Post 558 Floe and Flow(n).

On Wednesday morning I caught a glimpse of the two blackbird chicks waiting eagerly for their food delivery which my presence at the window had delayed.  The father had arrived but flew off as soon as I moved to take a photo.

On Thursday morning I looked up from my breakfast to see one chick standing high in the nest. I snapped a quick photo through the glass.  Within seconds it flew away.

My photo caught the beginning of the flight - not an award-winning photo, but nevertheless a captured moment. There did not appear to be another fledgling left in the nest.  The flight took the young bird well clear of my balcony, in the direction of the trees behind.

It seems I captured his/her flying the nest. They have not been back and the nest appears empty. There seems to be some expert disagreement about whether or not they will use the nest again, or come back to the same area. Guess I'll find out.

To complete the transition, within a couple of hours, a magpie visited for water. Soon the doves were back. The coast, it appears, is clear for other birds.

After successfully swivelling the mattress on my new bed as recommended, I spent most of Wednesday (in between checking the balcony for any activity in the nest) completing the gift project I began last week. Now it is in the hands of the intended recipient I can reveal it is Floe, the penguin doorstop from the cover of Inspirations No 123.  It's been a great project to work on. Details, of course, in my embroidery blog.

On a 'complete-a-project' roll, I finished the embroidered flowers I  began several months ago on Ink and Spindle linen for  yet another tote bag (bottom left in composite photo). On Thursday I ironed several lengths of linen, and cut out lining for 3 bags that I had in pieces.  Over Friday and Saturday I stitched them. The Flannel Flower one in the lower right is embroidered a little on both sides, the other two, only on one side. The blue bird is a Nicola Jarvis design repurposed from a worn out bag. I experimented with this one, creating a bag with a zipped top and a shoulder strap. Again, details in my embroidery blog.

 

A completely different 'complete-a-project' involved recycling plastic bottle lids I have been collecting for 3-4 years. I had intended to take them to an Adelaide City Council recycling station, but when I checked, they no longer had a  specific collection box for plastic lids. Further investigation revealed instructions to place the lids inside a plastic milk container and put the full container into the regular recycle rubbish collection. Sorters can see the lids in the milk container and easily direct them appropriately. This seems an ingenious solution for the smaller soft drink lids, but I couldn't see it working for the milk bottle lids.  It didn't take me long, however, to work out that if I used my faithful Stanley knife to cut a triangular flap in an empty soft drink bottle, I could fill it with the larger lids (which are used by several charities to make a variety of recycled plastic products). I was hoping I'd found a solution that is convenient to the recycling depot as well as me. A friend, however, assures me the larger lids can be forced into a milk bottle, so I'll try that next time I have an empty milk bottle.

The 'replant the empty pots' project continues. 

I was able to eat left-over Chicken and fried rice on Tuesday and Wednesday, so visited the Queen St Cafe after Pilates on Thursday for a milkshake and very late lunch. The lunch special was Marinated Rindless Pork Belly with Gingered Hoisin Sauce and Mango Salsa.  It was excellent. 

The jacarandas are in full bloom all around the city. I am intrigued as to why there is such variation in the colour, coverage and timing of the transitions from flowers to leaves. The explanation seems to lie in soil type and water, yet it’s hard to see how these two, side by side in a city street, could have such different conditions. I need to talk to one of the City Council gardeners! 

On Saturday morning while the Christmas Pageant was taking place in the CBD, not far from me, I did a big shop, mostly for the ingredients for Monday night's dinner -Crispy Gnocchi with Sausage and Broccoli - a  recipe from the New York Times suggested by Katherine, which proved to be a success, and will join the Monday night meal rota. 

Sunday was BookClub. We tried meeting in a cafe again, but didn't like it. The noise level in a popular cafe is not conducive to group discussion. We were agreed that The Death of Dora Black was interesting, but would have been better as history than fiction. Our second book,  In the Blink of an Eye is a really interesting projection of the use of AI, in the form of an avatar, in police crime solving. Next month we're retreating to a home.

I’ve finished another Galaxy Dreaming panel. It’s been my ‘grab and go’ while the more ambitious projects were happening. I have two more to go before making a tablecloth.

