Hobart Regatta Holiday starts the week...

Monday is a Public Holiday for Hobart Regatta Day....
It is a lovely cool morning out..

We are open for business as our customers on the mainland are still ringing in orders. We are flat out most of the morning.. Tom potters about with lego and doing some reading..
After lunch Tom and I go down to Randall's Bay as the scout group are there, mucking about in the new kayaks. Tom has a great time paddling about with his mates...The wind picks up and it gets pretty chilly, so we are glad to help carry and pack up the gear and head back about 3pm so Tom can have a hot shower.

After dinner we go up on the hill after dinner to check if there are any trees down after the strong winds that hit yesterday afternoon.. We only find one branch down..
Tom has a great time frolicking about on the hay bales that Steve has stacked together.

Nice to get home and have an early night..after the usual sock fight of course!!

Tuesday and Tom is happy to be heading to school.
We have another busy day with orders...John takes quite a load for the post office today..
Things quieten down after lunch so John gets a Rose Cream going and I prepare the boxes for packing tomorrow.
Work has begun  in the carpark to put up a bus shelter.. The bus is going to divert into the car-park soon. Shouldn't impact us too much.. (we are in the centre of Town after all)

Tom had another terrific day at school.

We begin some project work looking at how far we will travel in July when he and I go to Cairns /Daintree Rainforest.
After dinner I go over to the Supper Room for our first SwanSong rehearsal for the year. A lovely night of singing.

Good to get home to bed.

Wednesday begins with a stunning sunrise..

 

Tom enjoys some 'Ranger' in rather and odd position..before school..

 

We have a busy morning with orders customers and packing the Rose Cream.
Some steady rain falls during the morning...wonderful...but by 1pm the sun is shining.
The day passes quickly.
I bake some heart shortbread biscuits and ice them...ready to take to school on Friday for Valentine's Day.

Tom is very keen to do some research on 'Snake Island' off the coast of Brazil...So after dinner we watch the Attenborough DVD about Snakes again..

Thursday is a really humid day.

John harvests some Equisetum to compost down to prepare for a second planting in the compost.

The Belladonna is looking stunning..

 

Tom does his usual morning reading before school..

 

I go down to garden and we weed and water etc. It is very hot in the sun and no breeze today.
We are all very glad to sit down to our shared feast at 12...it just gets bigger and better every week...we will need a bigger table soon!!.

There is plenty to be done back at work and the afternoon flies...
We have early dinner and go over to the Hall. The May Ball matriarchs are holding weekly dance classes in preparation for the Centenary Ball on March 1st. We have decided to attend the ball , so go along to brush up on our Gypsy Tap, Pride of Erin, Barn Dance and Quickstep.. Most of those attending are from the Sailing Club...we know a few people though...I dance with Thomas and John has various partners over the hour. Tom is a natural...he knows the dances from May Ball and is really light on his feet...very enjoyable. John is very pleased to realise he has still got the knack...dancing well. We look forward to next week.

Friday..Happy V day!! A grey morning...

Tom takes a box of heart biscuits and secretly leaves them in the office for the staff and teachers..
He goes back at Recess to check they were found!!
We have another hectic day in the shop...a big week of orders..
Nice to have lots of book customers too..
We are pretty tired by evening.
I muster up the energy to go up to the Top Pub for drinks with the girls. Lovely to catch up with their news...it's been awhile .
Nice to get home for some 'Ranger' before Tom goes to bed...John and I are not far behind.

Saturday is a lovely morning.
First day of sailing today..
John drops Tom and heads off to Huonville to go to the hardware and Tip shop..
The bus shelter arrives on the back of a truck!!

I get a lot of chores done around home..then walk down to the Sailing Club. John arrives just as Tom is helping pack up the Pacer he was sailing. He had a great morning..as it was still and warm, they did some capsizing practise...all good fun..

We potter around and have a restful afternoon.

We plan to go up on the hill for picnic dinner after Tom is back from work...but the rain comes across..so we picnic at home instead and watch 'The King and I'. We will be going to a production at the Opera later this year..so thought it was a good idea to familiarise Tom with the music.
There is a solid downpour of rain as we head to bed...lovely..

Sunday is cloudy but dry...at least to start..
It is Market Day again..so Tom and I go over to help Kate and David carry in their stall boxes.
John does the rounds and comes back with several armloads of books for the shop...very happy.
I make Apple Jelly from the 'windfall' apples that Jo and I picked up on Thursday at community Garden..very pleased with the result!.

We pack a picnic lunch and go up on the hill..The rain mist is coming and going..
Thomas goes over to the hay paddock to do some archery.
John and I go in the opposite direction to 'Puddleglum' forest...looking for tall straight young trees we can cut down for beams for roof of shed we want to build on the concrete slabs under the trees.
We find some possibilities...

John cuts a tree down and Thomas (who has re-joined us) gets to work with his tomahawk ..trimming the branches away and chopping to size.

Despite several attempts, we can't carry them up the slope to the paddock..I just do not have enough strength... (Good thing Connor will be here at Easter time..some extra muscle will be very handy!!)
The rain begins to pelt down just as John has cut a second tree..so we 'abandon ship' and go home..just too wet.
Again we picnic at home...and enjoy a quiet afternoon at home..
When Tom goes to work, John goes back up on the hill for a couple of hours to get the tree second down...then he stakes out the prospective driveway to be graded in a couple of weeks... Yes...believe it or not...we finally have building approval. First step is to get the driveway and house site graded and flattened. Very Exciting...but we are not holding our breath...things move slowly here..
Tom enjoys some archery practise out the back while I prepare dinner.

I have a quick run around town and take a look at the building progress at school.

We have a quiet and early night..