Heading into the light...post solstice

Sunday is another cool morning..
We have a lovely plan for today. After breakfast we drive up on the hill to take a look at where the morning sunlight falls mid-winter.. It is beautiful to see.

 

Then we drive into Hobart (stopping at Officeworks for shop supplies) then up to North Hobart Sate Cinema. We have some morning tea then see "Satellite Boy"..a story of an Aboriginal boy and his Grandfather...set in Whyndham/ Bungle Bungles...a lovely film.

Then after a quick bite to eat we go to Glenorchy Re-Use (Tip) shop. John finds glass sheets to make his hothouses for the cuttings we are striking.. Tom finds some treasures too.
We drive home via Margate Re-use shop and John is delighted to pick up a stack of pots for $10...

Once home, the boys get to work on the cuttings while I iron Tom's uniform for school and get dinner on.

The boys have a sword fight out the back, before dinner...

then we watch the first episode of "Africa" DVD Hannah gave Tom for his birthday...Fantastic.

Monday is very chilly...quite a frost on the footbridges this morning so I go carefully so I don't slip.

We have a busy morning of orders...and John makes a powder and a cream during the morning.
I notice Thomas with his teacher and some fellow students wandering down the street carrying a plant back to garden class..nice.

The day flys by as we are very busy.
No computer club this afternoon..Thomas is a bit disappointed.
We do some work on the map of our land..putting in landmarks and giving areas special names..fun
Then it's off to scouts. John is busy sorting a load of books a local brought in..so I walk Tom down and continue down to Martin's Point...getting chilly out.
Carpark continues

We have a quiet night in once Tom is home again.

Tuesday is cool again..quite a frost
We are flat chat all day...such big orders today...so no time for anything else.
By evening, we decide to eat at home rather than go up to soup night as we are really tired.

Wednesday and it's cool but no frost today.
The mist hangs around ...but an hour later has cleared.

Not so busy with orders today...just a few small ones..but that's ok.
We label creams, make Bath Milk, sort books, do some admin work and help some customers.
Thais afternoon, Thomas and I spend time on a secret birthday project for John.
Then it's a quiet night in watching the political antics on tele...

Thursday and it's not so cold today ..already 2 degrees when I go walking..
Off to garden today. It is a grey morning, but we work hard and enjoy eachother's company...just Liz, Jo and me today. We weed lay newspaper and shovel loads of mulch to the mandala garden...lots more to do but it is a good start.

We harvest Rocket to bundle and sell to Cygnet Garden Larder. We also harvest Feijoa , Chinese radish and tomatoes.. I bring home more apples to stew as well.

The afternoon is busy with orders and customers.
Tom and I enjoy our recorder lesson this afternoon, learning 3 new pieces. Tom is picking it up very quickly...it's delightful.
After dinner we settle in for episode 2 of Africa DVD...fascinating.

Friday...cool and grey again.But we get the fires going early and don't notice it.
Too busy with orders that keep coming through today...funny how some Fridays are quiet and others....
The day passes very quickly.. We spend the evening getting organised for our overnight stay in Melbourne.

We have a lovely stay in Melbourne, even though our plane is delayed...
We stay in the city...enjoying sightseeing, shopping in town and on Sunday I go to the Hollywood Costumes exhibition while the boys play at the park...then we go to Brunswick St for lunch and wander down the street. A great visit.

 Light reflections in laneway cafe window..

 alcove window in our hotel room...like an eagle's eerie...

 Fun at the park

Refreshment

 More refreshment for a growing boy

(The Hollywood Costume exhibition was wonderful...saw the Dorothy costume worn by Judy Garland..including Ruby slippers, Green velvet Scarlett O'Hara gown worn in Gone with the Wind...Audrey Hepburn's breakfast at Tiffany's black dress, The gorgeous ensemble and hat worn by Kate Winslett as she boards the Titanic, Eliza Doolittle flower seller outfit, Matrix, Spiderman, Batman costumes, Bruce Willis singlet from Die-hard, Charlton Heston Ben Hur robes, Elizabeth Taylor -Cleopatra, Pirates of the Caribbean- Jack Sparrow outfit, numerous outfits worn by Meryl
Streep in 6 of her films, Marilyn Munroe's white dress and more...fab..)

Winter solstice

Sunday we enjoy a relaxed morning. Market is on and we do the rounds.
John is delighted to find a lovely lantern made at Sovereign Hill. Thomas is very keen to use it in the Lantern Parade on Saturday night..
We potter about doing various things then have lunch.
We go up on the hill in the afternoon. (Hannah decides to go back to town as she is working tonight.)
It's cool and wet out but we have a lovely walk. John drops Tom and i at the bottom gate and drives to the top gate. Then we test the 2-way radios we gave Thomas for his birthday. Fantastic range as we hear each other perfectly. We meet at the house site, then Tom goes in one direction and we go the other. We check in with each other as we go...good fun.

