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On the village green

I went to the markets at the little village of Chillingham, about 20 minutes north west of where I live yesterday. I met up with friends there, and relaxed in the shade with a cool drink and some good food.....samosas, salad and home made chutney, some easy listening music in the background, and soaked up the atmosphere.  Enjoy a walk in the sunshine around this very laid back, charming village market with me.

There's good food to be had....

All the tents spread out around the central green give it a medieval festive air...

A large old mulberry tree provides dense shade, a place to sit and eat, enjoy a coffee or cool drink and catch up with friends.

The wood fired pizza oven, with handsculptured frog atop....

 Local produce.....

Honey straight from the bee keeper

Homemade jams and chutneys, using produce from the maker's garden, as well as from the Community Garden.  I bought a Lime Chutney and Davidson Plum Jam.

Hand knitted goods

Chillingham boasts it's own community garden

 On the way home.....

The one-lane bridge, where you have to be on the look-out for traffic coming the other way, a trap for non-locals.  It was just starting to rain.

Racing the storm home....I made it just in time to bring in the washing and close the windows.

A storm has just blown in again with heavy rain, so after a brief respite this morning, with just enough of a break to get the lawn mown and finish some pruning, I'm more than happy to be indoors and to settle to a quiet afternoon of sewing.

Full moon beastly goodness

The flood waters have receded, the river didn't break it's banks as predicted, and the clean up is over for those of us in the far north-east corner of NSW.  Towns further west and to the north haven't been so fortunate, with their towns inundated, and now the army going in to help with the clean up.  I have a sense, in a very small measure only, of how they might be feeling. My thoughts and prayers are with them.

It's been good to get back to normal, to see some sunshine..if only for a few days... and do some stitching. I've joined Peggy again, at Woman with Wings to make some full moon art, although I'm a bit late posting it, as the moon has now begun to wane again.  I didn't have much inspiration for my moon art this month, and even the moon didn't help, hiding behind heavy rain clouds.  I started to think about the full moon being in Leo, lions, king of the beasts, and as I was feeling rather beastly myself with a dose of summer flu, it seemed my art was going to portray a rather miserable looking lion-beast. He has a big heart, this Leo, being a heart-centred sign, and at this time encourages us to think with heart and body. I was a little disappointed that my discharge-dyed moon was a little sloppy, but then noticed it looked like a lopsided heart, and I thought, yep, that fits.

.

While I was up early yesterday morning, I noticed the sky was clear, and so I was able to get this photo of the moon as it slid down the sky on it's way to bed.

In other full moon goodness, delicious fresh organic vegetables found at the Farmer's Market....they've been cooked up into ratatouille.

The smallest beast needed to be reassured and stay close after a trip to the vet for surgery to remove part of an ovary that was left in after she was spayed, causing her to go on heat.  The hormone surges and non stop calling were distressing for all of us, especially the big girls, who weren't too sure about the little one's sudden desire to love them up.

She's doing well, and healing nicely, thankyou.

........and the big beasts, well, they'd just like their tea please.