A finish and a start

New Year's Day has dawned cloudy and sullen, but hot. Every day since Christmas we've been treated to nasty storms, thankfully spared the hail and strong winds suffered in nearby towns, but no less scary and destructive. We've been treated to amazing colours and cloud formations, and spectacular displays of lightning.

Coming home, up the range, and as the trees opened out, I saw this storm racing across the valley.  I stopped long enough for a picture, then raced it home, got the car away just as the heavens opened up.

From my back verandah

Posted with kind permission of  a neighbour who took this one looking down the lane to the south. My house is to the right behind these houses. 

Christmas here was quiet and pleasant, spent with the good company of loved ones, good food.....most of which I didn't have to make......and quiet times just trying to stay cool.

You'll all be pleased to know I finished R's quilt, last minute sewing on Christmas Eve ensured it was washed, dried and under the tree ready for Christmas morning.  It was received with squeals and sighs of surprise and delight.

Finished!!

I was really pleased with how it turned out, it came together just as I'd pictured, and apart from 40cm of fabric I bought for the binding, it was all either scraps or strips cut from my stash.

I crosshatched quilted it with this lovely shiny pink, which sank into all the colours beautifully.

I backed it with  this dark pinky red, it doesn't show in the pic, but it has tasteful burnished gold coin spots on it.

***

So another year has gone by, with it's highs and lows, with good things to remember and other things best put away and if not forgotten, then learned from, resolved or a measure of peace found.

Now we head into 2018, with all it's surprises and potential. May it bring health and happiness, joy and peace, creativity, and safety and shelter for all.

Till next time......

Wet

I think most people are aware that north Queensland was hit by a very nasty cyclone in the last few days.  It's still not good up north, because although "Debbie" crossed the coast with great drama and destruction, it was expected she'd settle down, having done the damage, and go away quietly. Not so, she seems to have gained a second wind as ex-cyclone Debbie, and is making sure she's not forgotten by drenching Central and eastern Queensland with torrential rain and massive storms.

That rain is moving across the border and giving us here in the Northern Rivers a drubbing as well.  It's been pretty wet and wild since the early hours of the morning, and the river is rising quickly.

Mt Warning is usually visible to the left of the picture....hiding today.

I took these photos from my bedroom window.  The water's moving very quickly, and dragging a lot of debris along with it.  I've seen some interesting things float past this morning..... a bright pink tub, a red bucket, and what looked like a piece of pontoon from further upstream......all moving far too quickly to get a photo of.

Drains are finding it impossible to handle the run-off. If we get the expected 300-400mls of rain forecast, the road here will be underwater by mid-afternoon.

In the opposite direction, a neighbour's front yard.....already deep under water.  I hope they got their car out!

Looking north, Hospital Hill hidden by rain

Parts of town are already under water, bridges in and out of town are flooded, and there's more to come. The SES (State Emergency Service) are warning of " a big event between now and 4pm".....we'll know soon if this is going to be a moderate or major event.  We're all hoping for the moderate of course, but listening to the rain that's pounding now, I don't think so.  I'm all organised and prepared, as much as I can be, with outdoor furniture put away, tools etc put away up high under the house, and the chooks stowed away snug and dry with plenty of food and water.

So for now I'll wait and see, and try to focus on something other than the weather.....sewing or cooking maybe. It's hard though, I just want to stay glued to the weather updates.

I'm thinking of everyone who's being pummelled by this freaky storm now, those still trying to clean up in north Queensland, and trying to manage without power, their food stocks running low and in some places, severe water restrictions, as well as those further south who are yet to feel it.  Stay safe and dry everyone.

.....till next time

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.