I’ve moved on to an Irish harp by be Alice. I could finish it tonight, but decided it would be a good project to work on tomorrow while performing my hostess duties at the Guild, so I’m back to knitting up the leftover Rowan wool.

My cleaners have COVID so today I vaccuumed. The making of bags and penguin had left a trail of threads, fabric scraps and crumbs (yes, a girl needs coffee and a biscuit while on a stitching binge) throughout the apartment - and repotting hadn’t helped.  Although it has rained on and off all day, the front balcony doesn't benefit, so I put the hose on again, this time pulling too hard and wetting the carpet in the sitting area. My brother had also requested some specific research, so that is what I was doing while the Melbourne Cup was being run. This bit of the nation, at least, was not stopped by the race.

There is also a curb-side pickup scheduled for tomorrow morning, with unwanted goods to go out from 4pm this afternoon. I'd been saving a few things in my carpark storage, so had to get them out and package them for leaving out with the threat of intermittent rain. It was fine at 4pm, so my old vacuum cleaner, mop, mattress protector (containing polyester which isn’t accepted by charities) and defunct light box are now all awaiting collection in the morning (mine circled). So far it hasn't rained since 4pm so they might stay dry.

I am still processing the recent deaths and illnesses in my small community.  This week there was an unexpected death in my extended family, a friend travelled to New Zealand for a funeral and a Book Club friend is having her bladder removed to counter a cancer diagnosis.  It feels a bit like an onslaught. 

I am fortunate to be alive, supported and in reasonable health. I am trying to make the most of every moment. 

Carpe diem.

Post 557 New Life.

On Wednesday I asked Bill, my cleaner, to leave the back balcony untouched because of the nest. He insisted on climbing on a chair to see into the nest (father having flown away). He could see two chicks. 

On Friday I heard them for the first time, and on Saturday managed to snap a blurry photo through the glass of my bedroom. Today I watched the adult male blackbird feeding them and snapped a few photos without going outside and scaring him off. The photos are still not brilliant, but good enough to show.

The chicks have grown in six days, and there is a bit of a flurry when food arrives, the two young competing to get fed first, and the adult trying to serve both in turn.

I'm not sure what it is he is feeding them, but it doesn't go down in one gulp!

I had intended to go the Certificate Workshop at the Guild on Saturday, but ran out of puff. I had shopped on Friday for Monday dinner (7 of us for Chicken Maryland with haloumi and fried rice), because I also had the second day of the pulled whitework sampler on Sunday.

However, with a concert at the Cathedral on Saturday afternoon and dinner on Saturday night, I decided to skip the workshop. Instead I tidied up and worked on a project for Christmas - which I can’t write about just yet.  

The concert was terrific. Called Organ Fireworks,  it featured a couple of organ solos and numerous organ duets by Anthony Hunt and Joshua van Konkelenberg. A treat. Nothing like the sound of a pipe organ in full throttle. The day was rounded nicely by meeting Max in the evening, the 8 week-old son of family friends, who visited for dinner.  The blessing of new life beats most things.

I had spent hours during the week working on the pulled thread work sampler, taking breaks and sitting in chairs that support my  back while allowing me to get close enough to see to count threads. Carol's instructions were clear enough for me to follow on my own, so I planned to leave the workshop at lunchtime this Sunday. The plan worked and I turned the finished sampler into a bag on Monday morning. Details in my embroidery blog.

On my way home from the class I stopped at Bunnings and bought some plants to refill the pots I emptied last week. I will do it gradually. This afternoon I connected the hose to my kitchen tap for the first time in about 7 months to give the Western balcony plants a good water, and repotted two of the empty pots, one Veronica painted and gave me probably 8 years ago. Until recently it held a Tradescantia Zebrina. I've made several new plants from it, but the original finally died, so I've planted a cheerful daisy in the pot. It will probably need replacing but will look good for months to come.

While I have numerous very happy looking snake plants, this one looked insecure, so I've given it a new pot and position.

Tbere are another half a dozen plants to be potted up, but I shall take my time.

Many of the established plants are thriving on warmer days.

This morning I had my haircut, having put it off for a couple of weeks because I was enjoying the length.

My next appointment is on Christmas Eve - not sure that was a good idea, but provided the City Loop bus is running I should be OK.

