Post 94 Return of the Doves and the Document

Early this morning Myrtle visited to pick up the last of yesterday's seed mixture - the one gifted from the chickens.


















She was back a little later with Turtle, exploring..



When I put out today's ration they were back again,  this time in a kind of feeding dance with social distancing.


The daily chicken feed ration is all gone, and the small pile of parrot seed left from earlier in the week remains untouched.

It is good to have them back.

The Crimson Rosellas put in an appearance in the nearby trees, as did a group of rainbow lorikeets. I need to get the new battery for my SLR. The zoom needed is too much for my phone.

Throughout the day my brother and I have shared 3 more drafts of the document I sent last night, with progressive improvements.  It's easy to get absorbed in the task and not notice the passage of time, especially on a grey, overcast, showery day.

It was 6 pm before the penultimate draft went off and  I got to stitch - but I put in close to four hours of stitching and made good progress. I still have the legs, feet, beak and some outline to do as well as some background fill, but it’s come a long way.

And there are, if, as Hank Williams used to say, the Good Lord is willing and the creeks don’t rise,  more days.

Tomorrow I might get to reply to a few emails and pay a couple of bills.

Not to mention those last 6 hexies.

Post 91 writing all day long

It's a pretty sparse post tonight. I have spent most of the day writing - about six hours- and reading/researching - about 3 hours. I took a break to check my letterbox, eat some crackers and cheese for lunch around 2pm, then returned to the task. I was in the swing of it. I took another brief break when I realised the sun was setting and I hadn't taken a single photo all day. A screen shot from my computer doesn't quite fit the bill!

Myrtle had appeared early this morning and spent 10 minutes or so devouring some of the seed still there from yesterday. I was too absorbed in writing to check throughout the day, but as the sun went down most of the seed was still there. My conclusion is that the doves do not like the new seed.

I had a choice in the supermarket of seed for parrots or seed for budgerigars. I chose parrots. The mix has less variety than the chicken grains I had fed them until two days ago. I think I will need to rectify if I wish to keep the doves coming.
Cupboard love!


The other task today was to send out a bulletin to the World Embroidery Study Group. One member had sent me an extract from a book and I had a article from Piecework magazine on Bagchi Dowry bags from the Sindh Provence in Pakistan. Some readers may be interested. At the end of the article are links to other articles, including one on the Embroidery by Medieval Anchoresses and Nuns, which I also enjoyed.


I also had a phone call from my Pilates Studio. Sessions are beginning the week after next. I'm ready to participate.  Groups will be no more than 4 - which is normal.


I feel satisfied with my writing today. I need a couple of hours to finish a first draft and probably another day to edit, check and rewrite. The end, however, is in sight.

I spent the evening on Nicola's bird, which is a lot of fun. I'm using a variety of silks and a little metallic thread.

I think it is going to look right at home on that Ink and Spindle bottlebrush linen.