 5 hours, this is exciting for me as I need to get back into my art, at the moment its like a treasure hunt finding particular things, gradually pulling supplies out.

Not a lot to share with you at the moment just letting you know I am here and happy.

love

Jacky

Happy New Year from the Valley

Hi family and friends, my new year wishes from the valley are a little bit late, as you know I do not have internet service at home for the time being and rely on updates on my blog at either the library, which is fabulous by the way, or as in this case from daughters home.
2014 crept in quietly, dancing around the town clock a way distant memory of seeing in the New Year, counting down the minutes, sharing drunken kisses with strangers (yikes did I do that).  House and dog sitting for daughter on the night and although I was still awake I was in bed and heard a few explosions from crackers being let off to know that another year had rolled over and an exciting new year had begun.
Back in the valley, we are still looking for things amongst the packing.  As this is only a temporary abode we are only unpacking the barest necessities, amongst that is my art supplies and hope to get into that when we go home on Sunday.

Now that the block is finally ours we need to hire a whipper snipper and get some of this long grass cut down.  Met the lovely neighbours and finally found out what the fruit trees where.  At the moment there are a lot of plums ripening on the trees, about 5 or 6 different varieties, one I am really excited about is the prune plum which is a long way off ripe.  love prune plums.  Apricots all finished.  Pears and apples with little green fruit on, Nashi among the pears.  The trees will need a good prune at the relevant time and neighbour has offered to show us how to do this.  They are also still watering the trees for us as our water supply has not been connected yet. Neighbours are really friendly.

Lots and lots of planning to do now, Storybook homes agent will be meeting us soon to get all the dimensions and layout of the block and we will need to supply them a list of what we would like our new home to be, within our budget of course.  The fifteen metre width is going to be a challenge but nothing that we can't work out, have lots of ideas.

In the meantime the delightful old house in the valley we are renting is wonderful, although certain aspects are taking a bit of getting used to.  The skinks scare hell out of me and I am learning to make a lot of noise when going down the side of the house.  While sitting reading on the verandah (went home a couple of days) one shot out from under the house onto the veranda, I swear it was about 20 inches long, seemed all fury, it was so quick and noisy I shot out of my chair calling for John.  We followed him, from a safe distance no less, he lashed his way through the woodshed under the wall into the shed then out the other side behind a panel of wood and presumably into the field where we lost sight of him.  Our next door neighbour the delightful Thelma informed me they are scared of humans and will run at the sight of us (wish they did it a bit quieter) and the scarey part is she said they climb up inside the walls into the roof cavity.  Hell, I had to get that fireplace firmly covered, didn't want one coming down into the bedroom in the night.

Another thing we city dwellers aren't used to is Huntsmen spiders, ewww, they are so big and scary. Don't mind if they are outside but I am ashamed to admit I cannot live with them inside and had to kill one that was watching me lock the door.  Out came the fly spray, took a lot to get rid of him too.

It is extremely hot here now and an expected high of 44 degrees is forecast for today and fortunately daughters house has a pool.

Now the pool lies another story.  Decided that as it was hot and no one around I would take a dip in knickers only (well this is the country and I had no swim suit) it was lovely.  Got myself dressed when I heard a noise next door and went to see what was going on (they where getting a new gas bottle fitted) when a huge removal truck pulled up outside.  Daughter had ordered a large outdoor setting which was to be delivered on Friday and this was Monday.  Yikes, if they had been 10 minutes earlier I would have been caught out.  Went and bought a cheap swim suit, don't want to frighten anyone that turns up unexpected now do I!!!!

Well till I catch up with you again, enjoy the new year

best wishes

Jacky

Loving Donnybrook

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.  We are finally moved down to Donnybrook, it was a massive job for John and I we travelled 1800 kilometres and 22 hours over 5 days starting on the 16th December.  The reason we travelled back and forth each day, accommodation was expensive and it cost us only $50 a day in diesel whereas accommodation was $200 a night.  To say we where exhausted by the end of the week would be an understatement, but it is done now and we are moving on.  Took a few days to sort out our furniture to make this lovely old house into our home for the next six months or so, we have two rooms with boxed stuff that we are not unpacking and still have a bed to assemble, but that can wait until we have visitors coming to stay.  It is a mystery tour finding things but we are getting there, however in saying that I haven't even thought about starting any projects or art.  We spent Christmas day at Kirsty's in Collie which is 50 kilometres from Donnybrook, went home again for a couple of days then back to Collie to housesit and dog sit for two weeks.  Have had time to check out the library where I can use their internet for free, but of course I have to be organised and have everything I need when I go there.  I can update my blogs while John sits and reads the paper all for free, and in air-conditioned room.  Checked out the gym, the nursery and two markets, still can't seem to slow down.  If you are interested in seeing more photos of the house go to my photography blog here http://jackysphotographs.blogspot.com.au/ and more photo's on my Facebook https://www.facebook.com/jacky.mcfarlane I wish you all a happy New Year and may it be memorable in a good way.
love
Jacky

Cheryl's Studio

A few weeks back the girls I have been teaching art journals and book art, met in Mandurah for our last get together and Christmas lunch.  We met at Cheryls home in Mandurah, Cheryl travelled up to Perth, over and hours drive, for the classes.  I really appreciated the effort the distance the girls travelled to do my class.  We had seen photo's of all the stages of Cheryl's shed being built etc and wanted to see it in the flesh so to speak.  Cheryl does beautiful work and it won't be hard to see what her favourite colour is.  Below is the Studio set in their beautiful garden with Cheryl inviting us in.

I like to think I have had a little influence in her style, but her studio is a veritable treasure trove of all her beautiful collections.  I will miss our weekly classes that have been ongoing over the last five years and hope the girls will stay in touch.

Big move 1 week tomorrow

Sorry it has been chaos here since my last entry.  Trip to New Zealand was wonderful, seems like a year ago.  The reunion was like having a big family wrapping you up in its arms, so many hugs, so much catching up.  Emotional trip to the Cemetary where my great grandmother was buried and a memorial stone unveiled, then a trip to each of our late relatives graves but most important finding our brothers grave.  He was the first born after my father left for the 2nd World war, although we never knew him he was always part of our family.  Growing up as the eldest when I felt I was hard done by I would talk to him wishing he had lived to take over the responsibility of being the eldest.

sharing the sisterly love, my mother never knew where his grave was, I guess it was too painful for her

It was great being with my three sisters first time in Gisborne altogether,  probably at my wedding, yikes, so long ago.  Gisborne is the first city to see the sun rising.

There was a bus trip out to Tekaraka where my Great grandparents had the hotel and this is in front of the home they built over a hundred years ago and still standing today.

view of Gisborne our home town from Kaiti Hill