Fields Of Gold

Saturday 8th September, 2012

Last night we decided to go to Hahndorf and to the Pizza House for dinner.  They have just won "Best Pizza Outlet" for 2012.  Here, you won't find the run of the mill Ham and Pineapple, or pizzas like you get at Domino's or Pizza Hut.  

Tony ordered the "Special" with cacciatore sausage, semi-dried tomatoes, roasted capsicum, fetta cheese and I had the Pollo Fungi, roasted chicken breast, mushrooms and gorgonzola.  Yum! Yum! they were delicious!  

They do mainly gourmet pizzas, like duck, crab meat, squid and yes, Robyn they have dessert pizzas too, but only two.  One is a Cherry Ripe and the other one I can't remember but I think it may be apple and cinnamon with cream and icecream.  We will try one next time.

Tony and I decided to take a drive into the country today and see the "Fields of Gold".  What a truly beautiful sight!  Just a few months ago when we were there all the paddocks were either just showing signs of crops peeking through or else had just been sown.  

Today the canola fields were full of yellow flowers and the green of the grain crops really brought out the true colours of Australia....green and gold.  There were also lots of little lambs frisking about in the paddocks.  Spring truly is the season of new beginnings.

We stopped at the Grasshopper Roadhouse in Tarlee for coffee and scones.  The Roadhouse is a quaint little cottage.

I knew it was a bad decision to go to the country.  This evening my eyes are so itchy, watery and my nose is running.  Yep.....hayfever!

Just before we left Jodi and Taylor called around.  As we were about to go out, they didn't stay for too long. Jodi said that Tori has found a unit, and so I can go through my cupboards in the coming days and see if there is anything that will be suitable for her.

Whenever I have a clean out I donate it all to charity so I don't have too much that I don't use anymore, but there may be some thing that she might be able to use.  I know I have a canteen of cutlery that she can have.

As Jodi was leaving Katie rang to let us know what time she will be leaving for Perth. She sounded very excited and so we will be heading to the airport tomorrow.

Let The Show Begin!

Friday 7th September, 2012

Over the last 48 hours we have again suffered through some very damaging winds.  Mostly this time trees have blown over, tiles and iron lifted from roofs of houses and power outages.  Along with the wind has come some heavy rain and hail.  The ferries at Tailem Bend, Wellington and SeaLink were suspended until the winds subsided. 

A good Samaritan was trying to help the SES and now he is in hospital:

" A primary school teacher is in a critical condition after being crushed by a tree at Ironbark last night as he was helping SES crews remove another tree from the road".
                                                               Taken from Adelaide Now

I just hope and pray he makes a full recovery.  This was the only human casualty of the last couple of days.

Why did we bother cleaning the patio area last weekend, this morning it looks just as bad?  Looks like another job for this weekend, if we get no more wind.

Today is also the start of the Adelaide Show.  Nine days of family entertainment when the country comes to the city.  We have decided that this year we won't be going.  Katie was happy with that when we told her.  

As a sweetener we have decided to take her to Sydney in January.   Tony is taking a couple of weeks off work then.  She is really looking forward to that.  Fingers crossed that our plans work out. 

Take A Bow SA Schools

Wednesday 5th September, 2012


Yesterday was an awesome day weather wise and last night was an awesome night.  The temperature yesterday got to 26C and even at 1.30am this morning the temperature was still 24C.

Last night was the Festival of Music at the Festival Theatre.  Katie and some of her fellow school students (including her best friend Maddi) were invited to participate in the combined Primary Schools choir.  There were some 455 students in the choir representing 17 Primary Schools.  And what a beautiful sound they made!

Now I understand why, over the last few months when she came to stay she would ask , "Nanna, have you heard the song Footloose, or Iko Iko, or Twist and Shout or He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"?  She was quite surprised when I would reply, "Yes Katie we have got those songs on CD or record".  Then she would ask me to put them onto my IPhone or IPod so that she could listen to them and sing along in the car.  These were just some of the songs sung by the choir.

