Slouchie Beanie and dark mornings.

Our walk this morning was down the Jane Brook Valley a ways. We've been using the map and slowly walking bits of the local bridle paths that we haven't walked before.
 

We were on the south side of the valley, a little way up the hill, and it was interesting to see the slanting sun just popping in behind the trees on the north side. There were some houses down by the brook that must have still been so dark and cold.

Light absolutely glowed out from high up the hill on the other side, leaving our walk even darker by comparison.

Then just before we got back to the car, we got high enough and the sun came up enough, and our last few metres of walk were sunlit.

Here comes the sun! 

It really has been a cold winter, a least it has for Western Australia.  Andrew got these shots when we had the frost the other day.  I guess for people from other places it is pretty small beans, but to us, wow, visible icey bits!  Amazing! 

The plants weren't enjoying it much, though, but I should think that both dandelions and lupins have evolved to cope, coming from colder climes as they do,  

It's been perfect weather for wearing my new slouchie beanie.  Still loving it!   What do you think?

 

       

I wore it yesterday when we went to watch mum in her first performance with the local choir.  Way to go mum!   That's her, third from the left in the front row.

 

They did a selection of songs with sewing as a theme, because it was being done at an exhibition of historical sewing machines and sewing.  It was much more interesting than I expected, and the singing was lovely.

My Bro-in-law just sent me this pic he got of mum looking so happy.  Singing is so good for you!

My favorite exhibition was a good old Aussie Hills hoist with many soft old pattern papers pegged out on it, and each had a story written on it about people's memories of sewing.  So many were funny and so many were touching.  There was a lady there having people tell her stories and writing them directly onto a paper pattern and hanging them up.  Art in motion! 

Niamh and Molly had a great time using old hand-driven singer sewing machines the exhibitors had there ready to go.  I too remember using my grandma's old Singer foot-treadle sewing machine when we stayed at her place.  In fact, I still have it here because we couldn't part with it after she died.  The belt needs work, but yesterday we found a person who can repair it.  Yay!