Weekly Chat, 20 November 2011

Hi Diane: I'm off to look at the ISS photogs. Thanks for starting us off!  

Back later when I've checked the previous week's posts..

Diane and Everyone: That "spectacular" video of Diane's is AMAZING. Look at it in full screen!  Now I want to hook it up to my flat screen telly.  Just fabulous!  Thanks Diane!!

You're welcome! I thought you might like it, Annette.

Lynette: So glad your OH is feeling better; amazing that he actually had a good night's sleep! Nice to know the nurses are keeping a close eye on him. What an exotic vacation spot! Do hope that elderly blind elephant is enjoying retirement.

Trish2: Sounds like you had a nice time with your friends - good for you! Let us know how your excursion for a Christmas party dress went.

SheilaFE: I was in a domestic science class when I was around 14 and made a nightie that I sewed up along the bottom! Haven't tried anything more ambitious than replacing buttons since. That was me (not Lynette) who mentioned that Target sells Boots (yes, YOUR Boots!) beauty/bath products. And me who shares your splendid taste in shoes!

Fish: Thanks for explaining the burning bush fire. Hope Lindybird's advice on how to delete the pix helps.

Daughter opted to stay close to home today so we didn't get to the horse show. Spent some tidying up the lavender (we put in quite a bit); went for a nice walk in the late afternoon sun then came home to cook yummy chicken with mushrooms in a sherry/cream sauce. Plan more garden stuff tomorrow (except it's supposed to rain.....) Have a good Sunday all!

Thanks for starting us off Diane. Wow!!! That video is amazing. Hey who left all those lights on?

Lynette - Will be thinking of you & your OH tomorrow. Thanks for holiday pics.

I have been messing around with pics so, here is my report on Adelaide Hills bus trip last Sun. Our journey covered the headwaters of the Onkaparinga and Torrens Rivers. A civilized start at 9 am, off towards Glen Osmond, up the Freeway, turning off towards Oakbank. The site of the annual Easter picnic race meet (horses). A short wander, viewing old brewery buildings and a church. Next through town of Woodside.
Some scenery after we passed through Charleston.

A short stop at the Springhead Lutheran Cemetery. Many ornate & beautiful memorials, old German names. Next to the Springhead Lutheran church & school where the ladies provided tea/coffee & delish muffins in the new assembly/sports hall built with Federal Govt handout money. Their church service had just ended and we were able to view inside the church. Lovely stained glass windows.
More Adelaide Hills scenery.

Continuing Adelaide Hills saga. Mount Torrens was a delightful town tho' everything closed, but I tracked down 2 churches. The Anglican was rather sad, needing more than a lick of paint, galvanised iron roof was rusty. The former Methodist, now Community church, was open. I crept in lest a service on but it was empty, beautifully looked after. The gardens in the main street were crowded with roses - I am so jealous. This cottage took my eye but my pic doesn't do it justice, seem to have rain on the lens.

As we drove towards Birdwood we saw a huge black cloud & lightning. We had 1½ hours for lunch. As we got off the bus, down came the rain, so it was lunch first for me. Rain cleared quickly leaving it steamy. I wandered slowly, viewing the sights and 2 antique/bric-a-brac shops. Birdwood was originally called Blumberg (Hill of Flowers) by the German settlers. In the anti-German hysteria of WWI, most German place names were changed. (But they forgot Adelaide, named for the German princess, wife of William IV. Ha) "Birdwood" chosen to honour the Aussie general who led the ANZACs at Gallipoli.

Next through Gumeracha. A perpetual waterhole was known to the aborigines as "Umberacha". Somehow the white settlers added a "G'. On the outskirts we visited the Salem Baptist church. The porch was open with a glass door allowing a view inside. Across the road is a grove of oak trees which were planted in the early days around a natural spring. It was stone-lined and used as a baptismal font until 1899 when an earthquake stopped the flow. The view from the road as I was being careful of my knees.

