A stroll down my street....

I feel so privileged to live where I do.

I have to admit though, it has taken many years of adjustment to adapt to living in Australia.

I came here from Scotland when I was 15, very resistantly I might add.

I like Scotland.  I loved the countryside.  I liked strolling along trout-filled river banks and climbing mossy hills.

I loved the smell of the air, and that special sort of light you get in the summer months.

Fields of daffodils, a woodland of bluebells, hedgehogs, red robins and badgers.

But once you have children in another country, you enter a kind of 'no mans land'.
You don't really belong to either place.

So this is why I am now happy to say, that I have found a kind of 'peace' about where I live.

We moved to the Southern Highlands area of New South Wales about 17 years ago.  Yes, I know, for a Scot, the Highlands is an apt place to be!
And what is more, I live in a very Scottish named village - Robertson.

This village has no airs or graces (although it is home to many celebrities that buy country homes here, and they are often found eating in local cafes, shopping in town, etc.  Even had Nicole Kidman and Keith whatshisname casually morning-teaing in the nearby town a few months ago).

But Robertson is unpretentious.
I can feel quite at liberty to pop down to the cafe for a coffee in my gardening clothes - and noone would bat an eyelid! Don't you just love that?

When your dog runs away in a storm (and yes, Cindy Bee, she did have a tag on), you come home to a message on the phone to tell you that it's ok, your dog is here at the pub, pick her up when  you're ready, mate.

What was that 'Cheers' song?  A place where everybody knows your name...

Anyway, I thought I would share some photos with you when I went on my stroll the other day.

These photos were taken on the road where I live. 

Maybe you can see why, being a Scot, I like it here.  It could sort of be anywhere really.

That's mostly why they filmed the 'Babe' the pig movie in this village - hard to tell what country it is.

 

 

Dandelions in profusion amongst the grass and brambles.

 

 

 

 

Picking and eating blackberries warmed by the sun - brilliant.

 

 

 

Now, in this photo, I am standing on the road taking the picture and where the red arrow is, shows where the road winds down and around the fields and farms.  It eventually winds down to some beautiful waterfalls.

 

 

 

Wild fennel

 

 

 

And look at these beauties I spied down the bottom, having a grand old time in the water.

 

 

 

There are lots of wild fowl and animal life around here.

 

 

 

Can't forget the dear old cows.

 

 

 

Hope you've enjoyed our stroll today.

Where do you live, and what do you like about it?

cheers
Fi

Back to the shed, and four seasons...

Finally got to saunter over to the shed today, although the weather started off a bit hot to be too energetic.

As you can see from the photos, there's probably too many things going on at once in here.
Time for a sort out/tidy up.

Found and dusted off the old easel and dug out some canvases.
I had a lot of fun playing with thin layers of paint mixed with a bit of glazing medium. 

After taking this photograph, I noticed that the top left corner of the painting is sagging a bit - does anyone know how to fix this?

I even had the sewing maching out, trying to hem curtains.  I say trying, because I only got one set done.  The other four sets are hanging up on the window with pins in them.
I will get back to them....

Tried my hand at a bit of angel painting, again glazing layers of paint.

 

This is what I was supposed to be doing - painting little houses.  I love painting houses, I find it very therapeutic.

The book behind them is a birthday present from my daughter.

 

Haven't really had a good look through it yet.  I'm saving it for that moment when I can just relax and drool over it for a while.  Doesn't it look so - clean? And pretty.

 

This priority mail envelope from the U.S. contained another birthday present (self-bought).

I say priority mail, but it did take weeks to arrive (mainly because the local post office had it sitting there for a week, and hadn't let me know it was there.)

 

I'm sure some of you guessed where it was from.

Yes, that's right.  More Jo Sonja stuff.

I'm building my collection of her dvd's, as it is just like having a workshop with her, and I don't have to leave the country.

I did go to a workshop of hers about 20 years ago when she came to Australia.

Along with Heidi England, Helen Cavin, Linda Wise and Helen Barrick.

I might show you the packages in a bit more detail in a few days.  Maybe talk to you about why I picked each one.

I made a bit of handmade soap over the holidays.

All pure and natural, with pure essential oils.

This is the soap drying on the rack.  It takes about 6 weeks to 'cure'.

The middle ones are soap too.  These are my first attempt at cupcake soaps - I have a long way to go.

I need a bit more practice using a piping bag.

The ducks have finally made it onto the wall.

We've had some really hot days here over the last week or so.  I know I live in Ozland, but, I live in the Southern Highlands, where the weather is supposed to cooler.

Thank God for air conditioners.  (Scots like me need them in the heat)

My lovely hydrangea bushes are wondering what is going on.  Look how shriveled and sad they look.

I picked a few so they could get a drink of water and maybe perk up a bit.

I normally leave them in the vase to dry naturally, but I doubt that the ones I picked today will dry well, due to the state they were in.

Anyway, would you believe, before I even got a chance to upload the photos complaining about the dry and heat - this is what happens!

Hail!
And thunder.
And rain.
All over my washing......

Then ten minutes later - the sun is back out.

Followed by this - looks pretty cool though, don't you think?

I'm thinking maybe my plums should ripen nicely though.  Good heat to sweeten them up.  Rain to swell them up.

Now I'm off to calm the dog down, who thinks that every time it rains and thunders, she has to sit on my knee - not easy to type when she does that!

cheers
Fi