Post 360 Books, Doves and the entry of a squirrel.

 I'm glad that, when heading out to my Crime Book Club meeting this morning at Uncle Albert's cafe in Norwood,  I thought to try this necklace, given to me by Alison a few years ago, on my bamboo top. I'm glad that, when heading out to my Crime Book Club meeting this morning at Uncle Albert's cafe in Norwood,  I thought to try this necklace, given to me by Alison a few years ago, on my bamboo top. The beads in the necklace have a green tinge, which I couldn't capture. It works really well. 

It was a good Book Club session - six of us, the full quota. The format works well. While we are rostered to recommend 2 or 3 books for everyone to read, there is no compulsion to read all - or indeed any - of them. After we've discussed the recommended books we share what we've read in the month, which results in a long list of titles and enough information to know whether you'd want to read them. There are 32 titles on the list generated today, of which I will probably try 3 or 4.

Coles, the supermarket I usually use near Uncle Alberts, is being demolished and rebuilt. I tried Foodland over the road, which was terrific. I was looking for chipolatas for tomorrow night's dinner and they had 5 different kinds. 

When I got home a strange squawking noise drew me to the back balcony. There were the two young doves, Black Tips and Blush. He was puffed up and she was grooming him. I wondered if it were a mating ritual. 

She walked away, ate a little seed and drank some water.

I then realised that one of his tail feathers appeared damaged. It was bent at an angle to the other feathers. He spent ten or so minutes grooming his feathers. I couldn't really see how it would help but it did appear that he was trying to fix the problem.

There was a lot of fluffing of feathers. It was windy and the wind was strengthening. I watched for quite a long time, because I was worried whether he would be able to fly with the broken feather.

Blush hung around, keeping watch. 

Eventually, he sampled the seed and water,  mounted the rail and flew off - seemingly with ease.

They returned several times in the afternoon but without any more of the previous behaviour and with no sign of the damaged feather. His tail seemed normal.

I found my archive pen and marked the back of my Owl Service. I printed five exhibition entry forms,  dug out the padded bags required for Exhibition entries, as many tags as I could find and gathered the 4 bags I embroidered with the exhibition in mind. They need a good iron.  I put that off till tomorrow. 

I debated whether to begin the Remembrance Poppy, or to launch into the Aesop Frame. The poppy was tempting, but when I got it out I was unhappy with the orange colour of the fabric and silk thread. The fabric I can live with, but the silk thread that covers it needs, in my opinion, to be blood red, since it is representing blood. I'm not sure if I can get the right red in A ver au soie silk in Adelaide, but I want to try before I launch into it, so I set it aside and got out the Aesop.

It took me a while to find it. I had put it away in a safe place when Alison and Karl came to stay in January.

I read the booklet, unrolled the linen for the first time and mounted it in a ten inch frame, covered with cling film,

I used quilting clips to roll up the excess linen. I'm now ready to start.  

Rather than start tonight, I added a couple of circles to the apricot collection I've been working on over the last few days. I now have three edges and 5 circles - half the number I'm aiming for.

Along the way, another interesting, mild sunset.