smells like spring

which means it probably is spring. traditionally, i would rather live somewhere where it snowed, a lot. but i find myself this weekend loving the fact that its warm enough for a tshirt, and being outside feels pleasant and rejuvenating and healthy. it probably helps that ive been pottering around at home, and im starting to feel less heart sick and lost.

i especially love the smell of spring when you live by the coast, and the way the salt air comes whispering through the long grass when you’re out walking. possum and i walked through puckeys this morning

and yesterday we took the dogs for a good walk along the escarpment, where they get to jump and climb and chase things.

there was plenty of water running off the rocks and when theres a gap in the trees you can see all the way down over the ocean. it was lovely. ricco then proceeded to roll in a pool of mud. when we got home they all had baths, and now they are soft and fluffy and smell a little like coconut.

this morning i did some gardening, i am just sticking to pots for the time being, and my tending is going pretty well ( i know, dont all die of shock!).

i pulled out some dead chives and curly parsley and replaced them with the first tomato, some rocket and continental parsley.

the kale i got from the canberra markets is going great guns as well and i cut leaves off it for dinner nearly every night. the side fence is covered with a wisteria which i really should clip back but i just cant, its too lovely and the heavy perfume is one of my favourite spring smells.

oh, and thats one sock that i managed to finish on the plane somewhere above the bight. i did a jenys susprisingly stretchy cast off, which was also surprisingly easy, and this one fits like a dream on its intended recipient (ie, not me). i am also getting very close to the end of the body on adrift, but you wouldnt see the difference in a photo, so im going to try and knit on that solely until its done. with its cute little short sleeves, its a very timely garment.

and finally, the magnolia has well and truly flowered.

so i dont know whether its the walking, the vitamin D or lots of puppy cuddles but im much happier today than ive felt in a long time. i think im even looking forward to summer. good lord, there must be something wrong with me!

k xx

careful what you wish for

it did not escape my attention the other day that moaning about being cold was more than likely to bring on the heat, and then i would really have something to moan about. and so it has come to pass. well, nearly. i took the dogs for a walk yesterday morning along the sand dunes behind the beach and had to take my jacket off. the dogs felt it too:

all through the beach scrub the wattle was out, and a hundred other wild flowers. i especially love this grass, and the pattern it traces in the sand as the breeze moves through its leaves:

at home, the magnolia is fast becoming more leaves than flowers:

and the sky is cloudy now with an impending storm. the camera used a flash for this close up, and i had to share it. you can almost feel the velvet waxiness.

soon these will be all gone and there will be big glossy leaves and cool shade underneath. today i wore my new cardigan to work and it was almost too warm. already! this early warmth is a little unseasonal, it will cool down again as the rain starts, but its been lovely to feel the warmth coming back into the sun, and to notice the smells of summer approaching. today i can even smell smoke in the air, but thats probably just a back burn on the escarpment because it wasnt windy today.

my favourite smell from spring though is jasmine, and i have a pile of it tumbling over the back fence.

im not sure which sort this one is, maybe a multiflorum (or star jasmine). my favourite one is the pink or white jasmine (polyanthum) and the next time i am home for the weekend i am going to plant some along the hot back fence. im not much of a gardener, things tend to die on me, but every year i always try to grow something, tomatoes, basil, rosemary, and i will try again this year!

meanwhile, i am trying something new in the knitting department, having cast on for landon a couple of days ago. this was not in my regular schedule, coming into the warmer weather, but now that i will be in the northern hemisphere in winter, i figured i might as well try and get it done in time. last night i started the cable panels that run along the front:

knitabulous taught me how to do the cable without a cable needle, its only a 2 stitch twist everytime, so im hoping i can manage it.  ive never done anything with cables before, i think they are a bit bulky for me, but this pattern has a delicate running trellis, and i am modifying the pattern so that there is only one panel down the front rather than two, and will be putting in button holes for my wonderful silver buttons.

i wont get to work on it this weekend though as we are headed down to kioloa for our annual flyball competition by the sea, so hopefully i will come back with a finished pair of socks and some more pictures of the fabulous australian coastline.

k xx