Post 564 The temperature feels a lot like Christmas

We had an enjoyable WES meeting on Wednesday, 12 of us sitting around a table spread with food and sharing what we are currently working on (or not, in a couple of cases where family illness is requiring full attention). Colleen brought along a folio of samples given to her by a batik master, showing all the stages of batik preparation. A real treasure. Colleen has an exhibition of textiles opening next Friday at the Fabrik Gallery Lobethal.

Glenys brought a mystery object. The base is hollow, a receptacle of some kind. The remaining three sections all come off separately, but are each like a lid with no connection holes for incense or insertion. There was a lot of speculation, but no concrete suggestions.

On Thursday I saw the hand therapist who brought in a surgeon to look at my myxoid cyst. We all agreed it needed operating on. We found a mutually possible day in late January but I needed a referral from my GP., whose practice wouldn’t facilitate it without my seeing him, but managed to fit me in the next day. Fortunately, I had done all the right things to avoid infection, and need to continue being careful.                                                                                                       Friday, therefore, was spent in a GP visit, followed by 95 minutes with my mouth open in the dentist chair, preparing a molar for a crown. A tedious process, but competently and carefully done. I now have a temporary crown, with the permanent one to be fitted next Friday. It seems that an hour after seeing me last week my dentist had a cancellation and I was in the front of her mind. I was very pleased to be able to make myself a coffee at 5pm, by which time the anaesthetic had worn off and the no food/drink period had passed.!  The practice rang on Saturday morning to check that I was OK. Great service.                                                                                                                    

While I’ve been working on the Rita Maria Faleri birds, a spider has been working her magic on my back balcony. I love the pattern and pictures created by these webs. Unlike me, the spider doesn't need a book (for size indication, the book is a little larger than A4).
                                                                  

I woke around 4.30am on Saturday, registered that it was time for the asteroid shower, but could tell from my bed there was too much light around to see it, so went back to sleep. I was, however, up in time to hear laughter coming from the Square.  It emanated  from this group exercising. A great early morning sound.

I spent the rest of the day at home, mostly playing with colouring a cotton bag, incorporating a couple of experiments I’ve been  wanting to try. 

It’s approaching pomegranate season and Katherine's tree is doing nicely. Such attractive fruit to welcome Veronica home from her adventure in Cambodia and Laos.

I was looking forward to the last Adelaide Chamber Singers subscription concert for the year, Resound at the Cathedral on Sunday afternoon. Although it was forecast to be 41C , I still thought I’d go. The cathedral relies on a couple of large fans at the back for cooling and the concert was one hour, with some audience singing. By the time I had watered my balcony plants I was wavering.

At 12.15 it was 38C and I saw sense. I’ve been at concerts before at the cathedral when people have had to leave because of the heat. There is also minimal shade for parking and while I love singing, the thought of the impact of all that breath in the already hot air cathedral decided me. I microwaved a couple of scones I bought on Friday, made a coffee, closed the blinds and turned on the aircon. A pity, but a no-brainer.  I read Eileen Thornton’s A Mystery in Tyneside and finished the experimental bag, 

which I shall probable give to a charity for food distribution. It's interesting and useful, but of limited success.

The heat continued with 38C on Monday and has brought the mandevilla back into bloom. I've also moved the almanda that was attacked by the blackbird back to the eastern balcony. It is struggling, and won't, I think, survive the heat on the western one. I have hidden it behind other plants in the hope the blackbird doesn't find it.

I made a quick trip to Dymocks at Unley to pick up a copy of the 2025 Guide to the Southern Hemisphere Night Sky, then get some supplies and home by 11 to bunker down and read.  I get very tired in the heat. I thought the sky guide would be useful, especially at Carrickalinga in January. Carrickalinga has met the requirements to become Australia's first International Dark Sky Community. 

There was no dark sky here in Adelaide when I went to bed last night at 11pm,  24 hours after the full moon. It would have been a good night for an outdoor performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream

 I nearly put myself to sleep in the afternoon trying to read The Serpent and the Goddess which has been on my pile far too long. Very small print and lots of dense, detailed prose has put me off, but the central claim, that ancient serpent creation mythology largely either assigned or incorporated female involvement in creation but was usurped over time by patriarchal structures, is an interesting one. 

Around 6pm yesterday there was a courier delivery, this time the fascinating, populist, well-illustrated history of sail making in the UK town of Coker, the birthplace of William Dampier and T. S. Eliot. Its supremacy in sailmaking, it seems, was down to its unique process of ‘bucking’. This is easy to read, and will be of interest to WES Group.

