New home for a while

I am just in love with the house we are living in for the next 6 months or so.  This is one of the bedrooms with french doors opening onto the closed in verandah.  I had to block up the fire place, didn't want any unexpected visitors in the night.  The first nigh I had a spiritual experience, think it was dad letting me know he approved of what we are doing, I know he would love this house and Donnybrook.

Looking from that bedroom out to the verandah is one end of the long deep verandah and this end is my art space.  Lovely light but too hot to work in, in the afternoon.

Looking along the verandah

The other bedroom off the verandah

From the opposite end of verandah I have my sewing machine up and ready when I am!!

From the end of the hallway into verandah another set of french doors

and looking back to the family area

from opposite end

small sitting room off the kitchen

The kitchen looking through the family room to french doors leading to front verandah.  This area is about 20 years old and was added on.  The rest of the house is over 100 years old and was a railway workers house.

other side to table and chairs is the bathroom

and looking out french doors, another doorway leads to the laundry that has a shower and another toilet

Looking into family area from front verandah

Don't you just love these windows, nice deep bath but haven't had a swim in it yet

Front verandah is long and wide, goes around the corner at the end where the laundry opens from.

You can see from this photo how cool this verandah is.  Behind the far end is endless rolling paddocks with cattle grazing.

Now these cupboards aren't going to be to every bodies taste, but I just love there basic rawness, also love the wooden benches.

I hope i haven't bored you with all my photo's but I love this house and wanted to share it with you.  Its not a flash house but it is very homely.  Its very quirky, floors are uneven, and things don't match up but it is all part of its appeal.

Leaving behind

This will be my last posting for a couple of weeks as later today the internet and telephones will be disconnected.  I will only have my mobile phone for communications.

Below is what we are leaving behind, damn, our first fruit on the grape and passionfruit vines, about a dozen bunches of grapes and about 20 passionfruit.  Hope the new owner enjoys them.

 House inspection was on Wednesday amid all the packing.  Below is some of the cartons packed ready to go.  This is the first time we have ever used a removalist.  They will be here at 7 am Monday and we are just about ready.  Still have the shed and garage to do.  Still have a few days and some things you can't do until the last minute like your kitchen stuff.  I keep looking for things then remember I have packed them away.  It will be fast foods for the next few days.  Although I have the Illuminate in the city tonight with Phil and then we are going to the hotel for smorgesboard tea tomorrow night with Joanne and all her family as we wont be seeing them over the Christmas break.

 Its not home now all the empty spaces, cartons all stacked up ready to go.  empty bookshelves and cupboards, the week of goodbyes.

and on a brighter note, we met Kirsty down in Mount Lawley for coffee last week.  at this cafe attached to the best bookshop in Perth, Planet Books.  I just had to take a photo of this magnificient wall illustration, can you see John sitting there patiently, I don't think he gets why I get so ecstatic about arty things, but humours me.  If I don't hear from you, have a wonderful Christmas and I will catch up in the New Year.  We will be staying at Kirsty's for two weeks after Christmas looking after Angus as we don't have fences at the new house, they have a pool so I intend to get into the water in the expected heat.  Love you all xoxoxo

ENTERTAINMENT

 Free entertainment at the moment.  Mumma Magpie and her two bubba's, can you see them peeping over the hedge to see what Mumma has got.

 better check it out, looks like something we could eat, other one still peeping over

 hey, come back here, mumma said you had to share

 wait for me, haven't  got my wing power yet!!!

 ok, a drink out of the sprinkler to wash it down, does the trick

Now what mischief can we get up to.

endless entertainment, they are outside the bedroom window about 5.30 sqawking for breakfast.  They are nesting in the big will tree nearby, watching for me to throw some bread out, then come swooping down, very tame.

Busy weekend

 Sunday week ago I did a Encaustic art workshop at Midland.  The workshop was held in the gallery of this beautiful old building.  Upstairs all the rooms are let out to artists as studio's.  You can see why I loved the building.  All chipped paint and this beautiful staircase in a lovely shade of blue, I had to take photo's in the lunch break.  the stairs where a bit difficult to photograph as it had short run of steps then turned.  Wanted to capture the colours and textures.

 this was out the back

 Oh, this was the encaustic art pieces I made, encaustic is made up of layers of coloured wax, was quite fun.

I finished them off at home, embedding heavier objects into the wax.

 On the Saturday, I spent the day with Phil at the fair in Claremont.  And like I just needed MORE old books to pack for Donnybrook, I bought these lovely old books drawn by the texture and colours. 5 for $15, rarely see any like this here and they usually want a fortune for them.  I think the language in them is Dutch but are they not beautiful.  You know my passion for old books, I have already used some pages in the encaustic art the next day, just a couple as I don't want to ruin the shape of the books.

breakfast

Auckland Botonical Gardens

The last day in New Zealand we met up with John's neice, Sharron, and she took us to the Botanical Gardens, knowing that I loved gardens.  These gardens are stunning, very well thought out.  I love this fig tree espaliered against the brick wall, certainly looks healthy

 This water feature reminded me of the koro, I bought one for Raymon in Tairua, lovely shape.

 this sculpture is fascinating, its all shovels, neat aye.

 Loved the cottage gardens, so much inspiration for me.

 stunning rose, can almost smell it

 a lovely vista for the eye to travel

 my favourite rose is these single roses, don't know what its called but it is impressive with its apricot centre

 doesnt it look great mixed with these purple fowers

 and this one looks like porcelain, love the colour and the show of stamens

 and then there was these cool cacti gardens set off amongst the rocks and boulders.  We had lunch there and then it was off to the airport

farewell New Zealand until we meet again