Celebrated the new year with our good friends Pat and Bill and their daughter Jane and her friend at their home. Lovely bbq, a few drinks and standing outside to toast in the new year and count the satelites as they passed overhead. We spent a very comfortable night in their lovely caravan and returned home the next day. Thanks for having us stay guys and for making the time so enjoyable.

Trip to the Coast!

In all the hustle and bustle leading to Christmas, we decided to opt out for a couple of days and pay a visit to an old friend who lives at Somerset on the North West coast of Tasmania. It was a great couple of days even though the weather was somewhat inclement, in fact over night there was a howling gale and John kept talking about tidal waves and how we could get away from one. Talk about pessimistic.... I love to watch the sea when it is rough, covered in white topped waves and foaming on the shore. The picture above was taken from in front of our motel unit. Great view... Except for the shrub of course lol...

           Storm coming in from out at sea. Table Cape at Wynyard in the distance.

              Blue skies and calm seas the next day on the way home.
                             Heading back towards Burnie.

Arthur Henry Mitchell

This is a picture of my grandfather taken at my wedding shortly before he passed away.He fought in two world wars and was missing in action for as long as it took for him and a few other men to fight their way across Europe, from Normandy, where they missed the boats that were sent for the evacuation of the soldiers, to Sweden where they hitched a ride with a fisherman who kindly took them home to England.  We have been so fortunate to grow up in the world they made safer for us by their sacrifices. A true gentleman in every sense of the word and still missed and loved after all this time.

Two more beauties!

Had to show these beauties off!! The pink orchid is a Miltonia and the white and purple is a Phaleonopsis. Too beautiful not to share!

Sarcochilus Show!

 Thank goodness!   Our last orchid show for the year is finally over and done! We had almost 300 plants on display and i must admit, everything went really well for our one day show. We are both really pleased with our four prizes, especially as one of our plants was considered for grand champion. That was a real boost for us as we have never been that close before. I am so pleased that things went so well, as show marshall, the 'buck' as they say, stops with me so it's nice to be congratulated instead of castigated lol... Now i can have a rest until next years round of events. 

                                  A view down the hall.



Oh, i almost forgot, can't rest just yet, got to get over christmas but that's something i'm looking forward to, lunch at my son's home with all the family.....  Can't get any better than that.

Sunday Drive!!

Sunday storm coming in! Looks nasty but just a  bit of rain and wind and then it was gone.

 On sunday we went for a drive down the beautiful west Tamar. It was not the best of days for a drive but we both needed to get away from home for a little while and looking at the water is always soothing to the spirit. On the way home i remembered i had my camera with me and took a few snaps of the river. Beautiful...

Black swans on the river with Egg Island in the background

                                                        Swans with Deviot on the far shore.

Xmas Stockings!

I made these little xmas stockings for the kids.... Not sure what they will make of them because the youngest is 11years old. A few years ago i made xmas stockings out of fabric and gave all the grandchildren one. I wasn't sure it would go down too well with my then 19 year old grandaughter. When i mentioned that she nearly didn't get  a stocking she was quite forthright about it and stated that she would have been very upset if she was left out. The youngest who was 9 at that time, got a couple of tennis balls in his beside all the other little goodies that were in there, he gave it to mum to take care of and came back every few minutes to see if she still had it with her. So nice to think that they can still get enjoyment out of the little things in life like a xmas stocking filled with sweets and other little goodies... It was quite heartening to see them all sitting around watching a dvd with stockings in hand, munching on the sweets...