Festival Of Green

Yesterday Katie, Mr F, and I took a trip down the mountain to the Festival of Green at Springwood Primary School where we met our TV idol,  Costa, from Gardening Australia. We love the Gardening Australia show on the ABC at 6:30pm on Saturday evenings. Costa was running no-dig garden workshops in the school's veggie garden. I love no-dig gardens. I have made a few these gardens in rental properties in the past.

I'm inspired to make a few no-dig gardens at home here.

Here he is making the first layer.

Mr F keen to help laying the lucerne. It's like making a garden lasagna with all the layers of cow and chicken manure, leaves and lucerne.

Katie and myself lending a hand.

Costa was so friendly and approachable. He made time for everyone who wanted to say hello. He even gave Mr F a bag with charcoal in it so that he could  look at the structure of the charcoal under a Microscope, which made Mr F's day.

After the workshop we had a wander around the rest of the festival. There were little chickens for sale but they where un*exed. So it was a bit of a 50/50 gamble if you were going to get a hen for $15 a chick. If you don't mind getting a roster that's OK, but if you're planing them for the backyard most councils don't let you have roosters. It annoyed me as these are living things, not a disposable item. I felt a bit sad for the fate of the young chicks that to grow to be roosters.

Katie and Mr F had a great time on the dodgem cars....

... and the huge slide.

There was a little demo in Aquaponics. I couldn't see any fish in the tub and the water was very murky.

The Blue Mountains Wildplant rescue was also there selling their plants.

School Chickens: These lovely ladies look so happy wandering around pecking at the grass.

There was a scarecrow competition.

This was an invisible man. Not sure it would scare any birds, but it did look realistic.

We listened to story tellers and had a great day. I forgot my hat and got a little bit sunburnt, but it was a wonderful festival and I hope they have it again. Lou was at a birthday party and was disappointed that he didn't get to meet Costa.

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

. . . . . . . . . . 

Well, this photo was from a few weeks ago when we were down the South Coast.  :)

Little Box

Inside this little match box that Lou is painting is an important little treasure...

Lou lost his first tooth today. My little boy is growing up so fast.

Lou was so excited. He has been carrying his tooth around all day. We lost it once in the car but luckily he found it quickly. The second wiggly tooth is not far behind the first.

At the moment it is under his pillow for safe keeping.

It was freezing up here in the mountains today. Lou was playing with my camera, taking random shots of things that appealed to him - like my next door neighbour's washing! When he wasn't taking pictures of random things, Lou took this photo of me shivering while I'm knitting  Annabel .

I should have finished this project ages ago but I've been dragging my feet. I really didn't get a lot of knitting done this Winter and I have quite a substantial stash to get through. I still haven't knitted a sock or figured out how to crochet yet - it has been on my knitting 'to do' list for a few years now. Time is flying by - I've just been busy with our new place sorting out the garden and house.  

Lou painted this fire truck putting out a fire this afternoon.

The House Of Wool

There's a new yarn shop in town called The House of Wool. Much to my excitement, it stocks Noro.
I was up in Blackheath on Sunday for the growers market and happened to pop in ........ and walked out with 3 skeins of sock wool from Hawthorne Cottage Yarns.

I have no idea what I'll knit with these lovelies. They will sit in my stash for a while until I learn how to knit socks or a maybe shawl ......

So many possibilities ....:)

Freaky Snow!

Last Friday we woke up to an amazing sight - snow flakes falling from the sky! The kids and I were laying in bed watching it from my bedroom window. It was very exciting for us as it hardly ever snows up here in the upper mountains any more. We get the occasional little bit falling from the sky, but nothing that ever settles. Last week we were down the south coast in the warmth, and the ocean and sun, then came back to the cold of the mountains.

My Waratahs are covered...

I don't even recognise my backyard. It must be a couple inches of snow. It kept falling for hours.

My front yard looked so beautiful cover in snow.

This dead old tree looked so beautiful. I was worried some of the branches would fall off due to the weight of the snow.

My fairy looks like she is shivering.

We put on our wet weather gear and headed off for a snow walk down our street. We didn't bother going to school as part of the highway was closed. So we stayed home and got the fire going.

And of course, we couldn't resist a snow fight.

My little snow angels.

We started to build a snowman but the kid's hands got too cold. We don't have waterproof gloves so they went inside and warmed themselves by the fire. I kept building this snow stalagmite - it was taller than me but it melted in a day.

Escape Artfest - Milton 2012

We just had a beautiful sunny week down the South Coast. The weather was amazing - it's so nice to get out of the cold mountains for a while. Near where we stay at my folks place, a little town called Milton had an Art Festival going on. There is art in shop window, displays and hanging up in shops, cafes and gallerys.

I was was really taken by this art display in Home Address' shop window. The artist is Jan Kierzkowski. Check out her blog Notes from the Willow Grove to see more of her beautiful artwork.

We met Jan on the evening of the Milton Gallery walk. She was so lovely answering my kids and my  questions about her art work. She got Katie and Mr F inspired.

These pictures are some of the entries in the Bendigo Bank Art Prize 2012 8X8 Canvas. I love this tree picture - the bark had a raised texture which was coming out of the canvas. Unfortunately, the photo didn't capture it very well.

 

I also love this tree branch coming of the canvas too. Katie took these photos.

We got there a bit late as we had been at the beach that afternoon. So by the time we got cleaned up and got there we caught the last hour of the walk and a bit of music. It was a beautiful evening - I could feel Summer on its way.

And of course, what is an Artfest without street performers.

After looking around, we went to Pilgrams Cafe. It has the best vegetarian food. We got a nachos to share. 

I was taking a few pictures without the flash. I like the warm light from the street lights - it gives the pictures a softer edge. Sometimes I find the light from the flash is a bit to harsh.

As the cafe was really busy we had to wait a while. So while we waited, the kids did their own version of performing a bit of street theatre................