On the way home there was a blackbird feeding on a young jacaranda in the Square. Was it, I wondered,  the nesting blackbird? Would it fly over the building? Chances are, it's not, but interesting to speculate.

I was home in time to open the door for the postman to deliver my copy of my brother's latest book, which is, I think, a winner.

Although it's over 500 pages, it contains 110 self-contained stories, making it easy to pick up for 10-15 minutes at a time. Some are very short indeed. Most of them are worth talking about, many worth reading aloud. 

Both Lee and Lorraine would have liked it, which makes me sad, but there are others I'm looking forward to sharing it with.

It's been a week of new life, new growth, new projects, as well as completions and sorrows. C'est la vie. 

Post556 Farewells and Welcomes

Not only is my coffee machine home and working, but as of Thursday my old bed is gone, and the new one in place. The old base had to go down the stairs, but the old mattress and new bed went in the lift. The photo is the deliverers taking the old, and the packingmfrom the new, to their truck, which they managed to park in a loading zone two doors down. I had reserved a parking space for them right outside, but they were concerned they might damage a tree! Fabulous service. 

I made up the bed with one set of double bed linen I had from way back when and the summer quilt, which works fine. There is about 30cm of extra space beside the bed, so I swapped a bedside cabinet for a slightly larger one in another room. I had a big pile of washing  to do over several days. I also discovered that some companies are no longer manufacturing double bed linen! Queen size is now standard. I got the last pair of double bed high thread count cotton sheets at Adairs. The saleswoman told me to buy a lottery ticket!

I had cancelled my Pilates class when the contractors informed me on Wednesday that delivery would be the next day, probably late morning. In fact they were gone by 10.30, having rearranged their schedule so I wouldn't miss Pilates! My spot was still vacant, so I did, indeed, get there, even buying the spare sheet set on the way! In the evening I went out to dinner with friends - a really delicious Feed Me menu at Noi. So quite a day.

On Friday I was home for a delivery of rose quartz earrings and stitch markers - a fundraiser for Breast Cancer Awareness Day. I wore mine to the first Sit'n Stitch in several months that afternoon. We had a great time catching up and eating Susan's fabulous cheese scones. Luckily she gave me some to take home. My brother phoned as I finished bringing the washing in and we talked for the best part of an hour, after which, since I was into my fasting time,  cheese scones seemed like the best dinner, which they were.

Our apartment block is made up of four pods, each with its own entrance. Apparently other pods have plants and/or art works in their foyer, so we have followed suit with a new pot plant, there when I got home on Friday.

On Saturday morning I picked up the necklace I had taken for repair - costing less than quoted because it turned out to be threaded in sections, only one of which needed to be replaced. I took more in to be fixed, ranging from replacement of hooks or clasps to a remake of a pair of broken earrings and a broken garnet necklace. 

The replaced fittings were done on the spot, but the remaking has been left and will take a couple of weeks. I'm likely to find some other broken jewellery in time, but for the moment I think that's it. I'm glad I got organised enough to get these done.  They can now be put to good use.

Last night's dinner was a bolognese pasta bake, which I haven't made for a long time, mainly because I have cut back on my own pasta intake, and Fionn was also, at one point, avoiding carbs.  There were only 5 of us, so there is a lot left over, ironically divided between Fionn and I - the two who stopped the pasta menu!

On Sunday I did Carol Stacy's pulled thread work class at the Guild. The project is a lovely little leaf sampler. While I love the project, I had difficulty by the afternoon with my back and my eyes.  I was using magnifiers, and a seated hoop, extended so the work was close to my face, but I still had eye strain and a very sore back by the afternoon. I left a few minutes early, came home and rested a bit in a supportive chair. 

Once my eyes recovered, I picked up the Chaffinch. It’s an interesting contrast to the counted work. Although I was using the same size seated hoop, it didn’t need to be so close to my eyes, so my posture is better. I was by then past the detail of the bird itself, which might have required closer work, but only for very short periods. I finished the Chaffinch and mounted it the next day. It now hangs on my door and the full story is in my embroidery blog.

I returned to the counted sampler on Monday, limiting myself to about an hour at a time. Even though I can get more comfortable at home, and avoid the back issue, my eyes feel the strain and need frequent rest. Three hours at a time is out of the question.

