GOLDEN DROPLETS....

WATERING OF THE GROVE...... Standing on my back porch.....this is the view up towards the hill.......thinking! might try out zoom thingie on my camera........the top of our back fence at bottom on pic....

The Irrigation sprinklers are going full speed.......

And Zooming in bit by bit....so it does work - great - notice the rogue palm trees thriving amongst the orange trees.......

Closer........

Yep that will do it!!!! - can even see some oranges on the trees.....

see ya!

CACTUS FETISH.......

Cactus is a sore point at my place...Hubbie will have none of it planted in the ground...NOXIOUS WEEDS he reckons.....so I put some in containers:- but this managed to stay in the ground, even though he managed to damage half of it?

This "weed"  is planted in an old basket......

 Other bits and pieces placed here and there to satisfy my liking for cactus......

SOLAR TWINKLE. ..

COULD NOT RESIST THIS PIC......last night, it had been raining and was on dark and when I glanced out the back door, the setting sun caught my eye - I thought it would be too dark as the  solar garden xmas lights had already come on.....so I took these pics just to see if they would look OK...I was surprised the lights came out so well...

Love solar garden lights - must get some more before the family come home for Xmas.  I also need to dig  out the house decorations as we have been to Canberra (Daughters/SIL) for the past 3 years, so I haven't bothered to tizzy up for xmas...

When I start to clean and  dust.....Oh boy! xmas will be closer....LOL

UNINVITED GUEST.......

LIZARD,   GOANNA  ... Stepping outside my back door onto the porch (I was going to take washing off the line) I was confronted by this little guy!  - lucky I had eyes down..I would have had a heart attack if I had stepped on it..When the weather starts to warm up I am usually in the habit of "eyes down" so I don't give a snake a heart attack,  and it bites me, which is usually how folk get bitten, by surprise happening  to both parties.

CHARCOAL PROGRESS..

More progress with charcoal drawing....  today we are still  concentrating on perspective - vertical and horizontal lines.  But it seems much harder today,  it is a street scape with loads of buildings, which have windows, doors, balconies etc etc....(I didnt get to do a balcony- didn't want anyone stepping out of my puny windows and falling down LOL)

SUNDAY SANDWICH. ..

SUNDAY SANDWICH SAGA,  evolves on the weekends when catch can is the mode of eating.  I will always go for the quickest to cook that looks OK and actually tastes OK.

 

 I was happy with a snag (sausage) and onions with tomato sauce aka sausage sizzle

Hubbie had snags, chips, scrambled eggs and fried tomatoes .  Frozen chips in oven - snag and tomatoes in fry-pan and scrambled eggs in microwave....which I love (the microwave) I use it most nights in meal preparation.... I know lots of quick tricks using the microwave....Did I ever say I love cooking????   NO hence the quick - hurry up - casserole in oven etc etc stuff....

PILATES OR YOGA ????

 Well today in  Pilates, at the Library, a funny thing happened:-  during the course of the Pilates exercises, we were all concentrating on getting it right when a tall Indian Gentlemen appeared and sort of thought we should be doing yoga (I think)

TIMELESS DIDDLE DADDLE. ...

While driving home the other day after my ukulele lesson, my mind wandered back to all the things I had attempted over the years...then BINGO what about how you became a typist?  remember what you started on - compared to where you are now....

 

Yep it was one just like this...Oh! Boy! I actually learnt to touch type on a machine of this vintage.. I remember we had an apron thingie attached around our necks, then the other end attached to the typewriter.  Our hands then went under the cloth apron thingie - eyes on the text book and away we went, by feel only - no trying to peek under to see if we were on the right keys.   off you go aaaspacelllspaceaaaspace aaa lll aaa lll   so on and so on, until the whole keyboard of letters was memorised, and your fingers comfy on the right letters.  The other memory was the noise we all made.....clack clack clack space clack clack clack space.  Pause grab handle to return carriage along.  Touch typists seem to  be a thing of the past now.  Thumbs go whizzing over pads on phones and tablets...or pointer fingers plonking away on putter keyboards.

(Pointer,  plonking, puter fingers - gotta be a song or poem in them there words..LOL )

Then came the electric typewriter...another story.  To me being a heavy handed plonker - bashing away to reach 60 WPM (words per minute)  average really, but good enough for the bush.....So now being heavy handed, had to re-learn soft touch....Ha! not happening...to boot, no handle to return carriage....press button..Yep! more confusion, no apron thingie around neck - look down find right button , press, wizz, there you go....oh bugger,  mean Oh bother,  better take out paper and carbon paper wedged between papers  (there was always a copy) and re-do, dont think Boss will be happy with this mess...Manny a new start was made.

