I Love my Birdhouses

 

For as long as I can remember I have had a fascination with birdhouses.  Old ones, new ones, decorated one, rustic ones - I just love them all.  So the collecting of birdhouses has become a bit of a passion of mine.  Only problem is I have fast run out of places to display them all!  

This one sits on top of a side table in my Dining Room.  The silver candle stick holder which I bought in Dublin and a little trinket box which Alan gave me a couple of Christmas' ago complete the picture.

This one is on my front verandah.  It is the first thing visitors see when they walk down the pathway leading to the front door.  I have never seen a bird go anywhere near it however the geckos love it and I often see them scooting in the hole and out the door.  Perfect place for gecko "hide and seek"!

This little one I painted a couple of years ago (during my folk art phase).  It is so sweet with a beautiful wisteria vine creeping over the front door and up towards the entry hole.  It even has "Welcome" painted over the front door.  What self respecting bird would not want to live in such a pretty house?

I also have a fascination with birds nests.   This one is an abandoned sun bird's nest.  I think it is absolutely fascinating the way birds make their nests.  Such precision and patience.   This particular nest is especially dear to me as it is made out of Alan's discarded hair trimmings!    Hhhh?.....    Well you see,  I often give Alan a bit of a hair trim out on the side verandah and then pick up the trimmings and toss them into the garden.   Last spring a couple of sun birds decided to build their nest on one of the arms of my verandah candelabra and after it was finished I couldn't help but notice that there was something strangely familiar about their nest......  You guessed it!  They had obviously found Alan's hair trimmings in the garden and weaved into their nest.    A real "Designer" birdsnest with a speckled grey textured  finish.  Talk about interaction with nature.

This is one of the first birdhouses I ever bought.   It is in the shape of an old post office and sits on the railing of my side verandah.   I have a similar one in the shape of an old saloon down the other end of the verandah however we had to remove the roof of that one.   A green tree frog had obviously decided that it was a pretty good house and used to come and go via the bird hole.  However after a month of hibernation in "the Old Saloon" it became too big to be able to get out - hence the removal of part of the roof.  The things you do!

 

This is another of my handpainted birdhouses - this time in a stained timber look with a maroon stencil and terracotta pot of flowers.   It sits on my angel hutch and is another favourite hidey spot for our pet geckos.

A Weekend in the Garden

After weeks and weeks of rain I was desperate to get into the garden. Everying has just gone crazy and it almost feels as if we are being totally engulfed by the tropical foliage surrounding the house. That's the thing about living in the Tropics. Plants can literally grow 10cm overnight! I kid you not.

The combination of bromeliads and cordylines is just magic. Why would anyone not see beauty in bromeliads? In a sea of green,  their cheery red spikes shine like little beacons of happiness.

Some serious cutting back is needed here! My beautiful poinciana tree is now completely covering the pathway leading to the front verandah. In November this pebble pathway is absolutely covered in red petals - just like confetti. Love the verigated bromeliads. They are doing so well in this dappled light.

Will tackle the paddocks surrounding the house tomorrow. A full day of mowing and brushcutting to look forward to!   I absolutely love the fact that we have 2 acres in one of the most beautiful valleys in Far North Queensland but it is such a lot of work to look after.  Seriously might have to look at employing a couple of goats to keep it under control! 

 

 This is where I intend to be Sunday afternoon! Cool drink in hand - gazing down upon my primped and pruned garden.