I spent the best part of today at, or focused on, the 1pm funeral of my friend Lorraine. On Monday night I was asked to read Psalm 121 as part of the service, which took me by surprise but oddly made it easier for me. Nothing like a sense of purpose. I learned afterwards that she had, at one point in her illness, threatened to write her eulogy herself and get me to read it!  

While the photo of her on the order of service was very much Lorraine the Burnside matron, the photo on the screen throughout the service was the one I had taken of her in her Frida Kahlo outfit when we went to lunch in December last year!  There were singable hymns and  a beautiful rendition of Faure's Pie Jesu by a member of the congregation,

It was clear that I wasn't the only one puzzled about Lorraine's early life.  It was equally clear that we all  respected her, and valued her friendship, too much to intrude.

After the service, Lorraine’s friend who had accompanied us to Ukaria late in April took me to her car to give me the Christmas present Lorraine had left for me, a Morgan and Finch tote bag containing two scarves and a bottle of wine! Not even I am that far ahead on Christmas presents, and Lorraine had left them for six of her friends.

The church yard was full of stories and energy. The funeral processed the 20 minute drive to Centennial Park where, at 3.45pm, her body was interred in the same grave as her 11 year old son who died of cystic fibrosis in 1977. Stayers returned to St Theodore’s for afternoon tea!  

I came home to let my cleaner in. He, however, was delayed and is now coming tomorrow. It was too late to join the interment and a bit strange to turn up again at the Church Hall for a very late afternoon tea! The spirit of the occasion, however, was such that I was tempted. Her funeral service did her proud, and left me grateful to have been part of the community that called her friend.                          

Finally, an update on my blackbird nest. On the weekend I glimpsed the male putting food into the mouths of three upturned chick faces before flying away. Since then, both adults have been absent a lot. The male has been back often, but until tonight, I had seen no further sign of young. This evening I once again saw an open mouth being fed before the adult flew away. 

The photo I snapped of a chick wasn't good enough to be of use. This is the best I can do of an adult. As young fledge within two weeks, I should have better evidence next week.   

Post 555 Birds, Blooms, Beans, Bookmarks, Bed, and Bereavement.

After last week’s post a friend from my days of employment contacted me to point out Feng shui principles of flower arranging dictate always even numbers of blooms - 1, 3, 5 never 2,4 6, not something I knew. I therefore removed one of the Waratahs, a good chance to use this elegant single stem vase. It’s an odd cultural mix, but pleasing to the eye ( mine at least). The Waratahs developed sprouts from the bracts, suggesting, apparently, they had been over-fertilised.

I did a bit of searching. As far as I could ascertain, they are best propagated from seed and can be propagated by cutting. While not frequently used, the sprouts should work for propagation, provided they don’t have to compete with the flower..

I was intrigued (and the flowers were pretty much ruined) but don’t have space here in the apartment to experiment. A phone call, and my Waratahs are now at a friend’s place where Frank, who also grew up in NSW, is having a go.

Wednesday’s WES Group meeting went really well. We looked at the work of Phoebe Anna Trequair triggered by a workshop I did in 2015 with Meredith Willett. Influence spreads a long way! This is the panel I made at that workshop. 

We also worked on a program for next year.

After the meeting I submitted, to the Guild's monthly newsletter, an article  about Lee's contribution to our group. It has been accepted and should appear next month.

While I was at the meeting, the Postie  attempted unsuccessfully to deliver the bookmarks I had ordered. I picked them up from a locker at the PO later. Once again, a box 20 times the size of the contents, which, in an envelope, would have gone easily through the letterbox. Sigh. 

One set of bookmarks, the Agave, was again, for my Pilates Studio - the photo of the Agave in full bloom 2 weeks ago. The last hurrah.

After I made my breakfast coffee on Friday, the coffee machine displayed the ‘clean me’ message. I’d been waiting for it, getting prepared, so this time didn’t rush in. I had breakfast, deliberately did a few jobs, then read the instructions again and set out to follow them. It went like clockwork. Everything happened as it should. I cleaned the coffee machine! - and had another coffee to celebrate. Pathetic, maybe, but I was hugely relieved. I can do it!  My joy, however, was shortlived. On Saturday morning the machine switched on and displayed as normal. It did not, unfortunately, deliver coffee. No messages, no warnings, just no coffee. The bean container was full, the water tank full. A grinding sound, return to ‘ready’. No coffee. Repeat several times. Same.

