Wild Life

I'm as surprised as anyone that it has taken me this long to finish the ginvent calendar. This was delicious. I had it straight and also with soda, as recommended. I preferred the former. It is mellow and fruity with notes of sweet cherries and almonds.

I went for my usual run and came to this obstacle very near the end - there had been no indication that there would be a detour (the only way to get where I wanted was to turn around and retrace my steps). If this were a road and cars were involved, there would definitely have been a notice posted at the start. It is annoying proof that councils care more about drivers than cyclists and pedestrians.

But there was good news when I cracked open a pomegranate and came across a wealth of seeds. The little crunchy red jewels add taste and texture to many a meal, particularly this one that I made.

Roast cabbage steaks with tahini dressing

As winter approaches, the evenings lengthen and so do the shadows, creating interesting photographic opportunities.

The season also brings visitors to the garden. This pair of kookaburras came to say hello and I think they are adorable, as is the fact that the collective noun for kookaburras is apparently a riot.

I went to see a great play performed by A Slightly Isolated Dog. An ensemble of five extremely talented actors interpreted the tale of Don Juan with improvisation skills, audience interaction, humour, music, precision timing and excellent sound and lighting effects. The team encouraged us to take photos to share on their social media (a great idea for marketing purposes), and I wanted to highlight their fresh approach to my networks. Hence I took these photos, which are not very good, but they might help to offer an idea as to the energy and commitment of the cast.

 

Bandits! Bandits! Bandits!

You, you, you oughtta know

Regular readers of this blog will recognise the following images from the weekly walk around Lake Burley Griffin with the Walking Crew. This is a beautiful time of year with blue skies and crisp, still mornings, which lead to viewing wildlife and reflections.

And my other current form of 'relaxation' is also research - exploring different interpretations of The Odyssey and the women therein. This is one of the many stacks of books to read.

Week 2: Flowers, food, friends and family

One year my sister decided her New Year's Resolution was to always have fresh flowers in the house. I think this is a great idea. I'm not saying I'm going to do that myself, but I have decided I will buy myself flowers from now on - I love them, but I only get them when I'm doing plays, so why not buy my own? This is a close up of some hydrangeas.

I've always been fascinated by pomegranates; they are simply weird fruit. With mysical and classical allusions, they glow like the tempting morsels. They have allured me since I first saw Rossetti's Proserpine, and I bought a couple so we could eat their bitter-sweet seeds with French vanilla ice cream.

Lindsay wears a purple dress that she reckons looks exactly like something her mum used to wear - she has a knack of picking up great finds from the Salvation Army. Giant salad model's own.

For Jenni's birthday we have morning tea - homemade cake, scones, tarte abricot and strawberries. She says this gathering is typically what the public expect from civil servants.

For something completely different, we go to Harcourt Park to watch the international jousting championships - much skill is on display and it's all a lot of fun with people wandering about dressed in mediaeval garb hammering out breastplates of armour, embroidering tapestries and drinking mead. We join in with the latter. My sister brings her children along to watch the festivities but they are not all so sure about the proceedings.