Day on the Green 2015

Two weeks ago I spent the weekend up in the Barossa Valley to attend  a music festival "Day on the Green"

I had actually written a post about it and lost it , somehow, when near completion. So I'm starting with the finish of the weekend and I may work my way backwards as time allows.

I thought I would start at Maggie Beer's Farm where her displays of produce in amongst the greenery and Christmas Cheer really made a welcoming sight. There was easily 50 tasting bowls with lovely goodies to taste and of course buy. Pickles , jams , spreads, glazes, ver juice, quince pastes ciders and the lists goes on.

Of course we spent considerable time tasting almost each and everyone of the testers. They were continuously being refreshed so everything looked just lovely. 

This welcoming bouquet was in the toilet and the honey suckle gave a most delicate scent as you entered, better than most scents received when entering a toilet!

Outside wandering around the property a peacock. Not particularly keen on being the subject of my photos as he kept running away

earlier in the morning we drove around the area near our farm stay and of course I took some pickies of the surrounding hills

 And the reason for going to the Barossa, besides wine tasting, to see Paul Kelly and the merri souls.

 Two glam girls sitting up on the hill. A little toasted by the sun.

Gold Coast

In between working we snuck away to the Gold Coast for six days. David had a conference and Jordy and I tagged along for a mini break.  I went for a wander around the Burleigh Heads conservation park again in hope of seeing some birds again foraging around the rocks but it wasn't to be this time. The tide was in too far so no sand was exposed for birds to fossick in. I collected a few pieces of drift wood, thinking that they may or may not make spoons. I am really not to sure how they will carve up. But one never knows until you try. It is a lovely walk around the headlands and just a little further around this corner the surfers launch themselves off of the rocks to catch the break. It is fun watching them carve up the waves (no matter how small)

palms growing along the edge of the water.

I love the differing textures to be seen in the driftwood

Burleigh beach proper complete with surf patrol.

On to Kirra beach and Snapper Rocks, much the same scenery... just as nice

local inhabitant, a bearded dragon  / lizard sunning on the rocks

Surf fun in the sun for all those of you in colder climates. May I say that I am back in Adelaide and the temperature is currently in the mid 40s  (degree C) so we are sweltering here. We are not called the driest state in the driest country for nothing. Even the ocean is beginning to warm up and going for a dip at the beach is not necessarily refreshing...roll in the cooler weather

Four Calling Birds

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love sent to me.....

Four Calling birds

and an inability to finish this for thee>>>

ha ha ha!

So much for Christmas carols, but aren't these guys cute all lined up and snuggled together in our tree.

Other flying things to appear around here are some of my dragon fly prints made into cushions... it only took me about six hours to crochet the edging (because of the bobble stitch and also having to blanket stitch around the edge first) The things a gal will do to sell a cushion!

Actually I'm feeling pretty chuffed with myself as I have virtually sold all my saleable items recently and now can make a fresh start for the new year! Yipeee! I f only I had some spare time.

Spoons have once again been on the go. This one made from the cherry tree branch that was hanging dead on our side of the fence.

A pair of loved up birds necking outside in the trees.
And another spooning couple have flown the coup as well.

Back to Merry making....plenty of festive activity happening, not a lot of crafting!

Across the dunes

I went cockling on Saturday. You may well ask what this is and all I can tell you is that you dig in the sand on the shore line for shell mollusc  that are great bait for fishing. The eastern Australians call them pippies and some people even find them good eating. That being said I didn't take one photo of the process because I was too busy getting saturated in the waves with my bum up in the air digging around.
What I did take photos of was the path to the beach across the dunes, where I became entranced with the small things-  weeds,  they may be, but interesting when you look closer. Nature gives such wonderful shape and size to things. Everything has its own individual pattern and captures light in such delicate ways.

Rolling sphinifix  grass has such subtle hues of green

Seed heads ready to puff into the wind

Tiny delicate flowers

A weed but no less interesting with its budding head

And a capture of the bird life in the beach dunes.