The Sapphires and burgers 16 & 17 Feb 2013

Well, we were only up here a week ago, but I had an offer too good to refuse, so here were are again.

I had an email from Terry (Arlene's brother) that there was going to be another Kingower film viewing this Saturday - and it was the Sapphires ( a feel good Australian film set in the late 60s about 4 Aboriginal girls who go to Vietnam to entertain the American troops)

Sapphires film poster from the internet

We got up here relatively late, as Fraser only finished cricket around 12.30, and yes, it was hot again.

Given our new study, we thought it would be nice to put some pictures on the wall to disguise/distract from the cracks, so we gathered up some spare paintings/prints from home and brought them to Inglewood.

A Brian Lewis original above the couch

The Queen and a Turkish drawing near the desk

I also wanted to take some additional photos of the protrusion on the wall, and the narrow walkway with arch that we had to manoeuvre the furniture through last week.

you can see that it sticks out about 30cm

looking through to the study from the mid stair landing

looking back out from the study to the mid stair landing

And I wanted to be able to show how well (some) of the plants were doing ie the ones that Denise had watered.

new jasmines

Thriving tomatoes (I ate a ripe one- nice and tasty)

healthy rhubarb and new artichokes in the background

bushy raspberries

chillis or capsicum, I can't remember what seeds they were

it's hard to see, but there is new growth here
on one of the citrus trees

 

more new growth on a citrus

very happy angel's trumpet, and new growth
on lemon in the foreground

But as I said last week, these plants were the exception, as Denise kept them alive for us, by watering them.

Below is a photo of a mirror bush, which I would have assumed would be very tough indeed, but which is looking decidedly worse for wear.

Brown mirror bush

As Fraser hadn't been here for a while, he was keen to go to the pub for a parma dinner, but I wasn't sure if that was a good idea, as we had to wait quite a while last time, and we were supposed to be at Kingover by 7.30.  We might not have been ready in time.  We'd been told that there was a  new operator at Galeas cafe next to the Gypsy store in Brooke street, so I went to check it out.  Got chatting to the lady there - Cathy, and she used to work at the Empire.  Took a menu back home to show the boys.

Fraser was very taken with the burger pack options, so we went back to order a family burger pack for 6pm, 2 burgers with the lot, and 3 x cheese burgers.  We sent Fraser back there just before 6, and yes they were ready, and not bad to boot.

Fraser all smiles with his burger pack

enjoying the burgers

So, had an early dinner, and off to Kingower for the film.  I drove carefully, as although 7.30 is still a long way off dusk, I didn't want to hit any wayward kangaroos.  We saw quite a few close to the road, but none came our way luckily.

It was a smaller group than last time, given that that had been the Christmas breakup, but there were still 20 or so people.  Terry, of course, Alex the Chilean, Howard and his wife, the American couple :-David and his wife etc.  All very friendly.

I had come fully prepared, comfy fold up chairs, jumpers in case it got cold (it didn't) wine, glasses, chocolates, fruit, fly spray, etc  

Fraser & Justin waiting for the movie

the movie screen by lamplight

Gazebo in the foreground

Anyway, the film was charming, we all enjoyed it, and at the end it showed a group of people sitting out in the country surrounded by large gums watching the stage, and then faded to a brilliant night sky full of stars.  This was very similar to our surroundings, it was lovely.  Justin also noticed a flash in the sky which repeated twice with a 30 second gap.  We thought it might have been a satellite, but only saw it  3 times, it wasn't moving there were no clouds, so it was rather odd. Fraser was quite pleased to be able to call it a UFO.

When we were leaving Terry told us that he was planning another 2 film sessions - some silent films in March, and Babette's Feast in June.  I look forward to them.

Luckily, still no errant kangaroos on the way home, although it's almost a bit eerie driving in complete blackness.  Thank goodness for high beam!

Sunday dawned bright and warm, and I of course gave the favoured plants a good soaking before breakfast.  Denise also came to visit, and I told her that I planned to start setting up the succulent bed near the jacaranda.  Well, that was the plan at least, I was waylaid in the back as I had long wanted to put some more gravel on the vegie bed surround, and therefore get rid of the gravel pile on the grass.

Well, I started this - but it was a bit laborious, as I had to sift the dirt away from the gravel, and by this time it was getting hot

champion sifter action

 So, I changed tack, and asked Justin to put up the hammock, and read my book instead