Thank you, Sarah

Thanks to Sarah (Nicole's work colleague) we were able to celebrate the end of 2007 in style. She came round on Christmas Day with this bottle of Moet et Chandon that we stashed away for later celebration!

Dylan marinated some pork fillets and cooked them for us for dinner and we enjoyed the fruits (vegetables) of Nicole's labour from the garden.

Where is Clint?

Well you might ask what Clint was doing while we were so industriously employed? He was just playing farmer, pulling a few olive trees out, moving a bit of dirt, you know just boy stuff :)

Painting boards and more boards

Nicole and I spent a few hours today painting! An absolutely beautiful day with not many clouds in the sky. The boards are to clad the Andrew Gaze Pump house. The name was bestowed on the pump shed because when I was up in October Clint and Frank were building the shed and used left over framing from the house and the house has high ceilings. I snapped Nicole on the last of the first coat, oh no another one to go, better be off!

How to double your trip

We headed off for Sue's place today. Left at 7:30am and arrived about 12:45pm. I think we got lost somewhere along the way. At least it only took 3 hours to get home.....

Sue has a lovely spot out of Taree. It is in an old volcano and you can see the rim all around. We had lunch and met Sue's new man, Ian. Although not new but I hadn't met him before! Seemed quite a nice guy.

Jim was there and he looks really good, although now a bit tottery and it is hard for him to get around outside at Sue's as it is all up and down.

The house is pretty with a lovely vine along the veranda. We went for a walk around the property and checked out the wine cellar. They have a few vines and get about 1500 bottles out of the harvest. Only for bartering and drinking themselves! The cellar is dug into the side of the hill. Each tube has 7 bottles of wine stashed away in it

Sunsets

Mike took this shot of the sunset over the hills, viewed from the pool deck. He leaves tomorrow to go back to Tassie, getting in a few party nights before going back to work on the 2nd January. Arrived up here on 23rd, he flew into Sydney then hired a car, didn't have much trouble getting here or getting around as he bought up my Navman.

Christmas Day

Where is my present? Why can't I join in the fun?

Ruby looking very sad because she can't join the Christmas party.......it is a dog's life!

Shopping and Leavers' dinner

Nicole and I started the day very virtuously by going to the gym. I managed 30minutes on the walker and then lifted some weights.

Camille wanted to go to Newcastle today to have a look for a dress for her end of year formal. We first went to Paul's warehouse to see if we could get replacement parts for Dylan's weight bench (I know it's really Nicole's) and a stroll through Spotlight to see if we could find some material.

Then off to the Junction to look at $500 dresses, hmmmm a bit expensive I think. Dylan was very good considering he was dragged around all the boring dress shops :) We didn't find anything so that will have to be another day. We went off to Charlestown but the most hilarious was us trying to find our way, guided by Nicole on mobile who had the nerve to tell me there was more than one exit from Charlestown shopping centre. How dare she.

We did make it back.

Flight to Newcastle!

Bit of an early morning today as the plane left at 8am. Jenny and Richard ran me out and only an hour and half flight to Newcastle. Nabs was waiting for me when I got off the plane and did she look fabulous. It was so good to see her looking so good after being sick for so long.

We toddled off to Broke after an interesting trip from the terminal to the car. We had to walk so far, trying to roll my suitcase over a recently surfaced carpark that had pebbles everywhere that kept getting stuck in the wheels and making it impossible to keep wheeling it. Good trip through to Broke, everyone looked great. The big news is that the house is finally to be started on the Monday we go to the Blue Mountains. Oh well we will be able to see progress when we get back.

MLC

Megan came over and we all got dressed to the nines to go and inspect Methodist Ladies College to see if it was suitable for out gorgeous baby. We were very impressed by the facilities. Jenny and Megan did the grand tour while I looked after I.

Who is the proud grandfather!

Richard had stayed home to get all his photos from the night before online. Very busy day for him. Paul arrived and we all had takeaway Thai for tea. A lovely family day, and off to Newcastle tomorrow.

Holidays!