Thomas visits Possie in her tree near the cubby and we meet there before heading back to the car ...just in time as the rain starts to get heavier.

John drops me at Martin's Point so I can have a walk home. The swans are a lovely sight.

A nice evening watching another Earthflight.

Monday is grey again. We are flat out all day with orders and it just flies by.
Thomas arrives in...no computer club today...
He has received a birthday parcel from Lioba..a terrific hat from Switzerland..(especially terrific as Tom's sport house colour is RED)

We do a bit of science reading then its off to scouts. The planned Bonfire night has been cancelled due to wet weather...so they play games in the hall instead. (probably a good thing as Tom is still a bit 'coldy')

Tuesday is drizzly again. I go to physio first thing. My knee is alot better thankfully...so we decide I don't need any more follow up.
I am still enjoying the lovely roses that Ros (one of our workshop participants) brought in last week.

Orders just keep coming today. I had planned to go over to school to help in year 4 but ,at the last minute, have to tell Mrs Osborne I can't make it today. Too much to do.
I get picked up by Pauline to go to our Board Meeting in Huonville. Another interesting evening with a good group of people.

Wednesday and the morning is busy with John making and filling a cream while I cover orders and customers.There is a brief sunny period before the clouds roll in again..

 

We do the usual things in the afternoon...then dinner.
John is doing a Web Cast seminar tonight...on Effective Liquid Herbal Dispensing..should be interesting . It turns out to be a valuable exercise.

Thursday is grey but the rain holds off  for Garden.
There is no-one about for the first half hour or so...I weed the Garlic bed.

Then Carol and Liz appear. We relocate the chooks, put wheelbarrow loads of mulch on the pathway that is muddy and slippery, weed the Kale bed then start weeding the Mandala garden bed in preparation for mulching next week. We thoroughly enjoy our cuppa today after working hard.

Orders flow in during the afternoon so it passes quickly.
I notice the Bendigo bank has popped up...when I do the post run today.

Hannah is coming down for dinner tonight...will be lovely to see her.
The carpark is progressing..

I make some yummy beef and red wine pot pies ...Hannah and I have a brisk walk around town...then we have dinner before watching the final episode of Earthflight...Fantastic.

Friday is very chilly. A heavy frost today...as Hannah's car shows..

Lovely and fresh on my walk today.

Still alot of frost on the grassy hill as Thomas walks across to school. (His new white sport shoes stand out don't they)

We are busy with orders all morning. Hannah heads to work to do the lunch shift. She says it is a warm 7 degrees in town (at 12.30pm) compared to the 4 degrees in Cygnet.
The sun shines and we are very cosy inside with the fires going...
The day passes quickly..
We have early dinner together then I go up to the Top Pub to have drinks with 'the girls'..It's pretty chilly out...so I am glad of a lift home with Lyn.
I was tempted to go into Hobart to see the Dark MOFO light installation as it finishes this weekend...but opted for a cosy night at home.
Content with Hannah's photos.

Saturday is very chilly.

John heads off early to go into Hobart to chase up books.
Thomas and I opt to stay home...Tom takes advantage of a little sleep-in opportunity.

We have a very busy morning...5 loads of washing, remake the beds,bring in firewood, a little recorder practise,bake a cake then I make Soup for tonight's Lantern parade..phew...

Then John walks in just as I sit down..
He had a good morning, collecting some books etc.
He also took more cuttings of the Sequoia and Larch trees..
We have a bit of sit then head up on the hill for a lovely walk and play..just magic..

When we get home, Thomas is keen to go up to Loongana Park to help set up for the Lantern Parade Bonfire. He spends about an hour up there...having a lovely time.

John decides to stay home so Tom and I light his lantern and walk up to the marshalling point at the Cygnet Primary School. A  feeling of excitement and anticipation is in the air as we look at all the different lanterns...children and adults all assembling behind the ute that is decorated with tall flags. Then the signal is given as the police escort heads off and the drummers on the ute strike up a rhythmic beat. Fantastic atmosphere as we parade down the hill then along the main street to the park..Great fun.

 

The (almost) super Moon.....

 

 The shadow cast by Tom's lantern..

 

I leave Tom at the park and go home to get John. We carry the soup between us up to the tent in the park where people are lining up ..There is free soup and bread and popcorn too!!.
Before long the bonfire is alight...music plays and the crowd enjoys the company of eachother.

 

 

John and Tom decide to head home (buying hot chips on the way)..
I stay for another half hour or so...talking with friends and enjoying the music..
Then it's home to a hot cuppa and a cosy night by the fire.