Happy New Year!!!

I have no particular plans for 2017.  Jill, however, has decided on a complete makeover.

Christmas shelf

This is not me slurring though I did have Christmas Pudding and Brandy Custard for breakfast with a Gingerbread chaser.  In anticipation of not many presents or cards, I devoted the space above the microwave to them.  But I was most pleasantly surprised.

Good old Santa.  But far more importantly, friends,

We finally got around to Christmas Dinner on Boxing Day because we're a little slow.  However this did allow Jake to partake.  I cooked the dinner so as to wear my new apron.

Pretty spiffy eh?  A present from the Glorious Bean and made by her own green fingers.

Incroyable.  I hope Lady Jayne's rels won't be chasing the Bean now for aprons.  And talking of Lady Jayne and flowery meades, I finally have a cornflower.

Not exactly room for a unicorn in there but hopefully it is the first of many - cornflowers and unicorns.  The next trick will be to get cornflowers and red poppies in flower together.  You doubtless also noted my lovely crocs which Jake wisely spent his hard earned money on.  I had intended to try out for a new pair in the apres Christmas sales but Jake saved me all that bother.
In other gardening news (Jake will have tuned out now):

a gift from the goddess - a selfsown lily

close-up of the blossom on the hammock trees

glimpse of hollyhock through seeding parsley

another view of hollyhocks, poppies, seeding parsley and silverbeet.

Note that Jake has whippersnipped the garden within an inch of its life.

bemused Pharoah Dog wondering where all the grass has gone.

You may be able to detect the heart shape on the gate to the left of photo.  Sarah made it when last she was here (and I taught her how to weed).  There are lots of little mementoes like this around.  But today I noticed that the noughts and crosses game she had left on the bathroom mirror has finally been erased.

Christmas past and present

When I moved to Tassie for the first time in 1970s, I (well we, actually, but that's more history) rented a house that was literally split down the middle.  We lived in one side, Jools and family in the other.  Included in her Christmas card this year Jools (another artist) included this sketch of the year I tried to teach myself recorder.
Yesterday Madam Cyn and I dined yet again at The Ocean Child in Hobart.  We always have the Volcano Steak - a steak topped with scallops in a curry sauce.

And Jake is staying with us and working at the refurbished East Coaster.

It still looks raw but the outlook is divine.

Lumberjack reunion

Remember the story of the felling of the radiata pine?  That was part of the Orford Interpretive Walk project which was launched today.  My 4 lumberjacks were keen to talk with The Pharoah and reminesce about that glorious day in the forest.  I was a little cageyer fearing their parents may be within hearing.  Fortunately the Official Launch commenced with the Mayor in attendance.

Here's what it's all about.

So now I just have to get a QR scanner on my phone.  Apparently you get these from the Apps Shop on your phone.  I'll have to have a look.  Or ask Jake when he returns from working at The East Coaster today.

As I was leaving, Santa pulled up in his MGB.  So buoyed was I by this event, I indulged in an  ice-cream on the way home.

It may have only been a Peter's but it was one of the best strawberry ice-creams I've tasted.  The Pharoah was more interested in the escaped nasturtiums.

Lovely views of Maria Island from this little cafe.  Here's the view from the front of the units  you can see in the photo.

(you'll have to excuse the UFO - it's a windy day)

Maria Island a little to the left

Orford nestled to the right

This area of beach is a bird sanctuary so I kept Pharoah Jill on leash which cramped her style a little.

Shades of Wentworth

A shed possibly unknown to the Shed Portrait Artist

small offering

Finally I have got a hollyhock to flower.  Not quite to the standard of that amazing year in Wentworth but a success nevertheless.  These are seeds that came from our Easter at Mintaro some 3 years ago.

I can take no credit for these trees which were in place long before we moved here and are handy for the hammock.  They have just burst into full bloom.  The perfume reminds me of a vanilla pannacotta. The bees are going crazy.

Ho Ho Happy

I have decked the house out for Christmas and last night Santa rewarded me with a wonderful event at the Orford Odeon aka Triabunna Community Hall.  On arrival (and payment of $5) we were given a ticket for the Lucky Door Prize and a ticket for a free anything from the bar / snack bar.  It was a hot day yesterday and I wasn't up to my usual glass of red and a Mars Bar so I sat quietly until the interval when I was ready for a bubbly on the house.  We watched the 2016 Jungle Book with a Mowgli who reminded me very much of Sarah chatting away to the animals.  After the film, the stage curtains closed and the raffle was drawn. Then the curtains pulled open to reveal a large Christmas Tree and Santa's chair.  And in walked Father Christmas ho ho ho-ing and ringing a bell.  Good old Santa kept giving out Lucky Door Prizes until just about everyone in the audience had a prize, and certainly every child did.  And then the recipients of the Orford Odeon Community Grants were announced - 7 groups shared $10,000 of profit from the films and raffles.  That's the spirit of Christmas.
All that and a full moon.

Bear, bare, Be with me

Let me take you back to the friday before last.

Always interesting living next to a caravan park.

Total no sequitur.

Here's Steve on the first day of the Art Studio at The Village.