Off on 3 weeks holidays today. I flew to Melbourne this afternoon (after racing into town to have my nails done, what indulgence!). Mike took me down to the airport as he had the day off, good boy to his old Mum.

Jenny and Richard picked me up from the airport. It was great to see them again, only a month since I was in Melbourne but I always enjoy catching up. Jen and I went into town to have a look at a floral display at Crown Casino, I was so disappointed that I didn't take my camera. The display was spectacular. We had a chat to the guy who created the display about some strange but beautiful flowers we couldn't identify. They were beehive ginger and he told us they were great infused in the bath for arthritus.

Richard went off to photograph the Monash Uni Medical students' ball. Jen prepared a fantastic salad for tea. Recipe as follows:
beans (cooked)
red onion, sliced
olives, pitted
grape tomatos
tuna
French dressing as required.
It was very yummy as well as the obligatory brandy...

Who's blog is this anyway??

Heres a photo of Dylan, finally happy!

He made this billy cart by himself. Clever boy. Good to see him having some good old fashioned fun! We took it to the top of the big hill & let it rip.....

Its ME!

Hey Mother!

You've updated your blog - nice piccies by the way, love the sea eagle.

Now if I can work it out I'll post a picture of The Beast that stayed with us this weekend (he was sweet really). His name is Bryce and he is a Dogue de Bordeaux - huge & slobbery! His owners were staying in the cottages & went to a wedding, so we baby sat. I gave them this pic when they left (printed A3). Ain't he luverly!

Kettering

Kettering was the focus this weekend. Marie and I decided to look for somewhere different to walk. I have been there so often but never walked around the headland into Trial Bay. It was a beautiful walk, soft needles under foot that made the walking very easy. As we set out the Bruny Island ferry started its journey over to the Island with a full complement of cars and vans. So many tourists are here at the moment and what a fantastic day for them to explore the Island. The bay was full of yachts, on the way down we had heard on the ABC that the Kettering moorings were full.

The bark on the trees was so beautifully textured.


The roots created a lovely tracery on the ground and along with the strappy plants created a bit of a trip trap for the unwary.

The view from Trial Bay, looking down the river.

Arthur River

Tasmania is such a beautiful place; this weekend we travelled up to Arthur River via the North West coast. We consisted of Marie, Jill and me. Marie and Jill had planned this for four years, I am glad they didn't get there before and that they included me in the trip.

Do what ever you can but get yourself to the Arthur River and take a cruise with Rob. This was very special, he knows the river and the local inhabitants so well. Just look at the magnificent birds we saw while cruising up the river. The opportunities to take photos were endless; kingfisher, sea eagle, wedge tail eagles, and a variety of ducks. I did miss the platypus we saw playng in the river; he was just too quick for me.

Welcome back

Well it is now 2006! I am going to start writing here again. The most exciting thing that has happened is that the new computer area is in. It isn't quite finished yet, I think I will have to give Mat a ring about that...moral is never pay until it is finished.

I haven't taken a photo yet but Mike took some of the 'empty' space. Must get on to designing the TV area now.

I have spread 10m of woodchips around and I am very happy with the garden at the moment, I have hardly done any watering all summer and the garden has survived.

Oh beautiful rose

 

oh and one last thing.....

...the people who stayed in the cottage last night.....were TOTALLY WARM! heh.

How's this for cute??

and we have 3 more just like it :-)

My Mum the Cook

Who would have thought?? C & D are totally surprised (having had the experience of nourishment from Mum for a few weeks), but she has come up with an absolute blinder of a recipe. We even taste tested it today - but I didn't have any leeks or sun dried tomatoes, so it turned into a Smoked Salmon, Fetta & Spanish Onion tart instead. Was still scrumptious and enjoyed by everyone for lunch. We had it with a salad of baby Mesculin & spinach, with a Verjus dressing (and the balsamic on top of course!).

Good one Mother :-)

Nabs

Snow in Hobart

It snowed overnight and I am unable to get up to Mt. Nelson for work today, so have been working from home. The mountain looks superb.