Winter is here!

Our beautiful part of the country has been enjoying very mild weather and so we really have had an extended Autumn. But, recently, there has been a hint of cooler days and nights on their way and finally there has been the chance to don a bit of warmer clothing, like the new woollen coat. 

Winter always has its own highlights that I look forward to and a particular favourite is lighting the fire. And, of course, then one must pull across a comfy chair, put their feet up and enjoy the warmth. Let’s complete the scene with a small glass of wine and a copy of Spaces by Frankie magazine. 

  

Driving home on a dull, showery Saturday afternoon, we caught sight of a rainbow, which put a touch of brightness in the day.

Yesterday, the chance to capture the most magnificent sunset was a real treat. It was an amazing sight from our lounge room and verandah.

And, winter is the absolute right time for the slow cooker or large cooking pot to be pulled out of the cupboard and put into action to cook a variety of yummy warming soups.

Even the furry members of the family get in on the act, looking very cosy curled up in a favourite basket or own little doggy house!

Always the right time, too, for admiring a crocheted rug, which perhaps might look at home on my lounge.....so as to keep one warm and toasty, of course, while watching TV!

On the Boardwalk, Down by the Sea

Take a beautiful sunny day, combine that with a stroll along a boardwalk to the sea and it looks like this....

This boardwalk eventually leads to a long stretch of beach. Usually this beach is home to a number of amazing driftwood beach huts.....where have they gone?

A beautiful view of the river as we walk back.....

A nice place for a romantic stroll on such a glorious day .....

I was thinking that maybe this was a 'Hansel and Gretel' trail as someone kept leaving these flowers along the way.....

And then, there are some amazing, unusual trees to marvel at when you finish your walk.....

I think one would partake of good old fashioned ice creams after such a lovely walk! 

Well, we did and they were yummy! Sorry no photos..... too busy eating! 

Snaky

Imagine walking into your bathroom early one morning and, as you are washing your hands, you happen to glance out the window and spy this fellow heading up your outside wall.....

After a couple of seconds, you realise that it is your resident python, known as ‘Snaky’, who has been happily curled around a pipe under your house. He has heard that the accommodation upstairs is very comfortable and that the view is well worth waking up to. So, being in need of a hibernation spot, he is on the move to check it out. 

Now, you suddenly remember that the door onto the upstairs verandah is open, so it becomes a mad rush up the stairs, broom in hand. Thank goodness you take that broom, as it is needed to nudge Snaky back out the door. A few more minutes and he would have been nicely ensconced under the bed for a long winters nap! 

Snaky's cousin, the town dwelling green tree snake, didn't make his way into his nearby house. But, decided instead to sun bake in the hedge adjacent the back steps. Clever fellow! It took awhile before he was spied curled up in here.....

May well explain why we never saw this little chap again!!! Little froggy liked to live on our back verandah. Apparently, Mr Snake liked it there too. I am glad I never had the pleasure of sitting on the outdoor chairs with Mr Snake. Apparently it was a favourite spot for him, as he did once leave us his old 'coat' that he had outgrown, wrapped around the chair leg!

Autumn Garden Harvest

This year, several random pumpkin vines spread their way around our relatively small vegetable patch. It was very exciting as we have never had success in growing delicious sweet pumpkins in bulk numbers!
Here are some of the beautiful pumpkins that we got to harvest .....

Now, the humble pumpkin is delicious in many a recipe..... cakes, soups, scones, dips or spreads, curries, pizzas, etc. Even baked or mashed, it is very versatile!

I want to share one of my all time favourite pumpkin recipes - pumpkin fruit cake. A friend from many years ago shared this recipe with me, explaining the easiness of using the one pot for both cooking the pumpkin then mixing the ingredients. As we both had young children and were very busy with family things, this process made the recipe quick and easy. I hope you try it and enjoy this 'easy to make', yummy cake.

(In writing the recipe out for me, my friend meant to write glad bake paper, not powder! Also, her oven temperature was 180 degrees C for 1 hour, but I find 160 degrees C is better and I check after 45 minutes of baking.) 