         THEN.....learning all over again, COMPUTERS  ...  Another learning curve and challenge to face.  But I must say, backspace is far superior to white out where mistakes are concerned.   

Since then I  have had several puters, then a lap top,  now a tablet, all challenging in there own ways....   

Now you might wonder what all this ranting about the history of typewriters is?   Remember I was driving home from ukulele lesson when all these thoughts raged through my mind.....WELL the thing is, the Ukulele is an instrument that has not changed throughout the ages and is still popular, still a challenge to learn, so some things are timeless, needing no improvement to survive in this always jumping forward world.......Here endeth the lesson rant.....LOL  PS. all pics compliments Internet (another story)

PLAY DAT MUSIC....

And here is the outside view of our Library....that I am visiting throughout the month of November.  I am getting a taste of various hobbies, pastimes - learning new stuff....Oh!!! and I am sure I have mentioned "I love the Library??"                          

Today it is the Ukuleles turn to enthral me, so here we go:-   Tips of fingers sore...brain twisted....and that's only learning 3 chords/notes?  The teacher is Peter, a well known local identity, who is very patience and encouraging.  His wife Lucy, also well known, is here to help with learning - and I am very glad she is sitting next to me, boy do I need guidance....Both of them keep reassuring all of us, with practice, it gets easier .  They have ukeleles that you can take home to practice on, for a token fee of $4 for the week I should have no excuses next week, other than blood is dripping out of the tips of my fingers...LOL

Now girls and boys, hold your instrument close - aim it up high - and here we go:- C   G   C   C7  F- Hanged if i can get that G note - 3 fingers tripping over each other, getting tangled.  So I try to read the sheet with music and words to the song we are playing, printed clearly - the other guys are clever  they can sing and play - I'm so busy looking to see where I have to put my fingers and then back at guide sheet, I can't open my mouth! Very unusual for me.  Just goes to show I am really, really concentrating. 

See the Ukulele on the table on the RHS that is me, vacating my spot to take photos - that seem to be a bit rushed and blurry - I hope you get the picture.....LOL

BLACK SOOT EVERYWHERE.......

CHARCOAL DRAWING AT TOWN LIBRARY :- It was fun and informative this is my sample of playing with the charcoal pencils and sticks.  Different ways of adding texture to drawings.....Back to the Library for more learning experiences.  A good number of people attended today.  I was so enthralled in "doing" that I forgot the "taking" but Next week I hope to remember some pics to give you a better idea....I only had my efforts to take photos of.

 

OK Now for my first effort - can you guess? it is supposed to be a pear?

We were all led along the path of planning out our next efforts....like a draughtswoman drawing up plans for a house...sort of like guide lines.

TA-DA...and here is my efforts.  Not too bad I reckon, as I had never done anything like this before.  Had trouble with the Poles - sort of wobblier than the fence posts - tried to keep them vertical to give the impression of perspective. Think that is what the teacher said..

I had a few laughs, enjoyed the experience and got dirty all over.  That charcoal stuff gets everywhere....don't scratch your face when playing with it - you end up with black all over..

WHAT WILL I PICK.......

Grand incentives offered by the local Council for the month of November.   It is free of charge and offers a trial in each of the courses.  They are being held in our Town Library (which I love)

I was very excited..rushed to the phone and immediately  put my name down for Pilates and Charcoal Drawing..  So I have attended the Pilates one and it was very interesting.  There were 20 ladies with their names down, but only 13 turned up - Oh! well! win some loose some.  If the pains in my body are any indication to the "gentle introduction" to Pilates, I am in desperate need of exercise.  I must confess I hate walking.  I have attended water aerobics before and even though I could feel the strain in my body, I enjoyed it.  Might think seriously about that again.

This is inside our Library - just some of the spaces  - this was early (they open at 9.30am) but normally the computer section in the background is full of people on the internet...We have a big backpacking population  in town and they find this library useful and friendly.

So whilst at the Library on Thursday, I put my name down for Basic Ukulele.  When I told Daughter in Canberra her reaction was "Ah! Mum, do we have to listen to Ukulele plucking when we come home at Xmas"....Don't think I will be that good.  Might buy some ear plugs to put with her Chrissie Pressies as a joke....Or really make an effort to learn some plucking...LOL                                                                

Now I know what it looks like and it has 4 strings (photo compliments internet) I should go back to Google and do some homework.  Thats if I really want to be serious and have ear plugs put to good use.....LOL   Cheers for now,  will keep you posted....next visit to Library will be for Charcoal drawing - wonder how that will go?     I guess my hands will be covered in black.  I am heavy handed, so must remember to take wet wipes...

