Post 459 books and bats

The bats are once again visible in the dusk, as they return to feed in the Moreton Bay tree (left corner of the photo) overnight. They come, I think, all year round, but the long dusks at the moment make it easier to photograph them.

I've been walking around the Square in the day time and noticed that their tree is developing off-shoots on the trunk, as well as fungi.

Fruit bats love Moreton Bay figs - and are a major distributor of the seeds. I imagine the guano also helps the tree. There's certainly enough in this tree to make a difference!

It's been a relatively sociable week. My medical results on Wednesday were fairly positive. Creatinine is the lowest it's been in 18 months, no protein, sugar just under the pre-diabetes range. I need to do a bit more work on that - along with weight. I had dinner with friends on Thursday, lunch with friends on Friday and Book Club met at my place on Sunday.  The last JEMS meeting was on Saturday - a very happy gathering from my brief observation. It has been abnormally wet and windy - more power outages and wind damage throughout the city - and other parts of the State.

I finished my brother's vest and sent it off, hoping it fits. We're in luck - the happy photo came this morning. Woohoo! It is really satisfying to make something wearable. 

I'm back on the Shetland Wool Week hat for a while, then Brigid's jumper. My brother sent me a collection of vintage patterns, which I will share with friends. Today another pattern book arrived, with 18 knitting patterns based on the Finnish Kalevala, a 19th century collection of epic poetry based on chants, folklore and stories originating in the ancient Kalevala region of what is now Finland. 

This, I am pretty sure, is another rabbit hole for me to disappear into in the near future. It has a couple of very tempting patterns, linked to some history. What's not to like!

My Christmas cards arrived and I've been writing them. It seems sensible to get them out as soon as I can, given ongoing hitches with postage. I'm really happy with the cards. 

While my Book Club was meeting on Sunday Katherine and Veronica picked up the trunk by a series of clever parking manoeuvres that didn't involve me, so that has found its happy home. We had a full house for dinner on Monday, which was lovely. With Fionn having made his last required visit to school, full house is likely to become a rarity.  

Also on Monday, I dropped into Target to buy copies of Jane Harper's Exiles and Gary Disher's Day's End, two of the recommended books for Book Club in December. I had already downloaded an audio version of the third book, The Tilt, by Chris Hammer. It's great to see so many Australian books being published.  Of the three we discussed on Sunday, two, All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien and Black River by Matthew Spencer,  were Australian, while Michael Bennett's Better the Blood is set in New Zealand. All worth reading.

My copy of my brother's latest book also arrived this week, and although I read them all in proof,  I've been steadily dipping into it. There are some great stories in it - and really easy to dip!

The weather continues cold, wet and windy. It's jacaranda time in Adelaide, not yet in full bloom, but purple clouds emerging in our streets. This is the one behind our apartment. Hopefully the blooms will get to emerge in all their glory before the wind turns them into a carpet.

I'm delighted to see the day lily bulbs emerge on my balcony. I didn't lift them and wasn't convinced they would survive the wet winter, but they are looking very promising.

This morning I walked in the wetlands again and found this interesting blossom on a tree overhanging the carpark. I don't know what it is, but it has lovely clusters of bloom .

Also in today's mail, was my 40 year membership badge from the Australian Library and Information Association. I had turned down an invitation to have it presented at a meeting. I was a practising teacher-librarian for about 5 years, but owe quite a lot to the skills and experience I gained through training, practice and membership of the Association. I am pleased to retain my membership, even if I can't see myself wearing the badge.

Back to bats, cricket has been on at Adelaide Oval, and the Adelaide 500 Supercars race is on next week for 3 days, closely followed by the Australia vs West Indies Day-Night match, so lots of blocked roads and diverted traffic. Hope the weather improves for the sake of all involved. I, however, will be busy getting myself ready for Christmas.