This Festival is run over twelve nights with students from over 230 schools represented.  More than 6000 students are involved over the 12 nights.

We didn't know what to expect.  I thought that each school's choir sang a song or two but it was nothing like that.  The massed choir was backup to several of the performers.  This State has certainly got some very talented young people.  The Orchestra was made up entirely of Primary School children and sounded amazing.  If you were non the wiser you would have thought it was a Symphony Orchestra.

I wasn't aware that the Education Department played a big part in teaching Music and Drama in schools.  Listening to some of the solo singers gave me goosebumps.  They were truly awesome, especially a young classical singer who sang Figaro.

The program consisted of a classical pianist, show band, a flute ensemble, an awesome Irish folk band, drama group, and several soloists with help from the choir.

Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take any photos inside  the theatre but we will definitely be ordering a DVD of the performance.  To everyone involved, from all of the teachers, the conductors, the choreographers, the organisers and all the students......TAKE A BOW!!!!!!!!!!

Festival Theatre

After the concert we waited for Katie and she was very excited about having performed.  She said that before it started she was very nervous and when the curtain rose and she saw the audience she wanted to collapse on her knees.

I spoke to her earlier and she is still coming down from the high of last night.  Now, she says, she is ready to go to Perth on Sunday.  I got the days mixed up......she leaves on Sunday and comes back Monday evening.

She is really becoming the Social Butterfly!

Katie and her BF Maddi  

You're Welcome to Stay, Spring!

Monday 3rd September, 2012

September made it's grand entrance and brought with it some gorgeous weather.  The weekend for us was spent gardening and Tony washed the car.  How nice it was to spend some time outside in the sunshine.

After my nail appointment on Friday I went into town as I had to do some shopping.  I met Tony for some lunch and coffee.  He went back to work and I went off to do what I had to do.  When he finished work for the day we decided to go back to Murray Bridge and have Chinese for dinner again.  It was just as nice as the week before.

On Saturday he cleaned the car while I cleaned up the courtyard.  Sunday we spent the day in the garden. Cleaned the patio area as well and washed the outdoor setting but they say we will get the winds back again on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Yesterday was Father's Day here in Australia.  Like Mother's Day, we don't celebrate it.   For your children to say they love you and come armed with gifts on one day of the year is not for us.   We're happy if we get a phone call.  

Yesterday was also Jodi's birthday and so last night we went out for dinner.  She had booked to go to Caffe Aqua. 

We weren't very impressed with the meal   I ordered Saltimbocca and one piece of Veal I couldn't cut, it was so sinewy.  Tony ordered the Veal and mushrooms.  The serving sizes were so small, more like entree size, no salad or vegies came with the meals. Yes, we did let them know we weren't impressed, to pay $21.90 for each meal it definitely wasn't worth it.

We were both hungry when we left and so we went to McDonalds for a burger.  What is it with eating out at the moment?  The quality of the food has definitely dropped lately.

I know I go on about how cold it is here during Winter.  We don't get the freezing temperatures like the Northern Hemisphere, but when it gets to 14 /15C, for us, that's cold.  Occasionally, we may get one day during all of Winter where the temperature may drop to a single digit, 8 / 9C.  Our weather is often likened to the Meditteranean. 

The weekend temperatures were 19/20C and by Tuesday they say it will get to 26C (which is perfect, even though it will get windy), but then on Wednesday the rains come and the temperature drops to 16C.  Still that's what Spring is all about, variable temperatures with a sprinkling of rain.  At least we will get more warmer days than cold ones.

my newest solar light

Don't Hurry Back, Winter!!!!

Friday 31st August, 2012

Yaayyyyy Winter has finally come to an end!  The weather forecasters say that this has been our wettest winter for 7 years and our coldest for nearly 20 years.  We are supposed to be in for some nice temperatures over the next few days and then the rain will return mid next week. 