On with the jug, out with the plunger. First thing Monday morning I returned the machine to the shop, which, fortunately, is the licensed service agent. This morning I had a call from the technician. The coffee beans I've been using are too big! They don't make it to the grinder. Since 1985 I have been using Maragogype (or as it was then known here, Nicaraguan dark roast). It's only now that I realise it has an abnormally large bean (apparently the largest known!). As I also use two other coffee varieties with much smaller beans, this will not be too great a lifestyle change! I can only shake my head and laugh.

To keep my mind off coffee machines, a group of lorikeets arrived on the native frangipani and made a racket. Two stayed behind to feed when the others got bored, so I grabbed the camera.

Below, play spot the bird. 

Late on Friday I received a message that my friend Lorraine had died on Thursday night, her struggle with pancreatic cancer over. 

I am sad,  remembering the meals we shared, her enthusiasm for dressing up, and the mysteries she kept to herself. I am also glad her suffering is over. It is likely to be 12-14 days before her funeral.

Several years ago, Lorraine gave me a cactus garden in a shallow terracotta bowl. Over time one plant came to dominate and a couple died. I noticed while tending my plants this week that the weight of the dominant plant had pulled it right out of the bowl (left), so I have replanted it in a much larger pot. The shallow bowl is waiting, with a few other empty pots, for me to  spend a few hours replanting. Maybe a tiny memorial.

Throughout the week, a male blackbird has been visiting my balcony, flying in silently, often behind my back while I am hanging out washing, sitting in the same spot on my wall garden, and, except once, flying away as soon as I turn around. On the exception, I turned from hanging out washing, to see him watching me. I quietly greeted him and asked him not to chase away the other birds. I’ve glimpsed his arrival through my window, but he flies away immediately- seeming to sense I am watching. I don’t recall seeing him before. My mother,  would certainly, I reflected,  have said it was bringing me news of a death.

On Monday he once again flew away as I tried to take a photograph. This time, however, the camera clicked, revealing a female amongst the plants.   My mother, once again, would have rolled her eyes and said 'For an intelligent child, you can  be very stupid at times'. 

Yes. a pair of blackbirds seem to have made a nest on my eastern balcony. I can't get high enough, without a ladder, to look inside.  I panicked a bit, read all I could about blackbirds nesting on  balconies in Adelaide (not a lot) and followed one suggestion of hanging some aluminium foil strips to put them off. I felt a bit mean, and it didn't work. They may or may not have eggs according to local bird advice.

My inclination now is to leave them alone. I might regret it, but so far the male has not been aggressive towards me. This afternoon they appeared to fight over who was to sit on the nest. At sunset tonight the female was quietly bunkered well down in the nest. *

Installing a webcam is beyond my technical ability. Hopefully in 4 weeks time they will leave and I can either spread some netting over the wall garden, or instal a deterrent WhirlyBird. I don't want to become a permanent nesting site but can probably put up with one clutch.

When I delivered the Waratahs to my friends to experiment with, they gave me a bunch of their beautiful roses for my dining table that evening. They look, and smell, divine.

Niamh not only helped me extend the table, but to move the dining table and chairs off the rug, and turn the rug around, so the trip-risky creased corner of the rug is now safely where it gets no traffic. It's been troubling me (and my cleaner!) for some time. With the table extended the flowers AND the food fitted!

Today  I have been to a Retired Secondary Principals' lunch, half an hour's drive into the foothills. I haven''t been for a couple of years. It was pleasant to catch up with some of the 15 who were there and, after a lunch of grilled fish and chips,  hear about some research into school leadership. On my return I had a phone call to say my new bed is ready. Delivery (the scary bit) sometime next week.

It's been quite a week! 

I progressed the second left-over-wool shawl a bit, and started work on the lovely Chaffinch kit. 

It's a joy to work on. I won't be posting any detail in my embroidery blog, as it would breach copyright. It's interesting, varied stitching - and lovely to look at. Great to be working Crewel again.

Above is Sunday's sunset, left is tonight's moonrise.

The rhythm, and beauty, of life. 

Carpe diem.