Today the temperature dropped to 26C.  I got a lovely breeze through the apartment in preparation for cleaning. It won't last, but the 30-33C forecast for the next week is a lot better than 41.  Tomorrow my car is being serviced, and Friday will be taken up with the Crown fitting, both in airconditioned premises. The current forecast for Christmas day is 34C, so definitely no robins, snow or sleigh bells. I'm delighted, however, to have messages from friends via card, email, messenger and sms, and after significant delay from a cancelled plane, Veronica is home from the school trip to Cambodia. So deo gratias.

I think my Christmas shopping is finished.  I might make gingerbread for the Summer solstice. 

Post 141 Repairs

I thought I should look in on the Western balcony spider. The old web in the pot plant has deteriorated. It seems the spider has moved on to the balcony rail. Perhaps she likes the view over the square.

Meanwhile, on the Eastern balcony Turtle made himself at home with the seed. He was jointed by Myrtle for a few minutes, until they both took flight. Myrtle was back a couple of times- and both times chased away by the Noisy Miner. I, however, asserted my domination of the territory by hanging out the washing. The Noisy Miner had to concede the territory to me.

Eventually, I plucked up courage to ring the crash repairer whose name was given to me yesterday at CMI Toyota. I was pleasantly surprised by the open and friendly response, so drove there straight away. The managed took many photos and insisted that, even 5 months after the accident, and not having reported it to the police at the time, I should contact the insurance company. He is convinced they will accept a claim - and this is why I pay insurance. The bill is likely to be around $3000, although the quote is not completed, and they will need the car for at least 5 days. I am nervous of contacting my insurer, but have worked out the dates and tomorrow will take the plunge and ring.

From the crash repairer I dropped some wool off at my daughter's place and called at Officeworks to buy another box of face masks. I haven't used any of the box I bought a week or so ago, but it has occurred to me that it would be useful to have a box in the car, in case South Australia has a further outbreak and I find myself in situations where distancing is difficult.

I managed to read about half of the Agatha Christie book that arrived yesterday. I'm enjoying it, especially with the introduction by the 80 year-old  illustrator, Tom Adams, who illustrated the covers of her paperbacks from the 1950s onwards.  I mostly read, from preferenee, on a Kindle or Kobo, but this slim volume is really lovely to hold and the cover is beautiful.


I spoke to Jennifer late this afternoon. She is still in the RAH and will return home tomorrow morning for what the doctor describes as  'home hospital'. She still has fluid on her lungs, but it is reducing. It seems all her doctors are agreed her heart is not ready for an operation and she has an appointment to see the  physician and surgeon at Calvary next week. She was in good spirits and happy with the position reached by her medical team. She is on a mission to see better press coverage of the ongoing impact of the virus on those who have had it. I have a couple of stories from friends of doctors assuring non-Covid patients this is 'just a flu' - inexcusable ignorance.

I made soup today, from chicken bones, vegetables and barley.  It made a good dinner tonight.

I've made some progress on the shawl, finishing the next band of  the main colour.  From this point on the balance shifts to the dark colour and lace bands. I have completed just under two thirds of the rows - but of course, the rows are getting longer, so I am probably more like half way through. It is, however, taking shape.

Post 80 Autumn in Adelaide

Adelaide was at its best today as I drove to North Adelaide Village to get some milk and fruit.  I love the way the bones of the trees begin to emerge.

One of the reasons the city looks so good at this time of year is, I think, the mixture of deciduous European trees and non-deciduous natives.

Even the building work can be framed in leaves.
The Village was not crowded so it was easy to distance.











Romeo's had fresh Coffin Bay oysters so I indulged in half a dozen. They are at their best right now and plentiful, though not cheap, because restaurants are not open. Delicious.

I spent the late afternoon on the front balcony tacking hexies.








This is where they need to go, to cover the edge of what has been my Winter quilt. I am slowly covering the black edges. I have the rest of this side to go, and the bottom edge. I almost have enough to finish this side, but decided to get on with covering the papers for the rest of the edge.









I have quite a few to go.





Jennifer asked me how the spider was going, so I took note while I was on the balcony this afternoon in the sun.

The spider isn't visible, but her web is still beneath the frangipani and being looked after and renewed. I am playing with a couple of ideas for using these web structures in my embroidery.

Today's Create in Stitch newsletter published their timetable for resuming classes, beginning on 10 June with classes limited to 8. It is good to see businesses making small, cautious beginnings.

I have a Zoom meeting of my new bookclub tomorrow morning at 10 am. That's an early start for a bookclub - and for me!