Geez if we have any more rain we will be wearing these.........

                                                    Source unknown

I know that in most parts of the world Spring doesn't begin until the solstices, but here in Australia I have always known  the seasons to start on the first day of each relative month.  

The winter solstice represents the shortest day of the year and the summer solstice represents the longest day of the year.   With more and more people coming from different parts of the world to live here, I think it's beginning to slowly change.  

I can't wait for the days to warm up and then stick around.  Surely this must be a sign that Spring is around the corner.........

Food! Glorious Food!

Monday 27th August, 2012

Late Friday afternoon I went and did some food shopping and met Tony.  We went and had coffee and decided to have Chinese for dinner.  But where would we get it from?  We don't like most of the Chinese restaurants around here.  Tony suggested we go to Murray Bridge.  I was up for it.

When we got there it was after 7.30pm and so we decided to eat in.  I think our eyes were too big for our bellies, as we ordered 3 meals to share plus a fried rice.  We got Sweet and Sour Pork, Honey Chicken and Braised King Prawns with Cashew Nits.  It was delicious.  They offered a take away container for what we couldn't eat, but all that was left was some of the Fried Rice and Honey Chicken.  Still it was enough for Tony's lunch the following day.

It was after 10.30pm when we got home and we both said that we'd do it again.  Better than any Chinese food offered down here. Well worth the trip! 

On Saturday afternoon I went and did another Scrapbooking class.  Robyn and Bob came around shortly after 5.00pm as we were going out for dinner with them.  They have been collecting the vouchers from the paper.....Split The Bill.  This time they thought they would try the Boatdeck Restaurant at Taperoo.

We had a very nice meal there, Tony and I had sizzling Porterhouse Steak with mashed potato and garlic mushrooms.  Robyn had fish and Bob had Rump Steak.  They also offered a salad bar and soup in the cost of the main meal. For dessert Robyn had Apple Crumble and Bob and I had Nut Sundaes.  Tony opted for a coffee.

On Sunday we decided to go to Harbor Town.  I wanted new mats for the kitchen and bathroom floors.  The weather was quite nice, cool, but at least we had some sunshine.  I didn't find any mats other than bath mats (which I didn't want).  Out of all the shops that are there, there is only one Rug place and they didn't have anything suitable. 

We called into Largs for an icecream.  While waiting I tried to capture the people feeding the seagulls.

Wet 'N' Wild

Thursday 23rd August, 2012

This morning we woke to pelting rain and 'hurricane' like wind.  I felt so sorry for Tony having to go to work in it. 

During the morning it sort of abated and we even had some sunshine.  This afternoon the weather bureau put out another alert for damaging winds and heavy rain with hail and maybe some thunder and lightning.  

Just before 3.00pm it struck again.  The wind was recorded at over 90kmh and it even scared me a bit.  The rain pelted down but because the wind was so strong it fell horizontally.  

There were lots of reports of fallen trees, power lines down, hail on the roads making driving hazardous and some snow fell on Mount Lofty and in the Hills.  A lot of people lost their power.

roof damaged on block of units at Largs Bay

One lady was injured when this tree came down on her car and up to 10 cars were damaged at Northpark Shopping Centre.  There are plenty of warnings given for people not to park under trees but I don't think anyone takes any notice.

We sometimes park by this tree whenever we go to Northpark, but there is no way I would park there when the weather was like it was today.  It is still windy, though not as strong, and we are still having lots of rain.  On the weather report it said that this has been our wettest Winter for 7 years.

Anyone  for surfing?

Thank goodness for our SES workers, they are out there in this goddam awful weather repairing roofs, clearing debris from cars and roads and anything else that needs doing.

Most people I have spoken to are fed up with this wet weather and are now ready for some warmer days.  I know, in a few months we'll be complaining that it's too hot!

                                                               Photos taken from Adelaide Now website