This space will be open 7 days a week over December and January.  Artists and crafters are welcome to display and sell their creations in return for a few hours of minding the store.  It was Steve's idea and has been very well received by local creators.  The Visitor Information Centre is also on board.  A few visitors trickle in.  Come January the Spring Bay Studio will be open so we can actually have an Art Trail.  I went to their Exhibition Opening that evening.  Great fun swanking around with the Triabunna arty crowd.  The next day the Development Application for The Spring Bay Mill was advertised in the paper so we are all a-tremble with anticipation.
Saturday I headed south for another weekend of indulgence with The Green Bean at Abel's Bay.  In the afternoon GB took me to a nursery at Egg and Bacon Bay in search of a Haemanthus coccineu which sadly was not available.  However the nursery lady, Ann, offered to show us her garden.  GB has seen it before but it was new to me.  The tour started from the balcony at the back of the house which overlooks the garden then out to the Huon River with the Hartz Mountains glimmering in the distance.  It had the same effect on me as when I first visited Sandra's Garden Wall Nursery in Yelta where, entering a gate from parched scrub, I was greeted by a formal Italianate garden with a billabong beyond.  Belissimo.  From the balcony we took lawn paths in and around small gardens with artworks and many plants new to me, or in colourways I had never seen before.  Truly inspirational.  I had my camera with me but felt it would be rude to suddenly start snapping away - though with the advent of mobile phones such behaviour may now be considered normal.  And I hope to be invited to visit again.
So with no photos of that garden, I'll show you where GB's garden is up to:

I was particularly smitten with the interplay of reds and am, yet again, rethinking aspects of my garden.

I think I have a self-sown Pride of Madeira in my garden.

hmmm thinking of a bog garden not just for irises such as these but to assist my quest for becoming Primula Queen.

Sunday dawned with a big agenda.  First we visited a potter at Deep Bay for her first viewing since moving from NSW.  Then we went to the Cygnet Market which I have to say puts the Triabunna Market to shame.  We bought Cornish Pasties for lunch and doughnuts with cherries inside.

The elusive Bean at lunch.

to the left

to the right

We drove a little further down the road to visit another pottery, Ian Clare Studio, this one long established.  I was enchanted to discover that Ian was the maker of the flathead and starfish that I used to buy at Salamanca Market as Christmas presents for my Mum and Dad many moons ago.  It is Ian's seconds that feature as artworks in Ann's Egg and Bacon Bay garden.
From there we went to the Marine discovery Centre at Woodbridge, only to discover that it was just closing for the season.

Here we have the ferry from Hobart to Peppermint Bay at Woodbridge.

I believe the new ferry from Triabunna to Maria Island will be opertaed by the same company.

Then we were off home the long way round via a secret beach to find rounded stones, and so to dinner.

I returned chez Tribes on the Monday and the rest of the week followed the usual timetable until Friday night came around again.  This time Steve and I were off to Hobart for the launch of a book by Minh Hien, sister of the Tran boys who have played such a pivotal place in our lives.

A walk through town revealed that the Myer building is now just a facade.  We continued on to Hadley's and had a wonderful reunion with Hien, Tue, Be and Be's wife Thay and daughter Emily.

Last night it was St Mary's church for the annual Traditional Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols.  I was feeling very Tess of the d'Urbervilles strolling through the village to the church.  I had never been inside the church before.  Sandstone outside, it is very whitewashed and simple inside.  The choir was excellent.   The organist got increasingly gothic as the service went on.  I had finished reading Jamaica Inn the night before so couldn't help but keep an eye on Rev. Trev.
I strolled homeward and seaward in the late evening and was so inspired I cooked up a batch of mince pies.
ps the other 'bare' in the post title comes from a finance article in Saturday's Mercury:  'There's only so much households can bare'.

Pharoahest of them all

I have a friend who thinks Jill (our dog, for  those who get confused) is a Saluki.  After some intensive googling I have decided, and Jill has decreed, she is a Black Pharoah Hound.   Who knew such a thing exists.  We celebrated on Saturday when Madam Cyn and Rockface Towelling came to lunch.  Madam Cyn is a sucker for dogs so Jill had an indulgent time.  Then Dave and the Green Bean dropped in on Sunday having holidayed at Bicheno, and more frolics for the Pharoah.  Of course I have no photos of these events but will regale you with yesterday.

It started well with a dog in a truck parked outside our place.  Naturally I was thrilled that I had the camera with me.  I was off to the Blood Bank where previously I'd been impressed with the rooftop views from their first floor carpark.

Needless to say they didn't look anywhere near as interesting when I had the camera.
Sadly my veins wouldn't cooperate with the nurse and we struggled for some time but fell short of providing the required amount of blood by 100mls.  I was quite worn out by all of this and had an iced coffee and 2 mini quiches before I left the building.  I decided I'd regain my equanimity  with a bit of a read in the Botanical Gardens.

You may just be able to see the chosen bench in the photo above.  I've decided I'm going to keep an eye on this bit of the garden over the seasons.  It is exactly the sort of garden I love.

view from a distance

list of roses at entrance to garden

nostalgia for my Wentworth Crepuscule rose

excitement that the Bot Gards are putting on Alice - though surprised I haven't had a call yet

Feeling much revived I drove to Subway in Glenorchy for yet more nourishing blood making food.  I'm a fan of their wraps with roast beef, avocado, all the fresh salad and jalopenos.

view of Mt Wellington / kunanyi from Subway

Then I drove home the Brighton / Tea Tree way.

It is a beautiful road with typical scenery like this.  However many of you will not have seen this:

the new Chinese Cultural Centre, though most people refer to it as the Buddhist Centre.  I haven't been inside yet and this is as close as you can get from the road.  Very intriguing.

And since I had the camera with me, I could finally take this picture:

The Cherry Farm near Runnymede.  Hopefully the cherries will be ripe soon.  The white daisies line the East Coast Drive at this time of the year.  From the top of Bust Me Gall hill they look like salt pans.  You can see that sheep graze in the orchard during winter.

I find the fleece caught on the fence endearing.  It always makes me think of Georgia and Wales.