       

                                                                       Just a friendly reminder if you want to keep up with what I  am getting up to - on the right is a diddle-daddle to put your email address into so you will be notified when I have posted new stuff:- it works I have put my email address all over LOL  ,  and love to keep up with everyone. 

NOT SURE REALLY....

Starting to warm up here, even though the nights still have a chill to drag up the doona for.... not much to report, have some exciting (to me) stuff coming up.. Will tell you all about it soon??  Better take a look & see what photo I can load to make this more interesting. ?..   Just  noticed this will be post No. 30 -  yippee moving along.....                                                                                       

These were taken from the car traveling home one evening

Cheers from MLR

PS I  just noticed that I have 3 posts half done....thinking, waiting for inspiration...so my 30th celebration is false.....Forgive me,  being a newbie I am still in the learning curve - it is only 27 BLOW........

OH YEAH! I DON'T ..AH! KNOW....

Have you ever had one of those moments when "Wham" Oh! bugger, what have I hit, backed into....Well it is a heart racing experience.  After hitting brakes severely hard...sit for a bit...get out of car (funny how you look around before looking at damage??Human thing "who is looking") See damage - talk yourself into well that's not too bad - knowing any damage is going to cost $'ssss  Then contemplate the telling of how the "damage occurred"

I'm going inside - don't even try to ask for my help!

I am not saying a word -  right !  no way am I dictating , writing or even signing a witness statement.  I was not a distraction!! It was NOT my fault...

Ok - best thing I can do at this point in time - cook favorite meal - silverside,  cauliflower, veggies and the magic of white sauce.....hope that does the trick!!! Make Hubbie happy - plead my innocence and blame the dog....After all, he cant really talk LOL

Better ring the fix-it man - put on my blond wig - throw myself on his mercy - plead silly, mistake backing up problem to see if I can get it fixed ASAP.    Then relax in MLR because when I Look at my bingle, it is not such a big deal - I am still mobile - cheers

bingle it really is not such a drama             

FISH EYES ??......

I enjoy downloading various apps related to fiddling and changing photos.   The latest one to have a play with is called fish eye. ?.. strange name as we don't really know how fish see.  Just because they seem to have round, Googly eyes.   This may be the reason it is called FISH EYE.?  Anyhow you be the judge.....   

These photos are taken in the courtyard that is attached to bathroom with the fish eye app.

Clever isn't it

Clicking around in My Lounge Room  MLR

Shadow play on back lawn....sun in right position- you can imagine I went clicking around everywhere with this app.. wont bore you with all my efforts just a wee sample.  I think it is cool..

LAST GLIMPSES. ....

 SOAKING UP EVERY DROP OF WARMTH
 
 Think we may have to fly into the trees soon and bunker down for the night.....

GOING GOING......

HERE THEY COME...

 

 

 

 The cockatoos arrive every evening - circling around looking for a safe place to rest for the night. It is normaly on dusk and their screeching alerts me - quick grab camera - lets see what they get up to tonight...

 

 Oh - I don't think so...lets just stay here.  Silly to follow him, we will see what happens?

Did you see that? think that is a bad, bad landing.....Ohhhh!!!!

Wow! that was lucky - managed to pull himself upright.  Don't think that's a great place to rest...besides cant really watch TV here - wrong place, wrong room.

BEES BUZZING...........

I only travelled from MLR (My lounge room) to my back yard for this post.  But I think it is interesting, I hope you do also..

The tree that is lopped every winter only to bounce back in spring and continue into full bloom - leaves and flowers - all through summer. I am always surprised at the time this process seems to take  You look and think "here comes the new growth"  then in no time at all you hear the buzzing of the bees and the birds all darting in  & out searching for nectar.     



THE CUTTING STACKING & TIDY UP PROCESS IS A YEARLY EVENT

I am sure there will be further updates about this tree as there is a whole lot more growing and spreading to do before the leaves start to fall again. Then it will start all over again - such is life & NATURE. .......

  During the course of putting this posting together I have been struggling with text to wrap around pics.  I have even asked a Canadian Blogger , All,  for some advise - this is his site..ALL & Kelly - Canadians Blogging They are known as Travels with the Bayfieldbunch CLICK HERE.. and is well worth a look - great Pics interesting stuff - especially about "skunks under the house" - and much more. So do yourself a favor and have a click in when you have time for a good entertaining read.

Cheers for now......