PS I love handwritten recipes! The handwriting reminds me of the person who wrote it and the many memories we shared.....

A Belated Autumn Post.....

Well.....I know Autumn has passed but.....I just had to share some photos of my local area in autumn time. Just on the edge of town is an avenue of trees that are glorious when their leaves change colour.

I love travelling on this road because, after a short drive through state forest, there is more beautiful scenery to enjoy.

And, there's more! Following on from here, along a gravel road, there are many pretty spots to admire.

During the sunny, warm autumn weather, it's so nice to walk uptown and meet a friend for a coffee. On one such walk, I came across this tree covered with a vine of autumn leaves.

A little visit to the plant section of Bunnings, in order to add a bit of colour to the garden. We went home with these beauties.....

I love Autumn, with its gorgeous colours, warm sunny days and that feeling of a change in the air. Sometimes I wish it would stay in this season for many more months!

Posh Frocks and High Teas

Having reserved ourselves a 'regal high tea' spot at The Carrington Hotel in Katoomba, we donned our posh frocks and headed off to play ladies for the afternoon. We admired the beautiful stained glass facade and dome,
the rather grand exterior and the elegant interior decorations of a bygone era.....

We sat back in the Grand Dining Room and played ladies, sipped our champers and enjoyed the indulgent culinary delights being served. Of course, special mention must be made of the afternoon's piano serenade by a lovely gentleman, who was very obliging and played some special requests for us. (To our amusement, we did think he looked like Sir Les Patterson! Maybe too much champagne for us!)

What an enjoyable, fun way to spend the afternoon, and a lovely way to remember our trip to Katoomba.

Mountains and more.....

Just a stone's throw from Shelton-Lea is a spectacular rock formation and one of the Blue Mountains best known sites, The Three Sisters.

Now, I am not sure if this was a case of too much mountain air or some serious limbering up before a strenuous bush walk! Aah.....to be that flexible!!!

So, after a good dose of mountain air, we went off to explore more of Katoomba and surrounds. There are many arts and crafts markets every weekend around the Blue Mountains. We caught up with a few and were amazed by the variety and quality of handmade articles......beautiful woodwork, knitwear, felted toys, sewing, and so on. Not to mention all the bric a brac, vintage and retro materials, crockery, and the list goes on.....definitely many treasures to be found! Unfortunately I fell down on my photographic duties as I was too busy admiring everything!
But, I did manage to 'snap' some other quirky and fun things we saw.....

plus this very friendly little chap.....or lady (wearing a pink heart).

Katoomba Delights

Leaving Orange, we quite enjoyed a scenic drive through the Blue Mountains, arriving in a somewhat chilly, rainy Katoomba. But, that could not put us off finding a classical art deco cafe or following the trail of antique shops! Being a bit 'peckish', we headed to the main street to find somewhere for lunch. And, look what we found! It was a very busy afternoon in the Paragon Cafe and after a bit of a wait, we were seated in one of the booths. The Paragon is Australia's oldest cafe and is a step back into the 1920's, so we couldn't help but admire the gorgeous decor and the art deco memorabilia.

And, of course, we had spotted the antique and second-hand shops on our way to have lunch, so they were our next places to explore. Several stayed open until late, which was very lucky for us! So many treasures to find and admire.....

We spent hours looking through just two shops with rather extensive collections. So much to look at! This is only a snippet of some of our favourite pieces.

And my purchases.....well, I just had to add to my afternoon tea collection.....a Meakin 'Sunflower' coffee pot destined to be a teapot instead and an 'english scenery' sugar bowl to join my blue and white collection. All a bit eclectic!

So, as the afternoon drew to a close, we booked into our accommodation, the Shelton-Lea Bed and Breakfast. What a lovely place! Our two nights were in this cute little studio at the end of the drive.....

Just ideal for an evening of takeaway pizza and more Miss Marple watching!