Creme Brulee

I have NEVER made Creme Brulee before. It has always been one of those deserts which I have loved ordering whenever I have gone out to a Restaurant but would have had absolutely no hope of being able to replicate at home. That was of course until I saw George's Master Class on Master Chef and I just had to give it a go. So, 600mls of double cream and 6 egg yolks later - here is the result! Looks pretty much like George's - don't you think? I really felt like a TRUE Master Chef when I served them up for dinner in their cute little white pots. To be honest - it really wasn't all plain sailing. On my first attempt they ended up being a little runny. However I ended up leaving in the fridge overnight and the next afternoon.... Perfection! The real thrill was in the tapping of the hard sugar topping with the back of my spoon (just like George did!) and hearing that distinctive "crack".   HERE is the recipe. The comments on the bottom of the page from other people who had attempted the dish were a little bit daunting but the "trick" is in leaving the creme brulee in the fridge overnight.   I even added my critique (goldenvalley50)  in the review section.  I'm definitely a "Master Chef nerd!"     Can't wait to try it again.

New Floor Rug

Have been trying to decide for the past couple of months on the best type of floor rug for the main living room. Over the years floor rugs/animals/kids have proved to be a pretty disastrous combination in our house. However with the large expanse of our new black bean floors - we just needed a rug (of some type) to break up all the timber. At one stage I was thinking cream shaggy. I must have been dillusional! It's bad enough that I have to put up with the daily "tumble weeds" of fur that roll down the passages like a windstorm in an old western - can you imagine what a cream rug would have looked like?
So whilst wandering through Freedom (after collecting the new bed at Harvey Normans) I stumbled (literally) across this sisal creation (fringing and all). Perfect! I think it looks great and refuse to take any notice of Kendall's comments about "old hessian bags" and the like.........

My New Bed

This is the bed in the showroom - not exactly the same as mine but close to.

Made the trip into Harvey Normans to pick up my new bed. I saw it in their bedding showroom a couple of months ago and knew instantly - it was the bed for me! White/timber slats with chunky headboard and small tapered footer. Perfect for my new shabby chic bedroom. We have had our old bed for 28 years so thought it was about time for a change. My old bed was a true classic in its time. Solid brass railings/bedknobs and beautiful hand-painted ceramic inserts. For as long as I can remember I had always wanted a brass bed and in its day it was a real feature in my bedroom. We have heaps of old photos of the old bed - usually with kids or dogs draped over it. In fact for the first 3 years of each of the kid's lives - they spent ALL their sleeping hours in the old bed. Will I ever forget! It was like a game of tag that went on for 10 years! Over the years the brass has become tarnished and the ceramic inserts have disappeared (either cracked or broken) and unfortunately it is now a shadow of its former self. (Bit like me really!)

Quite like the look of this as well - think they would go well with my new bed.  Also like the look of that towel rail thingy - would be a good place for Alan to hang his belt/shirt etc.

For the moment however the new bed will have to stay dismantled in the spare bedroom whilst I finish the process of painting and redecorating the main bedroom. Hopefully will be able to get this done in the next couple of weeks. Will take some Before and After photos to record the transformation. I am SOO looking forward to crawling into my nice white new bed and not rolling into the "valley" in the middle. Micky and Buffy have both eyed off the new bed with arrogant contempt particularly as I have told them quite firmly that their days of bed snoozing are fast coming to an end! "We'll see about that...." says Alan. Hmm.....

Glasshouse Candles

How I LOVE my Glasshouse Candles!  Being an absolute "candle fanatic" and having tried a huge variety of candles over the years I have come to the conclusion that Glasshouse are the absolute "pick" of ALL candles.  The weekend just doesn't seem complete unless I have a beautiful Glasshouse Candles flickering away on my Angel hutch. The  fragrance wafting through the house makes everthing just seem perfect.  I have tried most the fragrances but still keep coming back to my all time favourite - "Miami".

So here we have fabulous "Miami" in top dog position on my Angel hutch. Lingering perfume of grapefruit and pomelo.   Bliss!

Words of Inspiration

Love these words from the inspiring Maya Angelou :

I've learned that no matter what hapens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on and it will be better tomorrow;

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things : a rainy day, lost luggage and tangled Christmas tree lights;

I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life;

I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as "making a life";

I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance;

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back.......

I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision;

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one;

I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug or just a friendly pat on the back;

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.......

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Thank you for passing this on Anne........