We viewed from the bus the nearby former Aenon Baptist church, now a private home, beautifully kept. In Lobethal we had an hour. Too hot for coffee & cake, I bought a bottle of water as I had drained my from-home-bottle. Lobethal (Valley of Praise) was another early German settlement. In WWI its name was changed to Tweedvale because of the importance of the woollen mills, sadly now closed. The name reverted to Lobethal in SA's centenary year 1936. The Lutheran church museum opened for us. Pastor Fritsche began a Lutheran seminary in a 12-foot square wattle & daub hut in 1845. Now a museum building has been built around this hut. Later we were taken to their church, the oldest Lutheran church still in Aussieland, built 1845. Still used even tho' a new church built next door where there was a wedding. We scruffy tourists mingling with the wedding guests!

Last was a quick drive past the no-longer-in-use oast house at Neudorf (another German name) in the next valley. (The oast house is behind the shed in the centre of pic.)

View to right of above pic.

Then back through Woodside, Oakbank, Balhannah to the Freeway and home. Everywhere the grass was green and lush. By December it will be yellow and brown and a serious busfire threat. That's all, folks - no more trips this year.

AQ: Lovely pix - those hills really do look green, a lot like ours in our spring and early summer.  I love to see the hay in the fields and that house with the roses is charming. You got some good pix.  When did the Germans settle down under?  Texas had a lot of German settlers too.

What I loved about Diane's ISS video was the lightning. I kept trying to figure out which continents we were flying over; will have to use the Stop button next time and watch it Full Screen, which I only "discovered" about halfway through.

Hello!    Happy New Week!  - and Thanks to Diane for starting us off.

Have just enjoyed AQ's great photos and descriptions - didn't know that Adelaide had been a German Princess, AQ.  And I know I speak for others when I say that a lot of the countryside looks as if it could easily be the UK!   We don't think of Aus as being that green, really, we only think about the heat and the dry grass.

Trish:   Sounds like you had a great evening out.  Good Luck with the dress hunt.

Sheila:    Funny that Boots has been mentioned on here lately - I was jumping up and down here, yesterday, as my old shower cap just bit the dust and I popped in to get a new one in a branch of Boots - now, they are chemists who sell just about everything for the bath, hygiene, toothpaste, babies etc.  But in amongst the Chr...as presents, jewellery and perfume, not one shower cap was to be seen!  Think they have forgotten what sort of shop they are in the rush to get peoples cash.  Urgh - will have to find time to go to another chemist in the town, now.

Annette:  Sounds like you are having a good time with your daughter. That chicken dish sounded good, too!  I can sew - I used to make my own dresses in the days when they were all 'tubes' with a picture on the front panel, and straight skirts.  Only take up hems now, and try to avoid doing curtains - too much hassle!  Bought a pair of bargain trousers a couple of months ago, though, and they were such fine material I just could not turn them up without them sliding around, so paid a dressmaker ten pounds to alter them for me (for my shortish legs) - so they were not as cheap as when I started, after all.

Diane:   Thanks for the film - it sounds great, but I will look at it at leisure later, as I have to go get my hair washed now before hoovering up madly, there seems to be a lot of dog hair everywhere today (is he moulting??)

Everyone have a Good Wek!

Morning all,

Lynette : Thanks for all the holiday pics of the elephants and other animals. A bit more exotic than our holiday in Wales. LOL

AQ : Nice to see all that green and lush countryside as I also think of it as mostly dry and barren.

Diane : Thanks for starting us off and I will look at the film later.

Linda : Hope you manage to get the dogs hairs hoovered up. Fortunately with hamish he does not shed a lot of hairs and he is mostly outside in his shed so we dont have that problem.

Thanks to everyone else for the chat etc.

Yesterday we went to Stamford in the fog but fortunately it cleared when we got there. While we were walking round I heard this loud  droning noise and as we rounded the corner, there it was my first lesser spotted leafblower of the season. Quite late in the season for the first leafblower. The milder weather must have been preventing them from arriving from where ever.  

Horribly foggy again today and damp, makes you want to hibernate until March. I dont have to go out today apart from walking the dog so probably just watch a bit of footie later and relax. 

Autumnwatch osprey finale:

www.dyfiospreyproject.com/.../autumnwatchs-osprey-finale