Post 119 : catching up

Today was Jim's birthday. He would have been 73.

I spent a couple of hours reading Peter Swanson's Rules for a Perfect Murder. It's a most interesting book, drawing on some traditions of classic crime fiction and undermining the reader's trust in both perception and detection. It's far more Patricia Highsmith than Agatha Christie.

Before the doves came and devoured their somewhat soggy seed, the Noisy Miner put in an appearance, this time descending briefly to the balcony floor to examine - but not eat the seed. It's the first time he(?) has to my knowledge done that. He soon went back to his surveillance position on the rail before taking off.







I spent a couple of hours this afternoon visiting Junette in Collinswood. It was a joy to catch up. Junette was in New Zealand at roughly the same time as I was in England this year. Her garden is looking great and she has a wonderful vase of tulips in her dining room.  There was a lot to catch up on.

I was able to see the Quaker panel that she worked on , part of which I showed in Post 85. The whole panel is fabulous close up.

I have borrowed the book published last year about the tapestry and the women who are working it. I haven't read it yet, but it looks really interesting. I will report in due course.

Driving home I was struck by the contrast in Adelaide city.  On the one hand, there are high-rise and cranes - although not always a lot of movement.

On the other hand there are more surviving colonial buildings than in many Australian cities, because there was so little timber available for building, and most buildings were stone, or eventually, brick from the brickworks that grew up around pug holes. It makes for interesting juxtaposioning.


Back at home I checked on my flowering cacti. The yellow group are opening up in slowly and elegantly.




The aloe has opened even more, but there are still unopened buds. Interestingly, the Noisy Miner does not seem to be interested in the yellow flowers. The only red flowers I have at the moment are geraniums - in which the Miner is manifestly uninterested. 









The cranes are evident again at sunset.

I have very little progress to show on my embroidery today - not worth showing.  I hope to have more to show tomorrow, in between a 9.00 am dental appointment ( how did I agree to that?) and lunch at Mr Nick"s.

I am still being very cautious, only going to places where I know the distancing and cleaning rules are being followed.

I'm grateful nevertheless to have  had the chance to visit a friend today and to enjoy a little of the Adelaide environment.