Brisbane for the Weekend

Alan waiting for the City Cat to arrive

City Cat docking at Mowbray park

Flew to Brisbane for the weekend. Great opportunity to catch up with Matthew and watch one of his home Games on Saturday afternoon. Picked up the hire car from the Airport and was able to navigate our way (with the help of Mr Sat Nav!) to the Wellington Apartment Hotel at East Brisbane.  Caught up with Matthew later in the evening and he gave us a moonlight tour of inner suburban Brisbane before settling for coffee and macademia slice at a very cosmopolitan little suburban village, Bullimba (I think?)

Saturday morning we decided to check out the City Cat trip into the City. What a fantastic way to travel around the city. The sun was shining and the river looked beautiful.

Our trip on the City Cat ended up taking us from Mowbray Park (East Brisbane) down under the Story Bridge to Riverside Park. From there it was just a short stroll up Elizabeth street to the Queen Street Mall. Had a fabulous "big breakfast" for just $6.90 at one of the food courts in the Mall and then set off to check out the shops. Left Alan at the TAB - previous shopping expeditions with him had proven to be less than enjoyable. He finds the whole concept of "window shopping" extremely frustrating.  Only managed to have an hour or so to find Matthew a new shirt and jacket as well as a portable transistor radio for Alan.
Made our way back to the hotel just in time to see Jessica Watson sailing into Sydney Harbour. Didn't have time to see all the celebrations as we had to make our way to Mayne Tigers home ground somewhere in Enogera! Mr Sat Nav again to the rescue.

Very pretty grounds set in natural bushland. I was fascinated with all the crows which were hovering around in the trees and a pair of pink galahs which landed in a tree not far from where we were sitting.  Later on in the afternoon I had to "fight off" those pesky crows who were trying to eat my hot chips.  True story!

Although Mayne didn't win - Matthew played a really good game and was very strong in defence. Alan was most impressed!  We met up with some of his team mates after the game and they seem like a really good group of guys. 

Alan obviously tuned into the "last" at Flemington.  Transistor radio strategically placed 

Mayne $1000 draw on Saturday night.  Needless to say - we didn't win!  On Sunday morning we headed back down the Brisbane River again to the Riverside Markets and breakfast with Matthew.  The markets were a bit disappointing - too commercial and not at all what I expected.  The time went so quickly and as we had to have the car back at the Airport by 3 p.m. didn't get much of a chance to check out many of the other shopping sites around Brisbane.    Great weekend - Matthew looks fit and healthy and seems happy with his life in Brisbane. 
  

Polar Dream

My friend Liz gave me this inspiring book to read about Helen Thayer who walked and skied for 27 days in the Arctic pulling a 160 pound sled for 364 miles to become the first woman (at age 50) to travel on foot to the magnetic North Pole. I actually started casually reading it on Friday evening however by Saturday afternoon I was totally hooked! Couldn't put it down. Not only was I full of admiration for her unwavering motivation and discipline but it was also a tremendous account of the the relationship and bonding which developed between her and her Inuit dog Charlie. Here was Charlie, a work dog who had never been treated like a pet or a partner and learned for the first time how to bond with a human. I really loved how at the start of the trip he slept outside the tent but by the end of the journey he was sharing her sleeping bag. Reminds me of a couple of other "working dogs" I know!

I am currently reading the sequel "Three Among Wolves" and like Polar Dream it is hard to put down.

Stories like these are so inspirational and just go to show that it doesn't matter what your age - if you have the will and determination to achieve nothing will stop you.

Dixie Chick

Now you could be excused for thinking that Dixie Chick is the featured kitty on the front cover of this month's Country Style magazine?  She looks so photogenic posing next to my beautiful bunch of Mother's Day roses.

