Magnolia

Fitzroy

Hissing Sid

The bravest animals in the land are Captain Beaky and his band
That's Timid Toad, Reckless Rat, Artful Owl and Batty Bat.















They march through the woodlands singing songs
that tell how they have righted wrongs...
















"No, make it me!" Said Reckless Rat
I'll stand there in my reckless hat
When Hissing Sid picks up my trail,
I'll just lasso him with my tail!"















...Then into sight the snake came hopping,
Right past his hole, no sign of stopping
Said Reckless Rat, "That's rather funny,
"There's something jumping in his tummy."

Hiding in plain view

I have lived here for a while now and occasionally make my way by car to Northcote. The first time I tried it on foot I found things to make the heart of a country girl sing. Wetlands and hidden corners and a rock by a river to sit on and do homework.















There were mosquitoes and many birds, including ducks.














I thought the girl duck had flown off.














But actually they were just doing duck things.














And soon, baby ducks!

Autumn is my first love, but Spring? not so shabby

One of my students has the best hats, she got this one and a yellow one from an island off the coast of Scotland.














I want to knit this (maybe I will find/make time...)

Plans -

The holidays start at the end of the week and I am just going to quickly jot down a few things. I always get to the holidays and can't remember all the things I was wanting to do when I didn't have time.

Make pumpkin and ginger waffles. Except I am going to have to find someone with a waffle maker. Find someone with a waffle maker.

Which puts me in mind of pumpkin pie. Make pumpkin pie.

The first thing I am going to start on the holidays is brooklyntweed's Beaumont Tam.

Grow corn and sunflowers.

Go to Wang (hee hee) (or Beechworth) with someone fabulous.

Finish spinning the blue fibre into yarn.

Teach the girl cat (now called Artemis [mis for short, which I think is bloody hilarious, but then I would]) to walk on the lead. Outside.

Bake cupcakes with fabulous icing.

Go see some films. (Up, Coraline, something with Boots in the title (or was that just a dream?) Che (o! Benicio, be still my heart) and the 10 Conditions of Love (if it is still showing))

Lie in the park under a tree and read a book.

Lie under a tree in my favourite part of the cemetery and read a book.

Hang out with friends I haven't seen in ages.

Cook extensively from the new books from Portland and include Broad Bean and Mint Salad with Asparagus; Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes; Cornbread Salad; and Red Lentils with Chaat Masala among the recipes to make.

Happy -















Well.... life's alright... (bless a man who can use an apostrophe)














As I walked along an old haunt I found a new shop. I chatted to the girl, she and her brother are running it and they've been open 6 weeks. She said it feels like playing when your parents are out. Her brother's first purchase for the store was a turntable, which would be my brother's first purchase for a store, were we to run one together. And it is exactly the kind of store my brother and I would have - full of delicious things of deliciousness.

I found wholemeal flour that was actually wholemeal, and not white flour with bran added, and Agar Agar, which I have been searching for high and low. I was talked into buying sulfur-free apricots, which look like shrivelled up ears.














A parcel arrived in the mail. I have been enjoying the colour tutorials at Ruth's blog and had a little hiccough in the whole no buying yarn thing. What a happy accident. The colours fill me with delight.














It is my exactly second favourite kind of weather at the moment.














Happy? Thank you, yes.