Mother's Day

Made the trip to Innisfail today as I had some beautiful yellow roses which I wanted to take to Mum.   It was also an opportunity to visit the gravesites of Dad, Gary, Nan and Pop.  So many of my family laid to rest in the Innisfail Cemetery.  Not a day goes by that I don't miss Mum and wish that she was still here with us.  I wonder if I will ever lose the terrible ache I feel in my heart.  
On the way home we decided to drive down to Flying Fish Point for lunch.  This is something Matthew and I do when he is home and really enjoy sitting on the deck of the cafe overlooking the ocean.  It was a surprise to find the cafe completely booked out for a Mothers day lunch.   Flying Fish Point is normally such a sleepy little beachside community - it was strange to see so many people there.   
Took the back road home via the old Jubilee Highway and stopped at the lookout to take a photo of Innisfail and the Johnstone River.  

Also took a photo of the Cairn at the lookout commemorating the discovery of Innisfail in 1880.  It's original name was Geraldton however was changed to avoid confusion with the town of the same name in Western Australia.

It is always a sad feeling for me going back to Innisfail.  I remember (so vividly) growing up in this area and how much I loved the town and the surrounding area.   Nowdays it looks so different.  The township looks dirty and unkept and so different from the prosperous sugar town of the 60's.

Orange Cake

Monday May Day holiday and I decided to check out another fabulous recipe from a favourite little cook book called "Recollections and Recipes of Riverstone" by Jan Alley. Riverstone is an historical home in Gordonvale owned by Jan and Noel Alley. 100 years ago Riverstone was a hotel catering for pack-teamsters, horse riders and horse drawn vehicles enroute to the Atherton Tablelands via the Gillies Highway. In recent times Jan opened Riverstone as a Tea House and lunch venue and published a book with some of her favourite recipes. What I love most about the recipes in Jan's book is that they are good ol'fashioned favourites using ingredients that my grandmother would have used. There is a recipe for "Granadilla Pie" which I would love to try however the last time I saw granadillas growing was in my grandmother's house in Innisfail about 45 years ago. I don't know if anyone grows granadillas anymore? I wanted to try out the new kuglehopf cake tin I bought in Brisbane last year and thought that an Orange cake would go perfectly.

Ingredients :

190g butter

1 tabs arrowroot

155g SR flour

155g sugar

2 eggs

juice and rind of 1 orange

1 tabs water

Beat butter, sugar and rind till fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beting well. Stir in orange juice and water. Lastly fold in sifted four and arrowroot. Turn into greased and foured ring tin. Bake in a moderate oven 180 degrees for 25-30 minutes until cooked when tested. Leave in tin a few minutes, then turn out and cool. Ice with orange icing.

Verdict : Delicious! Don't think it is going to last till tomorrow.

Breakfast at Barrine

First thing I saw this morning when I stood on the verandah was this magnificent "Golden Orb's" web. The sunlight glistening through the trees just made it sparkle. It was going to be a good day!
What better way to start the day than to take a leisurely drive up the range to Lake Barrine for breakfast. With Mark Knopfler and the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards pumping out we made our way up the infamous Gillies Range. How I HATE driving up mountains!

I absolutely love Lake Barrine and the little Tea house perched on the edge of the lake. Such a beautiful, laid back and relaxed spot. If only we didn't have to drive up the range to get there.

The lake looked a picture and the myriad of foliage colours in the gardens surrounding the tea house were amazing.

We had arranged to meet Kendall and her friend Alan for breakfast and as we walked in spotted them on the verandah. Kendall was shivering! There was certainly a briskness in the air so we decided to move into the cosiness of the dining room.

Great breakfast (as usual) and we really enjoyed Kendall and Alan's company! The time seemed to go so fast. Kendall's scones looked so delicious that we just HAD to sample some for ourselves.

Ah well - there's always next week to work off the extra kilos!

Kendall and Alan decided to check out the Lake so we left them and headed back down the range with "The Furys." We missed Matthew's rendition of "Sweet Sixteen" - no doubt he will make up for it next time he is home!
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Good News of the Day : A perfect way to spend a lazy Sunday.